Courtesy of Katie Baker, this “Sounds of the Game” video the NHL produced for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is probably the closest thing we’ll get to an HBO ‘24/7’-esque look at the game this season. (Stupid no good lousy lockout.)

Among the highlights:

• Karl Alzner asking Derek Dorsett where “they found the aquarium to fit” his head.

• Ryan Getzlaf looking up before a faceoff and yelling to Jonathan Ericsson “You’re not scary!”

• Did Pascal Dupuis call for “a [Mike] Bossy up the wall?”

• Bobby Ryan’s subtle “it’s comin’ Jimmy” to Jimmy Howard as he skates by the crease.

• Erik Karlsson, 2012 Norris Trophy winner, giving P.K. Subban his endorsement in the handshake line for the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.

• And, of course: Daniel Alfredsson leading the cheers in the Sens dressing room.

Good stuff NHL. More of this please.

APCarolina Hurricanes fans can exhale, put down the whiskey bottle and look forward to training camp: Eric Staal isn’t going to miss significant time after the knee-on-knee hit from Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks during the Canada/Sweden IIHF World Championships game on Thursday.

According to the Hurricanes, an MRI on Staal’s right knee “revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Surgery will not be required to repair the ligament, and Staal’s rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected that he will be healthy and ready to play to start the 2013-14 season.”

To say it looked a lot worse would be an understatement.

Staal needed to be helped from the ice after writhing in pain for a few minutes following the collision with Edler, the Team Sweden defenseman who was given a 5-minutes major and a game misconduct, and then was suspended for the rest of the tournament.

Getty ImagesIn 2012, the Chicago Blackhawks’ penalty kill failed them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They gave up 4 goals on 19 chances in a loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, who entered the postseason with the 29th best power play in the NHL. The Hawks had the 27th best PK in the regular season; those struggles continues in the playoffs.

So they remedied that in the offseason, bringing in Los Angeles Kings assistant coach and penalty kill architect Jamie Kompon. After the lockout ended, they converted offensive forwards Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik in special teams defenders.

The results were stunning: The PK provided the backbone for the Blackhawks’ 24-game streak with at least one point earned, and the team gave up the fewest power-play goals in the regular season (18) while finishing with the third-best penalty kill (87.2 percent).

In the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs … well, it’s been perfect: 20 times shorthanded, 20 kills, including a perfect 17-for-17 in Round 1 against the Minnesota Wild (17.9 percent in the regular season.

Sports editor Josh Lewis of the Estevan Mercury in Saskatchewan is a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The kinds that had his hopes and dreams crushed by a three-goal rally by the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Alas, Lewis is also the kind of Leafs fan who was willing to make a bet with a coworker at the weekly paper: Chad Saxon, an editor and a massive Boston Bruins fan. So after seeing the Leafs lose Game 7 in embarrassing fashion, Lewis suffered another embarrassment, as per the wager:

Ouch.

From Saxon, via email:

We bet on the series and the punishment was the loser had to wear a sandwich board and stand on the boulevard of our busiest street for half an hour at noon. The winner got to choose what went on the sign.

Obviously it was looking like I was pretty much screwed up until the comeback. Josh, who we had under suicide watch for a couple of days was a good sport and paid off his debt on Friday.

But wait, there’s more:

Writes Saxon:

“We are big supporters of

Getty ImagesNo. 1 Star: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby recorded his second career postseason hat trick during the Penguins' 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 2. He tallied his first two goals during a three-goal opening period for the Penguins, then completed the trick early in the second period on the power play. Crosby is the fifth player in Penguins franchise history to reach 100 career points in the playoffs.

No. 2 Star: Paul Martin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Martin continued his stellar play assisting on a pair of goals to give him 15 points in his last 16 games. He's now on 9 points, good enough to be tied for fourth in playoff scoring.

No. 3 Star: Brenden Morrow, Pittsburgh Penguins

Morrow scored his first playoff goal since 2008 by deflecting a Paul Martin shot midway through the second period. That goal would stand as the game winner. Late in the game, as the Penguins were hanging on to their 4-3 lead and time running out, Morrow killed seconds deep in the Senators' zone by protecting the puck along the boards.

Getty ImagesThe last time Sidney Crosby netted a hat trick in the playoffs was 2009. The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins took a 2-0 series lead in the playoffs was 2009. It remains to be seen if those good omens from 2009 will create a similar ending in 2013, but for now the Penguins are halfway to the Eastern Conference Final after a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators Friday night.

