By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums

Tuesday, when President Obama honored the Los Angeles Kings, politics couldn't have been further away. Aside from perhaps a joke or two here and there.
Veteran goalie Tim Thomas, who has said he won't play this season, was traded by the Boston Bruins to the New York Islanders on Thursday for a conditional second-round draft choice either next year or in 2015.
Jonathan Quick and Martin Brodeur hugged and exchanged a few private words in the Stanley Cup finals handshake line.
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP after yielding just 29 goals in Los Angeles' 20 playoff games on the way to the franchise's first Stanley Cup title.
Tim Thomas, who has emerged as one of the NHL's top goaltenders despite an unorthodox style in hockey and in life, has told the Boston Bruins that he is thinking about sitting out next season _ apparently for family reasons, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Friday.

Another opportunity has passed the Washington Capitals by. That's five now in the Alex Ovechkin era, starting with the Game 7 loss to Philadelphia in 2008. The one Saturday night at Madison Square Garden might hurt more than any of them, though, because this time the Caps played The Right Way for a solid month — winning playoff hockey. Unlike past seasons, there wasn't a single game they weren't present and accounted for.

Tyler Seguin scored at 3:17 of overtime, Tim Thomas made 36 saves, and the Boston Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Sunday to tie the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at three games apiece.

That's not Tim Thomas. Troy Brouwer streaked down the right wing, found space and fired one over his shoulder. No deflection. No screen.

Braden Holtby did it with flair. Even routine glove saves were snared out of mid-air as the crowd went crazy. Chants of "Holtby, Holtby" became the soundtrack as the Washington Capitals goaltender dazzled. But he didn't exactly soak it in.

Alexander Semin's prodigious talent makes him one of the Washington Capitals' most effective players. It also is why he can be one of their most maddening.

Dale Hunter was no saint as a player, but as a coach he made it clear he wasn't happy that the Boston Bruins were targeting Nicklas Backstrom's head. The Washington Capitals coach said it crossed the line and was "not the right way to play."
Alex Ovechkin shrugged his shoulders while offering his take on the suspension that will keep center Nicklas Backstrom out of Washington's lineup Thursday for Game 4 of its NHL playoff series against Boston.

Braden Holtby’s Superman cape disappeared Monday night behind a swarm of Boston Bruins who made it their mission to make his life miserable.

Nicklas Backstrom's afternoon included plenty of punishment, including a blocker to the head from Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.
Martin Hanzal scored 9:29 into overtime and the Phoenix Coyotes opened the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
NEW YORK (AP) - Veteran goalie Tim Thomas, who has said he won't play this season, was traded by the Boston Bruins to the New York Islanders on Thursday for a conditional second-round draft choice either next year or in 2015.
"Because he's such a good tender, most of the time you're not going to score on a straight shot," he said.