From coast to coast hockey fans are catching a glimpse of the NHL's best in this year's Conference Finals. The final four teams left to battle for the Stanley Cup truly epitomize their geographical conferences as San Jose and Vancouver meet out West, while Tampa Bay and Boston meet in the East. The West played out as it should pitting the number 1 seeded Canucks against the number 2 seeded Sharks. The East, meanwhile, saw both Washington and Philadelphia make dubious second round exits and left us with the number 3 seeded Bruins to face Steve Yzerman's upstart Lightning team which finished the regular season in the 5 seed. I realize we've seen a game in each of these series already but I thought I'd weigh in with my own previews and predictions as always. Coming off a 3 - 1 second round I'm sitting at 8 - 4 for these playoffs thus far and I'm not taking both game 1 winners if it makes you feel better. Here's how I see the final four breaking down.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
3 Boston Bruins VS 5 Tampa Bay Lightning (Winner - Boston Bruins)
Well, like I said, I'm not taking both game 1 winners. I've kind of put myself behind the 8-ball with this pick as Boston took a 5 - 2 thumping in front of their home crowd in game 1. Still, I feel the Bruins have what it takes to win this series in the long run. The first game of this series may have been slightly misleading I believe. Both teams were coming off of long layoffs after completing sweeps over the Flyers and Capitals respectively. Long layoffs in hockey aren't necessarily the best thing and usually provide some fairly wonky hockey. We saw just that in the first 20 minutes of play, especially from the Bruins. If you remove a 1:25 span in the first period then this was a 2 - 2 hockey game and played much more closely than the final score shows. Once again, this is the reason we play 7 game series in hockey and not a one game winner take all.
Let me start with the Lightning because to the victor go the spoils. Kudos to Tampa Bay for overcoming a long layoff and blitzing the Bruins in the first period of game 1. All around the Lightning played a solid road game and came away with a much needed win. Unfortunately, I just can't see this Lightning team continue to win hockey games on the backs of their 3rd and 4th lines. The Bergenheim, Downie, Moore line has looked more like Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen these past few weeks while racking up the points. Throw in Teddy Purcell who is second on the Lightning in playoff scoring and there is the reason why Tampa is where they are. Game 1 was a prime example as Bergenheim, Brett Clark, Purcell and Marc-Andre Bergeron provided the 4 goals past a tender (Gagne scored into an empty cage). The Bruins are a big and physical team that knows how to play solid defensively and get under the other teams skin. If past history predicts future behaviour then maybe we might see Steve Downie try and take his skate off and chase someone around the ice with it a la Happy Gilmore. If the Bruins are able to shut down Tampa's big line then I don't believe the secondary scoring is going to continue at the pace it has been.
The Bruins are a better fundamental hockey team, plain and simple. They proved over the long 82 game haul to be a fundamentally sound juggernaut with the second best goal differential in the NHL next to, surprise surprise, the Canucks. The Bruins should be able to keep pace offensively with the skilled Lightning team and have a much better back end (although that didn't shine through in game 1). The loss of Patrice Bergeron is monumental for this Bruins team, but Bergeron has been skating with the team and hopes to be back by game 3 possibly. The one bright spot with Bergeron's injury is young Tyler Seguin made a splash in his first playoff game, scoring a highlight reel goal and arguably being the Bruins best forward on the night. I expect Tim Thomas to elevate his game after laying a bit of an egg in game 1 and the rest of the Bruins to be much more efficient and accountable with the puck for the rest of the series. The Lightning won't go quietly into the night, but I like Boston to win a hard fought series.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 Vancouver Canucks VS 2 San Jose Sharks (Winner - Vancouver Canucks)
Well Canada, one way or another were going to get a Canadian team back to the Cup for the first time since the Oilers fell to the Hurricanes in '06. Wait, what was that? Are you saying San Jose isn't a Canadian team? Don't they have like half the roster off the Canadian Olympic team though? Well, I never was very good at geography anyway so I apologize for my faux pas. Either way, this series features the two best teams in the West without a doubt. On paper and on the ice the Sharks and Canucks have great skill, veteran leadership, youthful exuberance and, oh ya, they both came within 1 game of blowing 3 - 0 series leads.
