Last season, NHL fans watched the only team from the South able to escape the first round skate away with the Cup for the second year in a row. Last season it was the Carolina Hurricanes. Before that, it was the Tampa Bay Lightning.
	Martin Straka (82) of the New York Rangers is denied by goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) of the Atlanta Thrashers during game three of the 2007 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on April 17, 2007 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

This year, it won’t be anybody.

All four teams from the South – Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville and Tampa Bay – all fell in the first round.

Interestingly, each team won one more game than the last. Atlanta was swept in four, Nashville went out in five, Tampa Bay dropped out in six, while Dallas fell in seven.

All had problems from past seasons plague them again in the playoffs. Atlanta and Tampa Bay got poor goaltending performances, Dallas couldn’t score and Nashville ran into San Jose for the second straight year.
	Stars captain Brenden Morrow (10) consoles a dejected Marty Turco (35) following their game seven 2007 Western Conference Quarterfinal loss at General Motors Place April 19, 2007 in Vancouver, Canada. The Canucks defeated Dallas 4-1 to win the series 4-3. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

The four also ran into very hot goaltenders they couldn‚t solve. Atlanta couldn‚t get past New York‚s Henrik Lundqvist, Dallas fell to Vancouver‚s Roberto Luongo, Nashville was stymied by San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov, and Tampa Bay ran into New Jersey‚s Martin Brodeur.

They also had some positive accomplishments to build on. Atlanta finally made the playoffs by clinching the division. Dallas goalie Marty Turco finally turned in a stellar playoff performance. Nashville proved they could emerge as one of the top teams in the league in the regular season. Tampa Bay showed they could scrap and scrape their way to a fourth-consecutive playoff appearance with a depleted roster.

Many criticized coach Barry Trotz for inserting goaltender Tomas Vokoun back into the lineup prematurely after being sidelined for six weeks with a thumb injury. (Don N. Olea/CI)

However, the bottom line is that the Stanley Cup will not make a return trip to the South this summer.

Thrashers fans waited seven seasons to see their team in the playoffs. After their collective performance against the New York Rangers, they may have wondered why they bothered.

Atlanta was swept out of the playoffs, after being outscored 17-6 and leading for a grand total of 7:11 the entire series and being outshot in all but one of the 12 periods and 143-99 for the series.

Mere hours after the series ended, the second-guessing began. Why did the team give up so much to get Keith Tkachuk? Why did head coach Bob Hartley see-saw back and forth between Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg in goal? Still, the series represented the next step in the evolution of the franchise. Not only did they make the playoffs, they won the division, setting new franchise records for wins and points. While the expectations might have been slightly higher for the team’s first playoff trip, they grew as a team, now knowing what it takes to win in the playoffs. If nothing else, it provided something to build upon for future seasons.

Vincent Lecavalier (14) of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal in the third period of Game 2 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils on April 14, 2007 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

What Went Right
Hedberg. The Thrashers backup netminder was pressed into service after Lehtonen had a sub-par Game 1. Hedberg turned in a sublime performance in Game 2, but took the loss. He again suited up for Game 4, but again allowed a tough-luck goal and took the loss. 

Bobby Holik. The veteran center was relentless on the forecheck, shutting down the Rangers in the defensive zone so well he wasn't on the ice for a Rangers goal until Game 4. Although he only had one assist, he led by example, and often was the only Thrasher that looked like he was trying.

The Fans. The Blueland faithful packed the Philips Arena well before both Games 1 and 2, and the standing-room-only crowd wasn't just there to party. They rocked the arena during the game, exploding for each big hit and Thrashers goal. They waited seven seasons to see playoff hockey in Atlanta, and made the most of what they saw.
 

Special Teams. The Thrashers were a pitiful 1 for 17 on their power-play in the series, while allowing five power play goals in 24 attempts to New York. However, the power play looked particularly inept, as the Thrashers insisted on playing dump-and-chase even when the Rangers would almost immediately clear it out of the zone. The Thrashers did a woeful job of adjusting and adapting to this and it cost them. 

