Red Wings' Mikael Samuelsson hoists Stanley Cup, joins elusive Triple Gold Club

Detroit Red Wings right wing Mikael Samuelsson capped off a strong playoff performance by assisting on Valtteri Filppula's second period goal in last night's Game 6 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, bringing the Cup back to Hockeytown for the 4th time in the last 11 years. Samuelsson scored 5 goals, added 8 assists and was +8 during Detroit'z run, including a two-goal performance in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against his former team. "Sammy" also had a two-goal game in Game 4 of Detroit's series-clinching win over Colorado. Samuelsson played on a line with Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula throughout the playoffs and was a significant part of the team's second power-play unit, which was lauded earlier in the finals by head coach Mike Babcock. With last night's win, Mikael joined the elite Triple Gold Club.

Triple Gold Club expands to 22

Zetterberg, Kronwall and Samuelsson do it in only two years.

06-05-08

PITTSBURGH – With Detroit’s Stanley Cup victory, the Triple Gold Club expanded with three new members – Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, and Mikael Samuelsson. The three Swedes were the fastest of the 22 players to complete the triple (Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and Stanley Cup).

The three out of a total of seven Swedish players on the 2008 Red Wings’ Stanley Cup team built their Triple Gold Club platform just two years ago. In 2006, they were part of Sweden’s Tre Kronor when it became the first team in hockey history to win the Olympic gold (Turin) and the World Championship (Riga) in the same year. They are now the first players who have achieved their Triple Gold Club merits entirely in the 21st century.

Zetterberg, Kronwall, and Samuelsson were among the eight Swedish players that year who were on both the Olympic as well as on the World Championship team. As a result, the Swedish Triple Gold Club contingent is now nine players strong.

By comparison, Soviet and Russian stalwart defenceman Vyacheslav Fetisov had to wait 19 years between his first title (1978 World Championship) and the year he finally reached the triple, in 1997 after winning his first of two Stanley Cups with Detroit.

Other examples: It took Jaromir Jagr 14 years, Joe Sakic 12 and Nicklas Lidstrom 15 years to win all three titles.

The Triple Gold Club now consists of nine Swedish players, six Russians, five Canadians and two Czechs. Out of the 22 players, 12 are forwards and 10 are defenceman. The club still has yet to welcome its first goaltender.

D Anssi Salmela signs with New Jersey

The New Jersey Devils made news last Friday by signing undrafted free agent defenseman Anssi Salmela to a one year entry-level contract. The 23-year old blueliner most recently played for Team Finland in the 2008 IIHF World Championships, where he logged 15.23 minutes per game and finished with a +3 rating. Salmela also made a splash by fighting current St. Louis Blues forward David Backes at the end of Finland's May 11th game against the US. Salmela drew interest from several NHL clubs after a strong 2007-08 season in which he led all SM-Liiga defensemen in goals (16) and played for the National Team. Anssi, known for having an edge to his game, should figure to compete in 2008-09 for one of the top six spots in New Jersey's lineup.

2008 IIHF World Championships Finals: Kovalchuk leads Russia to its first Gold medal in 15 years

What a finish! In one of most memorable games in the World Championships’ 100-year history, Ilya Kovalchuk scored on a power play 2:42 into overtime as Russia defeated host Canada 5-4 to capture its first IIHF World Championship title since 1993 before a ruckus crowd of 13,338 at the Pepsi Colisee in Quebec. With Canadian winger Rick Nash in the penalty box for delay of game for shooting the puck out of play over Russia’s bench, an unmarked “Kovy” waltzed in from the blue line to the top of the slot and ripped a wrist shot over the blocker of 2006 Vezina Trophy winner Cam Ward for the dramatic victory. (watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NmywCGifSg). The play developed on a nifty feed from the re-born Sergei Fedorov, who pulled up on the right wing just inside Canada’s blue line, circled, and found a shockingly wide open Kovalchuk entering the zone. Fedorov and Alexander Ovechkin drew the assists on Kovy’s “golden goal”.

Kovalchuk, who sat out Russia’s semifinal matchup against Sweden due to an automatic one-game suspension, also provided the heroics for Russia in regulation, as he tied the game 4-4 on a wrist shot with 5:14 remaining in the third period. The clutch goals were Kovalchuk’s first two of the tournament to go along with six assists.

