Sunday Wrap-Up

It's time to wrap-up the week before we start anew on Monday, so we'll bounce around the hockey world as we look at stories from inside hockey. Of course, there are playoffs happening all over the place, so there will be updates to a bunch of leagues as to who is still in, and who is now on the golf course. There have also been some pretty big stories from the hockey world that need to be touched upon, and I'll provide my commentary to those stories in terms of how I see them. We'll also bounce over to one blog that has been entertaining me over the last few days, so there are lots of things to check out. Oh, did I mention pictures? Yeah, we'll have those too. A few of them anyway. Let's get to this full menu!

• The KHL will get first billing tonight as the Gagarin Cup was in the house in Moscow as HC MVD had the 3-2 series lead at home against the defending champions in Ak Bars Kazan. Facing elimination, the current champs from Kazan put the gears to MVD as they pumped seven goals past MVD's netminders in a 7-1 Game Six win. That means we'll have one more game as Game Seven will be played Tuesday night in Kazan. Nothing like a Game Seven for all the marbles! Of course, there will be a full recap on Saturday after the Gagarin Cup has been handed out, so tune in for that!
• We have some new threads for an NCAA team. Next season, the Michigan State Spartans will play games in these new uniforms, replacing some fairly iconic uniforms - home, road, and alternate. I'm not against the new look, and I think the Spartan logo looks pretty good, but why did they need black breezers? And why not drop the captain's "C" about an inch and a half so that it's only on the white portion? Personally, I don't think they needed to make a change, but I don't run the athletic department at Michigan State.
• Speaking of NCAA uniforms, I wasn't aware that Providence College wore pants with their team name on the leg. This photo, featuring former NHL goaltender Chris Terreri in net for the Friars, shows the pants clearly that Providence College took to wearing in games. By the way, Terreri went 21-15-5 that season with a 3.12 GAA.
• Big news out of the NHL today is that Blackhawks' forward Marian Hossa will not be suspended for his questionable hit on Dan Hamhuis in yesterday's game. You can see the hit here, and there were a lot of TV personalities who said that this was nothing more than a "hockey play". Pierre McGuire, as much as I disagree with him, is correct. That was a very dangerous hit. However, the NHL handed down its decision, and we're forced to live with it. The hockey gods will not be happy, Marian Hossa. They've punished you for being a hired gun for the last two years. This could be the third year his curse continues.
• The ECHL has nearly completed their push for conference finalists. The National Conference will see the Idaho Steelheads and Stockton Thunder square off for the right to advance to the Kelly Cup Final, while the Reading Royals await the winner of the Cincinnati Cyclones and Charlotte Checkers. The Cyclones lead that series 3-2. The winner will advance to play the Royals for the right to represent the American Conference in the Kelly Cup Final.
• The AHL, much like the NHL, is just finishing its first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, and there have been some excellent games thus far. What I find slightly confusing is how the Western Conference is still determining who moves on, yet the Eastern Conference has already started their Round Two games. Why does the AHL allow this to happen? What's the rush on getting the Eastern Conference games done?
• The Central Hockey League is down to two teams in their playoffs as the Allen Americans battle the Rapid City Rush for the President's Cup. The Americans took Game One by a 4-1 score, while the Rush rallied for 5-4 overtime win in Game Two. Game Three through Five will be held in Allen, Texas starting on Wednesday, April 28, so get down to the rink if you're in Texas!
• The IHL has determined the four teams that will compete for the Turner Cup this year! The top-seeded Muskegon Lumberjacks will face the fourth-ranked Flint Generals, while the second-seeded Fort Wayne Komets will play the third-seeded Port Huron IceHawks. The schedule has been posted, so if you're near your local IHL franchise, get down to the rink and cheer the boys on!
• Down Goes Brown brings the funny with Signs Your Team Is Not Making It To The Second Round. Some classic signs in this list. DGB is a solid read.

That's all for me tonight. I have a busy week coming up, so please don't freak out if the HBIC Playoff Pool isn't updated in real-time. There's still a ton of hockey to be played, and I'm going to go watch the Kings and Canucks tangle.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!