Aren't Game 7s grand? Sure, you've got similar stakes in, say, the final match of a five-game series, but there's something about Game 7s that excites fans and causes sportswriters to break out the purple prose. Hockey fans are spoiled for choice tonight, as both the Rangers-Capitals and Bruins-Maple Leafs series are tied at three games apiece. Hockey Game 7s have a different tenor than those from other sports -- they seem more like wars of attrition than the titanic personality clashes of the NBA playoffs, or the nervy percentage plays that make up baseball's postseason -- but they're all a blast to watch.

Which team will win Game 7 of the Rangers-Capitals first-round playoff series in Washington?

•  
  50%
  Capitals
•  
  50%
  Rangers

(Total votes: 42,816)

Which team will win Game 7 of the Bruins-Maple Leafs first-round playoff series in Boston?

•  
  70%
  Bruins
•  
  30%
  Maple Leafs

(Total votes: 25,200)

John Tortorella's news conference Wednesday night featured few questions and fewer answers. Do you find this entertaining or cringe-inducing?

• DrMcTigue: "Tortorella has absolutely no class. He whines about the zebras win or lose, and when things don't go his way he takes his ball and goes home like a spoiled child."
• Mad City Mike: "Part of your job as an NHL coach is to PARTICIPATE in press conferences. The fact that the league and even your own team is allowing this childish behavior boggles my mind."
• goredsox107: "Am I the only one that loves this? It's refreshing to not have to deal with the usual press conference, and it's not like it's hurting the Rangers or creating controversies or anything. It's literally just an uncomfortably silent room for some media members before/after each game. Also it's hilarious."
• gus johnson: "It truly is an insult to all of the coaches past and present who have, according to the job title, acted reasonable with the media, even when they didn't want to."
• OneDaySale: "as a Rangers fan, I love the guy. He gets the absolute most out of his team; he has them in great shape; he is tough, but tough on everyone (see Gaborik)."
• sykotackler31894: "Personally, seeing Torts completely blow off the media makes my indescribably happy."

Join the conversation or respond by signing in or creating a profile and blogging.

Hockey has had two unfortunate incidents recently involving racist and homophobic behavior. The Flyers' Wayne Simmonds had a banana thrown at him during a game on Sunday, and now, he's being accused of calling Sean Avery a homophobic slur. Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke thinks the league should take action against Simmonds if he said what he's accused of saying, but what's your take?

Vote: Can sports be an instrument for social change?

• "I wonder if the NHL is going to adopt a sensitivity training course for its players now. I know they want to have a clean image as the other sports are doing but why stop at just using one group? This is getting out of hand of what can or cannot be said anymore." -- SN commenter jaybird55395

We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)

Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)

Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)

Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)

• Vote: Pick the Hart, Vezina, Norris, Calder and Jack Adams winners.
• Vote: Pick the division, conference and Stanley Cup winners.
• Your Power Rankings: Do the Penguins open the season No. 1?

Believe it or not, the start of the NHL regular season is just about a week away. No, seriously, we're not kidding. We know the leaves haven't turned and summer doesn't actually end until today, but what the heck, it's been, what, at least three or four weeks since the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, right?

Then again, maybe that short offseason helps keep the NHL fresh in SportsNation's mind. A year ago, voters correctly predicted the Red Wings to win the Western Conference and made the Penguins their second choice, behind the Red Wings, to win it all.

Blackhawks star Patrick Kane and ESPN.com writer Scott Burnside stopped by chat Monday to help SportsNation get its ice legs before jetting off to Europe (Burnside to Stockholm for the Red Wings and Blues and Kane to Helsinki for the Blackhawks and Panthers).

Jason (Ellicott City, MD)

You are only rated an 86 in NHL. What is up with that?

Patrick Kane

I think an 86 is pretty good to be honest with you. I think the highest are Crosby and 94 and Ovechkin at 92. I thought I'd be better than Teows, but I am still on the cover. I got him by that. Full transcript

AJ (Champaign, Ill.)

How do the Blackhawks avoid a lull in their performance after they return from Finland?

Scott Burnside

AJ; Good question. The European experiment has been decidedly mixed in terms of how it affects teams. All four coaches who went last year got fired although the Pens did end up winning a Cup. I think the 'Hawks' youth and the nice steady hand of head coach Joel Quenneville will keep them from going off the rails when they get back from Finland. Full transcript

How big a move did the Blackhawks make in signing Marian Hossa? If Chicago lands the 2016 Olympics, Hossa will still have five more seasons to play for the team when the closing ceremonies wrap up in the Windy City.

After serving as a high-profile rental the last two seasons for the Penguins and Red Wings, Hossa is the proud, and wealthy, owner of a 12-year deal with a team on the rise. He's also the biggest impact player to change teams so far this summer, according to SportsNation voters.

But Hossa's deal was only one move on a busy day that also saw Marian Gaborik go to the Rangers, Nikolai Khabibulin go to the Oilers and Dany Heatley not go anywhere, despite the Senators working out a trade as he requested. No wonder SportsNation isn't sure it would want one of the game's most talented players.

• Cast your vote on some of the NHL open market's biggest questions.

“

No need to hate on Hossa. He left the Pens for a cup. Didn't work out for him. Now he's left for security and a steady pay check. Lets not beat the guy up too bad.

” -- GoWings2008

“

Rangers shed themselves of one bloated contract, only to replace it with a bigger one. Gaborik has serious skills, no doubt, but his injury history would keep me from throwing that kind of money at him for 5 years. Typical Sather move, though.

” -- rog247

“

Not quite sure what Edmonton is thinking not offering Roloson more than one year, and signing Khabibulan. Fans thinking he's going to be some kind of savior for the Oilers is kind of making me chuckle a bit. It doesn't help Edmonton. They have other glaring issues. Goaltending wasn't the problem.

” -- kk1244

“

I'll say it again: Heatley deserves no slack. If a player requests a trade, he should automatically HAVE to waive any no-trade clause in his contract. The fact that Heatley can string up his team for a $4 million signing bonus and still get his way is ludicrous. But if Murray doesn't trade him, Heatley will just turn his petulant child act on the ice. A lose-lose situation for the Senators, and Heatley comes out of it grinning like a Cheshire cat.

” -- jenniejenniewho

• Cast your vote on some of the NHL open market's biggest questions.

Like watching a shark documentary on the eve of an island vacation, the Rangers and Canadiens offered the rest of the NHL a sober reminder of the perils of free agency on the eve of this summer's spending season.

A year ago, SportsNation voters pegged Scott Gomez as the fifth-best forward in the Atlantic. But after another disappointing statistical season from the former free-agent prize, only 25 percent of voters think he'll be worth the $33.5 million remaining on his contract to the Canadiens, who traded for him this week.

Perhaps that's why the 'Nation is split on whether his old team or new team will fare better next season (although the Alaskan seems to have some pull in his home state).

• Groups: The Puck Stops Here!| Hockey Fanatics | New York Rangers Holdin it Down

“

Vancouver is quickly building a team that could contend for the cup in the next 2-3 years. With the US to Canada Dollar spread starting to move toward Canada, they will be able to sign many free agents and build around the twins. Vancouver is a beautiful and growing city that will get a lot of publicity in February with the Winter Olympics. Looks like management is getting ready to capitalize on the window of opportunity.

” -- tcco007

“

Gomez has never been the same since he broke his pelvis during the lockout playing in Alaska. Class guy with lots of playmaking ability but one of his biggest weapons with the Devils was his speed which he has all but lost. He's an asset to any team, but not the "impact" player he used to be.

” -- giggums