Russia displayed great resolve in winning its first gold in fifteen years. After Alexander Semin staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead just 1:24 into the first period with his first of two goals on the night, Canada pulled ahead 3-1 after twenty minutes on two goals by Minnesota Wild defenseman Brent Burns, sandwiched around a Chris Kunitz tally. Burns’ second came on a 5 on 3 advantage, as he powered a one-timer past Evgeni Nabokov to give Canada a two-goal cushion entering the intermission. Russia, appearing a bit unsettled in its first championship game since 2002, took four penalties in the opening frame, including a Vatali Proshkin double-minor for high sticking, and as a result were out shot 15-5.

After regrouping during the first intermission and beginning the second period on its first power play, Semin put the visitors within one with his sixth goal of the tournament. The Washington Capitals rising star, the 13th overall pick in the 2002 Entry Draft, would end up leading all Russians in scoring with 13 points. Canada regained its two goal lead on Dany Heatley’s Championships leading twelfth goal. Heatley was named the MVP and top forward of the tournament after the game. The score remained 4-2 through 40 minutes of play, despite Russia out shooting Canada 12-8 in the second.

In the third period and overtime, Russia continued to dominate play. After shifts of sustained pressure in the Canadian zone, Alexander Tereshchenko finally broke through for the visitors, beating Ward five-hole from the slot to cut the home team’s lead in half. Then it was Kovalchuk’s time, and gold was Russia’s at last.

You can watch the Russian team's celebration as well as an interview with Ilya Kovalchuk's mother here - http://youtube.com/watch?v=IFI_OogUnD8.

2008 IIHF World Championships Semifinals: Russia vs. Finland Recap

For the first time since 2002, Russia is one victory away from snapping its 15-year World Championship drought. With a dominating 4-0 defeat of Finland Friday afternoon at the 2008 IIHF World Championship semi-finals, along with Canada’s 5-4 victory over Sweden, Russia will face-off against its long time foe on Sunday at the Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City at 1:00 p.m. to play for its first World Championship title since 1993. Through Russia’s first six periods of medal round play, it has outscored the opposition 10-0. But this Russian team, featuring a blend of NHL stars along with Russian Super League standouts, will not be satisfied to leave Quebec without a championship.

Contributing greatly to Russia’s likelihood of capturing gold is that Sergei Fedorov is playing like it's 1993. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer opened the scoring 13:41 into the first with his 5th goal and team-leading 10th point of the tournament. Fedorov has been united with Capitals teammates Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin on a line, all of whom have registered 10 points entering Sunday’s match.

The prolific Ak-Bars Kazan trio of Alexei Morozov, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Zinoviev generated Russia’s next two goals. Morozov and Zaripov, who ranked 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in RSL scoring during the 2007-2008 campaign, each scored a goal, with Zinoviev notching assists on both. Zaripov beat Finland goalie Niklas Backstrom 3:44 into the 2nd period, and Morozov whipped Backstrom five-hole through a screen from the right-circle with just under 9 minutes to play in the third to give Russia an insurmountable 3-0 lead. (watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxni9sm_cNA). Morozov’s marker was his 5th of the tournament. Maxim Sushinsky, who was 5th in RSL scoring this past season, ensured the coveted Russia-Canada Final with an empty-netter with approximately two minutes remaining in the game.

Russia rides a very hot Evgeni Nabokov into the Final. The 2007-2008 Vezina Trophy finalist has stopped all 45 shots he has faced in the quarter and semi-finals, but will need to elevate his game to defeat Canada on Sunday. Canada’s attack is spearheaded by Dany Heatley, who leads the Championships with 11 goals and 18 points. However, boosting Russia’s prospects of returning home with gold is the return of Heatley’s former Atlanta Thrashers teammate, sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk served an automatic one-game suspension against Finland. A full complement of players gives Russia a tremendous opportunity to end its 15-year itch.

2008 IIHF World Championships Quarterfinals: Russia vs. Switzerland Recap

Russia advanced to the semi-finals of the 2008 IIHF World Championships on Wednesday night with a 6-0 pounding of Switzerland, but still suffered a tremendous loss. As a result of being assessed his second game misconduct of the tournament, star winger Ilya Kovalchuk has been automatically suspended for Russia’s semi-final matchup against Finland Friday afternoon, per IIHF rules. Kovalchuk, known for his competitive play as well as his world-class offensive capabilities, all of which made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, was whistled for the misconduct after a hit on Switzerland’s Julien Vauclair. No. 71’s presence will be difficult to overcome for Russia against the tight-checking Finns, as Kovalchuk is a constant scoring threat of whom the opposition must always be aware and creates ample space for his teammates. Kovalchuk is currently tied for the team-lead with 6 assists.

