Day Two of these 2011 Playoffs had a pair of shutouts, doubling the number to four already. In the other two Eastern Conference Quarterfinals that got underway, goaltending was the story highlighted by Carey Price (31 saves) in the Canadiens' 2-0 win over Boston and Buffalo's Ryan Miller (35 saves) in the Sabres' 1-0 Game One victory. A better night for the road teams with two of three prevailing as opposed to only one of five on Day One (Preds 4-1 over Ducks).
Price had help from captain Brian Gionta, who pumped in his first two goals of this postseason- including an early one in front that set the tone for the upset. Afterwards, Price was brilliant in turning away the Bruins who fired more shots but couldn't find a way to put one past him. It had to be extra sweet with the shutout snapping a personal eight-game losing streak in the playoffs. The B's blew opportunities on the power play with Price and Montreal's penalty killing unit getting the job done. With Boston hosts pressing for the equalizer, a fatal mistake was made when a turnover allowed Scott Gomez to intercept the puck and quickly feed Gionta, whose slapshot from the right circle snuck past Tim Thomas, erasing any suspense. It was a bad goal to give up, preventing his teammates from having any realistic chance of tying it. So, Les Habitants steal home ice, already sending a message to their Original Six bitter rival.
While that was finishing up, the Sabres were keeping the Flyers at bay thanks to Miller, who was sensational. Despite undisciplined penalties throughout, Buffalo remained even with the high flying No.2 seed thanks to last year's Vezina winner. Every time it looked like they had an opening, Miller shut it down with acrobatic goaltending that was reminiscent of his heroic play during Team USA's run to an Olympic silver medal in Vancouver. Time and time again, frustrated Flyers looked skyward wondering what they had to do to score on the top American netminder who had his ups and downs in an injury riddled season. Perhaps the extra time off down the stretch thanks to understudy Jonas Enroth allowed Miller to stay fresh, which could be a bad sign for Philadelphia. While Miller did his job, pest Patrick Kaleta steered home a rebound early in the third that held up as the winner. A sore sight for Flyer fans, who weren't exactly thrilled with Kaleta's antics a period earlier. He's a frustrating player who also can score in key moments. Just ask Garden Faithful. The Flyers tried but simply never drew even, sending their fans home with a bitter taste in their mouths. Now, the Sabres have the home ice in the seventh meeting over the past 16 years in this overlooked rivalry.
If the first two games lacked in terms of scoring and momentum swings, that certainly wasn't a problem at the Shark Tank where the Sharks needed overtime to escape with a hard fought 3-2 win capturing Game One over the California rival Kings at a loud soldout arena. The eighth game of the playoffs was the best by far, featuring five goals, physical play, a fight and some heart stopping end to end action in sudden death before our pick Joe Pavelski sent the Sharkies home happy. Everyone knew this would be fun to watch with two close rivals finally doing battle in the Spring. It didn't disappoint. Right away, Dany Heatley escaped a check to put home a rebound before 30 seconds had elapsed. The Sharks flat out dominated the first period against the Kings outshooting them by a wide margin (14-3). Despite coming in waves and earning power plays, they couldn't extend their lead thanks to splendid goalkeeping from Jon Quick. Quick was sensational, finishing with 42 saves in what was a heroic effort even in defeat. At one point, San Jose led in shots 18-3 before LA mounted a comeback courtesy of a strong second that saw them outshoot the Sharks 16-9. Using a relentless forecheck, they were rewarded with two goals to draw even.
Before we get to the three goals, the first borderline hit took place when Jarrett Stoll hit Ian White from behind into the glass, cutting his chin. Somehow, the refs completely missed it. Even worse, Stoll stared at the injured White. Unbelievable. At present, there's a phone hearing taking place for what should be at least a one-game suspension for an important King that anchors their best line without Anze Kopitar. Actions have consequences and that could hurt LA's chances in Game Two. In response, Ben Eager fought Kyle Clifford, revving the crowd up with plenty of banter exchanged as the first concluded. It was the Kings who elevated their play, finally getting back into it when Justin Williams executed a perfect two-on-one with Dustin Brown, who rifled home his first on a power play past Antti Niemi. Rookie Logan Couture was guilty of missing wide on a shorthanded bid, trapping three Sharks which allowed LA to come 3-on-1. Williams waited before dishing across for Brown's roof job that tied it. Couture is a superb player. He atoned by abusing Drew Doughty to score his first of the playoffs, giving the Sharks their second lead. On the play, Doughty went for a hip check but his positioning stunk and Couture cruised around and surprised Quick with a low shot that trickled in. The Kings didn't allow it to unfaze them, continuing to work the puck deep and pin the Sharks. However, they caught a break on Williams' tying marker when the puck took a funny hop off Doug Murray right to Williams, who snuck a backhand in an open side. Speaking of the former Hurricane, he was excellent for a guy who missed time down the stretch and was expected to miss more. However, he's tough as nails and was the best King aside from Quick. Niemi made some important stops late to keep it tied.
The third was more even with each club searching for the winner but neither goalie budged, forcing sudden death. If the last five minutes of regulation were great, it only foreshadowed one of the most exciting overtimes. Neither team backed off, trading end to end chances in a chaotic fourth period that had plenty of drama on both sides. The goalies were brilliant. Twenty three total shots were taken and nearly every one felt like it had a chance of ending it. Only the exceptional play of Quick and Niemi prevented an earlier conclusion to what was a frenetic pace where both clubs pounced on turnovers to generate quality chances. Simply put, this was what Playoff Hockey is all about! Quick must've made about seven great saves just by being in the right position to deny the Sharks, including Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe. There was also a wild sequence where it looked like they had it won but a puck in mid-air deflected off the side of the net and a player before falling harmlessly to the left of the net back into play. Niemi was equally as good, stoning the Kings with other pick Williams making a bid. Finally, after 14 minutes, the clutchest player on the Sharks came through. Off a turnover, Clowe led a three-on-two rush down the left side. With two Kings back, he waited and waited before finding the trailer Pavelski at the top, who then made no mistake going upstairs on Quick for an exclamation point to a great game. It took a perfect shot to beat Quick, who easily could've been the game's No.1 Star. But Pavelski is the definition of a money player, who delivers in big spots. His goal at 14:44 of the first overtime made a winner of the Sharks, who lead the best-of-seven Western Conference Quarter 1-0.
Fantastic stuff in what looks like a potential classic series between foes who don't like each other. With all three Californian teams in for the first time ever, it sure is great to be a hockey fan in the Cali Valley. Tonight, the Ducks look to tie up the Preds while the Rangers aim for the same versus the Caps. The Canucks look to go two up on the defending champs while the Lightning try to steal home ice away from the Penguins. Hope it's as fun as the late show at HP Pavilion.
Covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres five years running along with the rest of the puckers!
BONY
Battle Of New York
Showing posts with label Habs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Habs. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Habs clinch, Sabres inch closer, Canes take on Wings, Wild Wild West Preview
This wild race is winding down. Last night, one of the four teams wrapped up a playoff spot with the Canadiens posting a 2-1 overtime win over the defending champs at The Bell Centre. Controversial rookie defenseman P.K. Subban's power play goal won it for the Habs, allowing them to make the playoffs a second straight season. The lowscoring Original Six club can thank Carey Price, who was outstanding finishing with 42 saves, including a few close calls late in regulation on tricky deflections. It was his goaltending that saved Montreal's bacon and certainly is worthy of a Vezina and Hart candidacy. Though he'll probably get left out of the MVP discussion with frontrunner Daniel Sedin, Corey Perry and Henrik Sedin all in the mix along with darkhorse Jarome Iginla if the Flames somehow sneak in.
While the Habs took care of business to clinch, the Sabres inched closer to a second straight postseason of their own, doubling up the Lightning at home 4-2 on the strength of Thomas Vanek's sixth career hat trick. Following Ryan Malone's early goal for the Bolts, Buffalo responded with three straight including a pair from Vanek that allowed him to reach 30 for the fourth time in his career. Tim Connolly followed with his 13th, which stood up as the winner thanks to Swede rookie Jhonas Enroth, who again was sharp minus Ryan Miller- finishing with 23 saves. Enroth's strong play has allowed the Sabres to win three of four (3-0-1). Who would've thought that a once perceived weakness could be the ticket to meaningful Spring hockey? Credit Lindy Ruff and the organization for entrusting the '06 second round pick with the backup job over vet Patrick Lalime, who drove our Buffalo resident batty. The Lightning didn't even get a look late thanks to stellar D from Ruff's club, who were so good that Guy Boucher's team couldn't even get Dwayne Roloson to the bench. With less than 15 seconds left, Vanek picked Martin St. Louis' pocket and fired into a vacated net as Roloson watched hopelessly, completing the trick. Buffalo is one point away from the playoffs. A Carolina OT or shootout loss would allow them to clinch tonight.
Speaking of the Hurricanes, they face a must win tonight at home versus the Red Wings. So much for the schedule makers doing them any favors. On that note, can anyone explain why such a crucial contest involves the other conference. Echoing Brian's sentiments with his team finishing in Columbus, what the heck? The final week, you should play only your conference. Preferably rivalry games like the Devils visiting the Rangers Saturday. In any event, the Canes trail the Rangers by four with three left. Their extra game is tonight at 7 ET in Raleigh. The tiebreak has the Blueshirts leading Carolina 34-33 in regulation/OT wins. A win puts the pressure back on the Blueshirts, who learned Team MVP Ryan Callahan broke his leg after blocking a Zdeno Chara shot the other night. If the Canes pick up only a point, a Ranger victory tomorrow versus the Thrashers would allow them to wrap it up. Carolina's gotten great play from Erik Cole, Eric Staal, Calder hopeful Jeff Skinner and Cam Ward. The game is meaningful for Detroit only if they want to pass San Jose for the West's second seed. They've already won the Central over Nashville.
As a hockey purist, it'd be more interesting if the Canes won, putting the pressure back on us. As a Ranger fan, I'd certainly welcome a Red Wing win but am not expecting it. If we're going to make it minus our emotional leader, I'd rather earn it. As I've said before, let's win out.
The Western race is much more exciting with only the three division winners in while the Preds, Coyotes, Kings, Ducks, Hawks, Stars and even the Flames scramble for the remaining five spots. In order to have any shot, Calgary must win their remaining two against Alberta rival Edmonton later and at arch enemy Vancouver on Hockey Night In Canada. Assuming the Flames do what must be done, that game should have meaning. But the Flames need plenty of help with Anaheim, Chicago and Dallas all having three left. The Flames cannot catch Nashville (97), Phoenix (96) or LA (96). There are four games of interest for West observers. Chicago hosts the Blues looking to bounce back from a tough OT loss in Montreal, which had Joel Queeneville fuming about the 10 minors his team received. Facing an old Norris rival who'd like nothing better than to play spoiler, is no picnic. Then there's the aforementioned Alberta clash between the Flames and Oilers at The Saddledome. This rivalry is one of the best and is worth watching after Detroit-Carolina. Then you have another intense rivalry California style between the Ducks and Sharks at The Pond. San Jose is still fuming from their first round ouster two years ago as the top seed. Need I say more? And finally, the Yotes and Kings break the tie in the standings at Staples Center. The best aspect is it's all rivalry games. Here's when each plays:
Stl @ Chi 8 ET
Edm @ Cgy 9:30 ET
SJ @ Ana 10 ET
Phx @ LA 10:30 ET
While the Habs took care of business to clinch, the Sabres inched closer to a second straight postseason of their own, doubling up the Lightning at home 4-2 on the strength of Thomas Vanek's sixth career hat trick. Following Ryan Malone's early goal for the Bolts, Buffalo responded with three straight including a pair from Vanek that allowed him to reach 30 for the fourth time in his career. Tim Connolly followed with his 13th, which stood up as the winner thanks to Swede rookie Jhonas Enroth, who again was sharp minus Ryan Miller- finishing with 23 saves. Enroth's strong play has allowed the Sabres to win three of four (3-0-1). Who would've thought that a once perceived weakness could be the ticket to meaningful Spring hockey? Credit Lindy Ruff and the organization for entrusting the '06 second round pick with the backup job over vet Patrick Lalime, who drove our Buffalo resident batty. The Lightning didn't even get a look late thanks to stellar D from Ruff's club, who were so good that Guy Boucher's team couldn't even get Dwayne Roloson to the bench. With less than 15 seconds left, Vanek picked Martin St. Louis' pocket and fired into a vacated net as Roloson watched hopelessly, completing the trick. Buffalo is one point away from the playoffs. A Carolina OT or shootout loss would allow them to clinch tonight.
Speaking of the Hurricanes, they face a must win tonight at home versus the Red Wings. So much for the schedule makers doing them any favors. On that note, can anyone explain why such a crucial contest involves the other conference. Echoing Brian's sentiments with his team finishing in Columbus, what the heck? The final week, you should play only your conference. Preferably rivalry games like the Devils visiting the Rangers Saturday. In any event, the Canes trail the Rangers by four with three left. Their extra game is tonight at 7 ET in Raleigh. The tiebreak has the Blueshirts leading Carolina 34-33 in regulation/OT wins. A win puts the pressure back on the Blueshirts, who learned Team MVP Ryan Callahan broke his leg after blocking a Zdeno Chara shot the other night. If the Canes pick up only a point, a Ranger victory tomorrow versus the Thrashers would allow them to wrap it up. Carolina's gotten great play from Erik Cole, Eric Staal, Calder hopeful Jeff Skinner and Cam Ward. The game is meaningful for Detroit only if they want to pass San Jose for the West's second seed. They've already won the Central over Nashville.
As a hockey purist, it'd be more interesting if the Canes won, putting the pressure back on us. As a Ranger fan, I'd certainly welcome a Red Wing win but am not expecting it. If we're going to make it minus our emotional leader, I'd rather earn it. As I've said before, let's win out.
