‘Crashing the Crease’ is a new feature here on The Hockey Writers that will take a run through the major happenings in the NHL.  Want us to feature an interesting article or your blog?  Send us an email.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

~ Good news for the Bruins is Marc Savard has been cleared to play in the second round and should provide a much-needed offensive boost.  The news isn’t so bright for Marc Stuart.

~ Time to check reason #4 off the Top 10 list for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin’s parents are expected back in Pittsburgh tomorrow.

~ No one ever said it was easy coaching under Lou Lamoriello: “Since taking over the then-lowly Devils in 1987, Lou has utilized twelve different coaches. That doesn’t include his taking over behind the bench (twice) on an “interim” or the fact that Larry Robinson and Jacques Lemaire have both had the job on two separate occasions.”

~ Odds are good Jaroslav Halak will have to bring his ‘A Game’ to Washington again tomorrow night for Game 7: “An astounding stat for Halak is his 9-0-1 career record when his opponents score 40 or more shots.”

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

~ You have to appreciate the effort, but wearing the ‘actual coyote hat‘ wasn’t enough in Game 7 for Phoenix. (Were the boo’s early in Game 7 coming from easily-frustrated Phoenix fans or the best traveling fan base in the NHL?)

~ An amusing look at the end to the Nashville Predators season: “This is a team that earned 100 points the old-fashioned (read: boring) way. Trap, dump, chase, trap, dump, chase, trap, dump, chase, trap, power play, dump, chase, trap, lose puck, chase puck, dump, chase, breakaway, pass, lose puck, dump, chase, trap, dump, redirect pass, goal, dump, chase, trap.”

~ The Sharks avoided a repeat of last year’s first-round collapse, but they’ve still got a lot of work to do to shake their bad reputation and erase the doubts. “The Sharks finished first or second in the Pacific Division every postlockout season without getting beyond the second round.”

~ Despite the quiet series by the big guns in San Jose, ‘Little Joe’ Pavelski has taken control of the team and led in a big way with clutch performances.

~ Derek Zona is confidently calling Vancouver Canucks fans the worst in Canada: “This is a fanbase that…rallied to support Todd Bertuzzi.  Bertuzzi, one of the worst villains the league has ever known, sucker-punched a player from behind, breaking his neck and ending his career.  Canucks fans rallied for that man.”

~ As one might expect when a guy gets his hair pulled, it shouldn’t take very long for the Hawks and Canucks to get reacquainted in their second round matchup.  Let’s hope Roberto Luongo has his emotions in check this time around: