Coyotes Escape From L.A., Russia Conquers the World: Monday's notes

Yesterday saw two big games on opposite ends of the hockey world. In the Western Conference Finals, the Phoenix Coyotes slowed down the L.A. Kings' rampage for a day, while at the World Championships, Russia captured the gold medal as they look to build momentum ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held on their turf frozen tundra.

We've got updates from those games, as well the junior hockey spectacle which is the Memorial Cup...

Nashville Predators News

The nature of Erat’s injury - Predators Insider
Martin Erat's agent says it wasn't really a concussion that the winger suffered over the weekend, just a "stiff neck". Of course, for veteran NHL players, a concussion listed on their injury history is like a car with an accident on its CarFax report, so who knows.

Hockey Season Officially Ends for the Predators | ladypreds
Summing up the various Preds' experience over at the World Championships.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

WCF: Phoenix Coyotes @ Los Angeles Kings Game 4 Recap: Captain Coyote To The Rescue - Five For Howling
Shane Doan led the way for the Coyotes to return to Phoenix for a Game Five.

Russia dominates Slovakia to win 2012 IIHF gold; 2014 Sochi groups announced | Puck Daddy
Team USA will get lumped in with both Russia and Slovakia in the upcoming Winter Olympics. The Czech Republic took the bronze medal, making Erat the only Preds medalist this time around.

2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: Shawinigan Cataractes pull away late, beat London Knights; post-game questions - Buzzing The Net
The round-robin portion of the Memorial Cup continues, as Austin Watson's gang takes a beating.

Roy should weigh pros and cons of becoming Habs coach - The Globe and Mail
After having kicked the tires on NHL head coaching, Dale Hunter offers some advice for Patrick Roy.

NHL Adjusted Plus-Minus Part 4, Even Strength Overall - Arctic Ice Hockey
Advanced wonkery which bodes well for Ryan Suter.

IIHF president content to wait for NHL to make a decision on Sochi - The Globe and Mail
Heck, we're just hoping for NHL games this fall, let alone seeing NHL players in 2014 in Russia.

Western Conference Finals Game 4 Thread

Can the Kings close the deal, and claim the Clarence Campbell Bowl for the first time in 19 years?

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Next Game

Phoenix Coyotes
@ Los Angeles Kings

Sunday, May 20, 2012, 2:00 PM Central (NBC)
STAPLES Center

Complete Coverage >

SB Nation's NHL Awards 2012: OTF's Vezina Trophy Ballot

As we look ahead to the 2012 NHL Awards taking place in Las Vegas next month, the assembled SB Nation hockey bloggers conducted our own balloting for the major awards, and this morning, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings was revealed as our collective pick for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's top goaltender. Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators came in 4th behind Henrik Lundqvist and Mike Smith.

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Jonathan Quick

#32 / Goalie / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 6-1

Weight: 212

Born: Jan 21, 1986

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	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2011 - Jonathan Quick	69	4099	35	21	13	133	1.95	1863	1730	.929	10

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Each of us submitted our top 3 selections, so here's a look at how the OTF crew voted:

Chris: (1) Quick, (2) Rinne, (3) Lundqvist

Marc: (1) Lundqvist, (2) Quick, (3) Rinne

Dirk: (1) Quick, (2) Smith, (3) Lundqvist

Hockey season is finally over for the Preds: Sunday's notes

Thanks to the Czech Republic losing yesterday (and Martin Erat getting knocked from the game with a concussion), all of the Nashville Predators are officially done playing for this season. Sure, there are two junior prospects still competing in the Memorial Cup, but the pros are now able to kick off the skates and heal up for the next three months.

All that's left to do for now is get ready for Mike Fisher's interview with Oprah Winfrey, which airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Central on OWN. We've got a sneak peek as part of our hockey notes today...

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Nashville Predators News

Post Mortem: Part II "The Bright Spots" - Predlines
Dan shares five reasons to look forward to the fall.

Nashville Predators' Craig Smith hopes rookie wall is behind him | The Tennessean
The buzz around the Honey Badger will be off the charts this fall, and with good reason.

Take a sneak peek at the upcoming "Oprah's Next Chapter" episode, airing Sunday evening on OWN, featuring Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher. Here, Carrie makes only her 2nd trip into the Preds' locker room...

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

2012 NHL Playoffs: Rangers Explode Again In Third Period To Take Game Three - Blueshirt Banter
The Rangers weathered the New Jersey storm before taking over in the final period, and now hold a 2-1 series lead.

Kings Gameday: Kings 101 - Battle of California
Rudy Kelly offers helpful information for all the bandwagon-jumpers.

IIHF Worlds: Russia and Slovakia Square Off for Gold - Puck Worlds
Hmm... I wonder if Alexander Radulov regrets coming back to the NHL, rather than waiting a couple weeks and playing for Russia at the World Championships.

Michael Arace commentary: Sustained stink has made Jackets a tough sell | BlueJackets Xtra
What, the installation of Todd Richards as permanent head coach and the imminent trade of Rick Nash aren't firing up the fan base?

Semin Needs Detroit and Detroit Needs Semin | The Hockey Writers
This would be an intriguing match... the Red Wings have a history of making the most out of players with game-breaking potential, but glaring weaknesses which need to be accommodated.

2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: Knights get win, Gerard Gallant loses cool with refs; the post-game questions - Buzzing The Net
Both Charles-Olivier Roussel and Austin Watson did well yesterday.

N.H.L. and Players Head for a New Labor Showdown - NYTimes.com

Once we get past the Draft and the NHL Awards, expect things to get ugly.

LA's bold marketing strategy isn't just online - Puck Drunk Love

Brilliant!

Stacking the Kings against other dominant teams | Backhand Shelf
The #8 Western Conference seed now has to deal with the perception of being the favorite.

The Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan Jones delivers a quality season in 2011-12 | Edmonton Journal
It looks like Jones is blossoming into a legit NHL winger after all.

So, about those goalies: Yzerman's tough decision - Raw Charge
Might Anders Lindback find starter's work with Tampa Bay?

Does Division Title Alter Panthers’ Three-Year Plan? | Overtime
Will the Panthers get full of themselves after losing their way (in OT and the shootout) to the Southeast Division title?

Down Goes Brown: Each side's major sticking points in the upcoming CBA negotiations
It's like you're right there at the negotiating table.

Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators: Mr. Thrills and Spills | Edmonton Journal
"the new Paul Cough-up", I like it.

Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Thread

With this series tied 1-1, the battle for the Prince of Wales Trophy moves to New Jersey:

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Next Game

New York Rangers
@ New Jersey Devils

Saturday, May 19, 2012, Noon Central (NBC)
Prudential Center

Complete Coverage >

2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Rangers Vs. Devils - Another Swing Game - Blueshirt Banter
Joe wants to see the Rangers get back to carrying the puck with confidence, rather than chip & chase.

Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers - In Lou We Trust
Can the Devils keep working those tipped shots in front of the Rangers' net, which led to their Game Two victory?

Take a peak inside this rivalry with SB Nation's Matt Ufford, as he checked out the scene prior to Game 2 at Madison Square Garden:

Martin Erat suffers concussion at World Championships

Just when you thought the World Championships weren't worth paying attention to... bad news comes for Nashville Predators fans. While playing for the Czech Republic in a 3-1 semifinal loss to Slovakia, Martin Erat suffered a concussion on a 1st-period hit and left the game.

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Martin Erat

#10 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 201

Born: Aug 29, 1981

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This, from the IIHF's game report:

Early in the first, Martin Erat had his head snapped back with a shoulder check and didn't return.

In the second, Petr Prucha gave Tomas Starosta a dangerous little shove as they chased a puck down in the end boards. Starosta lost his balance, smashed awkwardly into the boards, and fell in a heap clutching his right shoulder. He didn't return either.

A short time later Slovak defenceman Mario Bliznak stepped up into the centre-ice area and delivered what looked like an elbow to the head of Frolik. The Czech sported a cut on his cheeckbone and skated woozily off to the dressing room but came back for the final period.

It was decided after the game that none of these incidents will be reviewed by the Disciplinary Panel. Erat, however, has a concussion, according to Czech GM Slava Lener and won't play in the bronze game tomorrow.

Thanks to the vague nature of NHL injury reporting, we're not sure about Erat's history with concussions, but the one previous incident that does come to mind here is the hit which Tuomo Ruutu put on him during last year's playoff series against Anaheim.

Here's to hoping that a summer of rest can allow Marty the time to heal properly.

UPDATE: Video of the hit, as found at Puck Daddy, follows:

New features announced for NHL '13

If you're like me, you love playing EA Sports' NHL games, even after the season is over. The series is probably my favorite of all the EA Sports games.

EA Sports has already announced a couple of new features for next year's game via a press release, and I already can't wait to get my hands on it.

Follow after the jump for more:

True Performance Skating

It's the little things that make the NHL series so fun, and those little things are only going to get better. They've added more animations that will more accurately reflect the way a player skates, rather than simply making him fast or slow:

A game-changing innovation for the franchise that adds physics-driven skating and over 1000 new animations. True Performance Skating authentically replicates the explosiveness, momentum and top end speed displayed by today's NHL players. True Performance Skating combined with the Skill Stick, finally gives gamers access to the entire toolset of an NHL player, delivering unprecedented control and unlocking a level of creativity never before possible in a hockey videogame.

Hockey I.Q.

This will make players more aware of players around them, not just the one who has the puck. Another little thing that will go a long way in the game:

An innovative new A.I. system that governs the behaviors of players, goalies and team systems. In previous NHL games, players were only aware of skaters in their immediate proximity and goalies could only react to the player in control of the puck. With EA SPORTS Hockey I.Q., all players are now fully aware of every other player on the ice, resulting in quicker, smarter and more true-to-life decision-making. EA SPORTS Hockey IQ also delivers the deepest and most customizable set of real-world hockey systems and strategies ever for the franchise.

GM Connected

GM Connected seems very similar to the Online Dynasty mode in the NCAA Football games. Now, you'll be able to play with some of your friends where you each control different teams:

The ultimate fantasy league with friends. GM Connected takes the franchise's most popular offline mode, Be a GM, and allows you to play with and against your friends in your own 30-team NHL. Whether you are a hardcore sports gamer or a hockey fan that moonlights as an armchair general manager, the mode offers unrivaled accessibility and depth by allowing players to manage, play or coach on the road to building your team's legacy. GM's can also take their experience with them with a mobile companion app, ensuring that they never miss a single moment.

NHL Moments Live

This is probably my favorite new feature. Madden had something similar to this, where you jump into the middle of a game in a certain situation that happened to a team in real life. They'll also add scenarios as the year goes on. Maybe a couple of Nashville's comebacks will be in there?

Rewrite or relive history as you replay some of the most thrilling moments from today's NHL. NHL 13 evolves the concept introduced by other sports games, introducing each scenario with real-world NHL footage to bring players closer to the intensity of the moment. Moments from the 2011-12 NHL season will ship on disc and new moments from the 2012-13 NHL season will be added as and when available throughout the season.