Luck. In Game 2, it was a partition in the Philips Arena boards. In Game 4, it was the crossbar. Seemingly every break went the Rangers way during the series, so if it wasn't bad enough that the Thrashers were beating themselves, they weren't getting any help, either. 
The Refereeing. Particularly from the zebras in Game 4. New York's first goal came on the power play, but it should have been negated after Petr Prucha blatantly high-sticked Eric Boulton earlier on. Also, Slava Kozlov was called for tripping on a play where Jaromir Jagr fell down on his own, likely just losing an edge. 

Game 3. With the Thrashers down 2-0 and needing a decisive victory to get the series back to 2-1, the team laid an egg of epic proportions, losing 7-0 in front of a jeering Madison Square Garden crowd. Atlanta allowed a goal on the first shift of the game, and it just got worse from there.
Sean Avery. When he wasn't goading the Thrashers into taking penalties, he was killing Atlanta offensively. In Game 2, he relentlessly forechecked in the Atlanta zone until he came away with the puck, then made a terrific pass to a streaking Brendan Shanahan, who netted the game-winner. He so incensed Ilya Kovalchuk that the flashy forward took a minor at the end of Game 2 and a fighting major and misconduct at the end of Game 3, all when trying to go after Avery. 

Although Dallas fans might be getting a little sick of the one-and-done routine in the playoffs, dig a little deeper and the signs are positive for the future for the Stars.

Tired of being dispatched by Colorado in five games, which happened in both 2005-06, and 2003-04, the Stars fought hard during the entire series, including playing the fourth-longest game in playoff history in Game 1. Dallas rallied from a 3-1 series deficit behind the rock-solid play of goaltender Marty Turco, and took Vancouver all the way to a Game 7. Perhaps exhausted from their battle with the Stars, the Canucks were themselves dispatched in the semi-finals against Anaheim.

What became all too clear after the series was over is that Dallas desperately needs to add more scoring punch in the off-season. No Dallas Star managed 60 or more points during the regular season. Only four other teams (Chicago, Edmonton, Phoenix, and St. Louis) failed to have anyone net at least 60 points, and none of those teams made the playoffs.

What Went Right
Marty Turco. With the media and fans all expecting another playoff flop, Turco delivered. When the Stars won, it was because of Turco's play in net. All three Stars wins came by shutout, and as of May 6, he still led all playoff goalies in save percentage and was second in goals against average. In short, he delivered the performance everyone has been waiting for his whole career, and silenced those who said he couldn’t perform in the clutch.

Penalty Kill. They got a lot of work in the series, but except for Games 1 and 7 got the job done, finishing with the third-best percentage in the playoffs. They killed off 35 of 38, including a string of 26 in a row, but unfortunately the final two were the deciding two.

What Went Wrong
The offense. After the two teams combined for 132 shots in an epic Game 1 that lasted late into the 4th overtime, the Stars managed just eight goals on 164 shots in the rest of the series. The team's leading scorers, Stu Barnes and Sergei Zubov, had just four points. Mike Modano, Ladislav Nagy and Darryl Sydor combined for just three goals on 50 shots. Not to be outdone, Philippe Boucher, Stephane Robidas and Niklas Hagman failed to light the lamp despite taking 52 combined shots. Ironically, the regular season proved to be an excellent predictor that it was going to be a defensive matchup – all four games ended with a 2-1 score.

The power play. Along with the 5-on-5 offense, the Stars power play didn't connect either, going just 4 for 40. Modano's lone goal came on the power play, as did Barnes' only goal. Captain Brendan Morrow's two goals were also on the man-advantage. It didn't help that power play quarterback Sergei Zubov, who notched two power play assists earlier in the series, missed Game 7

Bad Luck. Losing teams often cry foul that luck didn't go their way, but Dallas might actually have a point. Stu Barnes' shot hit the crossbar at the end of the second overtime, which could have ended Game 1 differently. With 2:33 left to go in Game 4, Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell just barely got to a trickling puck in time, clearing the potential tying goal out of harm's way in a contest the Stars lost 2-1. In Game 7, in front of the boards with his back to the net, Canucks forward Daniel Sedin backhanded the puck through the Dallas slot and happened to find twin brother Henrik for the tying goal. Then, with four minutes to play in the third, Mike Modano took a shot that hit both the post and the crossbar that would have tied it at 2.

