I hadn’t realized Pahlsson had so much ice time during that series with Ottawa.

As a 6-foot-4, 220-pound bruiser when I played, it takes me off a pedestal to admit speed trumps size, but it’s simply the truth in today’s NHL.

That is possibly the most impressive comment.

So often, a former player or coach will make a statement about what wins games, and then promptly back away from it and bracket it with so many weasel words that it is rendered meaningless - if the observation goes against his preconceptions. (Like the importance of fighting, or lack of importance of a talented player’s nationality.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 10:39 AM ET

I always support Pahlsson shout-outs.

Psst, Hey Burke, if you wanted to extend Sammy’s contract on your way out the door, that would be awesome.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 07/30/08 at 11:26 AM ET

Psst, Hey Burke, if you wanted to extend Sammy’s contract on your way out the door, that would be awesome.

Maybe he plans on tossing him in the trunk and taking him with him to Toronto.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 11:35 AM ET

Former Bruin of course....Actually this guy gets way too much credit. Ottawa proved last year that they are a house of cards. Always have been.....Anaheim should have lost to Detroit in 2007. Total fluke if you ask me.

Posted by kevin from boston on 07/30/08 at 12:47 PM ET

Ottawa proved last year that they are a house of cards.

Well, what were they proving in the first three rounds of the 2007 playoffs?  I dunno, lots of people were in Ottawa’s bandwagon prior to the start of the SCF.

Anaheim should have lost to Detroit in 2007. Total fluke if you ask me.

Well, that’s certainly an opinion.  I’d call the 2007 WCF more of a coin flip that went Anaheim’s way.

The real fluke was Anaheim over Detroit in 2003, that one was way more one-sided.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 07/30/08 at 01:01 PM ET

And Detroit should have lost to San Jose.  Both those series were very close and only a couple of bounces\calls from ending differently.

Anyway, speed is more valuable than size, and is often what separates good defensive forwards from great ones.  But it’s still worthless without skill and is itself trumped by the ability to read the play, especially for defencemen.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 07/30/08 at 02:25 PM ET

Brian Rafalski was not a difference maker.  The Penguins were exploiting him as the series progressed, even with Lidstrom as his partner.  That being said, I always will take a smaller, faster (quicker), more skilled player (forward or defenseman) over a larger, more physical one.  These are the kinds of players that U.S. college hockey has been producing for more than 30 years, and now the NHL is perfectly suited for them.

Posted by Craig Campbell from South Florida on 07/30/08 at 02:46 PM ET

All Ottawa did in 2007 was beat Buffalo. I know Buffalo was the President’s Trophy winner but that don’t mean squat. They weren’t that good. I know Buffalo fans like to dream but no way was that team winning a Stanley Cup. They just didn’t have the “elite” talent you need to win it all...and yes I’m talking about Drury and Briere.

Posted by kevin from boston on 07/30/08 at 02:53 PM ET

All Ottawa did in 2007 was beat Buffalo.

Hm, taking the Devils out in 5 and Penguins out in 5 doesn’t impress?

Besides, it’s not just a playoff run.  In calendar year 2007 (including preseason, regular season, and postseason), the Ottawa Senators lost consecutive games in regulation a TOTAL of three times all year.

Two of those three times happened in the five-game cup finals against the Ducks.  Go Pahlsson.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 07/30/08 at 03:00 PM ET

All Ottawa did in 2007 was beat Buffalo.

Hm, taking the Devils out in 5 and Penguins out in 5 doesn’t impress?

There was a goofy hypothesis that some of the Sens fans had - they thought that Ottawa lost to Anaheim because Alfredsson didn’t have any scores to settle, as he did against the other three teams in the postseason that year. 

(I can’t remember what the grudges were, but they seemed to make sense.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 03:43 PM ET

Pahlsson and Mike Fisher of Ottawa are among my favorite 2nd tier non-Wings.

Posted by Osrt on 07/30/08 at 05:53 PM ET

Pahlsson’s excellent (you know Burkie he’s not the only Swede to play like he’s from Red Deer; who amongst the Swede-Wings doesn’t?), but I’m a Mikko Koivu fan myself.

Posted by yawt from norcal on 07/30/08 at 08:18 PM ET