The Western race is much more exciting with only the three division winners in while the Preds, Coyotes, Kings, Ducks, Hawks, Stars and even the Flames scramble for the remaining five spots. In order to have any shot, Calgary must win their remaining two against Alberta rival Edmonton later and at arch enemy Vancouver on Hockey Night In Canada. Assuming the Flames do what must be done, that game should have meaning. But the Flames need plenty of help with Anaheim, Chicago and Dallas all having three left. The Flames cannot catch Nashville (97), Phoenix (96) or LA (96). There are four games of interest for West observers. Chicago hosts the Blues looking to bounce back from a tough OT loss in Montreal, which had Joel Queeneville fuming about the 10 minors his team received. Facing an old Norris rival who'd like nothing better than to play spoiler, is no picnic. Then there's the aforementioned Alberta clash between the Flames and Oilers at The Saddledome. This rivalry is one of the best and is worth watching after Detroit-Carolina. Then you have another intense rivalry California style between the Ducks and Sharks at The Pond. San Jose is still fuming from their first round ouster two years ago as the top seed. Need I say more? And finally, the Yotes and Kings break the tie in the standings at Staples Center. The best aspect is it's all rivalry games. Here's when each plays:
Stl @ Chi 8 ET
Edm @ Cgy 9:30 ET
SJ @ Ana 10 ET
Phx @ LA 10:30 ET
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Random Musings
Normally, I only get to do Ranger recaps. Especially with my blogging limited to the New York Public Library. Rather than relive another frustrating Ranger loss in which they saw their shadow, I figured it's time to chime in on what's happening around the league. Without further notice, in no particular order:
1.The Devils' 10-1-2 run has got them within 15 points of eighth. Amazing considering at one point they were like 10-29. Ilya Kovalchuk has turned his year around and Jacques Lemaire is once again proving why he's such a good coach- squeezing whatever he can out of Brian Rolston, Dainius Zubrus and kids Nick Palmeiri and Mattias Tedenby. Can they make the playoffs? Well, considering how weak the competition is, they have a slight chance. But one slip up could prove costly. Simply put, just keep winning and anything's possible.
2.The Sabres are only a few points off eighth themselves. Boosted by Drew Stafford's latest hat trick that hiked his total to 20 goals in a stunning 7-4 come from behind win over second seeded Tampa, Buffalo has a more realistic shot at making it. It all depends on Ryan Miller and whether Tyler Myers can turn it on. In the mean time, they're getting inspired play from Stafford, Thomas Vanek, Jordan Leopold (actual Regier steal) and rookie Tyler Ennis. If they're to be taken seriously, then tonight's a must win at Florida who are two points behind.
3.Speaking of the Panthers, I know Dale Tallon used to be the Blackhawks' GM but that doesn't mean he gets to hook up his former team. What on earth was he thinking dealing away Michael Frolik and goalie prospect Alexander Salak to Chitown for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan. Yes! That Jessiman. Skille could evolve into a solid player but Frolik has higher end skill and Salak is tearing up the Swedish Elite League. It says here that this could be one of those deals that's a steal for the Blackhawks.
4.Does anyone have worse luck than the Islanders? Rick DiPietro goes down again after foolishly engaging Matt Cooke, leading to a one punch knockdown by Brent Johnson. Then, Kevin Poulin trips over a rut in the ice during warmups the other night finishing the poor rookie for the season and forcing Mikko Koskinen into his first start a half hour prior- an Islander 5-3 loss. Now, GM Garth Snow is banking on former Rangers' first round bust Al Montoya, who he acquired last night for a pick. It just amazes. Does Montoya debut for the Islanders tonight in Montreal fresh off a beatdown literally from nemesis Boston? Could the timing be any worse?
5.Speaking of the beatdown the Bruins put on the Canadiens last night in one of the all-time greatest regular season games, what can you say about their revenge following Max Pacioretty's antics last time out when he celebrated an OT winner by shoving Boston captain Zdeno Chara? It was a hockey civil war at TD Garden with one of the most heated rivalries going back and forth literally in a game that featured 14 combined goals, 182 penalty minutes including at least eight fights and a rivalry record eight goals in the second period with seven coming in just over a six-minute span! This was armageddon or as we love to reference from hockey classic Slap Shot, "Old-Time Hockey!!!!!" Indeed, Eddie Shore and Paul Newman's Reggie Dunlop character along with The Hanson Brothers would've been proud. Even All-Star goalies Carey Price and Tim Thomas got involved in a wrestling match with Price wisely not hitting Thomas while he was down for risk of injury. That along with Benoit Pouliot letting up on a fallen David Krejci were the only signs of respect. When you have a line brawl that features 11 different players in the penalty boxes with the Boston crew entertaining the crowd by alternating Habs and Bruins to boos and cheers, you got something special. Even if the Bruins went out of their way to exact revenge with Nathan Horton getting right in PK Subban's face, igniting it. There was also Johnny Boychuk pounding Jaroslav Spacek and poor Tom Pyatt bloodied by Greg Campbell. The level of insanity was absurd. Underrated B's rookie Brad Marchand ran James Wisniewski after an icing that had NHL Network's panel labeling him dirty. This was classic throwdown hockey at its best. The rematch is March 7 with the other meeting on my Dad's birthday, March 24 next month. Get your popcorn ready!
6.Don't you just love how Brian Burke keeps reacquiring his own players from the Ducks. This time, he unloaded Francois Beauchemin back to Anaheim where the defenseman won a Cup under Burke for oft-injured Joffrey Lupul and Burke '07 first round pick Jake Gardiner. It looks like a good deal for both sides with Anaheim boosting their blueline while the Leafs get a prospect for the future. We're not sure what to expect from Lupul, whose salary is over four million. Staying healthy would be advisable.
7.Jonas Gustavsson isn't going anywhere. Especially after being removed from a Marlies blowout of the Whale yesterday after a heart issue. Even if minor, who is going to take a chance on the Swede who's lost his confidence? At least rookie James Reimer looks legit thus far. With breakout seasons for Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin along with Clarke MacArthur, things are looking up for the Leafs as they take on the Devils tonight. What it all means for much rumored Tomas Kaberle who gets Beauchemin's 'A' remains to be seen. You just never know what Burke's thinking. You have to figure close buddy Ron Wilson's gone after the season with his relationship with Phil Kessel sour. Who knows what Toronto will look like next Fall?
8.Is it a tad ironic how well Calgary's played since Jay Feaster replaced Christmas grinch Darryl Suter upstairs? The Flames aren't the most talented but everyone's chipping in and they suddenly find themselves in if the season ended today while defending champion Chicago would be out. We can't see that continuing.
9.Whatever happened to Marian Hossa, superstar?
10.So, Peter Forsberg's coming back again for the struggling Avs? Does he got anything left? Foppa looked good at last year's Olympics but competing in the NHL everyday is stressful. Forsberg's one of the all-time great talents having won Olympic gold twice, Lord Stanley, Art Ross and Hart Trophy. His legacy remains intact regardless if this comeback succeeds. But when you look at all the injuries, isn't it a little sad/ironic that his career has taken a similar path to link Eric Lindros? You know Lindros probably will never make the Hockey Hall Of Fame despite excellent numbers along with an MVP. But Forsberg probably will due to having more hardware and not being pampered his whole life. The Quebec controversy and the way his Flyers' career ended which we still blame on Bobby Clarke along with all the concussions overshadow Lindros' contributions. One of the most dominant big men to ever play the game. Why else does Patrick Kane wear No.88? It just makes you wonder.
11.I'm a former top finisher. I scored 42 goals last season and a career high 86 points in my first season on Broadway. Have You Seen Me?
12.With Sid The Kid still uncertain when he'll return from a concussion, here's our top Hart candidates:
A.Steven Stamkos, TB: 40-43-73
B.Daniel Sedin, Van: 29-43-72
C.Tim Thomas, Bos: 26 Wins, 1.91 GAA, .942 Save Pct, 7 SHO
D.Ryan Kesler, Van: 32-22-54, 10 PPG, 6 GW
13.Finally, Matt Cooke got suspended four games for boarding Fedor Tyutin from behind in the Pens' 4-1 home loss to the Blue Jackets. What is there left to say about a man who once was a good hockey player minus the cheap tactics he's performed since donning a Pens' jersey? I recall a time when Cooke was a pretty clean player for the Canucks. One I respected. He then was dealt to the Caps. Is it ironic that he stuck his leg out at Alex Ovechkin in similar fashion to Ovi's trip that injured Olympic Russian teammate Sergei Gonchar two Springs prior? We doubt it. Cooke always lived dangerously injuring players and usually getting away with it. This time, the league finally took action. We all know the history with Marc Savard, who is shutdown again following another concussion. This isn't about one severe head shot but about a player who goes out of his way to injure opponents. What happened to him? Did he sell his soul to the Devil? One day, someone's going to get Cooke. Then, we'll see how he likes it and what the same foolish fans who defend him have to say.
14.A shame about Evgeni Malkin, who's been plagued with knee problems all year. The gifted Russian who won the Conn Smythe in the Pens' third Stanley Cup two years ago will have season ending ACL/MCL surgery. He's expected to be back in time for training camp. We'll see. Wishing one of the game's special talents a speedy recovery.
1.The Devils' 10-1-2 run has got them within 15 points of eighth. Amazing considering at one point they were like 10-29. Ilya Kovalchuk has turned his year around and Jacques Lemaire is once again proving why he's such a good coach- squeezing whatever he can out of Brian Rolston, Dainius Zubrus and kids Nick Palmeiri and Mattias Tedenby. Can they make the playoffs? Well, considering how weak the competition is, they have a slight chance. But one slip up could prove costly. Simply put, just keep winning and anything's possible.
2.The Sabres are only a few points off eighth themselves. Boosted by Drew Stafford's latest hat trick that hiked his total to 20 goals in a stunning 7-4 come from behind win over second seeded Tampa, Buffalo has a more realistic shot at making it. It all depends on Ryan Miller and whether Tyler Myers can turn it on. In the mean time, they're getting inspired play from Stafford, Thomas Vanek, Jordan Leopold (actual Regier steal) and rookie Tyler Ennis. If they're to be taken seriously, then tonight's a must win at Florida who are two points behind.
3.Speaking of the Panthers, I know Dale Tallon used to be the Blackhawks' GM but that doesn't mean he gets to hook up his former team. What on earth was he thinking dealing away Michael Frolik and goalie prospect Alexander Salak to Chitown for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan. Yes! That Jessiman. Skille could evolve into a solid player but Frolik has higher end skill and Salak is tearing up the Swedish Elite League. It says here that this could be one of those deals that's a steal for the Blackhawks.
4.Does anyone have worse luck than the Islanders? Rick DiPietro goes down again after foolishly engaging Matt Cooke, leading to a one punch knockdown by Brent Johnson. Then, Kevin Poulin trips over a rut in the ice during warmups the other night finishing the poor rookie for the season and forcing Mikko Koskinen into his first start a half hour prior- an Islander 5-3 loss. Now, GM Garth Snow is banking on former Rangers' first round bust Al Montoya, who he acquired last night for a pick. It just amazes. Does Montoya debut for the Islanders tonight in Montreal fresh off a beatdown literally from nemesis Boston? Could the timing be any worse?
5.Speaking of the beatdown the Bruins put on the Canadiens last night in one of the all-time greatest regular season games, what can you say about their revenge following Max Pacioretty's antics last time out when he celebrated an OT winner by shoving Boston captain Zdeno Chara? It was a hockey civil war at TD Garden with one of the most heated rivalries going back and forth literally in a game that featured 14 combined goals, 182 penalty minutes including at least eight fights and a rivalry record eight goals in the second period with seven coming in just over a six-minute span! This was armageddon or as we love to reference from hockey classic Slap Shot, "Old-Time Hockey!!!!!" Indeed, Eddie Shore and Paul Newman's Reggie Dunlop character along with The Hanson Brothers would've been proud. Even All-Star goalies Carey Price and Tim Thomas got involved in a wrestling match with Price wisely not hitting Thomas while he was down for risk of injury. That along with Benoit Pouliot letting up on a fallen David Krejci were the only signs of respect. When you have a line brawl that features 11 different players in the penalty boxes with the Boston crew entertaining the crowd by alternating Habs and Bruins to boos and cheers, you got something special. Even if the Bruins went out of their way to exact revenge with Nathan Horton getting right in PK Subban's face, igniting it. There was also Johnny Boychuk pounding Jaroslav Spacek and poor Tom Pyatt bloodied by Greg Campbell. The level of insanity was absurd. Underrated B's rookie Brad Marchand ran James Wisniewski after an icing that had NHL Network's panel labeling him dirty. This was classic throwdown hockey at its best. The rematch is March 7 with the other meeting on my Dad's birthday, March 24 next month. Get your popcorn ready!
6.Don't you just love how Brian Burke keeps reacquiring his own players from the Ducks. This time, he unloaded Francois Beauchemin back to Anaheim where the defenseman won a Cup under Burke for oft-injured Joffrey Lupul and Burke '07 first round pick Jake Gardiner. It looks like a good deal for both sides with Anaheim boosting their blueline while the Leafs get a prospect for the future. We're not sure what to expect from Lupul, whose salary is over four million. Staying healthy would be advisable.
7.Jonas Gustavsson isn't going anywhere. Especially after being removed from a Marlies blowout of the Whale yesterday after a heart issue. Even if minor, who is going to take a chance on the Swede who's lost his confidence? At least rookie James Reimer looks legit thus far. With breakout seasons for Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin along with Clarke MacArthur, things are looking up for the Leafs as they take on the Devils tonight. What it all means for much rumored Tomas Kaberle who gets Beauchemin's 'A' remains to be seen. You just never know what Burke's thinking. You have to figure close buddy Ron Wilson's gone after the season with his relationship with Phil Kessel sour. Who knows what Toronto will look like next Fall?
8.Is it a tad ironic how well Calgary's played since Jay Feaster replaced Christmas grinch Darryl Suter upstairs? The Flames aren't the most talented but everyone's chipping in and they suddenly find themselves in if the season ended today while defending champion Chicago would be out. We can't see that continuing.
9.Whatever happened to Marian Hossa, superstar?
10.So, Peter Forsberg's coming back again for the struggling Avs? Does he got anything left? Foppa looked good at last year's Olympics but competing in the NHL everyday is stressful. Forsberg's one of the all-time great talents having won Olympic gold twice, Lord Stanley, Art Ross and Hart Trophy. His legacy remains intact regardless if this comeback succeeds. But when you look at all the injuries, isn't it a little sad/ironic that his career has taken a similar path to link Eric Lindros? You know Lindros probably will never make the Hockey Hall Of Fame despite excellent numbers along with an MVP. But Forsberg probably will due to having more hardware and not being pampered his whole life. The Quebec controversy and the way his Flyers' career ended which we still blame on Bobby Clarke along with all the concussions overshadow Lindros' contributions. One of the most dominant big men to ever play the game. Why else does Patrick Kane wear No.88? It just makes you wonder.
11.I'm a former top finisher. I scored 42 goals last season and a career high 86 points in my first season on Broadway. Have You Seen Me?
12.With Sid The Kid still uncertain when he'll return from a concussion, here's our top Hart candidates:
A.Steven Stamkos, TB: 40-43-73
B.Daniel Sedin, Van: 29-43-72
C.Tim Thomas, Bos: 26 Wins, 1.91 GAA, .942 Save Pct, 7 SHO
D.Ryan Kesler, Van: 32-22-54, 10 PPG, 6 GW
13.Finally, Matt Cooke got suspended four games for boarding Fedor Tyutin from behind in the Pens' 4-1 home loss to the Blue Jackets. What is there left to say about a man who once was a good hockey player minus the cheap tactics he's performed since donning a Pens' jersey? I recall a time when Cooke was a pretty clean player for the Canucks. One I respected. He then was dealt to the Caps. Is it ironic that he stuck his leg out at Alex Ovechkin in similar fashion to Ovi's trip that injured Olympic Russian teammate Sergei Gonchar two Springs prior? We doubt it. Cooke always lived dangerously injuring players and usually getting away with it. This time, the league finally took action. We all know the history with Marc Savard, who is shutdown again following another concussion. This isn't about one severe head shot but about a player who goes out of his way to injure opponents. What happened to him? Did he sell his soul to the Devil? One day, someone's going to get Cooke. Then, we'll see how he likes it and what the same foolish fans who defend him have to say.
14.A shame about Evgeni Malkin, who's been plagued with knee problems all year. The gifted Russian who won the Conn Smythe in the Pens' third Stanley Cup two years ago will have season ending ACL/MCL surgery. He's expected to be back in time for training camp. We'll see. Wishing one of the game's special talents a speedy recovery.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A piece of my mind - Playoff and offseason thoughts
It's been three whole weeks since the Devils' season ended ignominously on home ice and for me personally when my team's season ends, I'm not as big into watching other teams play as Derek or others are. Granted, I'll probably watch more of the NHL playoffs than any other sport but that generally entails a few minutes here, a score peep there and read a little of the recap next morning. Especially when it comes to the West playoffs, that requires some level of commitment to stay up late to watch games.
Tis the season for bandwagon jumping though, and in each conference there's a compelling team for me. In the West, it's the Blackhawks who are a fun team to watch led by offensive studs such as Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews and Marian Hossa, defensive ace Duncan Keith and utility player extraordinaire Dustin Byfuglien - who's become my favorite non-star in this league. For those of you who haven't heard of Byfuglien, he can be a big defenseman with a rocket from the point by day or a bruising forward who can get under your skin by night. Just ask Roberto Luongo and the Canucks after Big Buff's Game 3 hat trick and edgy play gave Chicago a series lead they wouldn't relinquish. I dare you to find me another player in this league that can play 20+ minutes at either forward or defense and do both at a high level. During his day, Sergei Fedorov used to play a little on defense for the Red Wings and Capitals but clearly was a forward first.
As a team, the Blackhawks have ridden a high-wire, coming from behind in Game 5 with a shorthanded empty-net goal against Nashville, killing a five-minute power play at the end of regulation and the start of overtime then having Hossa come out of the box and score the winning goal which turned the series. Against Vancouver, the Hawks got wasted in Game 1 and trailed 2-0 in Game 2 before rallying, and then beating the Nucks badly in Vancouver three straight times. Now, they face the West's top team during the regular season, the San Jose Sharks - who finally have achieved playoff success commensurate with its regular season standing after beating the two-time defending West champion Red Wings in five games, all of its victories coming by one goal.
In the East, the story - even beyond Boston blowing a 3-0 lead to the Flyers and playing for their lives tomorrow night in Beantown - has to be Les Habitantes. Montreal's wild spring started rather inauspiciously as they were in a life-and-death struggle to get one lousy point in the final week of the season just to clinch a playoff berth. After upsetting the President's Trophy winning Capitals in an overtime finish to Game 1, the Habs were up 4-1 in Game 2 before the roof fell in as the Caps came back to force overtime, winning 6-5 and then smoking the Habs in the next two games in Montreal. Down 3-1 and with goalie Jaroslav Halak having been benched in Game 4, the Habs looked well on their way to fulfilling my Caps in 5 prediction.
Then, as the NHL's playoff ads would say - History was made! Montreal became the first eight seed ever to come from 3-1 down to beat a number one seed, as Jacques Martin's decision to restore Halak to goal in Game 5 proved to be key. Halak made an incredible 131 saves of 134 shots in the final three games (all regulation finishes), as the Habs held the mighty Caps' offense to a single goal in each of its last three games. How could they possibly follow that up for an encore? By beating Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in seven games, coming from behind three times in the series to win again in Game 7 on the road.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the Habs' run have been the shot totals. During its eight playoff wins, Montreal has been outshot 331-194, for an average of 41-24 per game. Other than Game 1 against the Caps where Montreal was 'only' outshot by nine, the Habs have been outshot by double digits in their other seven wins and of those 331 shots, Halak's given up only 13 goals. You can stack any goalie run with an underdog team up against Halak you want - Jean-Sebastian Giguere and his Conn Smythe in 2003, Miikka Kiprusoff in 2004, Dwayne Roloson in 2006 - but through two series, you'd be hard-pressed to see a goalie who's had this kind of impact on the playoffs.
As much as Halak has dominated it's nice to see that ex-Devils Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez have also had very good playoffs for Montreal. Gionta's success this year - both during the regular season and now in the postseason - when contrasted with his final couple years in New Jersey just proves he needed a change of scenery (and a coach who will actually let him play in front of the net, where he's supposed to be). And now that Gomez has been exiled from Manhattan, I can root for him again...then again I was one of the few who actually gave him the benefit of the doubt when he was on the Devils in the first place.
While both the ex-Devs have done well, Michael Cammalleri's been the Habs' most important goalscorer with twelve goals, just now showing his electric form again after a winter ankle injury made him a non-factor from mid-January on. And Montreal's embattled defense has actually held up rather well at times considering the fact that Andrei Markov went on the shelf for the season early in the Penguin series and big Hal Gill also got hurt late in that same series, though he would come back in Game 7 to get the last laugh against his former team.
As far as the Boston-Philly series goes, let me just say this on a personal note...Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has taken a lot of heat - including from me - for the fact that he fired current Bruins coach Claude Julien a mere three games before the playoffs in 2007. I felt Julien at least deserved a chance to coach in the playoffs for us, and Lamoriello's explanation of how the team wasn't 'mentally prepared' to go into the playoffs that year rang hollow during 2009-10 when Lou opted not to fire Jacques Lemaire during an even worse malaise than the '06-07 Devils ever went through. And nothing that happens tomorrow will change the fact that Julien got the rug pulled out from under him here.
That said, if Boston chokes away this series Julien will have proved once and for all that he's just not a championship coach. As a Devils fan I can't really sniff at winning in the first round two straight years, but facts are facts - Boston had the best team in the East last season and went down in Game 7 at home to Carolina in the second round and now might suffer an even worse ignominy this year. It's not that Boston lacks talent - although losing David Krejci hurts, let's be real - the Flyers are playing without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere, missed Simon Gagne for the first three games with an apparent season-ending injury before (in something only hockey players do) he made a heroic return in Game 4.
Not to mention first-round hero Brian Boucher went down early in Game 5, forcing the Flyers to go back to Michael Leighton who did well for them in goal earlier in the season but hadn't played at all in the prior several weeks as he was recuperating from an injury and then watching from the sideline as Boucher became the hot hand. Despite all of that, the Flyers squeaked out an OT win in Game 4 to stay alive, dominated in Game 5 on the road then won another tight one in Game 6 to force tomorrow's decider. If I didn't hate them because of punks like Daniel Carcillo and Scott Hartnell (not to mention smart but whiny coach Peter Laviolette), I'd admire their pluck. Especially Laperriere, who showed more effort blocking a shot late in Game 5 against New Jersey than most of the Devils' team did in the first round.
Speaking of which, I wasn't exactly shocked over anything in Rich Chere's article this week about how captain Jamie Langenbrunner had to do some (cough) soul-searching this offseason. Was it lame that former coach Lemaire resorted to telling players during the morning that they were in the lineup, then texting them later on to tell them they were scratched? Of course. I've never been opposed to a coach playing mind games with his players, but you could at least do it face-to-face.
Also in that piece - recently in the Star-Ledger, Lemaire reportedly tried to give Langenbrunner's C to Colin White the game in Carolina which the captain was contreversially scratched and White declined to wear it, which was ironic cause the two had a couple of reported dust-ups in the past. That's what I call convenient leaking of a story, not to mention Langenbrunner already pitched a tent when Brendan Shanahan wore the C for a preseason game!
Sure I wasn't thrilled with what Lemaire did during the season, especially strategy-wise with the neverending shifting of lines (and not sticking with ones that did work), changing the defensive pairings on the eve of the playoffs but I don't want to go through all that again. With Lemaire gone it's pretty much piling on at this point. What is even more obvious now than it was after Game 5 is the article showed that this offseason is easily Lamoriello's most critical one since 2002, when Lamoriello realized he needed to make changes after a dissapointing first-round loss to Carolina which led to two coaches being fired - Larry Robinson during the season and Kevin Constantine after it - and former A-liner Jason Arnott being traded, along with long-time vet Randy McKay.
During that offseason, Lou traded fellow A-liner Petr Sykora, watched Bobby Holik go across the river in free agency and hired Pat Burns, with the end result being the 2003 Stanley Cup. Now changes are needed more than ever, with a team that was obviously in turmoil from January to the end of the season, culminating in an utter team-wide lack of emotion and effort during the playoffs. First, Lamoriello needs to decide who is going to stay and who goes. Hired gun forward Ilya Kovalchuk and top defenseman Paul Martin will be the key decisions come July 1, but even more than that Lamoriello needs to identify the troublemakers here and weed them out, whoever they may be and however hard it will be due to the cap, NTC's, whatever.
Of course, Lamoriello also needs to hire a coach at some point...normally I'd say before July 1 but honestly we might not know what kind of team we have until a bit after that when the dust settles over moves I expect to be made. That coach needs both to have a philosophy in line with 21st century post-lockout hockey and be given enough autonomy so that the players respect whomever gets hired. This group of players complained about Julien, mutinied on Lemaire and gave Robinson in his second tour stress anxiety. And why shouldn't the inmates feel like they run the asylum when coaches come and go every year but some of them stay around? That needs to change, right now this offseason Lou needs to draw a line in the sand.
If he doesn't, well let's just say I hope it doesn't get the point where I'm comparing Lou to Al Davis. A former great who is just a name now and a net minus for the team because he refuses to adjust to a changing game.
Tis the season for bandwagon jumping though, and in each conference there's a compelling team for me. In the West, it's the Blackhawks who are a fun team to watch led by offensive studs such as Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews and Marian Hossa, defensive ace Duncan Keith and utility player extraordinaire Dustin Byfuglien - who's become my favorite non-star in this league. For those of you who haven't heard of Byfuglien, he can be a big defenseman with a rocket from the point by day or a bruising forward who can get under your skin by night. Just ask Roberto Luongo and the Canucks after Big Buff's Game 3 hat trick and edgy play gave Chicago a series lead they wouldn't relinquish. I dare you to find me another player in this league that can play 20+ minutes at either forward or defense and do both at a high level. During his day, Sergei Fedorov used to play a little on defense for the Red Wings and Capitals but clearly was a forward first.
As a team, the Blackhawks have ridden a high-wire, coming from behind in Game 5 with a shorthanded empty-net goal against Nashville, killing a five-minute power play at the end of regulation and the start of overtime then having Hossa come out of the box and score the winning goal which turned the series. Against Vancouver, the Hawks got wasted in Game 1 and trailed 2-0 in Game 2 before rallying, and then beating the Nucks badly in Vancouver three straight times. Now, they face the West's top team during the regular season, the San Jose Sharks - who finally have achieved playoff success commensurate with its regular season standing after beating the two-time defending West champion Red Wings in five games, all of its victories coming by one goal.
In the East, the story - even beyond Boston blowing a 3-0 lead to the Flyers and playing for their lives tomorrow night in Beantown - has to be Les Habitantes. Montreal's wild spring started rather inauspiciously as they were in a life-and-death struggle to get one lousy point in the final week of the season just to clinch a playoff berth. After upsetting the President's Trophy winning Capitals in an overtime finish to Game 1, the Habs were up 4-1 in Game 2 before the roof fell in as the Caps came back to force overtime, winning 6-5 and then smoking the Habs in the next two games in Montreal. Down 3-1 and with goalie Jaroslav Halak having been benched in Game 4, the Habs looked well on their way to fulfilling my Caps in 5 prediction.
Then, as the NHL's playoff ads would say - History was made! Montreal became the first eight seed ever to come from 3-1 down to beat a number one seed, as Jacques Martin's decision to restore Halak to goal in Game 5 proved to be key. Halak made an incredible 131 saves of 134 shots in the final three games (all regulation finishes), as the Habs held the mighty Caps' offense to a single goal in each of its last three games. How could they possibly follow that up for an encore? By beating Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in seven games, coming from behind three times in the series to win again in Game 7 on the road.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the Habs' run have been the shot totals. During its eight playoff wins, Montreal has been outshot 331-194, for an average of 41-24 per game. Other than Game 1 against the Caps where Montreal was 'only' outshot by nine, the Habs have been outshot by double digits in their other seven wins and of those 331 shots, Halak's given up only 13 goals. You can stack any goalie run with an underdog team up against Halak you want - Jean-Sebastian Giguere and his Conn Smythe in 2003, Miikka Kiprusoff in 2004, Dwayne Roloson in 2006 - but through two series, you'd be hard-pressed to see a goalie who's had this kind of impact on the playoffs.
As much as Halak has dominated it's nice to see that ex-Devils Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez have also had very good playoffs for Montreal. Gionta's success this year - both during the regular season and now in the postseason - when contrasted with his final couple years in New Jersey just proves he needed a change of scenery (and a coach who will actually let him play in front of the net, where he's supposed to be). And now that Gomez has been exiled from Manhattan, I can root for him again...then again I was one of the few who actually gave him the benefit of the doubt when he was on the Devils in the first place.