Penalties. In the deciding Game 7, Dallas took 11 penalties, three of which negated Dallas power plays. While the final two Vancouver goals were empty-netters, the first two came on the Canucks power play. Dallas took 38 penalties in the seven game series, in a series which they could ill afford to give away offensive chances.

Roberto Luongo. As well as Turco played, Luongo matched him every step of the way. While he didn't pitch three shutouts, he did make 72 saves in Game 1, one off the all-time playoff record, and stifled the Stars throughout the series, making spectacular save after spectacular save.

The 2006-07 Nashville Predators will be remembered for periodically being the best in the West, setting a franchise record for wins and points, and contending for the coveted President’s Trophy.
But most of all, they’ll be remembered for losing in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

There are several reasons why the Predators weren’t able to extend their postseason to the second round: injuries, penalties, their opponent, and coaching decisions. Let’s examine these further…

The most obvious factor in the Nashville’s first-round exit is the untimely crop of injuries that the Predators suffered in the weeks leading up to the playoffs. The biggest loss was felt from forward Steve Sullivan, who never returned after injuring his lower back in the Feb. 22 match-up with Montreal.

Aside from Sully, valuable forwards Martin Erat and Scott Hartnell didn't have enough time to regain their rhythm in the playoffs after returning from injuries. And other players like forward Vern Fiddler and defenseman Kimmo Timonen were playing through their battle wounds. Suffice it to say that Nashville wasn't at full strength.

Against San Jose, a typically disciplined Nashville team committed 47 penalties and surrendered 30 power plays to the Sharks in five games. The San Jose power play wasn’t as potent as it was when they defeated the Preds in last year’s series, but the lack of discipline gave the Sharks another edge. The Predators may have committed so many penalties because they were compensating in containing a bigger, stronger San Jose team. Their 47 penalties partly reflect the fact that they were once again overmatched in their physical battles with the Sharks.

Aside from the aforementioned factors for Nashville’s all-too-brief playoff appearance, the San Jose Sharks were simply a better hockey team. As with last year’s playoff series, San Jose was bigger, sharper, and usually more dominant.

One advantage San Jose enjoyed was in the shots category. Although both teams mostly matched each other’s output in three of the five games, San Jose poured on the pucks in two of their four wins. They outshot Nashville 41-20 in Game 3 and put up similar figures in Game 4 with a shot count of 37-24. Preds goalie Tomas Vokoun made several spectacular saves but still took the losses in those games.
The outcomes may have been different if the Predators threw more pucks at the net instead of attempting to set up prettier scoring chances, something they’ve developed a reputation for.

When looking back on the season, certain questions about coaching can be raised. Because one thing is for sure: The Predators team that led the NHL at the All Star break wasn’t the same one at the end of the season.
Although it’s unclear now whether it would have made a significant difference, Trotz can still be criticized for inserting goaltender Tomas Vokoun back into the lineup prematurely.

After being sidelined with a thumb injury for six weeks, Vokoun was vocal about reclaiming his spot as the No. 1 goalie in early January, just as backup Chris Mason had backstopped the Preds to the top of the NHL standings with a 14-6-1 record as a starter. In order to avoid a goalie controversy, Trotz obeyed Vokoun’s wishes and let him return in a benchmark game against a strong Anaheim team on Jan. 9.

By his standards, Vokoun turned in a somewhat shaky performance but Nashville won in overtime. Vokoun then spent the next month or so working off the rust but never returned to his pre-injury form or got in the zone like he had the previous season. But as he continued to get the majority of starts even after sub-par performances, it became fairly obvious that the organization was set on grooming Vokoun to be the unquestioned starting goaltender.

Backup or starter, it’s never wise to bench a hot goalie. Trotz should have stuck with the hot hand and rolled with Mason, who at that time would have continued to give Nashville the best chance to win while Vokoun fully recovered.

