Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty

NEWARK, N.J. – For the New Jersey Devils, a hero has arisen from an unlikely source.

Bryce Salvador, who missed all of the 2010-11 season because of injuries and did not score during this past regular season, scored his fourth goal of the 2012 Playoffs in the second period Saturday night to lift the Devils to a 2-1 victory inside the Prudential Center.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said of Salvador.  “We’re looking for him to score a goal all year, so he peaked at the right time if you ask me. But I think it’s great and deserved, especially where he came from with spending all year on the sidelines.”

With their victory, the Devils now trail the Stanley Cup Final three games to two, heading back to Los Angeles for game six Monday night.

“We’ve gotta win another game to keep playing,” said Devils head coach Peter DeBoer.  “I said all along that our group has a confidence in ourselves.”

In a first period that was played at breakneck speed so unlike the other games in the series, it was the Devils who would strike first.  On the power play slightly past the midway mark of the opening frame, Zach Parise cashed in on a net mouth scramble.  The American captain, who may play his final game for the Devils in the next five days, scored for the first time in the series and ignited his team when they needed him most – especially during a lackluster first period.

“Right, we needed the first goal,” said Peter DeBoer.  “Regardless of how it looked…especially because I thought they controlled the first period and they were the better team in the first period.  It was a little surprising, I don’t know if it was nerves for us or what.  But they controlled the period, and we capitalized on a mistake.”

“We survived out there,” added Brodeur, who made 25 saves and was named the games first star.

Read more here.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Ever since Dale Hunter stepped down as the head coach of the Washington Capitals on May 14, everyone has had their say over who should be the next head coach of the Capitals.  I published a list of qualities that I wanted in the next coach, but I did not name a single guy.

That’s because I don’t think there is one man that I think can lead the Capitals to the Promised Land.  There are a few out there with potential in my mind.

Marc Crawford, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in the late 1990s, is one.  Craig MacTavish, who last coached the Oilers in their miracle run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, is another.  Mike Sullivan, a current assistant to John Tortorella with the Rangers, is a third.

But late Thursday, TSN’s Bob McKenzie, while enjoying some $17.95 in-flight internet, responded to a question about the Caps’ coaching search by Adam Vingan of NBCWashington.com.

“Do not seem to be in a hurry,” McKenize tweeted.  “Asst Dean Evason will get a look.”

Um, no.

Look, I have nothing against Dean Evason.  Really, I don’t.  I think he’s a fine assistant, and he’s always done his job well, as far as I can tell.  He’s been in Washington for seven seasons now.  He has paid his dues, for the most part.  Eventually, he will probably get his shot as a head coach in the NHL.

It should not be with the Washington Capitals.  And the reasoning is simple: it’s more of the same.

It’s common knowledge for most that Albert Einstein once said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.”

Ta-dahhh!

Since George McPhee and Ron Wilson were named General Manager and Head Coach, respectively, before the 1997-1998 season, McPhee has never once hired a head coach that had NHL coaching experience.  Not one.

Read more about the Caps' former rookie bench bosses here.

We learned yesterday that the Wasington Capitals informed winger Mike Knuble they would not be re-signing him for the 2012-12 season.  In an interview with Elliot in the Morning today, he admitted his 2011-12 season was very trying but still wants to "play this game for as long as [he] can."

Knuble, who has played three seasons with the Caps, tallied 220 regular season games, contributing 59 goals and 52 assists during his time in the red, white, and blue. In 24 playoff games with the Caps, he netted 6 goals and added 5 assists for 11 points.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of rival is "one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess; one striving for competitive advantage."  An archrival is "a principal rival."  For most NHL hockey teams, a principal rival is a team in their division, one that they have to duke it out with to win a top-3 seed in the conference and home-ice advantage, as division rivals play each other 6 times per season and only one team can win the division any given year.  For the teams that do not win the division, they fight with other teams in their division and conference for the remaining 5 playoff seeds, and conference opponents play each other 4 times per season.  Once the playoffs begin, playoff rivalries take shape, as two teams enter each series and only one will emerge victorious.  It is not just the Stanley Cup at stake, players that perform well in the Stanley Cup playoffs nearly always see a pay increase in their next contract, have better job options after retirement, and so on.  Teams that perform well in the playoffs have an easier time attracting quality free agents, their executives stay employed longer, and they sell more merchandise.  Rivalries have real meaning beyond just what happens on the ice and at the bank, too, as the fans will pay more money to see rivalry games, and those games often get prime-time television spots and national coverage.  Like Colorado-Detroit in the 1990s, Boston-Montreal every year, and Alien versus Predator, some rivalries never seem to go away, no matter how old or outdated they seem. 