While both the ex-Devs have done well, Michael Cammalleri's been the Habs' most important goalscorer with twelve goals, just now showing his electric form again after a winter ankle injury made him a non-factor from mid-January on. And Montreal's embattled defense has actually held up rather well at times considering the fact that Andrei Markov went on the shelf for the season early in the Penguin series and big Hal Gill also got hurt late in that same series, though he would come back in Game 7 to get the last laugh against his former team.
As far as the Boston-Philly series goes, let me just say this on a personal note...Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has taken a lot of heat - including from me - for the fact that he fired current Bruins coach Claude Julien a mere three games before the playoffs in 2007. I felt Julien at least deserved a chance to coach in the playoffs for us, and Lamoriello's explanation of how the team wasn't 'mentally prepared' to go into the playoffs that year rang hollow during 2009-10 when Lou opted not to fire Jacques Lemaire during an even worse malaise than the '06-07 Devils ever went through. And nothing that happens tomorrow will change the fact that Julien got the rug pulled out from under him here.
That said, if Boston chokes away this series Julien will have proved once and for all that he's just not a championship coach. As a Devils fan I can't really sniff at winning in the first round two straight years, but facts are facts - Boston had the best team in the East last season and went down in Game 7 at home to Carolina in the second round and now might suffer an even worse ignominy this year. It's not that Boston lacks talent - although losing David Krejci hurts, let's be real - the Flyers are playing without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere, missed Simon Gagne for the first three games with an apparent season-ending injury before (in something only hockey players do) he made a heroic return in Game 4.
Not to mention first-round hero Brian Boucher went down early in Game 5, forcing the Flyers to go back to Michael Leighton who did well for them in goal earlier in the season but hadn't played at all in the prior several weeks as he was recuperating from an injury and then watching from the sideline as Boucher became the hot hand. Despite all of that, the Flyers squeaked out an OT win in Game 4 to stay alive, dominated in Game 5 on the road then won another tight one in Game 6 to force tomorrow's decider. If I didn't hate them because of punks like Daniel Carcillo and Scott Hartnell (not to mention smart but whiny coach Peter Laviolette), I'd admire their pluck. Especially Laperriere, who showed more effort blocking a shot late in Game 5 against New Jersey than most of the Devils' team did in the first round.
Speaking of which, I wasn't exactly shocked over anything in Rich Chere's article this week about how captain Jamie Langenbrunner had to do some (cough) soul-searching this offseason. Was it lame that former coach Lemaire resorted to telling players during the morning that they were in the lineup, then texting them later on to tell them they were scratched? Of course. I've never been opposed to a coach playing mind games with his players, but you could at least do it face-to-face.
Also in that piece - recently in the Star-Ledger, Lemaire reportedly tried to give Langenbrunner's C to Colin White the game in Carolina which the captain was contreversially scratched and White declined to wear it, which was ironic cause the two had a couple of reported dust-ups in the past. That's what I call convenient leaking of a story, not to mention Langenbrunner already pitched a tent when Brendan Shanahan wore the C for a preseason game!
Sure I wasn't thrilled with what Lemaire did during the season, especially strategy-wise with the neverending shifting of lines (and not sticking with ones that did work), changing the defensive pairings on the eve of the playoffs but I don't want to go through all that again. With Lemaire gone it's pretty much piling on at this point. What is even more obvious now than it was after Game 5 is the article showed that this offseason is easily Lamoriello's most critical one since 2002, when Lamoriello realized he needed to make changes after a dissapointing first-round loss to Carolina which led to two coaches being fired - Larry Robinson during the season and Kevin Constantine after it - and former A-liner Jason Arnott being traded, along with long-time vet Randy McKay.
During that offseason, Lou traded fellow A-liner Petr Sykora, watched Bobby Holik go across the river in free agency and hired Pat Burns, with the end result being the 2003 Stanley Cup. Now changes are needed more than ever, with a team that was obviously in turmoil from January to the end of the season, culminating in an utter team-wide lack of emotion and effort during the playoffs. First, Lamoriello needs to decide who is going to stay and who goes. Hired gun forward Ilya Kovalchuk and top defenseman Paul Martin will be the key decisions come July 1, but even more than that Lamoriello needs to identify the troublemakers here and weed them out, whoever they may be and however hard it will be due to the cap, NTC's, whatever.
Of course, Lamoriello also needs to hire a coach at some point...normally I'd say before July 1 but honestly we might not know what kind of team we have until a bit after that when the dust settles over moves I expect to be made. That coach needs both to have a philosophy in line with 21st century post-lockout hockey and be given enough autonomy so that the players respect whomever gets hired. This group of players complained about Julien, mutinied on Lemaire and gave Robinson in his second tour stress anxiety. And why shouldn't the inmates feel like they run the asylum when coaches come and go every year but some of them stay around? That needs to change, right now this offseason Lou needs to draw a line in the sand.
If he doesn't, well let's just say I hope it doesn't get the point where I'm comparing Lou to Al Davis. A former great who is just a name now and a net minus for the team because he refuses to adjust to a changing game.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Great Theatre Tonight
If you're a hockey fan, then you're in luck. Tonight promises to be quite interesting. Great theatre is anticipated with the No.8 seeded Canadiens looking to repeat what they did to Ovechkin. This time, they're pitted against the Crosby/Malkin Pens. A larger task for sure.
Taking down the defending champs at what just could be the final game at old Mellon Arena would be astronomical. Les Habitants will need virtuoso performances from all actors led by Jaroslav Halak, series star Mike Cammalleri and Hal Gill. They'll need help from familiar ex-Devil duo Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Both have played well. Each has big game experience. Can they put it together in Game Seven? Tomas Plekanec has mostly been absent. If the soon to be FA wants to increase his value, this would be a great start. He was real effective in the Round One upset. Other key components of this improbable Hab run have been antagonist Max Lapierre, ex-Ranger Dominic Moore, former pick Tom Pyatt and Andrei Kostitsyn. Emergency call-up P.K. Subban has been stellar and Josh Gorges instrumental in teaming with Gill to blanker Sidney Crosby. Minus top defender Andrei Markov, do they have one more peak performance in them? Hopefully, it won't be as anticlimatic as last year's Conference Semi Caps dismantling.
While the Habs will still be heavy underdogs against Crosby, Geno, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Gonchar and Kris Letang, the Flyers are trying to do something that hasn't been done since 1975. Only twice in NHL history have teams rallied from 0-3 down to win series. The 1942 Leafs and most recently, the Islanders did it some 35 years ago, 33 years after Toronto. Is the timing right for the banged up Flyers to stun the Bruins? Simon Gagne has been remarkable coming back from a broken bone in his right foot scoring the sudden death winner to keep his team alive in Game Four and two more goals in a 4-0 Game Five rout.
All of Philadelphia will be behind their Flyers when the puck drops an hour from now at Wachovia. To even sniff the final part of something the Red Sox did to the Yankees in '04, Peter Laviolette's bunch must get off quickly against what should be a more focused and desperate Boston club that wants nothing to do with Game Seven. Even if it's in their own building, the pressure would be gigantic. The Avs tried this a few years ago against the Sharks winning two straight before falling in Game Six. The sixth game AKA third part is usually the biggest hurdle. If Philly can get through it, only then does it become possible. They'll need Michael Leighton to start where he left off in relief of injured Brian Boucher the other night. Remember, it was Leighton who was so brilliant before Boucher got them in. Now, he has a chance to help his team make history. The Flyers are still without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere. That doesn't matter. They've shown heart all Spring.
It sets up to be quite the watch. Sit back, relax and crack open a Molson.
Taking down the defending champs at what just could be the final game at old Mellon Arena would be astronomical. Les Habitants will need virtuoso performances from all actors led by Jaroslav Halak, series star Mike Cammalleri and Hal Gill. They'll need help from familiar ex-Devil duo Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Both have played well. Each has big game experience. Can they put it together in Game Seven? Tomas Plekanec has mostly been absent. If the soon to be FA wants to increase his value, this would be a great start. He was real effective in the Round One upset. Other key components of this improbable Hab run have been antagonist Max Lapierre, ex-Ranger Dominic Moore, former pick Tom Pyatt and Andrei Kostitsyn. Emergency call-up P.K. Subban has been stellar and Josh Gorges instrumental in teaming with Gill to blanker Sidney Crosby. Minus top defender Andrei Markov, do they have one more peak performance in them? Hopefully, it won't be as anticlimatic as last year's Conference Semi Caps dismantling.
While the Habs will still be heavy underdogs against Crosby, Geno, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Gonchar and Kris Letang, the Flyers are trying to do something that hasn't been done since 1975. Only twice in NHL history have teams rallied from 0-3 down to win series. The 1942 Leafs and most recently, the Islanders did it some 35 years ago, 33 years after Toronto. Is the timing right for the banged up Flyers to stun the Bruins? Simon Gagne has been remarkable coming back from a broken bone in his right foot scoring the sudden death winner to keep his team alive in Game Four and two more goals in a 4-0 Game Five rout.
All of Philadelphia will be behind their Flyers when the puck drops an hour from now at Wachovia. To even sniff the final part of something the Red Sox did to the Yankees in '04, Peter Laviolette's bunch must get off quickly against what should be a more focused and desperate Boston club that wants nothing to do with Game Seven. Even if it's in their own building, the pressure would be gigantic. The Avs tried this a few years ago against the Sharks winning two straight before falling in Game Six. The sixth game AKA third part is usually the biggest hurdle. If Philly can get through it, only then does it become possible. They'll need Michael Leighton to start where he left off in relief of injured Brian Boucher the other night. Remember, it was Leighton who was so brilliant before Boucher got them in. Now, he has a chance to help his team make history. The Flyers are still without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere. That doesn't matter. They've shown heart all Spring.
It sets up to be quite the watch. Sit back, relax and crack open a Molson.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Conference Semi Banter
While things are pretty quiet around these parts, the second round is rolling along. Already, a pair of teams are ahead 3-zip, poised to make Conference Final appearances. The other two series are 2-1 and hanging in the balance. What are our thoughts? Here's some Conference Semi banter:
-The Sharks have to be the lead story. Especially the way they've played against the Cup proven Red Wings. Everyone's bought into Todd McLellan, who's well on his way to atoning for last year's first round disappointment. Ever since Dan Boyle's Game 3 blooper last round, all the guys in teal have done is rise up, winning the final three of the Av series and the first three in shocking fashion over Detroit by identical 4-3 margins. From Conn Smythe candidate Joe Pavelski's clutch finishing ability to linemates Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi's gumption, the much overlooked trio have relieved pressure from Jumbo Joe, Dany Heatley and Game Four hero Patrick Marleau- allowing them to play their game. It's always been easy to bash Joe Thornton but boy has he come to play in this series, tallying in two straight including the second goal early in the third that started another San Jose comeback. Following Logan Couture's clunker on Jimmy Howard, Thornton took full advantage of a wide Jason Williams shot catching the Sharks red handed, making a sweet dish to Marleau for a tap-in that stunned The Joe.
-Every Shark's contributing, including last summer's key additions Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra. Both are spark plugs who provide energy. Their hunger is noticeable with each winning their fair share of board battles. Malhotra has also dominated in the faceoff circle, becoming one of the most reliable in that key department. Whether it's hitting, penalty killing or checking, they get the job done. Meanwhile, Evgeni Nabokov is silencing doubters with timely stops. Don't forget he's 3-1 in sudden death. Nice to see the much maligned Russian turning it around. The blueline led by Boyle and captain Rob Blake is getting it done. Both are logging big minutes along with Doug Murray and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Rookie Jason Demers has also contributed offensively, turning a perceived team weakness into a strength. It all adds up to a 7-2 record, aiming for a sweep tonight.
-For the Wings, perhaps all the wear and tear has finally shown. They played all out down the stretch to get in all the way up to No.5 before being taken seven by the feisty Coyotes. By not finishing them off in six, it forced Mike Babcock's club to play an extra game. As Hasan noted in last year's preview, he felt all the games the past two years would catch up. Throw in how hard they've played and it might explain how they've blown two-goal leads in each of the last two losses, turning a possible 2-1 series lead into an 0-3 deep hole. Pavel Datsyuk has been held in check and all the starts are finally getting to Howard. Forget the conspiracy theories stemming from the Game Two penalty fest. Bottom line: The Wings have been outgunned by a fresher/hungrier foe. Right now, the Sharks look like a well oiled machine. Is this the year?
-Following a dominant 4-1 Game Three win turning Wachovia restless, the Bruins are in the same enviable position, looking to sweep the Flyers. At one time, these two old rivals were the best the Wales Conference had to offer with both taking turns as runner-up to the Oilers. Now, it looks like Boston finally will get back to the Conference Finals since those fun days when Oates, Neely and Bourque ruled Beantown. Amazingly, for a team that struggled just to get into the playoffs, they've turned it on. Getting healthy has helped but so have amazing performances from team scoring leader Miro Satan (5-5-10), resurgent defenseman Dennis Wideman and Johnny Boychuk. Since dropping Game One to Buffalo and falling behind 2-0, the B's have responded well showing their playoff mettle. Perhaps we overlooked last Spring. Claude Julien's bunch are demonstrating that they're never out of a game. Especially with Tuukka Rask standing on his head. But while the remarkable first-year Finn's done his part, enough can't be said about the Bruins' leadership with captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and wily vet Mark Recchi stepping up. David Krejci has been instrumental but was injured on a clean Mike Richards hit last night. They can certainly use the gifted playmaker for next round.
-The Bruins have also gotten excellent performances from Milan Lucic, Matt Hunwick and Andrew Ference. Lucic is healthy and doing damage while Hunwick's notched five helpers and Ference has played solid D. Even former Sabre Daniel Paille's played an important checking role, leading the league's top PK who once again stifled the opposition. Boston's special teams are only part of the story as they play airtight defense, forcing turnovers. Similar to the '95 Devils. It may not always be pretty but Julien's system is effective. Especially when you got a stud defenseman and future star in net. If they are to keep it up, they'll need more out of Marc Savard, Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler.
-For the Flyers, like Detroit, they look beat up. But when you lose your top scorer, a top six forward and a top penalty killer, it's nearly impossible to compete. Mike Richards and Daniel Briere have been most of their offense. Neither factored in yesterday. The well has run dry. Aside from that, Boston's had an excellent plan using their forecheck and tight checking to frustrate Philly. In Round One, the Flyers relied heavily on special teams to oust the Devils. It's been the complete opposite. The Flyers have also been unable to get to Rask. He made some critical stops in the second and then his teammates did the rest with Recchi netting the insurance marker via the power play and unsung hero Bergeron salting it away into a vacant net. With the B's clicking on all cylinders, it's hard to see Philadelphia extending their season.
-Give the Habs full marks for making it a series against the talented Pens. They can thank Jaroslav Halak, who continues his brilliant play, proving our Leaf friend Kayla right. She said Halak was better than Carey Price last year. He certainly hasn't disappointed, following up the stunner against the Caps by stifling the Pens in Game Two and nearly doing the same the other night in Montreal. Only Evgeni Malkin's power play goal early in the third solved him. It turned out to be enough thanks to some big stops from Marc-Andre Fleury, whose 18 save shutout in his home setting held up. While MAF was very good, he never faced any second chances partially in part to a sturdy D which did an effective job boxing out and keeping the Habs outside. It reminded us of some of Martin Brodeur's shutouts when Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Brian Rafalski manned the Devil blueline. Even without Jordan Staal, the Pens did what they had to getting strong performances out of Matt Cooke, Max Talbot and Tyler Kennedy. While Sidney Crosby and Malkin get all the accolades, it's gritty forwards like the trio along with Craig Adams, Brooks Orpik and Jay McKee who make the Pens a complete team. They're not just flash and dash. Don't forget. The checking line led by Staal was a huge component to last year's Cup. They don't win minus him.
-In order for the Canadiens to level the series giving themselves a realistic chance because the Pens aren't the Caps, they'll need to get to Fleury early later today. Mike Cammalleri (8 goals) is the focal point. He'll need help from Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Can an unsung hero like Dominic Moore or P.K. Subban step up? Jacques Martin along with the rest of a rabid Bell Centre sure hope so. It's amazing to think that they're doing this without Andrei Markov or Jaroslav Spacek. A credit to Martin. They'll need dominant defensive efforts from Hal Gill, Josh Gorges and Roman Hamrlik.
-I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why does Crosby embellish so much? For as gifted as he is, he shouldn't need to. Good for Gomez standing up to him after another abuse of his stick following a whistle at the end of the second in Game Three. When oh when will the game's Golden Boy be made accountable?
-Still not sure what to make of the Hawks-Nucks. It looked like Vancouver off a dominant Game One was poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead back home. Instead, Chicago showed a lot of heart fighting back from two down to pull out a gritty 4-2 Game Two win with Kris Versteeg netting the winner with over a minute left thanks to a great play by Duncan Keith. Patrick Kane added an empty netter. As he's done all Spring, Antti Niemi bounced back from a rough outing. The surprising aspect is he was sharper than Roberto Luongo in yesterday's 5-2 Game Three triumph, stealing the home ice back. Chicago jumped in front 2-0 and never trailed. Louie struggled with rebounds including the first of Dustin Byfuglien's first career postseason hat trick. Even if the third tally shouldn't have counted. Good old Toronto for you. Chicago's strategy was simple yet effective. Get shots to the net with traffic and bang home the rebounds of which there were plenty against a shaky Luongo. All five came the same way with the big Byfuglien doing significant damage. Kudos to Joel Queeneville for moving him up to the top line with Jonathan Toews and Kane. Even Marian Hossa got into the act, notching his second off a Patrick Sharp rebound.
-Niemi made the big saves, robbing Ryan Kesler of a shorthanded bid that could've made it 3-0 in Game Two. Instead, his huge glove stop allowed the Blackhawks to recover. Again last night, Niemi stoned Vancouver, thwarting Daniel Sedin and Steve Bernier on the doorstep. Obviously, that cannot happen for the Canucks in what amounts to a must win Game Four. Yeah. They can lose and fall behind 3-1 with the fifth game back in the Windy City. We just don't advise it. Luongo needs to come through as does Daniel and Henrik Sedin with help from Kesler, Mikael Samuelsson, Mason Raymond and Alex Burrows. This is their best chance to finally deliver the franchise's first Cup. Are they about to fold up again? We'll see.
-There's really nothing to say about Versus' technical issues during last night's first between the Bruins and Flyers. At least they had the common sense to pick up the CBC feed until it was fixed.
-Nothing against Joe Beninanti but I really miss Sam Rosen.
-That OT between the Flyers and Bruins last Sunday was epic. Classic playoff hockey. Unfortunately, it looked to be the last straw from Philly. NBC can have their Derby. We'll take the puck.
-Ex-Rangers certainly are having fun. Malhotra. Samuelsson. Gomez. Savard. Moore. Pascal Dupuis. Tom Pyatt. Jed Ortmeyer. Blair Betts. Ian Laperriere. Dwight Helminen. Paul Mara.
-The Sharks have to be the lead story. Especially the way they've played against the Cup proven Red Wings. Everyone's bought into Todd McLellan, who's well on his way to atoning for last year's first round disappointment. Ever since Dan Boyle's Game 3 blooper last round, all the guys in teal have done is rise up, winning the final three of the Av series and the first three in shocking fashion over Detroit by identical 4-3 margins. From Conn Smythe candidate Joe Pavelski's clutch finishing ability to linemates Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi's gumption, the much overlooked trio have relieved pressure from Jumbo Joe, Dany Heatley and Game Four hero Patrick Marleau- allowing them to play their game. It's always been easy to bash Joe Thornton but boy has he come to play in this series, tallying in two straight including the second goal early in the third that started another San Jose comeback. Following Logan Couture's clunker on Jimmy Howard, Thornton took full advantage of a wide Jason Williams shot catching the Sharks red handed, making a sweet dish to Marleau for a tap-in that stunned The Joe.
-Every Shark's contributing, including last summer's key additions Scott Nichol and Manny Malhotra. Both are spark plugs who provide energy. Their hunger is noticeable with each winning their fair share of board battles. Malhotra has also dominated in the faceoff circle, becoming one of the most reliable in that key department. Whether it's hitting, penalty killing or checking, they get the job done. Meanwhile, Evgeni Nabokov is silencing doubters with timely stops. Don't forget he's 3-1 in sudden death. Nice to see the much maligned Russian turning it around. The blueline led by Boyle and captain Rob Blake is getting it done. Both are logging big minutes along with Doug Murray and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Rookie Jason Demers has also contributed offensively, turning a perceived team weakness into a strength. It all adds up to a 7-2 record, aiming for a sweep tonight.
-For the Wings, perhaps all the wear and tear has finally shown. They played all out down the stretch to get in all the way up to No.5 before being taken seven by the feisty Coyotes. By not finishing them off in six, it forced Mike Babcock's club to play an extra game. As Hasan noted in last year's preview, he felt all the games the past two years would catch up. Throw in how hard they've played and it might explain how they've blown two-goal leads in each of the last two losses, turning a possible 2-1 series lead into an 0-3 deep hole. Pavel Datsyuk has been held in check and all the starts are finally getting to Howard. Forget the conspiracy theories stemming from the Game Two penalty fest. Bottom line: The Wings have been outgunned by a fresher/hungrier foe. Right now, the Sharks look like a well oiled machine. Is this the year?
-Following a dominant 4-1 Game Three win turning Wachovia restless, the Bruins are in the same enviable position, looking to sweep the Flyers. At one time, these two old rivals were the best the Wales Conference had to offer with both taking turns as runner-up to the Oilers. Now, it looks like Boston finally will get back to the Conference Finals since those fun days when Oates, Neely and Bourque ruled Beantown. Amazingly, for a team that struggled just to get into the playoffs, they've turned it on. Getting healthy has helped but so have amazing performances from team scoring leader Miro Satan (5-5-10), resurgent defenseman Dennis Wideman and Johnny Boychuk. Since dropping Game One to Buffalo and falling behind 2-0, the B's have responded well showing their playoff mettle. Perhaps we overlooked last Spring. Claude Julien's bunch are demonstrating that they're never out of a game. Especially with Tuukka Rask standing on his head. But while the remarkable first-year Finn's done his part, enough can't be said about the Bruins' leadership with captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and wily vet Mark Recchi stepping up. David Krejci has been instrumental but was injured on a clean Mike Richards hit last night. They can certainly use the gifted playmaker for next round.
-The Bruins have also gotten excellent performances from Milan Lucic, Matt Hunwick and Andrew Ference. Lucic is healthy and doing damage while Hunwick's notched five helpers and Ference has played solid D. Even former Sabre Daniel Paille's played an important checking role, leading the league's top PK who once again stifled the opposition. Boston's special teams are only part of the story as they play airtight defense, forcing turnovers. Similar to the '95 Devils. It may not always be pretty but Julien's system is effective. Especially when you got a stud defenseman and future star in net. If they are to keep it up, they'll need more out of Marc Savard, Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler.
-For the Flyers, like Detroit, they look beat up. But when you lose your top scorer, a top six forward and a top penalty killer, it's nearly impossible to compete. Mike Richards and Daniel Briere have been most of their offense. Neither factored in yesterday. The well has run dry. Aside from that, Boston's had an excellent plan using their forecheck and tight checking to frustrate Philly. In Round One, the Flyers relied heavily on special teams to oust the Devils. It's been the complete opposite. The Flyers have also been unable to get to Rask. He made some critical stops in the second and then his teammates did the rest with Recchi netting the insurance marker via the power play and unsung hero Bergeron salting it away into a vacant net. With the B's clicking on all cylinders, it's hard to see Philadelphia extending their season.
-Give the Habs full marks for making it a series against the talented Pens. They can thank Jaroslav Halak, who continues his brilliant play, proving our Leaf friend Kayla right. She said Halak was better than Carey Price last year. He certainly hasn't disappointed, following up the stunner against the Caps by stifling the Pens in Game Two and nearly doing the same the other night in Montreal. Only Evgeni Malkin's power play goal early in the third solved him. It turned out to be enough thanks to some big stops from Marc-Andre Fleury, whose 18 save shutout in his home setting held up. While MAF was very good, he never faced any second chances partially in part to a sturdy D which did an effective job boxing out and keeping the Habs outside. It reminded us of some of Martin Brodeur's shutouts when Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Brian Rafalski manned the Devil blueline. Even without Jordan Staal, the Pens did what they had to getting strong performances out of Matt Cooke, Max Talbot and Tyler Kennedy. While Sidney Crosby and Malkin get all the accolades, it's gritty forwards like the trio along with Craig Adams, Brooks Orpik and Jay McKee who make the Pens a complete team. They're not just flash and dash. Don't forget. The checking line led by Staal was a huge component to last year's Cup. They don't win minus him.
-In order for the Canadiens to level the series giving themselves a realistic chance because the Pens aren't the Caps, they'll need to get to Fleury early later today. Mike Cammalleri (8 goals) is the focal point. He'll need help from Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Can an unsung hero like Dominic Moore or P.K. Subban step up? Jacques Martin along with the rest of a rabid Bell Centre sure hope so. It's amazing to think that they're doing this without Andrei Markov or Jaroslav Spacek. A credit to Martin. They'll need dominant defensive efforts from Hal Gill, Josh Gorges and Roman Hamrlik.
-I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why does Crosby embellish so much? For as gifted as he is, he shouldn't need to. Good for Gomez standing up to him after another abuse of his stick following a whistle at the end of the second in Game Three. When oh when will the game's Golden Boy be made accountable?
-Still not sure what to make of the Hawks-Nucks. It looked like Vancouver off a dominant Game One was poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead back home. Instead, Chicago showed a lot of heart fighting back from two down to pull out a gritty 4-2 Game Two win with Kris Versteeg netting the winner with over a minute left thanks to a great play by Duncan Keith. Patrick Kane added an empty netter. As he's done all Spring, Antti Niemi bounced back from a rough outing. The surprising aspect is he was sharper than Roberto Luongo in yesterday's 5-2 Game Three triumph, stealing the home ice back. Chicago jumped in front 2-0 and never trailed. Louie struggled with rebounds including the first of Dustin Byfuglien's first career postseason hat trick. Even if the third tally shouldn't have counted. Good old Toronto for you. Chicago's strategy was simple yet effective. Get shots to the net with traffic and bang home the rebounds of which there were plenty against a shaky Luongo. All five came the same way with the big Byfuglien doing significant damage. Kudos to Joel Queeneville for moving him up to the top line with Jonathan Toews and Kane. Even Marian Hossa got into the act, notching his second off a Patrick Sharp rebound.
-Niemi made the big saves, robbing Ryan Kesler of a shorthanded bid that could've made it 3-0 in Game Two. Instead, his huge glove stop allowed the Blackhawks to recover. Again last night, Niemi stoned Vancouver, thwarting Daniel Sedin and Steve Bernier on the doorstep. Obviously, that cannot happen for the Canucks in what amounts to a must win Game Four. Yeah. They can lose and fall behind 3-1 with the fifth game back in the Windy City. We just don't advise it. Luongo needs to come through as does Daniel and Henrik Sedin with help from Kesler, Mikael Samuelsson, Mason Raymond and Alex Burrows. This is their best chance to finally deliver the franchise's first Cup. Are they about to fold up again? We'll see.
-There's really nothing to say about Versus' technical issues during last night's first between the Bruins and Flyers. At least they had the common sense to pick up the CBC feed until it was fixed.
-Nothing against Joe Beninanti but I really miss Sam Rosen.
-That OT between the Flyers and Bruins last Sunday was epic. Classic playoff hockey. Unfortunately, it looked to be the last straw from Philly. NBC can have their Derby. We'll take the puck.
-Ex-Rangers certainly are having fun. Malhotra. Samuelsson. Gomez. Savard. Moore. Pascal Dupuis. Tom Pyatt. Jed Ortmeyer. Blair Betts. Ian Laperriere. Dwight Helminen. Paul Mara.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Conference Semis start up
Well, after a wild/unpredictable opening round, eight teams are left vying for the prize. The Conference Semis start up tonight with the Red Wings visiting the Sharks with faceoff an hour from now.
Can San Jose finally overcome a huge obstacle or will it be the same old story? They'll need much better production from Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, who were too silent in the six-game win over the Avs. Joe Pavelski certainly did his part as did Dan Boyle, who atoned for his giant Game 3 gaffe. Evgeni Nabokov was also steady. But if these Sharks are to do damage, their top line must step up.
You know Detroit's best Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen will. The Red Wings look to have a significant edge on the blueline boasting Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall. The Sharks' best is Boyle and vet Rob Blake. They'll need Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Doug Murray to be factors. Grinders Ryane Clowe, Manny Malhotra and Scott Nichol help. Devin Setoguchi had a strong first round scoring the Game Four overtime winner that swung the series. It'll take a team effort against the Cup proven Wings, who boast Calder candidate Jimmy Howard in net. J-How held up well in the seven-game win over Phoenix. The goalie match-up is huge. Is this the year Nabokov conquers the demons? It all begins tonight.