Another questionable decision on Trotz’s behalf was not to play his bigger, tougher players against a bigger, tougher team like San Jose. The Sharks scored several of their goals from the crease and the slot, partly because they weren’t secured well in the Nashville zone. Where was 6’2", 203-pound defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski, who was acquired in February to bulk up Nashville’s undersized blue line?

It’s ironic that a Predators team lacking in size and playoff experience wouldn’t use Vishnevski, who’s appeared in 37 postseason games, including a few deep runs with the Anaheim Ducks. And for such a situation, 6-fo0t-1, 215-pound enforcer Darcy Hordichuck could have brought more intensity to the ice if he’d played more than two games.

Now that the Lightning have been bounced from the first round for the second year in a row, Lightning fans will be left wondering what might have been had their team not lost the penultimate regular season game at home to Florida 7-0. That loss clinched the Southeast Division title for the Atlanta Thrashers, who went on to play the New York Rangers. Had the Lightning pulled out a win in that and the following game in Atlanta, they would have faced the Thrashers with home ice advantage instead of Martin Brodeur in the middle of a career year.
 
With the season now over, the Lightning face a financial dilemma.. There is talk that the payroll, which hit about $42.5 million this season, will actually decrease next season, when the cap is expected to rise. That means that the nearly $21 million being paid to the Big Three, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, could potentially make up literally more than half the payroll.

That leaves $20 million to divy up to 20 players. Not a great ratio. Unless ownership spends a little more, they'll risk another scraping-it-by season, or even force one of the big-name players out in a trade, either of which could jeopardize a fifth-straight trip to the playoffs next season.

Some of the team's unrestricted free agents, such as Ruslan Fedotenko, clashed with head coach John Tortorella and will not be back. Some, like Jason Ward, might not have done enough to justify returning. One thing is for certain: unless big changes are made, the team won't be in the hunt for a marquee free agent.

Several other players, both restricted and unrestricted, might simply be too cheap to pass up. Forwards Andreas Karlsson, Eric Perrin, Karl Stewart, Kyle Wanvig, Nick Tarnasky, and defensemen Doug Janik, Paul Ranger and Shane O'Brien all made at or very near the league minimum, so all could very well be asked back for that reason alone.

Even though Tampa Bay could desperately use some outside help to bolster their thin roster, it doesn't look like much help will arrive in the off-season. General manager Jay Feaster will have to scour the market for bargains (see: Jim Rutherford in 2005) if his team is to improve greatly.

The Big Three. Richards, St. Louis and Lecavalier were counted on throughout the regular season, and were again looked to in the playoffs. All three delivered, averaging more than a point per game. The Big Three got the job done with the man advantage too, racking up all four power play goals, and all but four of the power play points. The only problem is, the three might have been asked to play a litte too much, as all three averaged more than 25 minutes per game on the ice, all up from their regular season averages.

The power play. As previously mentioned, the Big Three were the prime catalysts of the power play, but the end result is was a four for 26 performance, or 15 percent. In the playoffs against Martin Brodeur, that isn't a terrible number.

Martin Brodeur. In Games 1-4, Brodeur was (gulp!) human, allowing three Tampa Bay goals in each contest. Against most teams, that would have cost him a sweep or at least a 3-1 deficit. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay split those two games and awoke a sleeping giant. Quite simply, when the momentum of the series was on the line in Game 5, Brodeur delivered an epic performance, stifling a relentless Lightning attack and turning away all 31 shots. Tampa did just about all they could against Brodeur that night. He was just better.
Everyone else on offense. While the Big Three delivered, the fears that the Lightning were not deep enough offensively were realized. The rest of the team combined picked up less than half of what Richards, St. Louis and Lecavalier netted. In fact, take out the players that were on Tampa's Stanley Cup-winning squad of 2004, and just seven of the team's 38 points came from new players.
The penalty kill. While Tortorella might not have thought special teams were the prime factor in the result of the series, the penalty kill clearly played a big part in their downfall. The team allowed seven goals in 28 attempts, which works out to 75 percent. While all of the game-winning goals for New Jersey came at even strength, the power play goals certainly didn't help.  p