The Russian attack struck early and often against the porous Swiss, scoring goals on three of their first four shots against Swiss netminder Martin Gerber. Maxim Afinogenov paced Russia with two goals in only 7:20 of ice time, while Konstantin Korneyev, Denis Grebeshkov, Danis Zaripov and Alexei Tereshchenko each registered two assists.

Gerber was yanked at the 6:50 mark of the second period after yielding five goals on the first fourteen shots he faced. He was replaced by Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, who fared far better, allowing only an Alexander Ovechkin goal at 18:07 of the second period. For Ovechkin, it was his team-leading sixth goal of the tournament. In the other crease, Evgeni Nabokov stopped all 22 shots he faced to record a shutout.

At 1:00 p.m on Friday, Russia faces off against scrappy Finland, which defeated the United States 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday on Sami Lepisto’s first goal of the Championships. Finland is led by Mikko Koivu and Teemu Selanne up front, and also boast the Finnish Elite League’s leading goal scorer among defensemen in Anssi Salmela. An already difficult matchup becomes an even larger task without Kovalchuk.

Some tidbits from the 2008 IIHF World Championships

A lot has been made and written about the fight at the end of Sunday's game between US forward David Backes and Finnish defenseman Anssi Salmela. Finland coach Doug Shedden, being brutally honest, had this to say about Salmela: "He needs a broken nose. He needs to get ugly. It is on the other side of his face." You can see the Backes-Salmela fight by going to http://youtube.com/watch?v=zxvUEzz1R7U. As a result of the fight, both Backes and Salmela were automatically suspended one game each.

In addition, Salmela, who led SM-Liiga, Finland's elite league, in goals this season with 16, scored one of the stranger goals you'll ever see - http://youtube.com/watch?v=sz2QuKRFq-E. Salmela has logged nearly 15 minutes a game for Finland thus far in the World Championships, as part of the team's second defense pairing.

Sergei Zubov's long-awaited return sparks Dallas

Dallas Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov returned to the lineup on Sunday night for the first time since January 27. Zubie missed the Stars' final 33 games of the regular season and first 7 games of the postseason with a sports hernia injury related to surgery he had at the end of the 2006-07 season as well as a foot injury. While Dallas was able to prevail over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks in the 1st round of the Western Conference playoffs in 6 games, there is no denying the importance of Zubov.

Zubie is and has been regarded as one of the NHL's top offensive defenseman for his entire 15-year career. He is a unique player in his ability to quarterback the powerplay and has a knack of making creative passes. Zubov always has his head up as he looks to make that "homerun" pass that can lead to a breakaway. On Sunday night in San Jose, Zubov decided to give it a go after he felt good in pre-game warm ups and almost immediately, Zubie's impact was felt. With the score tied 3-3 late in the 2nd period, Zubov took the puck, spun around and put a nifty backhand pass right on the tape to Mike Modano who scored past San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov. Dallas added two goals in the 3rd period to secure a 5-2 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. Last night's Game 3 provided another opportunity for Zubov to make his presence felt as he tied the game early in the 2nd period with a power play goal.

Zubov is a 4-time All-Star, who was selected to play in this year's All-Star game, but didn't play due to injury. He began the year as an early candidate for the Norris Trophy for Best Defenseman and ranked among the top three in defensemen scoring for virtually the entire first half of the season. Though the Norris Trophy might be out of his grasp this year due to injuries, Zubie still remains a key component of the Dallas Stars' attack. A win tonight in Dallas would clinch a spot for the Stars in the Western Conference Finals and move Zubov a step closer to winning his third Stanley Cup.

Apr 29, 2008, 10:00 AM EDT

Zubov makes Stars' offense go

Larry Wigge NHL.com Columnist

It was one of those quick-twitch, in-the-blink-of- an-eye decisions that not everyone can make.

The game is going at full speed, and yet some players have the ability and skill set to calibrate the angles the opposition is going to take and assimilate them to his advantage, like looking at a chess board and seeing seven moves ahead. Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov is one of those players.

Zubov is smart, patient, creative, productive and some think he's the best pure passer in the game. And even though he was coming into Game 2 of a Western Conference semifinal series against the San Jose Sharks having not played a shift since Jan. 17, Sergei was able to shake off the rust and use his magical skills. After going nearly top speed, he stopped to draw attention to him near the right-wing faceoff circle to give his teammates time and space to get open, then spun and made a hard backhand pass through the middle of the San Jose zone for a quick wrist shot by Mike Modano for the go-ahead goal in a 5-2 victory. The win gave the Stars a 2-0 lead with the series shifting to Dallas for Game 3.