The other three semi match-ups get going this weekend. Chicago and Vancouver don't play till Saturday night on Hockey Night In Canada while NBC opted for Flyers-Bruins, meaning the Canadiens and Penguins kickoff tomorrow on CBC. Not much rest for the weary. It'll be interesting to see what Jaroslav Halak and Co. bring to the table at Mellon Arena. Stopping 131 of the final 134 shots making the Caps the first top seed to ever blow a 3-1 series lead in the first round was off the charts. Can it be duplicated against MVP nominee Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal? On paper, it seems like a mismatch but wasn't the same thing echoed about the Caps? Still, the Pens are defending champs for a reason and play a different style. They're more battle tested. What can Jacques Martin come up with to slow them down?
With it being one of the best opening rounds, the league had some noteworthy info. Here are the highlights courtesy the official media site:
BEST EVER? TAKING STOCK OF AN OUTSTANDING OPENING ROUND
OF THE 2010 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
NEW YORK (April 28, 2010) -- The entertaining and unpredictable opening round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs concluded tonight with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Washington Capitals 2-1, adding the latest chapter in the storied franchise's playoff history by becoming the first #8 seed to win a series from a 3-1 deficit.
For the past 15 days, NHL fans were treated to a roller-coaster ride of eight hotly-contested series in which no outcome was a given, no lead was safe and the margin between winning and losing was razor-thin.
Among the statistical highlights:
It certainly speaks for itself as to how good most of the games were. Now it's onto Round Two. In the first round, I went 5-for-8 nailing the West while taking it on the chin in the East with the top 3 seeds sent packing, including my roll of the dice on Buffalo. At least my Cup pick remains alive. Let's try our hand at what's left:
EAST
(4) Pens over (8) Habs in 5
(6) Bruins over (7) Flyers in 6
Analysis: Can't see the Canadiens having much left. Pitt has tremendous center edge and Fleury got better versus Sens, showing playoff form. Halak would have to repeat and every Canadien would have to play out of their head. More offense too would help. As for the B's, they're getting healthy with Savard returning. Things seem to be falling into place. Plus if I got a choice, Rask over Boucher, who figures to come down from an inspired first round revenge 10 years in the making. The bluelines are similar but can't see Philly overcoming no Carter, Gagne or Laperriere, who was key penalty killer. Just seems like too much.
WEST
(5) Red Wings over (1) Sharks in 6
(3) Canucks over (2) Blackhawks in 6
Analysis: Both series could go either way. I'm merely sticking with my picks. It will be difficult for San Jose to beat Detroit unless that top trio performs. They cannot have another no show. What they must do is attack Wings, who just went seven and have been playing playoff hockey for a month. Maybe they can wear them down. The Wings know what it takes. They get dirty and boast immense skill. Unless Thornton, Heater and Marleau can match Datsyuk, Zett and Holmstrom/Franzen, it'll be tough for the Sharks to win. You can make the argument Sharks have better depth in Pavelski, Setoguchi and Clowe but guys like Filppula, Helm and Cleary step up. Hard to see the latter getting shutout again. Canucks-Hawks for a second straight year. Last time, Patrick Kane ended their season. Vancouver is improved with best line in game plus Kesler, Raymond and Burrows, who figures to be more a factor. Can Toews/Kane/Hossa match The Sedins and Samuelsson? Patrick Sharp had good first round but Hawks need more from Versteeg and Troy Brouwer. Keep an eye on Pavol Demitra and Steve Bernier, who had good opening rounds. For Chicago, Tomas Kopecky and Dustin Byfuglien. The bluelines are about even but we like Vancouver's balance that includes Ehrhoff, Salo, Edler and Bieksa over Keith/Seabrook, Campbell and Hjalmarsson. Goalie match-up pits Luongo vs Niemi. Can the Finn duplicate Rd.1 success against higher scoring team? The pressure's all on Louie here.
Can San Jose finally overcome a huge obstacle or will it be the same old story? They'll need much better production from Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, who were too silent in the six-game win over the Avs. Joe Pavelski certainly did his part as did Dan Boyle, who atoned for his giant Game 3 gaffe. Evgeni Nabokov was also steady. But if these Sharks are to do damage, their top line must step up.
You know Detroit's best Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen will. The Red Wings look to have a significant edge on the blueline boasting Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall. The Sharks' best is Boyle and vet Rob Blake. They'll need Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Doug Murray to be factors. Grinders Ryane Clowe, Manny Malhotra and Scott Nichol help. Devin Setoguchi had a strong first round scoring the Game Four overtime winner that swung the series. It'll take a team effort against the Cup proven Wings, who boast Calder candidate Jimmy Howard in net. J-How held up well in the seven-game win over Phoenix. The goalie match-up is huge. Is this the year Nabokov conquers the demons? It all begins tonight.
The other three semi match-ups get going this weekend. Chicago and Vancouver don't play till Saturday night on Hockey Night In Canada while NBC opted for Flyers-Bruins, meaning the Canadiens and Penguins kickoff tomorrow on CBC. Not much rest for the weary. It'll be interesting to see what Jaroslav Halak and Co. bring to the table at Mellon Arena. Stopping 131 of the final 134 shots making the Caps the first top seed to ever blow a 3-1 series lead in the first round was off the charts. Can it be duplicated against MVP nominee Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal? On paper, it seems like a mismatch but wasn't the same thing echoed about the Caps? Still, the Pens are defending champs for a reason and play a different style. They're more battle tested. What can Jacques Martin come up with to slow them down?
With it being one of the best opening rounds, the league had some noteworthy info. Here are the highlights courtesy the official media site:
BEST EVER? TAKING STOCK OF AN OUTSTANDING OPENING ROUND
OF THE 2010 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
NEW YORK (April 28, 2010) -- The entertaining and unpredictable opening round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs concluded tonight with the Montreal Canadiens defeating the Washington Capitals 2-1, adding the latest chapter in the storied franchise's playoff history by becoming the first #8 seed to win a series from a 3-1 deficit.
For the past 15 days, NHL fans were treated to a roller-coaster ride of eight hotly-contested series in which no outcome was a given, no lead was safe and the margin between winning and losing was razor-thin.
Among the statistical highlights:
* Road teams won 27 games (27-22), the most ever in the first round. Three series tied the NHL playoff record for most road wins (five, Montreal vs. Washington; Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa and Detroit vs. Phoenix). The Boston Bruins were the only of the eight advancing clubs to clinch the series on home ice.
* There were comebacks galore: the winning team in 24 of the 49 games trailed at some point in the contest. Five teams won after trailing by two or more goals. A club trailing in the third period came back to win nine times.
* Teams combined to score an average of 5.90 goals per game, the highest for an opening round since 1996 and a 36% increase over 2004 (4.34), the last playoff year before the adoption of several rule changes designed to limit obstruction. The first-round scoring average also topped that of the 2009-10 regular season (5.53), marking the first time that's happened since 1994-95.
* Twelve of the 49 games were decided in overtime, the most in opening-round play since 2001 (14). Seven of the eight series had at least one game extend to overtime.
* Scoring the game's first goal wasn't as much an advantage as advertised. The teams scoring first lost five of the six games in the Vancouver Canucks-Los Angeles Kings series (VAN 1-2, LA 0-3). The Buffalo Sabres opened the scoring five times against the Boston Bruins, but went 2-3 in those games.
* Adding to the upset-prone lore of the first round, each of the top three Eastern Conference seeds was eliminated: the #1 Washington Capitals (by #8 Montreal Canadiens), #2 New Jersey Devils (by #7 Philadelphia Flyers) and #3 Buffalo Sabres (by #6 Boston Bruins).
Reversal of Fortune
Beyond the statistics, each series provided a compelling narrative. Whether digging out from an early-series deficit or losing key personnel, every club that survived the first round faced adversity over the past two weeks. Their paths to winning the series were punctuated by dramatic, series-changing moments.
* Down 1-0 in the series, the Pittsburgh Penguins were tied 1-1 with Ottawa late in the third period of Game 2 until Penguins captain Sidney Crosby conjured up some playoff magic. His dive through the crease to swat away an Anton Volchenkov shot that had eluded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury preserved the tie with 9:13 left in regulation. Later, he repeatedly eluded checkers behind the Senators' net before setting up Kris Letang for the game-winning goal with 4:12 left in regulation.
* Down 1-0 in the series, the Boston Bruins surrendered the first two goals of Game 2 and began the third period trailing a Buffalo Sabres team that was 31-0-0 in 2009-10 when leading after two periods. The Bruins rallied for three goals and a 5-3 victory to even the series.
* The Philadelphia Flyers learned after Game 4 of their series against the New Jersey Devils that two of their top forwards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne, were headed for foot surgery and sidelined indefinitely. With captain Mike Richards and young star Claude Giroux leading the way, the makeshift Flyers headed up the New Jersey Turnpike and blanked the Devils 3-0 to clinch the series.
* After dropping a pair of games at home to land on the brink of elimination, the Montreal Canadiens returned to goaltender Jaroslav Halak to get back in the series. Halak backstopped the Canadiens to three consecutive victories -- two at Verizon Center in Washington -- as Montreal became the first #8 seed to win a playoff series after trailing 3-1. In a performance reminiscent of famous playoff exploits by Canadiens goaltenders like Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy, Halak stopped 131 of 134 shots in the three victories (.978)
* The San Jose Sharks were on the verge of trailing their series with the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 heading to Denver until center Joe Pavelski tallied the game-tying goal with 31.8 seconds remaining in regulation of what became a 6-5 overtime victory at the Shark Tank. "I'm sure a lot of people were going, 'There we go again,'" Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov said. "I hope this will give us momentum. I think we showed the team's spirit." Pavelski didn't stop there -- he notched the overtime winner in Game 4 to square the series 2-2 and tallied the series-clinching goal in Game 6.
* The Chicago Blackhawks were just seconds away from dropping Game 5 of their series against the Nashville Predators to force a must-win Game 6 on the road, but center Patrick Kane scored a shorthanded goal with 13.6 seconds remaining to tie the score. Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa -- who was serving the penalty when Kane scored -- completed the Chicago comeback by scoring early in overtime. "Nothing tops it," Kane said when asked if that was the biggest goal of his young career. "That's why you play the game. From death to the door opening, it's a really good feeling. NBC in Chicago, there's no better place you want to be. That's why hockey's such a great game. You never know what can happen."
* The Vancouver Canucks trailed their series against the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 and fell behind 1-0, 2-1 and then 3-2 entering the third period of Game 4. The Canucks rallied thanks to a brilliant Roberto Luongo save, three assists from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin's game-winning goal with 2:52 remaining in a 6-4 victory.
* The Detroit Red Wings trailed their series against Phoenix 1-0 and 2-1, and were beaten decisively by the Coyotes 5-2 in Game 6 with a chance to wrap up the series at home. Undaunted, the Red Wings came back two nights later in Phoenix with a flawless performance in capturing their first Game 7 on the road since 1964.
It certainly speaks for itself as to how good most of the games were. Now it's onto Round Two. In the first round, I went 5-for-8 nailing the West while taking it on the chin in the East with the top 3 seeds sent packing, including my roll of the dice on Buffalo. At least my Cup pick remains alive. Let's try our hand at what's left:
EAST
(4) Pens over (8) Habs in 5
(6) Bruins over (7) Flyers in 6
Analysis: Can't see the Canadiens having much left. Pitt has tremendous center edge and Fleury got better versus Sens, showing playoff form. Halak would have to repeat and every Canadien would have to play out of their head. More offense too would help. As for the B's, they're getting healthy with Savard returning. Things seem to be falling into place. Plus if I got a choice, Rask over Boucher, who figures to come down from an inspired first round revenge 10 years in the making. The bluelines are similar but can't see Philly overcoming no Carter, Gagne or Laperriere, who was key penalty killer. Just seems like too much.
WEST
(5) Red Wings over (1) Sharks in 6
(3) Canucks over (2) Blackhawks in 6
Analysis: Both series could go either way. I'm merely sticking with my picks. It will be difficult for San Jose to beat Detroit unless that top trio performs. They cannot have another no show. What they must do is attack Wings, who just went seven and have been playing playoff hockey for a month. Maybe they can wear them down. The Wings know what it takes. They get dirty and boast immense skill. Unless Thornton, Heater and Marleau can match Datsyuk, Zett and Holmstrom/Franzen, it'll be tough for the Sharks to win. You can make the argument Sharks have better depth in Pavelski, Setoguchi and Clowe but guys like Filppula, Helm and Cleary step up. Hard to see the latter getting shutout again. Canucks-Hawks for a second straight year. Last time, Patrick Kane ended their season. Vancouver is improved with best line in game plus Kesler, Raymond and Burrows, who figures to be more a factor. Can Toews/Kane/Hossa match The Sedins and Samuelsson? Patrick Sharp had good first round but Hawks need more from Versteeg and Troy Brouwer. Keep an eye on Pavol Demitra and Steve Bernier, who had good opening rounds. For Chicago, Tomas Kopecky and Dustin Byfuglien. The bluelines are about even but we like Vancouver's balance that includes Ehrhoff, Salo, Edler and Bieksa over Keith/Seabrook, Campbell and Hjalmarsson. Goalie match-up pits Luongo vs Niemi. Can the Finn duplicate Rd.1 success against higher scoring team? The pressure's all on Louie here.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Round One Randomness: Lots To Cheer About
It's really been a tremendous start to the 2010 playoffs. When you get seven of eight Round One series going at least six games, that says plenty about how ultra competitive it's been thus far. The hockey's been some of the best we've seen in quite a while.
A lot of quality games which has lifted the NHL to higher ratings not seen since 2002 back when we were situated at Bristol researching games for ESPN. Speaking of which, they are interested in bringing hockey back. With the league committed to partners Versus/NBC another year, it'll be interesting to see what transpires. Kudos to both networks for delivering the best coverage we've seen in quite a while. Even when Versus screws up a graphic/playoff fact, it doesn't have the same sting due to improved telecasts featuring fan friendly coach/player interviews. Intermission/postgames include the lovely yet talented Charissa Thompson and sometimes more eye candy in Lindsay Soto, which never hurts.
