By Rob Ficiur

On Wednesday the NHL handed out the Stanley Cup to the Chicago Black Hawks.  Today, we announce the first annual Rob’s NHL Playoff Awards.
Giant Killer:  Jaroslav Halak.  The Montreal Canadiens goalie started the year as a second string goalie.  In the playoffs he almost single handedly eliminated the Washington Capitals (first overall) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (defending Stanley Cup champions).  Defeating two elite teams in one season puts a goalie to the level of an elite goalie.  What will he do next year?
What Next?:  Calgary Flames. Like all 30 NHL teams the Flames need to figure out what to do different next year.  While fans have called for firing of all coaches and managers, the real questions is how good will the Flames be this year?  The Flames missed the playoffs, but before we trade every player, remember the Flames finished with 90 points.  The Philadelphia Flyers, came within two games of winning the Stanley Cup had two points less than the Flames.  Are the Flames a good team who had a bad year or a bad team?  (The Vancouver Canucks, who were eliminated in round two for the second year in a row earned honorable mention for this award).
Humiliation: The Boston Bruins.  The B’s are only the third team in NHL history to loose a playoff series after leading three games to none.  Not since 1975 has an NHL team blown such a playoff lead.  Not until the Bruins make the final four will the stigma of this loss leave this team.
Come Back Team (again and again):  Philadelphia Flyers.  In December the Flyers were second last in the NHL.  Their play improved over the last few months of the season, but it took a shootout win in the final game of the season to claim a playoff spot.  After eliminating the New Jersey Devils, the Flyers fell behind 3-0 to the Boston Bruins.  The Flyers are the first team since the 1975 New York Islanders to win a series after being down 3-0.  In the final they fell behind 2-0 to Chicago before winning two in Philadelphia.  When Chicago was only 2 minutes away from winning the Stanley Cup, the Flyers who looked worn out from so many comebacks, tied Game #6.  Had they won that game in overtime, they could have set an all time record for most comebacks in a season by a down and out team.
A Star Is Born:  Michael Leighton of the Flyers.  After parts of six NHL seasons, Leighton’s career appeared like it was going no where with his record of 18 wins and 35 losses.  As December 2009 began, the 28 year old Leighton was put on waivers by the lowly Carolina Hurricanes.  With a career going no where, the Flyers picked up Leighton and suddenly a star was born.  Leighton was 16-5-2 for the Flyers helping lead them on an amazing playoff run…until he was injured March 17.  In the second round of the playoffs, when back up Brian Boucher was injured, Leighton took over the nets for the Flyers.  He set a team record with three shutouts in the Montreal series.   Leighton played well enough to take the Flyers to Game #6 of the finals.  Big question is which Michael Leighton will show up next year the star or the dud?  It will take big dollars for an NHL team to find out as Leighton is a free agent this summer.
Invisible : Alexander Ovechkin. Alexander the Great has more talent than any NHL player.  However, hockey is a team game.  In the Olympics, his Russian team failed to get a medal.  Somehow the first place overall Capitals lost in the first round of the playoffs to Montreal.  A loss can never be blamed on one player – but for the Capitals to become an elite team, something has to change.  (For once maybe all the media, who said the Captials didn’t have a playoff goalie, was right.)
Best Season Ever:  Jonathan Toews.  This season the 22 year old won an Olympic Gold Medal and the Stanley Cup.  Only three other people have done that in one season (Ken Morrow, Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shannahan).  However, Toews was selected as the Best Forward in the Olympic tournament and most outstanding player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.   We have never before seen a player honored as Toews was.
Greatest Hockey Predictor: Uncle Ernie (name has not been changed… I hope he doesn’t sue me).  He accurately predicted that the Chicago Black Hawks would win the Stanley Cup.  The prediction was first made by Uncle Ernie back in 1971.  When Ernie explained all about hockey to me, he told me the Black Hawks had the best team and they were going to win the Stanley Cup.  Because Ernie was so wise for his years (he was 12 or so at the time) I believed him.  When the Hawks lost the 1971 final in Game #7, my hockey fan career began with the deepest of disappointments.  However, if Uncle Ernie had explained that he meant the Hawks were going to win in 2010 (39 years in the future), I would have not felt so bad back in 1971 when the Black Hawks blew a 2-0 lead in Game #7 and lost to Ken Dryden’s Canadiens.
Stay Tuned:  Only 52 more weeks until the Rob’s 2011 NHL Playoff Awards.