"What a way to welcome back an old friend," Modano said.

When asked if he meant Zubov or the pass, Modano said, "Both."

Then he continued, "With Zubie, you have to always be ready for the puck ... whenever. You have to know it's coming to you and to be ready for it."

This is where we would normally have to explain the hand-to-eye, magical sleight-of-hand Zubov possesses. But the reputation of 15 NHL seasons, Stanley Cups with the New York Rangers in Sergei's first full NHL season in 1994 and with Dallas in 1999, are proof enough of his Picasso-like artistic skills.

"No offense to anyone else who’s been here for a while, but Sergei is like our quarterback," coach Dave Tippett told me. "Most of what we do here offensively and defensively starts with him. Yet he flies under the radar. His vision, his patience and those great puck skills are behind a lot of our creativity. First and foremost, he’s such a leader. He’s in the game to win, he can’t stand to lose."

Today, there might have been some rust down here (touching his legs), but there's no rust up here (pointing to his head)."

The 37-year-old Zubov clearly missed the game after being knocked out of the lineup first with foot and groin injuries in mid-January that were later re-diagnosed as his second bout with sports hernia since he missed the team's last game in the playoffs last spring in Vancouver. With a player this valuable, the Stars made sure every stone was unturned to make sure he was back in the lineup when the team needed him the most in the playoffs. That meant a second hernia surgery called the Muschaweck procedure (named after Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck) that was supposed to be less invasive in Munich, Germany, less than a month ago.

"I struggled in the first half of the game, but felt better after that," Zubov said. "I feel fresh, but I felt frustrated sitting out. I missed everything. This is the longest I've been out of the lineup in my career."

"It makes me want to make big contributions right away."

He normally plays nearly 26 minutes a night. In Game 2, he played a little more than 16 minutes. There was rust -- he was partially victimized for the two Sharks goals. But when the Stars needed him the most on a third-period power play, the silky-smooth Sergei brought out his best skills. No one would ever dispute the importance of this 37-year-old defenseman from Moscow.

"He's like having a great point guard in basketball," Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock once told me. "He controls the flow of the game for the Stars."

Zubov is a product of a Russian system that stressed puck control."When I was growing up, we practiced at the same rink as the big team, and I often stayed and studied the style of Slava Fetisov and how Fetisov and Igor Larionov made the puck dance out there," Sergei explained. "They always seemed to have the puck -- and always knew what play to make."

Sharks coach Ron Wilson might not admit it now, but in January at the All-Star Game in Atlanta, I asked him about Dallas rookie defenseman Matt Niskanen. Wilson praised the kid, but let it be known that Niskanen's development was a testament to Zubov mentoring him.

"I’ve always felt that Sergei Zubov is the most underrated skilled defenseman in the game -- and you can sure tell that he’s mentoring Matt the way he’s developing," Wilson told me.

Niskanen, one of the young defensemen who were key to helping the Stars upend the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs, threw all the praises Zubov's way, saying emphatically that, "Sergei makes it work. He’s so good at reading so many things that are happening at fast pace on the ice -- and I’m lucky enough that he’s shared some of those little details on what to look for and when to go with the puck that he’s simply the master of doing."

Smart. Patient. Creative. Productive.

Teammates and the coaching staff marvel at his knowledge of technical gadgets. Whether it's a digital camera, pocket PC, home theater, camcorder and several computers are his toys, that part of Sergei's curiosity. But that part of his life is a far cry from tinkering with the inner workings of tape recorders and televisions.

"Did you ask him about the gadgets he loves so much?" Tippett asked. "He’s always tinkering with something electronic. In fact, if something happened to my computer, Sergei is the first person I’d go to see."

"He’s really into technology, but he’s no computer geek," said Modano. "He’s that smart, that quick to pick up on things. He is literally just a click away from hearing his cell phone messages on his laptop. He’s got a world cell phone that allows him to talk or send photos to his family and friends back home in Russia any hour of the day and night. I don’t know how he does it. But it seems like he’s got something new each week to tinker with."

And he's quick to make a technical and skillful contribution to the Dallas Stars lineup too.

"It lifts our spirits to see him out there," Stars captain Brenden Morrow said of Zubov's return. "It's like adding another player at the trade deadline or something."

"We're playing a great team game right now. But when you add the element of skill that Zubie brings, there's no fear that it might mess with the chemistry this team has. It just enhances it."