TAMPA BAY LEADS SERIES 2-0Game 1: ECQF - Tampa Bay @ Boston (2 - 1, OT)After suffering a first round exit in the 2008 Stanley Cup against long-time rival, Montreal, the Bruins were automatically qualified as the top seed in the East for the 2008 'Pity Cup' against the last place Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay opened the scoring with a point shot from defensemen, Shane O'Brien. Before the end of the first, Boston tied it up with an unassisted goal from PJ Axelsson. Both goalies kept the door shut for the rest of the game and extra time was needed. It didn't take long for Martin St. Louis to score the OT winner and lead the Bolts to a 1-0 series lead.
Mike Smith: 19 SA - 18 S - 94.7% - .96 GAA
Manny Fernandez: 21 SA - 19 S - 90.5% - 1.92 GA
Game 2: ECQF - Tampa Bay @ Boston (4 - 1)Tampa Bay's defense has been fantastic thus far, keeping the Bruins from getting 20 shots in a game thus far and allowing only two goals. Credit should also be given to Mike Smith in net for the Bolts. The Lightning opened the scoring in the first with Shane O'Brien's second goal followed closely by Jussi Jokinen's first. Boston scored their first in the middle frame with a marker from Chuck Kobasew. Tampa Bay stretched their lead in third with Jason Ward's first goal and ended any comeback hope with an empty netter from Martin St. Louis. Tampa Bay now holds a big 2-0 lead in the series and are heading back home for games 3 and 4. The Bruins only have three players that have accumulated points and they all have one point each.
Mike Smith: 16 SA - 15 S - 93.8% - 1.00 GAA
Manny Fernandez: 25 SA - 22 S - 88% - 3.03 GA
SERIES TIED 1-1Game 1: ECQF - Atlanta @ Carolina (3 - 1)Carolina was just one Washington loss away from qualifying for the Stanley Cup, but because of the Caps' hot streak and hard work, the 'Canes could only qualify for the Pity Cup. Atlanta opened the scoring with a goal from Steve Rucchin. Carolina wasn't able to tie it up in the first, but to start the second, Erik Cole drove to the net and banged in a rebound for his first. Atlanta scored two more goals before the end of the frame. They came from Eric Perrin and Bobby Holik. Neither team would score in the third, and Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Kari Lehtonen: 24 SA - 23 S - 95.8% - 1.00 GAA
Cam Ward: 21 SA - 18 S - 85.7% - 3.01 GAA
Game 2: ECQF - Atlanta @ Carolina (3 - 4, OT)Atlanta looked sharp in Game 1, keeping the Canes to just one goal on the scoresheet despite firing 24 shots at Kari Lehtonen who looked to be on top of his A-game. Atlanta struck first once again with Bobby Holik's second goal. Mark Recchi gave the Thrashers a two-goal lead in the second period with his first. The third period was an exciting one and saw four goals scored. Carolina tied things up with goals from Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney. Ilya Kovulchuk scored his first with just a minute remaining and looked to have the game winner, but the captain, Rod the Bod tied things up with ten seconds remaining to take the game to OT. Jeremy Williams scored the OT winner for the Canes after a great feed from Ray Whitney. The Canes tie things up with the series heading to Atlanta.
Kari Lehtonen: 28 SA - 24 S - 85.7% - 3.51 GAA
Cam Ward: 26 SA - 23 S - 88.5% - 2.71 GAA
NEW YORK LEADS SERIES 2-0Game 1: ECQF - NY Islanders @ Buffalo (4 - 0)In a rematch from the Stanley Cup from 2006-07, the Islanders were taking on the Sabres. The Islanders opened up the scoring and they were the only ones doing the scoring all game. Bill Guerin scored his first early in the first. Mike Comrie scored his first in the beginning of the second, his second point of the night. With minutes to spare in the third, Richard Park found the back of the net for his first and Jon Sim stuffed home his first as well as the Isles went on to take a 4-0 victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.
Rick DiPietro: 23 SA - 23 S - 100% - 0.00 GAA
Ryan Miller: 21 SA - 17 S - 81% - 4.00 GAA
Game 2: ECQF - NY Islanders @ Buffalo (2 - 0)The Buffalo Sabres have fired 41 shots at Rick DiPietro in the series so far and none of them have gone in. After an 18 save performance in game 2, DiPietro has two straight shutouts and has helped his Isles gain a huge 2-0 lead in the series with things headed to the Island. The Isles are looked primed to sweep the lowly Sabres. The goalscorers were Ruslan Fedetenko and Trent Hunter. Both were their first goals of the tournament.
Rick DiPietro: 18 SA - 18 S - 100% - 0.00 GAA
Ryan Miller: 21 SA - 19 S - 90.5% - 2.01 GAA
TORONTO LEADS SERIES 2-0Game 1: ECQF - Toronto @ Florida (5 - 2)The Leafs failed to make the playoffs for the third year in a row and are quite possibly the posterchild for the first ever Pity Cup. They were the first to score in the game with an unassisted marker from Mark Bell. Florida's captain, Olli Jokinen tied up the game for the Cats. Before the end of the first, Toronto took the one-goal lead with Alexei Ponikarovsky's first. Jokinen scored his second to tie the game again in the middle frame. Jason Blake scored his first in the third period and with minutes left, Blake scored his second on an empty netter. With 19 seconds left, Darcy Tucker threw a backhand at the net and managed to sneak by Tomas Vokoun as the Leafs would take it 5-2 and get the first win of the series.
Vesa Toskala: 16 SA - 14 S - 87.5% - 2.00 GAA
Tomas Vokoun: 17 SA - 13 S - 76.5% - 4.02 GAA
Game 2: ECQF - Toronto @ Florida (6 - 2)Something's not right. The Leafs offense has been scoring big time. Their defense has been sharp. Vesa Toskala has allowed only four goals. The Leafs are playing a complete game for the first time since.. ever? The first period of Game 2 saw one goal scored from Jason Blake. But it was the second period when things picked up. After tying the game with a goal from Radek Dvorak, the Panthers let in goals from Ian White and Tomas Kaberle. They tried to battle back in the third, but the Leafs put up two more goals - from Bryan McCabe and Blake - before yanking Tomas Vokoun in favour for Craig Anderson. Kaberle scored his second of the night on Anderson, a powerplay tally, before Olli Jokinen scored in the final minute. It would do no good. The Leafs take a 2-0 lead in the series and are headed to Toronto to hopefully finish things off.
Vesa Toskala: 21 SA - 19 S - 90.5% - 2.00 GAA
Tomas Vokoun: 21 SA - 16 S - 76.2% - 5.67 GAA
Craig Anderson: 6 SA - 5 S - 83.3% - 8.43 GAA
the Coyotes.