Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play broadcaster Pat Foley's rant about late start times was cut short by the NBCSN simulcast Thursday night.

Foley, who calls Blackhawks games on local station Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, criticized the playoff scheduling during a stoppage in Game 5 before the national network abruptly cut to a commercial, missing the final two words of the diatribe which were still heard locally.

This is the third time in five games that a start time of 8:42 local was mandated. I can say with certainty (that) players cannot stand these late starts. Coaches cannot stand them. Most importantly, the fans can't stand them. So as we approach midnight Eastern (time) again on a work night, a school night, a simple question: An 8:42 puck drop serves who?

NBC studio analyst Mike Milbury earned some brownie points with his employer during the intermission, taking a direct shot at Foley for his comments.

- With h/t to Awful Announcing

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Vincent is go.

The Florida Panthers received a massive jolt to their lineup in Game 5 versus the New York Islanders with Vincent Trocheck - still in recovery from an injured ankle - officially returning to the lineup.

Trocheck is expected to center the third line between Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell.

This keeps Nick Bjugstad with Jussi Jokinen and the red-hot Reilly Smith.

Trocheck had 25 goals and 28 assists during the regular season.

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There's little debate as to the future in net for the Anaheim Ducks.

John Gibson's boundless growth potential and laughably inexpensive contract are factors that weigh far too heavy to even consider slotting any other netminder in at No. 1 for next season and beyond.

And that includes the man whose rescued their season over the course of the last three nights.

Frederik Andersen made 57 saves on 58 shots faced in back-to-back starts at the inhospitable Bridgestone Arena, erasing the 2-0 disadvantage the Ducks found themselves treading in during their first-round series with the Nashville Predators behind Gibson.

It was a necessary decision to turn to Andersen, if only to spark a team on the verge of wasting the incomparable half-season run. But it shouldn't give the Ducks pause this summer - only reason to demand more in exchange for the services of the late-blooming, twice-drafted Dane.

Together, Andersen and Gibson have formed one of, if not the best, duo in the NHL. Look no further than their league-low 188 total goals against this season. But their splitting duties is coming to an end.

Andersen's not just in line for starter's money when his entry-level contract expires at the end of this run, he stands to be one of the most sought-after trade targets on the market, his portfolio including 77 wins in 114 total starts and a career .918 save percentage.

As a restricted free agent, the Ducks will have every opportunity to retain Andersen. But his asset, built up with every win turned out this spring, has become too great for a team with a self-imposed cap and aging core to possibly ignore - especially with a goalie of Gibson's ilk in the picture.

It's in Anaheim's best interest to ride Andersen as deep into these playoffs as possible. For now, and for the future of a franchise in capable hands.

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If this is it for Pavel Datsyuk, the NHL will be losing one of the most electrifying players to ever play in the league.

The 37-year-old forward needs some time to decide on his future after the Detroit Red Wings' elimination Thursday night, but the two-time Stanley Cup champion, three-time Selke Trophy winner, and four-time Lady Byng recipient has little left to prove.

The "Magic Man" will be remembered most for his incredible hands and uncanny ability to find the back of the net, even when it seemed impossible.

This list could easily be a dozen deep, but here are three of his most unforgettable moments:

The Datsyukian deke on Turco

He loved using his patented deke in the shootout, but it was even more impressive when he busted it out during a game and made Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco look silly.

The change-up

Nothing illustrates Datsyuk's creativity better than the shootout goal he scored on Antti Niemi in 2010.

It's as if time stands still as Datsyuk waits out the Chicago Blackhawks netminder and softly flicks the puck over him at the last possible moment.

No one can stop him

We've all seen goals scored on end-to-end rushes, but rarely do they involve eluding every single opposing player on the ice, and that's exactly what Datsyuk does here.

His skating, stickhandling, and strength are all on display as he weaves through the Nashville Predators for an astounding goal on a truly jaw-dropping individual effort.

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If this is it for Pavel Datsyuk, the lasting image of this Detroit Red Wings season - and their 25th consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs - will be the emotion of The Magic Man.

The moment - Datsyuk's visor fogging up in the handshake line as he fights to hold back an outpouring - is representative of the end of an era. A rare shift in the team's identity.

In the immediate, this hurts the Red Wings, a team with one series victory over the past five seasons. But as the franchise moves forward, and into the next quarter century, they're fortunate to have generations overlap.

Rookies Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou played integral roles for the Red Wings down the stretch and into the playoffs, and despite appearing in just five games before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning, were able to gain invaluable postseason know-how.

"I've learned a ton from Game 1 and, every game, I keep learning," Larkin, the first teenager to make the Red Wings in more than a decade, said after the loss, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

"Every game, I've felt more comfortable. I've learned a lot about myself and the guys in this room."

Playoff experience has also helped Athanasiou - who, unlike Larkin, had to prove his mettle in the minor leagues - realize he could contribute at the NHL level.

"It's definitely a big time experience for me," Athanasiou said after the game. "To get a chance to play in the NHL playoffs, it's going to go along way towards maturing as a player.

"I'm confident in my abilities and confident in my play."

Experience must morph into mastery should Larkin, Athanasiou, or any other fresh-faced Red Wing have their name follow Datsyuk's in the listing of the franchise's greats.

But if that ever happens, they'll understand exactly what it means.

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The St. Louis Blues have remained markedly poised throughout their first-round clash with the Chicago Blackhawks and that didn't change Thursday when Patrick Kane rescued the opposition, forcing Game 6 in double overtime.

To wit, Alex Pietrangelo, the NHL's on-ice leader in the playoffs, savored in the opportunity of deposing the defending champions in their own barn.

"It's going to be fun to win it in Chicago," he said in his postgame scrum. "That's the game plan right now. Their backs are still against the wall. I think they're thinking the same thing right now."

His poise spoke similar to coach Ken Hitchcock, who took a serene approach in his postgame comments after Game 2 after a pair of video reviews went against the Blues, costing them a 2-0 stranglehold.

"The hockey gods are testing us right now," Pietrangelo added. "We'll get ready for Saturday."

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The defending Stanley Cup champions are still alive.

After allowing the St. Louis Blues to erase a two-goal deficit and force overtime, the Chicago Blackhawks avoided elimination thanks to a Patrick Kane goal in double overtime.

The NHL's regular-season leading scorer could not have picked a better time to record his first goal of the postseason.

Game 6 is set for Saturday back in Chicago.

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Robby Fabbri has arrived.

The St. Louis Blues rookie forward recorded his first career playoff goal in Thursday's Game 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks, and it came on a beautiful individual effort to boot.

Fabbri, 20, scored 18 goals in 72 regular-season games.

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That's not how the St. Louis Blues wanted to end the second period Thursday.

Already trailing by one, the home team allowed a late goal from Artemi Panarin of the Chicago Blackhawks, assisted beautifully by Patrick Kane.

The box score will read 19:59, but it was even closer to the buzzer than that.

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Corey Perry became prey for Nashville Predators center Mike Ribeiro during Thursday's Game 4.

Ribeiro caught the Anaheim Ducks winger with a spear to the midsection, earning himself a minor penalty for slashing.

The NHL has fined players for similar incidents in the past, meaning the Department of Player Safety may take a closer look at the incident.

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