Each week, the NHL on TSN panel voices its opinions on the hot topics of the day in the Wednesday Night Hockey Quiz.
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Question No. 1: Which first round underachiever needs to raise the level of his game the most for his team to advance in this round?
Darren Dreger: For me it's Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals. There is so much offensive power on Tampa Bay's side; the Washington Capitals have a ton of it as well, but they need all guys firing, and that includes Backstrom. We've seen Alexander Semin produce, he's a big time producer versus Tampa Bay, Alex Ovechkin, he's going to get his share, but Backstrom only has one point in the playoffs thus far.
Bob McKenzie: I'll say Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins. Zero goals in the first round; he had 30 goals in the regular season, 62 points, over 100 penalty minutes. He had that boarding major that set his team back in Game 6 in the first round. If they're going to get by a very strong Philadelphia team that has lots of offensive weapons, they need Lucic, Krejci, and Horton - that number one line - and he's a big part of it.
Ryan Whitney: I have to go with Antti Niemi. The thing is, San Jose in the past had Evgeni Nabokov and they could never really get over the hump. Then they go out and they get Niemi, the Stanley Cup Champion, and he has a great regular season. Then in the first round you just see him kind of stumble. It's one of those things were they have him and they realize that he's the guy that can do the job and he didn't come through in the first round.
Question No. 2: Who would get your vote for the Hart Trophy - Corey Perry, Martin St. Louis, or Daniel Sedin?
Whitney: I have to go with Perry. I played with Perry in Anaheim and he's one of those guys I think a lof of fans think Ryan Getzlaf carries, in a way, but it's so untrue. He's a guy that really does it on his own. You always think you have him, but he has the puck on a string and he does amazing things.
McKenzie: I'll say Perry and in fact I cast a ballot for it. Perry was number one, Daniel Sedin number two, Marty St. Louis number three, in that order for me. It wasn't just a strong finish; he had consistency going as well as Daniel Sedin all season long.
Dreger: I didn't cast the ballot - wasn't included in that process. I'm going with Perry as well because of the second half of the season, because of the big time goals - third period tie goals - you name it, that's a Hart-winning type of year.
Question No. 3: What was the most TV-friendly moment of the first-round?
Whitney: I went with [Bobby Ryan's goal against the Nashville Predators]. Poor David Legwand gets beat 17 times it feels like, and there's nothing he can do - he has no stick. Even if you don't like hockey, or know hockey, people realized this was great.
Dreger: You have to go with Glen Sather frozen in time and before that was the celebration on the Semin goal. It's worth having a look again because of all the passion that the Washington Capitals poured into it and then there's Sather. Check his pulse! Not sure it's beating.
McKenzie: I'll go with Ryan and Legwand. It was a terrific goal, a terrific video moment and it will last forever on YouTube.
Question No. 4: What was the most embarrassing memory from Round 1?
Dreger: Chris Conner. Embarrasing, yes. But outside of Tampa Bay Lightning fans, who didn't feel bad for Conner? The puck bounces on him, it hits, it bobbles. He doesn't get a shot away but that's still embarrassing.
McKenzie: I'll go with the Conner penalty shot. That was a real competitive situation; that wasn't tripping going up the ice or what have you, or a cosmetic issue like a moustache, that was in the heat of battle in a Stanley Cup Playoff game and the guy has a chance to do something really spectacular and he fails. I was glad to see Dan Bylsma give him a big hug.
Whitney: I went with the Brandon Dubinsky moustache. That thing is dyed for sure. There's no way that's naturally that dark and I can't get over it. It looks horrible.
