Spartans in the NHL: Playoff Race Edition Part 2

Five of your Spartans in the NHL will be part of the
Stanley Cup Playoffs, which start on Wednesday. Justin Abdelkader and Drew
Miller of the Red Wings, David Booth of the Canucks, Mike Weaver of the Panthers,
and Duncan Keith of the BlackHawks will be fighting for the NHLâ€™s Stanley Cup.
The playoff matchups for your Spartans are as follows:

Western Conference:

#1 Vancouver Canucks (Booth) vs. #8 Los Angeles
Kings

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago BlackHawks (Keith)

#4 Nashville Predators vs. # 5 Detroit Red Wings
(Abdelkader, Drew Miller)

Eastern Conference:

#3 Florida Panthers (Weaver) vs. #6 New Jersey
Devils

Season Wrap-Ups for all the Spartans:

David Booth finished the regular season with a goal
in Vancouverâ€™s 3-0 triumph over the Oilers on Saturday. The left winger notched
his 16th goal of the season, faking out the goaltender before firing
home the Canucksâ€™ final tally of the game in the 3rd period. Booth wrapped
up the year with 16 goals and 14 assists.

Defenseman Duncan Keith returned from his five game
suspension, as Chicago prepared for its first round matchup with Phoenix. Keith
helped the BlackHawks overcome the Red Wings by the score of 3-2 on Saturday,
contributing three shots, one hit, and two blocked shots. Keith had 4 goals and
36 assists during the regular season, and also was 12th in the NHL
in ice time, averaging just over 21 minutes a game.

The playoff hopes of Ryan Miller, Corey Tropp, and
the Sabres were crushed on Thursday. The Capitals clinched the final playoff
spot, as Washington defeated the Panthers and Buffalo fell to the playoff-bound
Flyers 2-1. Miller earned third star honors for his great performance on
Thursday, but the 33 saves were not enough. Tropp was sent down the next day to
the teamâ€™s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Amerks. The rookie played 34 games,
recording three goals and five assists. Miller had a rocky season, largely due
to a concussion early in the year, but the seven-year veteran heated up as the
playoff race intensified. He finished the season with a 31-21-7 record, a 91.6
save percentage, a 2.55 goals against average, and six shutouts (fifth in the
league).

Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles will miss
the playoffs. Toronto went 1-1-1 this week, finishing in 13th place
in the Eastern Conference. Liles ended up with 7 goals and 20 assists on the
season.

Drew Miller and Justin Abdelkader will experience
the excitement of the playoffs once again with the Red Wings. The Detroit
forwards both stayed healthy all season, helping the team to a fifth place spot
in the Western Conference. Miller played in 80 games, scoring 14 goals (six of
those game-winning) and 11 assists. Abdelkader played in 81 games, scoring 8
goals and 14 assists.

Though Jim Slater and the Jets were eliminated from
the playoffs last week, Slater did not ease up in the final days of the season.
The center notched an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Islanders on Thursday and two
goals in a 4-3 loss to the Lightning on Saturday. The veteran tallied twice in
the third period against Tampa Bay to knot the game at 3 and force an overtime
period. Slaterâ€™s performance earned him second star honors for the night. He
wound up with 13 goals and 8 assists for the season.

Mike Weaver of the Panthers is bound for the
playoffs. Florida clinched a spot on Thursday with Buffaloâ€™s loss and
Washingtonâ€™s win. Weaver had a mostly quiet week, but he had a good season. The
veteran defenseman played in all 82 games, notching 16 assists.

The Spartan-Oiler trio limped to the finish line
this week. Jeff Petry missed Mondayâ€™s game, while Corey Potter missed all week
with a concussion sustained in last Sundayâ€™s game against the Ducks. Potter had
13 goals and 8 assists in his injury shortened season. Petry contributed almost
immediately in his return on Thursday, as he had assist on the Oilersâ€™ first
goal of the game. He ended the year with two goals and 23 assists to his
credit. The final piece of the trio, Shawn Horcoff, had a quiet week. The
center had 13 goals and 21 assists this year.

Torey Krug saw his first NHL action for the Bruins
this week. The defenseman appeared in games on Tuesday and Thursday. Krug
recorded his first assist on Thursday in a 3-1 victory over the Senators. He
will not appear in the playoffs, as he was signed after the Trading Deadline,
which will prevent him from making the playoff roster.

Right winger Adam Hall willed himself back into the
lineup for the Lightning this week. Hall recovered quickly from an upper body
injury, so he played in the teamâ€™s last two games. He had one shot, four hits,
and one blocked shot on Saturday in a 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg. The 31
year-old had a solid season, winning 60% of his faceoffs, and recording two
goals and five assists.

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