Crosby set the tone early on scoring three times within the first 21:15 of the game as Pittsburgh stormed out to a 3-1 lead. The Penguins captain brought the CONSOL Energy Center crowd to its feet during his first goal, which left Erik Karlsson wondering what had just happened:

Craig Anderson's night was finished after Crosby completed his hat trick early in the second period. It was the first time he was pulled since March 2012. His replacement, Robin Lehner, was valiant in relief making 20 saves and keeping the Senators in the game.

Not helping the Senators' cause was the fact they handed six power plays to a Penguins team rolling along at a 36 percent rate with the man advantage entering Friday night, tops in the NHL this postseason. Pittsburgh only cashed in on one -- Crosby's third goal -- but Ottawa was never able to build momentum with the numerous trips to the penalty box.

The series now shifts to Scotiabank Place on Sunday and Tuesday for Games 3 and 4 as the Senators will attempt to slow a Pittsburgh offense averaging 4.13 goals per game. The Penguins outshot Ottawa 41-21 in Game 2, with 11 coming on the power play. As the Senators stressed after Game 1, they cannot have a parade to the penalty box if they're to beat Pittsburgh in this series.

Ottawa also needs a stronger showing from Anderson, who's now allowed seven goals thru the first two games of this series -- the combined total he allowed from Games 2-5 against Montreal in the first round. Jason Spezza's return could give them a boost, but collectively there's still plenty of work to be done.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Getty ImagesFor a second straight postseason, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended by the NHL for an illegal hit. After he was banned for the remainder of the Sharks' series with the Los Angeles Kings -- which could end up being between 3-6 games -- there was a thought that Torres could be the first test case of the appeal system negotiated in the new CBA.

According to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun, Torres has decided otherwise and will not challenge the suspension handed down by Brendan Shanahan on Thursday.

Despite Torres' decision, Doug Wilson had a few things to get off his chest about the suspension. Late Friday, the Sharks' general manager released a statement vehemently disagreeing with Shanahan's decision and challenging the wording in Rule 48.1 and how it was applied:

From the Sharks:

The Sharks organization fully supports the NHL in its efforts to remove illegal and dangerous hits from the game but we strongly disagree with the NHL's decision to suspend Raffi Torres.

Upon review of the incident, it is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit. As noted by the NHL, Raffi's initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding - not skating or charging.

As stated in the NHL's Player Safety video, Rule 48.1 says, "A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted." Thus, with the use of the word "and", this rule clearly states that two elements must occur in order to violate the rule. Raffi absolutely did not target his opponent's head on the play. The call on the ice specifically acknowledged that the head was not targeted and nowhere in the NHL's ruling does it insinuate or suggest that the opponent's head was targeted.

Furthermore, the rule goes on to say: "However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered."

As evidenced in the video, just prior to Torres making contact with the opposing player, that player altered his posture to play a bouncing puck with his hand, placing himself in a vulnerable position.

Comparing the facts of this incident against the actual wording of Rule 48.1, it appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is being judged on past events, one who has changed his game dramatically this season and taken only six minor penalties in 39 games.

We are proud of the work Raffi has put in to successfully adjust his game. Although it's unfortunate that Jarret was injured on the play, we feel this decision is grossly unfair to the Raffi, his teammates and our fans. However, Raffi does not want to be a distraction to his teammates and has decided not to appeal this suspension and we respect that decision.

After Torres changed his ways following the massive suspension a year ago for his hit on Marian Hossa, with this suspension and the spotlight shining very, very brightly on him going forward, how much will this affect his game going forward?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

While I wouldn't go so far as to say the Ottawa Senators outplayed the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 -- it's tough to argue that when they lost by three goals -- the club from Canada's capital did a lot right in the series opener.

They controlled the run of the play for long stretches. They matched the Penguins in goal-scoring output. They pushed the Penguins back with their speed, even making Pittsburgh's trio of big-name deadline acquisitions -- Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray, and Brenden Morrow -- look slow, as all three saw the ice tilt away from them when they were on it.

But that was at even-strength. Special teams, on the other hand, were a nightmare.

Up and down a man, this was Pittsburgh's game. The Penguins scored two powerplay goals and a shorthanded goal, and that was the difference, quite literally, in a 4-1 Senators loss in in Game 1.

"They have the best power play in the playoffs and you try not to give them those opportunities," Cory Conacher told the Sun after the game. "You want to play hard, physical and you just want to be a little bit smarter."

Smarter would be making sure that Pittsburgh's cavalcade of incredible players isn't gifted any extra space. This team can ice a powerplay consisting of five all-stars. The Senators cannot ice a penalty-kill of similar pedigree. So now you're talking about five all-stars versus four normal guys. Sorry, four normal guys, but my money's on the all-stars.