As for segs between periods, they're okay. However, NBC wins hands down with the fun duo of Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury, who's always good for a chuckle. Love or hate them, they provide solid analysis while entertaining and playing off each other well. Still, nothing compares to Hockey Night In Canada's in depth coverage. From dynamic duo Ron MacLean and Don Cherry during Coach's Corner to Hotstove featuring Mad Mike, Glenn Healy and Pierre LeBrun to After 40 Minutes that includes former antagonist P.J. Stock, nobody does it better. Having good banter back and forth is something us puckers appreciate. It keeps us locked in.
Most notably, the games haven't disappointed. Outside of the Devils who shockingly mailed it in, the other 15 teams have competed at a very high level- giving fans like myself whose team didn't make the cut, incentive to watch. The added drama along with DirecTV subscribers finally back in play have been beneficial to the networks. Loose Translation: Hockey wins. Even if Colin Campbell gets it wrong on Marian Hossa's hit from behind on Dan Hamhuis, the action has been fast and furious. As much disdain as there is for inconsistent officiating thus far, these playoffs have been fantabulous. Those who don't watch/pay attention like Mike Francesa are missing a great Spring that potentially could get better. Haters are going to hate. Don't let them spoil the parade.
On what's been an outstanding opening round, some randomness:
-Unless you're a Pens fan, Sidney Crosby is the villain. Many observers can't stand the sight of him, which isn't all his fault. He's the Golden Boy. So, Sid The Kid is front and center 24/7. Even when he's a non-factor in his team's inspiring comeback elimination of Ottawa, there's Thompson interviewing him while another elimination game (Sharks-Avs) is in progress. Unfortunately, this is what we deal with. However, even if I dislike Crosby for some of his on-ice antics, the man is super. He's followed up 51 goals with 14 points (5-9-14), simply dominating the Sens. Not even Chris Phillips/Anton Volchenkov could deny him. At 22, the way he competes must be respected. The hard work is paying off.
-The goalie match-up between Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller hasn't disappointed with each shining during an intense series between old Adams rivals. In a Game Four sudden death defeat, Miller was sensational robbing Bruins several times before ex-Sabre Miro Satan ended it. Rask was equally brilliant, showing incredible poise for a rookie. Just how close are they? Both enter tonight's Game Six with identical 2.03 GAA's and similar save percentages (Rask-.933, Miller-.936). Tremendous stuff. Can Buffalo get one in Boston for a do-or-die Game Seven? That would be fitting. Thomas Vanek would help but high ankle sprains are tricky.
-Huge kudos to Dan Boyle for handling his monumental Game 3 gaffe so well. It had to be extremely difficult for one of the most underrated defensemen in the game, who won Lord Stanley in Tampa. He didn't run answering every question while keeping perspective, opting to focus on Game 4. The big one that swung the series in San Jose's favor. All he did was score early setting the tone before series MVP Joe Pavelski won it in overtime. It was also Boyle's tying goal along with two helpers that sparked the Sharks to a 5-2 come from behind elimination over the pesky Avs, who had nothing to be ashamed of. They gave the Sharks all they wanted despite losing Milan Hejduk and no Peter Mueller. Craig Anderson backed up a breakout season with remarkable netminding, including the 51-save virtuoso performance stealing Game 3. If only Paul Stastny and Chris Stewart were more of a factor.
-If you didn't feel good for Brian Boucher, shame on you. Excusing Devil fans who probably still can't believe Bouch's Revenge came exactly a decade later following one of the historic comebacks en route to Cup No.2. The 33 year-old was cool throughout, realizing the moment. To get such a second chance following the Flyers' goalie injuries had to feel extra special for the journeyman. Full marks for riding a strong finish that saw him best Henrik Lundqvist in a shootout just to get his team in. Though the Devs didn't push Boucher enough, his focus was tremendous, making big stops whenever called upon. You can bet he'll be more challenged in Round Two.
-It's convenient to make Ilya Kovalchuk the culprit but last we checked, the electrifying Russian tried hard pacing the Devils with six points (2-4-6). No question he did too much, holding onto the puck instead of using teammates. However, there are many reasons New Jersey crapped out. Mainly disappointing showings from Zach Parise (1 goal), Travis Zajac (2 Pts), Patrik Elias (0 goals) and invisible captain Jamie Langenbrunner (assist) doomed them. Paul Martin also had a rough series. Is it the end? That along with Jacques Lemaire's baffling decisions plus dreadful special teams killed them. They also couldn't deal with the Flyers' speed and physicality, leaving a disappointed Lemaire to conclude that his team 'didn't play playoff hockey.' Even Martin Brodeur indicated that the urgency wasn't completely where it needed to be in another elimination game on home ice. Speaking of MB30, despite poor numbers (3.01 GAA, .880 Save Pct), he gave them a chance. Were there a few goals he'd like back? Absolutely. Two to Daniel Carcillo including the Game 3 OT winner in which poor coverage also played a role come to mind. However, he showed up. You could name the players on one hand. Sad.
-Already, the Canadiens are exposing the Caps. In taking them to Game Six back in Montreal later today, their team speed has wreaked havoc on Washington's shaky D with Mike Green and Jeff Schultz victimized often. Players such as Tomas Plekanec, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Andrei Kostitsyn and Brian Gionta are having success. The smaller, quicker guys in red, white and blue are winning battles in the offensive end. When Washington hasn't dictated, they've looked beatable. If not for Semyon Varlamov and Alex Ovechkin, they could easily be facing elimination. Coming off a flat performance, it'll be interesting to see which Cap team shows up. That also means you Alexander Semin. At least Ovie, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble along with emerging John Carlson and Tom Poti have done their part.
-Can't say enough about the tremendous fight the Sens put up despite Daniel Alfredsson banged up along with no Alex Kovalev, Filip Kuba and Milan Michalek. Promising rooks Peter Regin and Erik Karlsson stepped up and Matt Cullen again proved how valuable he can be on a playoff roster. Think his performance (3-5-8 incl. 5 PP Pts) opened some eyes? The Devils could use a versatile character guy like that. Tremendous stuff from Pascal Leclaire who after a dismal regular season relieved Brian Elliott, supplying superb goaltending to boost the Sens' chances. As long as the kids develop, Cory Clouston's club probably won't be going away. Figure Kovalev to come back with something to prove. Just wonder if Jason Spezza needs a change of scenery? Something's missing.
-The Kings gave the Canucks a run as expected. They really pushed Vancouver and were close to going up 3-1 but when push came to shove, the Sedins along with Mikael Samuelsson wouldn't allow it. Their brilliant play along with Ryan Kesler and surprise contributor Steve Bernier (4 goals) were enough to push past a feisty opponent who matched up well. A balanced D was active and Roberto Luongo overcame a shaky first four backstopping Vancouver to the next round. Now comes the true test. Are they finally ready for primetime? As for LA, nothing to be ashamed of. In their first postseason since 2002, they made for entertaining hockey that featured plenty of battles. From the ferocious hitting to end-to-end action, what a great series. He may have ran out of gas but Jonathan Quick made some strong saves early on making you believe they could string the upset. With Jonathan Bernier in waiting, the Kings will only get stronger in net. Drew Doughty, who deservingly is up for the Norris with Green and Duncan Keith- was good as was Jack Johnson. There's an awful lot to like about Doughty, who should win multiple Norrises. Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus and Freddy Modin were awesome. To do what they did against arguably the most dangerous line in the game is a credit to Terry Murray, who has disproved many. Wayne Simmonds was effective as was Matt Greene. Had they gotten more from Ryan Smyth and Jarrett Stoll, who knows? Anze Kopitar also could've been better. One thing's clear. A la Terminator, they'll be back.
-Preds and Hawks has been as advertised. Two very close Central rivals have taken turns controlling the series. Even minus Patric Hornqvist, Barry Trotz had his team in position to win their first series before the wheels came off in a wild Game Five that saw Hossa come out of the box and win it. If only Nashville had made him pay. Too bad Martin Erat (2 goals) made such a fatal mistake leading to Patrick Kane's clutch shorty that forced OT with only 13.6 ticks left. David Legwand (2-5-7, +5) has been brilliant. The solid two-way pivot who's the face of the franchise since they entered, is a smart player who gets the job done. Sure. He pales in comparison to Vincent Lecavalier but Legwand always leaves it out there and might have a better shelf life. Joel Ward has impressed and J.P. Dumont's a gamer. In order to push it seven, they'll need yeoman efforts from Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, Colin Wilson and Steve Sullivan. Meanwhile, Chicago can thank their lucky stars that Erat tried to center the puck when all he had to do was sit on it. They're showing the same leaks we saw down the stretch. Peaks and valleys for arguably the most talented team is no way to compete for a Cup. If they're serious, then they'll clamp down tonight in Music City. Antti Niemi (1.98 GAA, .930, 2 SHO) has done his part. Duncan Keith, Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer must step up.
-And finally, what a series between the Yotes and Wings. It's had a bit of everything. Surges from both clubs. Dominance from Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who still make you feel they're the favorites despite an impressive Game Six stunner by Dave Tippett's club. The Coyotes have never reached the second round. Tomorrow, they get their shot at history with the first home playoff Game Seven since the Winnipeg days. All made possible thanks to an unreal effort from everyone in maroon red stunning The Joe. Lauri Korpikoski (pronounced Low---er--y by Doc Emrick) set the tone with a great shorthanded goal, providing a lift despite three consecutive times on the PK. Phoenix' power play sprung to life netting three goals including one by ageless Matt Schneider. While they won special teams, Ilya Bryzgalov demonstrated why he's up for the Vezina with an inspirational first stopping 13/14 including many early when the Yotes were under siege. Petr Prucha was all over the ice, setting up Wojtek Wolski's PPG while earning raves from Emrick. Why did we trade him again? Radim Vrbata finished off a great Robert Lang feed and one of our faves Taylor Pyatt got just reward when he deflected home a Keith Yandle shot. All leading up to a win or go home scenario at what will be a rocking Desert. Enough cannot be said about the job Tippett's done. Minus captain Shane Doan who remains a question mark plus Scottie Upshall, this team has been amazing. If they get it done, wow.
Fasten your seatbelts.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Backstrom ends it
The Cap comeback should be renamed Nicklas Backstrom Day because he absolutely saved his team from a dire situation. It only took 29 seconds for the wonderful franchise center to end it by using a Hab defenseman as a screen and then wiring a perfect laser upstairs past Jaroslav Halak. It was his third of the day, becoming the seventh Washington Capital to record a playoff hat trick. The Swede is genius. It maybe nuts to say but the best two centers may represent Sweden. Though Sid The Kid makes a great argument. He absolutely saved his Pens last night from similar circumstances.
Never has the first week of the playoffs ever been so fun. Every game is unpredictable. Canucks and Kings facing off in Vancity now.
Never has the first week of the playoffs ever been so fun. Every game is unpredictable. Canucks and Kings facing off in Vancity now.
Caps-Habs II going to sudden death
If you haven't seen this Caps-Habs II, boy have you missed a lot. What a game they're seeing on Versus at nervous Verizon where Alex Ovechkin finally awoke netting a goal and three helpers just to get his team into sudden death. Yes. The Scott Gomez-Brian Gionta Habs once led 4-1 before the Caps furiously rallied in a chaotic third that featured a bit of everything. Hell. Tom Poti even beat up Gomez in a fight that only fired up the desperate home club and its Rock The Red supporters some more. Despite blowing a three-goal lead with Nicklas Backstrom tying it, the Habs went ahead once more off a dreadful Mike Green turnover that led to a pretty two-on-one give-and-go with Tomas "Jagr" Plekanec finishing off Mike Cammalleri's backdoor set up. It would've made Gene Hackman proud from Hoosiers.
It looked like Montreal would hang on but unflappable WJC hero John Carlson surprised Jaroslav Halak with a brilliant rush and wrist shot low glove miraculously tying it 5-5 at 18:39. The poise this kid's shown teaming with Poti to be by far the Caps' best on an otherwise dreadful blueline is to die for. He also faked shot and then Halak let up a rebound for Ovie's first of the postseason that made it 4-3. Amazing stuff that's impressed strong Versus NYI/NYR duo Sam Rosen and Billy Jaffe. While Green has been a goat proving that he shouldn't win the Norris, it's been the 20 year-old Carlson- a 2008 first round pick selected 27th overall that's stepped up.
Sudden death will be starting shortly. Will the Caps have a hero or will the league's best regular season team be in a huge hole to eighth Montreal with it shifting to the Bell Centre? Fire up OT!
It looked like Montreal would hang on but unflappable WJC hero John Carlson surprised Jaroslav Halak with a brilliant rush and wrist shot low glove miraculously tying it 5-5 at 18:39. The poise this kid's shown teaming with Poti to be by far the Caps' best on an otherwise dreadful blueline is to die for. He also faked shot and then Halak let up a rebound for Ovie's first of the postseason that made it 4-3. Amazing stuff that's impressed strong Versus NYI/NYR duo Sam Rosen and Billy Jaffe. While Green has been a goat proving that he shouldn't win the Norris, it's been the 20 year-old Carlson- a 2008 first round pick selected 27th overall that's stepped up.
Sudden death will be starting shortly. Will the Caps have a hero or will the league's best regular season team be in a huge hole to eighth Montreal with it shifting to the Bell Centre? Fire up OT!
Playoffs Day Four
Day Four already! While it still feels a little odd minus my team, these playoffs have lived up its billing. To quote my favorite Bruce Willis The Last Boy Scout character Joe Hallenback, "And then some."
What great action we're seeing. Every underdog has demonstrated they belong. What. With even Les Habitants stunning the Caps on Tomas "Jagr" Plekanec's OT winner in a Game One upset where most notably, they silenced Alex Ovechkin, who had no shots. Shocking. He attempted some but they just never reached its destination. Jaroslav Spacek was responsible along with Andrei Markov for this. Imagine what our Buffalo contingent thinks. It'll be interesting to see how Ovie and Co. respond in essentially a must win tonight. ... Mean time, LOTCB's Sabres look to go two-for-two against the Bruins this afternoon with Game Two set for 1 ET on NBC. Or if you live in Long Beach, Cali like him, 10 in the morning. Fire up the eggs and coffee! We always kid or at least he does that times are always catered towards the West Coast, referencing late October baseball, March Madness, etc. Hopefully, they'll win. ... The late game features the Kings and Canucks at 10 here on Versus. If it's anything like Game One, wow. In what looks like the best series, it didn't disappoint. Great back and forth puck between two teams that don't care for each other. Jon Quick had himself a nice playoff debut even if it was a losing effort. Roberto Luongo though shaky saved his team's bacon in sudden death sweeping the puck off the goal line. Eventually, some Sedin magic led to Mikael Samuelsson's winner. Sick is how we'd describe it. Henrik Sedin showed why he won the Art Ross and probably should get MVP. Eerily reminiscent of that long classic over Dallas three Springs ago almost to the day. Will this be another classic?
