You just have to take it with a grain of salt. Lemieux did not specifically say that criticism of Hlinka has been unwarranted, but did point out that Hlinka has solid credentials. He's played the game before. He really knows the game, inside and out. The Devils practiced yesterday at Continental Airlines Arena and are scheduled to do so again today.
New Jersey has no reported injuries.
D Brian Rafalski is the top-scoring player at his position in these playoffs with seven goals and seven assists. That's the main reason he is being mentioned in some quarters as an early candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs most valuable player. Not bad for a guy who two years ago was playing professional hockey in Sweden. This year, I expected more of myself. I feel a lot more comfortable out there.