Tremendous goalie saves, sharp-shooting and bone-rattling hits come standard each playoff game. It takes 16 victories to hoist the best trophy in all of sports and 16 teams begin battling for the Cup Wednesday night.

Note to self: grow a beard.

And, it goes without saying that the best playoff beard ever belongs to Chuck Norris. Fittingly, each year the player with the best playoff beard is awarded the second best trophy in all of sports.

Note: Don't look this trophy in the eye

Although the Chicago Blackhawks missed the post season again this year (finished two points out), the post season pieces seem to be in place for the 2008-09 season.

The sparkling rookie campaigns of Patrick Kane (21-51-72 pts) and Jonathan Toews (24-30-54 pts) has excited both the fans and the team into believing the playoffs are near.

Not to mention, Patrick Sharpe (36-26-62 pts) has developed into a regular goal scorer and Dustin Byfuglien’s change from defenseman to forward has gone smoothly (19-17-36 pts) too.

Head coach Dennis Savard has blossomed into a solid leader behind the bench. Savvy has continually milked the maximum effort out of a young squad and reminded them to commit to the Indian, something Savard did for more than a decade playing in Chicago.

The best example of Savard’s strong leadership came after a rough stretch in February and a loss to Columbus. Savard provided this classic response to his team’s poor play…

“I think they forgot last summer or two summer ago or three summers ago what we gave them (contracts).

We committed to them. They were very happy when they signed it. Well, commit to us, commit to the jersey, commit to the people here.

They don’t want to commit to the Indian, let’s go upstairs and get them out of here.”

What else needs to be said?

Chicago’s Red Rising has come at the expense of long-time owner Bill Wirtz’s death this fall. However, son Rocky Wirtz is both business smart and fan savvy and it shows at the United Center ticket office.

Blackhawk fans sold out the UC more times (12) this year than they had the previous four seasons combined. And, next year could see the entire season being a sell-out.

Furthermore, the incredulous notion believed by daddy Wirtz that televised games are bad for business is no longer a staple of the Blackhawks organization. In fact, all 82 games will be broadcast locally during the 2008-09 season. Finally!

Another key piece to the Hawks return to glory lies in the hands of former Chicago Cubs President John F. McDonough. Now, in the same role as part of the Blackhawks’ organization, McDonough is already fine-tuning the team’s marketing plans to help welcome back the long-lost Hawks fans to the United Center.

Part of the process has included honoring great Hawks players of the past like Bobby Hull (No. 9), Stan Mikita (No. 21) and Tony Esposito (No. 35) plus, updating the UC to more of a fan friendly environment.

Former Chicago Blackhawks goalie Tony Esposito drops the puck for Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin and Washington's Olaf Kolzig

McDonough has also work diligently to bring an outdoor game to Chicago. Not only have the past outdoor games been a huge success but, a 2009 outdoor affair in Chicago would certainly signal the rebirth of this franchise.

Although the Hawks would prefer the game to be held at Soldier Field, the league is bargaining for Wrigley Field. Either way, the Hawks can’t go wrong.

That being said, the Hawks definitely haven’t gone wrong here either.

Voted No. 1 as the NHL's hottest ice crew

So, while it’s true the Blackhawks are done playing this season, it appears the red will keep rising next spring.

Habby "Rebuilding the Wall" Bulin

• Netminder Nikolai Khabibulin’s play finally got him off the plank in Chicago this season. Although his win total was low (23), Nikolai’s .2.63 GAA and .909 S% reminded the league why he’s a four-time All Star and Stanley Cup winner.

And, had Habby waited any longer to bounce back, the Chicago fans might have readily pushed him and his poor play overboard.

Then again, that’s the burden of a player who under-performs through the first two years of a huge (especially by Blackhawks standards) contract of four-years, $27 million.

Specifically, Khabibulin’s play near the end of the season (8-2-2) put him back in the fans’ good graces. He also provided the Blackhawks’ best goalie save of the season, check it out here.

• Speaking of rebuilding teams, are the Phoenix Coyotes in need of a new head coach? Current bench man, Wayne Gretzky, has some explaining to do after the team finished out of the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.

Granted, the Coyotes were not loaded with talent during Gretzky’s first two season but, this year’s 12^th place finish in the West is a bit of a disappointment. And, unlike years past the Yotes have some very bright looking young players in its system.

It's hard to pull a rabbit out of a collard shirt

Hey, I still think the Great One can be a successful leader in Phoenix but, for me that’s all riding on a playoff appearance next year.

Plus, odds are the Coyotes could benefit from the return of Operation Slapshot.

• It possible no player will ever match the career of Wayne Gretzky. However, one player is giving it his best shot and I’m not talking about Sid the Kid.

Alexander Ovechkin reminds me of my favorite goal scorer growing up, Pavel Bure. The Russian Rocket (never accused of HGH use in his rocket fuel, by the way) played the game the right way and fascinated me with his brilliant moves and lightning fast speed.

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The first time I witnessed Bure in the flesh was during the late summer of 2000 when the Panthers played an exhibition game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The game was held in the dingy yet comfortable Cincinnati Gardens.

• There are days when I miss going to the old arenas where many of us sports fans grew up watching our favorite teams and players.

The Boston Garden was demolished in 1997

Then again, like anything else they’re pros and cons to settling for a sparkling new arena. Although, I still don’t know why I miss the hideous stench of an older-than-dirt Cincinnati Gardens (opened in 1949).

• This article released around the trade deadline can also be appreciated during April’s playoffs too. Far too often fans and media members alike forget the human side of the game. So, for anyone who has relocated for a job or worse, lost a job, you’ll probably relate to the article.

• Here’s another inspiring story that took on new life with the Capitals recent push into the playoffs.

• Honestly, I’ve seen very few plays, if any, scarier than this in sports.

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Florida panther fans haven’t had much to root for in recent years, pulling for Zednik to return to the team seemed to puts the losing back into perspective.

• Seriously, how lucky this dude.

• How not lucky is Vesa Toskala during this play.

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• Conk-Block Update

The Penguins get its Stanley Cup run underway tonight at home against Ottawa.

So, who will start in goal for Pittsburgh? Will it be franchise man Marc-Andre Fleury or career back-up Ty Conklin?

Several months ago I addressed Conklin’s success this season replacing an injured Fleury. Interstingly, the two finished the season with nearly identical marks.

Ty Conklin - 33 games, 2.51 GAA, (18-8-5) record and 2 shutouts

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