Haircut for me and the bro.We'll review last night's wild action in a bit.
What great action we're seeing. Every underdog has demonstrated they belong. What. With even Les Habitants stunning the Caps on Tomas "Jagr" Plekanec's OT winner in a Game One upset where most notably, they silenced Alex Ovechkin, who had no shots. Shocking. He attempted some but they just never reached its destination. Jaroslav Spacek was responsible along with Andrei Markov for this. Imagine what our Buffalo contingent thinks. It'll be interesting to see how Ovie and Co. respond in essentially a must win tonight. ... Mean time, LOTCB's Sabres look to go two-for-two against the Bruins this afternoon with Game Two set for 1 ET on NBC. Or if you live in Long Beach, Cali like him, 10 in the morning. Fire up the eggs and coffee! We always kid or at least he does that times are always catered towards the West Coast, referencing late October baseball, March Madness, etc. Hopefully, they'll win. ... The late game features the Kings and Canucks at 10 here on Versus. If it's anything like Game One, wow. In what looks like the best series, it didn't disappoint. Great back and forth puck between two teams that don't care for each other. Jon Quick had himself a nice playoff debut even if it was a losing effort. Roberto Luongo though shaky saved his team's bacon in sudden death sweeping the puck off the goal line. Eventually, some Sedin magic led to Mikael Samuelsson's winner. Sick is how we'd describe it. Henrik Sedin showed why he won the Art Ross and probably should get MVP. Eerily reminiscent of that long classic over Dallas three Springs ago almost to the day. Will this be another classic?
Haircut for me and the bro.We'll review last night's wild action in a bit.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Playoffs?!?!?! Day Two
It's Day Two of the playoffs. Playoffs??? We'll be lucky to win a God **** game! Had to get that in there sans Jim Mora. Especially with the Rangers on the golf course which is driving Jazzy Jim batty. Heard he showed at Wachovia for the coup de gras and was fuming. Ahhhh. That made it all better. Nothing like a money hungry, greedy owner who just desired the playoff revenue for a mediocre team so he could justify the ridiculous cost and then raise again at the expense of a too loyal fanbase that bleeds True Blue.
Speaking of which, if you missed New York Times' Ken Belson's piece on what those extra gates meant to Camp Dolanvi$ion, we suggest you check it out and try not to laugh too hard. Our favorite part:
But because all N.B.A. and N.H.L. teams must keep dates open at their arenas in case they make the playoffs, the elimination of the Knicks and the Rangers from the postseason means the Garden would remain empty for many more nights in April and May.
“You can’t fill them with two weeks’ notice,” Scott O’Neil, the president of MSG Sports, the division that runs the Rangers and other sports properties, said at a recent news event. “There are more dates in the building if we’re in the playoffs.”
The loss of playoff revenue would also come as Madison Square Garden spends about $800 million to renovate the 42-year-old arena. Home playoff games would not only generate a few more million dollars to help pay for the work, but would also give the Garden’s salesmen more ammunition to sell season tickets, suites and advertising for next season.
It might not cure your playoff appetite but hey. If Dolan's mad, some salvation. Now, if only some crazed person would slip a little poison in his scotch. ;) Couldn't resist. While we are on the sidelines finding other things to do (I missed most of last night except for 1 period of Wings/Yotes and highlights of all 4), sixteen teams' fans are dealing with anxiety right now. We can just sit back and relax. Don't ponder our team's future too much. It's not advisable. Let's enjoy the great weather and take it all in. Dream of a much different world minus Jazzy Jim and Glen Savior. Find the dimension over the haze between the sun and moon. Birds are chirping. Life is full of possibilities. Live it.
If Day One was any indication, then we're in for an interesting playoffs. Especially with all four underdogs winning. Phoenix included with a great come from behind 3-2 triumph over Detroit before the traditional White Out paying homage to Winnipeg. I've always loved that about the Yotes. It shows class and tradition. Good on Derek Morris scoring the winner on a bomb off a faceoff. He was huge netting the deciding power play goal and two helpers last night. Also noticed Korp got more ice than Pruuuu. And Bryzgalov stood up making 38 saves. Nice to see Gretzky recognize his former goalie via Puck Daddy pertaining to the Hart. Didn't we say that a while ago? Though it's awfully hard to ignore Henrik Sedin, who also was instrumental in aiding us to a second fantasy hockey championship. Safe to say I'll be protecting one-half of Swede genes.
As for the three road teams that prevailed yesterday, they all have something to prove. Brian Boucher (23 saves) has a shot at redemption and seems to recognize the situation. His Flyer 'mates don't want to be known as the team that slipped in due to a skill comp. Yes, Mike Richards' decider came with one extra out but the puck was all the way on the other side and the change wasn't blatant. Probably why it wasn't called. Agreed with Hasan on the Devils, who need to turn up the heat. Offense is their big chance this time. Someone better cue in Lemaire before Friday. ... Ever get the feeling it's just not a player's year? That's what it seems with MA Fleury (5 GA on 26), who again wasn't sharp in the Pens' 5-4 loss to a shorthanded Sens team minus Kovalev and now without Milan Michalek, who's done. Poor kid. I noted in my preview that Colin Wilson was a rookie to watch. Well, the Sens boast two in Erik Karlsson (remember that name) and Peter Regin, who both scored in the upset. The kids are hot and the Sens got contributions from pests Neil and Ruutu while Spezza and Alfie were quiet along with Mr. Carrie Underwood. Brian Elliott (17 saves) was good enough despite 2-1-3 from Geno and 3 helpers from Sid to best Flower, who doesn't inspire much confidence. Would it be nuts to consider Brent Johnson if they somehow fall behind 0-2? We think not. ... Now for the best of the bunch. The upstart Avs upset the Sharks in grand fashion, sending San Jose into full panic mode thanks to Chris Stewart's bankshot off Rob Blake with 50 ticks left. How is he their captain again? It didn't sound like it was Nabby, who made 28 saves and kept his flat team in it. As Scotty Hockey noted in this tweet, why wasn't Jed Ortmeyer dressed? Instead, Todd McLellan went with seven D only giving Jason Demers 6:53. Huh? Why go against logic? Ort's a heart and soul guy that's been part of the Sharks' season. Curious to say the least. It'd also help if Marleau-Thornton-Heatley remembered to show when it counts. No points. Eight shots with five from pass-happy Jumbo Joe and a minus-three won't cut it. Neither will another first round ouster.
So what to expect with three more opening tonight on Day Two? Figure the home teams to take care of business. They'll be more on their toes. Buffalo will be minus Jochen Hecht for a bit due to a bad finger. How'd he do that? Our favorite Tyler Ennis is in. The big goalie match-up in Rask-Miller is on. The Sabres should still have more offense. Especially if Vanek continues his tear. How Connolly performs will be key. For the B's, Miro Satan tries to haunt his ex-teammates. Chara, Bergeron, Krejci and Lucic are Boston keys. If they get anything from Michael Ryder, that's huge. Buffalo has Tyler Myers on D with Rivet and Pominville and Roy along with grit master Patrick Kaleta. Figure it to be tight. ... Les Habitants and Ovie Caps get underway on Versus. Can Halak stone AO, Backstrom, Semin, Green and the rest of the league's most potent offense? It's advisable for the Habs to counter slowing down their high flying opponent that's prone to mistakes. Air tight D led by the series' top defenseman Andrei Markov is pivotal. So too will be old Devil duo Gomer and Gio, who finished well. Cammalleri needs to find the magic touch. Tomas Plekanec has been their MVP. The play of the Kostitsyns and ice cold Benoit Pouliot are crucial. Can Max Lapierre get underneath the skin of Ovechkin? The Caps boast great depth in battle tested Knuble along with Fleischmann, Laich and Eric Fehr. Steckel, Bradley and Chimera are high energy. Jeff Schultz is intrumental defensively and Poti has been a good Cap. So, it should be easy, right? As long as Theodore shuts the door on his former team, for sure. If he's pulled, all bets are off. ... The final match pits the Kings vs Canucks. Hollywood against British Columbia. You have Sedin genius along with key cogs Ryan Kesler, Burrows and Mason Raymond plus Cup savvy Sammy making these Nucks legit. Especially with Demitra, Wellwood and Bernier in reserve. The key will be Louie. Can he get it back? If guys like Ehrhoff and Salo stay healthy, then a blueline that features Edler and Bieksa becomes a real strength with Shane O'Brien providing depth. What if Willie Mitchell (concussion) was available in mid-May/June? First, they have to get there which means winning two rounds. LA isn't a good match-up because they boast the kind of forwards that could give them fits. Kopitar, Smyth and Justin Williams are very potent. Especially with the Cup winner finding his form. Dustin Brown is a human freight train. He'll need support from Frolov and Jarret Stoll. We love Wayne Simmonds and Zeus has bounced back with a big season. Even Modin has fit in. The Kings boast the best defender in the series in Norris candidate Drew Doughty, who's a beast. Offense. Defense. You name it. He does it. Jack Johnson has quietly had a good year. Both along with vets Sean O'Donnell and Rob Scuderi will see a lot of big minutes. Matt Greene provides beef and Randy Jones has been steady. If Jon Quick regains confidence, the Canucks are in trouble. Even if we took them to Lord Stanley, this is a dangerous match-up that promises to be entertaining. Fasten your seatbelts.
Day Two Schedule
Boston @ Buffalo 7 ET
Montreal @ Washington 7 ET Versus
Los Angeles @ Vancouver 10 ET Versus
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Battle Playoff Predictions
It's that fun time of year once again. Finally after a grueling 82-game season that also featured a thrilling Vancouver Olympics with Canada edging USA on Sidney Crosby's sudden death winner, sixteen teams are left to vie for Lord Stanley.
Gone are the Rangers, Anaheim and Calgary. In are mainstays Detroit and the Devils. Is this the Spring San Jose conquers their demons? Can the Ovie-Backstrom Caps win their first Cup? What about playoff hockey finally returning to the Desert for the traditional White Out dating back to Winnipeg? Meaningful hockey also returns to LA and Colorado where two upstarts try to put a dent in playoff brackets. Exciting stuff. Is this the year the Cup returns to Canada? The Sedins hope to deliver. Montreal hopes Halak can carry them to a monumental upset. Do the Hawks have enough goaltending to win the franchise's first championship since Bobby Hull starred in 1961? Can Rinne's Preds play spoiler and win their first series? Are Miller's Sabres being overlooked or is Tuukka Rask ready for primetime? Is Kovalchuk enough to bring Cup No.4 back to Jersey? Or will the Devils' best team since its last winner under Pat Burns go belly up against the hated Flyers? Can the Crosby-Malkin Pens repeat? Who will surprise? Who will disappoint? Who is this year's hero?
All these questions will get answered beginning tomorrow. We'll take our best crack at it.
BATTLE PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
EAST
Conference Quarters:
(1) Capitals over (8) Canadiens in 6
Analysis: Halak steals a game or two but too much firepower.
(2) Devils over (7) Flyers in 7
Analysis: Tempted to take Philly but Devs have too much to lose.
(3) Sabres over (6) Bruins in 6
Analysis: Won't be easy versus Rask but Vanek heating up and Miller.
(4) Penguins over (5) Senators in 5
Analysis: If Fleury struggles and Elliott performs, this could get interesting.
Conference Semis:
(1) Capitals over (4) Penguins in 6
Analysis: Depth proves the difference.
(3) Sabres over (2) Devils in 7
Analysis: Teams are very similar but think Myers and Miller deliver.
Conference Final:
(3) Sabres over (1) Capitals in 6
Analysis: Goaltending, defense, grit and better coaching wins out.
WEST
Conference Quarters:
(1) Sharks over (8) Avalanche in 5
Analysis: Too much scoring, depth, experience and so much at stake.
(2) Blackhawks over (7) Predators in 7
Analysis: Rinne/underrated offense scare but home ice/balance boost Hawks.
(3) Canucks over (Kings) in 7
Analysis: Dangerous opponent but can't go against Sedins and Kesler.
(5) Red Wings over (4) Coyotes in 6
Analysis: Bryzgalov gives 'Yotes chance but Wings hot and prove too much.
Conference Semis:
(5) Red Wings over (1) Sharks in 7
Analysis: Potential for lots of scoring. Will Shark D be exposed?
(3) Canucks over (2) Blackhawks in 6
Analysis: Teams very even. Pressure's on Louie to deliver.
Conference Final:
(3) Canucks over (5) Red Wings in 6
Analysis: A toss-up. Which goalie steps up? Samuelsson haunts former 'mates.
Stanley Cup: A delicious match-up between two Cup starved cities. Think of the storylines. Olympic rematch between Miller and Luongo. Canada versus USA again. Third time post-lockout. It would be a nightmare for NBC but how can you ignore the star power of The Sedins? This would be good for the sport. A battle between three seeds who've been the butt of jokes forever. One gets to end it.
(3) Canucks over (3) Sabres in 6
Analysis: Hard to go against Vancouver's firepower. Miller would have to steal series. This is the most talented Canuck team since '94. They'll struggle to get past first round but ultimately, they are the best team. Can Alain Vigneault and Louie deliver? That's what we're playing. The time is right. 1-2-3-4 Presssssuuuureee!!!!! Billy Joel would be proud.
Fun Stuff
Stanley Cup Champion-Vancouver Canucks
Conn Smythe-Henrik Sedin, Canucks
Leading Scorer-Henrik Sedin, Canucks
Top Finisher-Thomas Vanek, Sabres
Best Goalie-Ryan Miller, Sabres
Best Defenseman-Tyler Myers, Sabres
Breakout Star-Ryan Kesler, Canucks
Rookie Under Radar-Colin Wilson, Predators
Best Coach-Lindy Ruff, Sabres/Mike Babcock, Red Wings
Coach You Can't Trust-Bruce Boudreau, Capitals
Scary-Evgeni Nabokov, Sharks
Jinx-Marian Hossa, Blackhawks
Disappearing Act-Joe Thornton, Sharks
Hot Seat-Roberto Luongo, Canucks/Jacques Lemaire, Devils
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)