Considering the Washington Capitals play in the Southeast Division, their only divisional archrival candidate from the past 18 seasons is the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning were a threat for the 2011 division crown and also knocked the Capitals out of the playoffs in 2003 and 2011.  None of the other teams have been good enough consistently to be a threat in the regular season, and the Capitals have also never faced any other division rival in the playoffs.  The Lightning never seem to be good enough consistently to hold the mantle for very long, though, and that creates a rivalry vacuum for the Capitals within the Southeast.  The next best thing to a division rival is a conference playoff rival, a team you play in the playoffs every season, a team you hate so much even your star players get into fights.  It's a team that you have clear memories of events that had nothing to do with the outcome of the game, whether it's the fans, the coaches, or the fights.  That new primary rival for the Capitals over the past four seasons has been the New York Rangers, and they are the team's new archrival. 

Read on.

[Ed. note: Rock the Red's Jumping the Glass offers this letter on behalf of Washington Capitals fans everywhere who were as mortified as he in learning that Caps' super supporter Pat Sajak was seen donning Los Angeles Kings' gear during their Game 3 win at the Staples Center Monday night. He compared it to the time he learned the Easter Bunny didn't exist.]

Dear Mr. Sajak,

As a life-long fan of The Wheel of Fortune (Wheel Watcher #00000032), I am horrified to see you sitting front-row at the Staples Center rocking the... black and silver!?

Et tu Pat?

Mr Sajak, I realize how hard it is to be a Caps fan and that with your ties to the Los Angeles area, it's easy to grab onto the bumper of the Kings' bandwagon. But for God's sake, show a little loyalty!

We need you Alex Semin! ...er...I mean Pat!

I've seen you proudly Rock the Red in good times and in bad. All I ask is that you continue to show your support when you Second Team is succeeding.

David Gregory wouldn't do this to us! You're pretty much rooting for the Flyers!

B_ _! (I'd like to buy an 'O')

Ok, who am I kidding. You should probably just go and cheer for a winner. It's ok... we understand.

I wonder if Alex Trebek has a favorite hockey team...

-Caps Fans

As confirmed by a team release, the Washington Capitals have traded goaltender Tomas Vokoun to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 7th round pick in the 2012 NHL draft.  Vokoun signed a two year, $4 million contract with the Penguins soon after the trade was announced, as the Penguins added one of the best goalies in the NHL for nothing, much like the Capitals did last season.

There are very few positives to draw out of this deal.  Sure, the Capitals got something for a player they were going to lose in free agency anyway, but they still gave him up to their archrival.  Vokoun is not what he used to be, but he still had a .917 save percentage last year and if it was not for him, the Capitals would have been dead and buried by the end of February.  A 7th round pick is something, which is better than nothing, and it certainly seems as though Vokoun was going to sign in Pittsburgh anyway when he left, which was a virtual guarantee.  However, the fact that the Penguins got a lot better today at the expense of the Capitals is not good, and a 7th round pick does not make it significantly better.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Caps for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here.

Photo by Frank Franklin III/AP

NEWARK, N.J. – For a member of the Los Angeles Kings, a whirlwind season may have reached its pinnacle.

Kings center Jeff Carter scored his first career game-winning overtime goal as Los Angeles took a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.  And for Carter, whose last eleven months have been full of turmoil, it was a defining moment in a career.

“This was by far the biggest,” said a smiling Carter.  “It’s my first playoff overtime goal.  It’s a huge one, a big one for the team, and it gets us a two game lead going back home, right where we wanted to be coming in.”

“Good to see him score,” added Kings coach Darryl Sutter.  “Marty [Devils goaltender Martin Broduer] made some highlight saves tonight, against good shooters, so it was good to see him score.  He’s a goal scorer.  You count on him to score big goals.”

In a polar opposite of game one, it was the Devils who got off to a hot start.  Clearly desperate to avoid heading back to Los Angeles in an 0-2 hole, New Jersey forechecked tenaciously, forcing Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick to make some big saves, including on an early power play.  But the Devils could not break through.

The differences between the opening game of the series ended at 7:49 when Drew Doughty evoked memories of the 1995 Stanley Cup Final for Devils fans, but in a bad way.  After collecting the puck behind his own net, the 22 year-old defenseman stickhandled his way through the New Jersey defense and ripped a shot into the far corner over Brodeur’s shoulder.

“I just saw some ice in front of me and decided to skate with the puck,” said 2010 Norris Trophy finalist. “I don’t know who the D man was but I tried to use him as a screen…Marty’s got that quick glove so I decided to put it blocker side.  Didn’t even know it went in, actually.  Thankfully, it did.”

