As the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins, all the talk is focused on the remaining teams. Will Carey Price and Montreal be able to hold off a rough Flyers team? What Penguins player will Sean Avery target this round? Which Jose Theodore will show up for the Red Wings/Avalanche Series? And is this the year that the Sharks finally put themselves on the playoff map?

With all the excitement of the post-season, it's easy to forget that it took 82 games to get here. A lot has happened since the first puck dropped in October, so here are my Top 10 News Stories of the 2007-2008 season:

10. Mike Modano Sets a Record
Is there a better active American-born player than Modano? Apart from playing for only one organization in his 18-year career, he now holds the record for the most points scored by an American-born player. His two goals against the San Jose Sharks on November 7, 2007, pushed him past the great Phil Housley to #1 on that list. This is a great achievement for a man who acted with dignity after losing his captaincy to Brendan Morrow and who helped the Stars overcome their first-round playoff ghosts this spring. His 1283 points in 1320 games makes him a Hall of Famer for sure.

9. Chris Simon and Chris Pronger.
They share the same first name and the same nasty offense. Except one seems to have gotten away with it. At least that's what some say. Two very ugly incidents and two very different reactions from the league. Sure, Chris Simon's track record had something to do with his suspension after stomping on Jarko Ruutu, but does Chris Pronger's star status mean that he deserves lighter treatment? The hockey writers went toe to toe with this one and still no one knows exactly what transpired or why. But after the Bertuzzi incident one thing is clear: the league needs to make sure it is stern and consistent with any type of goonery.

8. Richard Zednik's Scare
Probably one of the most watched hockey clips on Youtube, this accident could've been fatal if it weren't for Zednik's awareness and the doctor's in Buffalo. Personally, I think they should've canceled the game, but kudos to the league for handling this incident well. It marked a tough season for the Panthers and brought back ugly memories in Buffalo of Clint Malarchuk. It doesn't look like there will be mandatory throat guards anytime soon in the NHL, but this incident and another close call with Evgeni Malkin vs. the Flyers, made us realize how anything can

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