“It’s a great play,” added Sutter.  “You know what, it’s a 200 foot play.  One of them coast-to-coasters.  You’ll look at it a lot of times…win or lose tonight, that’s a great play.”

Read on by clicking here.

NEW YORK, NY – Over the last three months, the saga of Washington Capitals megaprospect Evgeny Kuznetsov has gripped the DC fanbase.  With Kuznetsov set to be a free agent at the end of the 2011-12 Kontinental Hockey League season, the hope among many was that the winger would take his talents across the Pacific Ocean to begin his NHL career with the Capitals.  With his dazzling skill set, glowing scouting reports, and dominance of international tournaments, the anticipation was high, and for good reason.

However, in early May, Kuznetsov announced that he planned to stay in Russia playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk for the next two seasons. The decision is not yet 100% official because Kuznetsov has not signed his new deal with Traktor yet, but every indication is that he has made up his mind, and is not coming, at least not next season.  In mid May, Capitals General Manager George McPhee confirmed as such, saying that it “doesn’t look like” the 20 year-old will be under contract in DC next fall.

The reasons given for Kuznetsov’s disappointing decision varied.  The player himself said he was “not ready” to come over and play in the best league in the world, which seems fishy at best considering the way he has torn up the KHL and the World Junior Championships the last two winters.  Most NHL prognosticators place his potential rookie scoring output at around 60 points.  Not ready?

Others say that Kutzetsov wants to stay in Russia because the money that he will be able to earn while playing for Traktor will enable him to do what he wants to do: start a family, having been married last summer.  This, also, seems to have its fishiness.  

There is no doubt that Kuznetsov would be able to make a large sum of money in the KHL, upwards of $5 million a season, and most of it would be tax free.  In the NHL, his maximum entry-level deal could have a value of around $9 million under the current collective bargaining agreement.  That’s not as much as the KHL, but it’s certainly more than enough money to start a family with.

Read on by clicking here.

RockTheRed.net is very excited to announce that tonight at 6:30pm we will broadcast our premiere episode of Rock the Red Radio! Please join RtR bloggers Andy Green and Harry Hawkings, who will be speaking live from the Stanley Cup Final in New Jersey, and Matt Gajtka, Director of Communications for the USHL Muskegeon Lumberjacks and host of the Polish Prodigy Podcast as they speak about the New Jersey Devils-Los Angeles Kings Final match-up, review Wednesday's Game 1 and preview Saturday's Game 2.

As the podcast continues, expect to hear our panelists (and assorted guests) discuss the Washington Capitals, their AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears, and on-goings across the NHL with wit, humor, and the occasional pop culture reference. 

If you have questions for our panelists, feel free to tweet them to us or leave them in our comments section. Thanks in advance for listening!

Photo via Elsa/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils will meet welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, this evening as the two teams play game one of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.  The Devils, who finished the 2011-12 season in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 106 points, are 12-7 in the playoffs, having beaten the Panthers in seven games, the Flyers in five games, and the Rangers most recently in the Conference finals.  The Kings, who finished the regular season in eighth place in the West with 95 points, have roared through the postseason on a near record pace of 12-2: beating the Canucks in five games, sweeping the Blues, and knocking off the Coyotes 4-1 in the Conference finals.  It is important to note both that the Kings are undefeated on the road in the playoffs so far, and the Devils have won two Stanley Cups in their history by beating a team that was 12-2 prior to the Final.

Vezina trophy finalist Jonathan Quick will get the call in goal this evening from Brent Sutter, who’s tenure as the head coach in LA began midway through this season.  Quick, viewed by some as the best goalie in the NHL, brings a 1.54 GAA, .946 save percentage, and two shutouts into this evening’s contest; his GAA and save percentage are both tops in the NHL among postseason goaltenders.  Outside of the crease, the Kings have two injuries: winger Simon Gagne (concussion) and winger Scott Parse (upper body).

The ageless Martin Brodeur, the greatest goaltender of all time, will start in game one for head coach Peter DeBoer.  The 40 year-old Brodeur, who already has his name on the Cup three times, brings a 2.04 postseason GAA, .923 postseason save percentage, and one postseason shutout into tonight’s game.  New Jersey does not have any injuries at the moment, although it is important to not that defenseman Henrik Tallinder, who has missed the last four months because of a leg injury, is now healthy and available, should DeBoer elect to swap him in.

Puck drops tonight at around 8:11.  I will be in Newark for games of the Cup final played at The Rock, so follow me on Twitter here for all of your needs as the final two play out the final games of the 2011-12 season.