These two teams are also probably the most criticized teams for playoff failures over the past decade. The Sharks boast a plethora of talent, and have for years now, headed up by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Yes, the same Thornton that has been labelled as someone who disappears come April and the same Marleau that was called 'gutless' by Jeremy Roenick for his play last series. The Canucks, on the other hand, feature the likes of the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo. Yes, that's the same Luongo that, despite backstopping Canada to an Olympic Gold, is still considered overrated because of his playoff track record. And yes, these are the same Sedin twins who have been called soft and underachievers once playoff time rolls around. Well, I'm here to tell you that someone is going to get the monkey off their back in this series. Either Thornton and Marleau or Luongo and the Sedin's must make the Stanley Cup Final this season, that is for sure. The question is, which one?
As much as I feel for Sharks fans as they have had to endure season after season of phenomenal hockey from October through early April, only to watch their team fold come playoff time, I think they are in for it again. This time, however, it is simply because they are up against the best. The Canucks staved off their nemesis in round 1, they overcame the raucous crowd in Nashville in round 2 and after overcoming a 2 - 1 third period deficit in game 1 to take the early lead in this series I'm truly a believer that this is our Stanley Cup winner. Like it or not Canada, the Cup should return to Canadian soil in just under a month. Luongo, despite his horrid giveaway to Thornton, looks poised and ready this playoff season. The Sedin twins are rounding back into form after a non-existent spell in the first and second rounds and the Canucks are getting production from their grind line as well. This team is just too good to lose. There isn't a team in the NHL that is able to beat the Vancouver Canucks this season except the Vancouver Canucks. As long as this team continues to work hard night in and night out, we'll see the Canucks play in and hoist the Stanley Cup this season.
Well, better late than never right? Game 1 of both series is in the books and the Lightning and Canucks hold one game leads respectively. By the end of next week I expect to see the Canucks continue their winning ways and send the Sharks home for the umpteenth time and the Bruins to grind out a long series win against the Lightning. The Stanley Cup Finals are right around the corner people, this is what hockey fans live for!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ovie VS Sid the Kid - How is Greatness Determined?
This years NHL playoff season has been overwhelming to say the least. The sixteen teams that began this incredible playoff run have left fans enamoured and lusting for more as the field has now been cut to seven with the seemingly premature exit of the Washington Capitals, a team most poolies had in the Eastern Conference Finals at the very least. With overtime becoming a nightly occurrence (already 20 OT games in under 2 rounds this year surpassing the 18 from last seasons entire playoff run) and predictability at an all time low, there isn't much more we could hope for in April or May. But amidst all the tension and the hype, there's something else that happened this playoff season that hasn't happened since the '06-'07 playoffs; Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were not both a part of it.
With the concussion Crosby sustained in early January and the rumours that he would probably not return no matter how deep the Penguins were able to advance this year, many perceived this as Ovechkin's moment for greatness. The Capitals seemed poised and ready for a deep playoff run led by their Russian phenom and Sid the Kid could only watch from the press box. Ovechkin and company clearly did not seize this moment as they were handily swept aside by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a fairly uneventful second round clash. For the fourth straight year the Capitals have dominated the regular season racking up four straight Southeast division titles, two Eastern Conference titles and a Presidents Trophy, yet have nothing more than a pair of first round wins over the NY Rangers to show for it in the post-season. At what point does the onus begin to fall squarely on the shoulders of Ovechkin, widely considered to share the title of the best player in the world with the aforementioned Crosby? With both of these superstars now on the outside looking in on the playoffs, I thought it fitting to take a glimpse at their young careers (Ovechkin is only 25 and Crosby 23) and see how the perceptions of these two hockey giants differ based upon wins and losses.
The Ovechkin-Crosby debate has become a staple among the hockey world since the two squared off against each other in the Gold Medal game of World Junior Championship in 2005. Crosby showed utter dominance in the QMJHL collecting 303 points in 121 games in just 2 seasons with Rimouski before being drafted number 1 overall by the Penguins in 2005 as one of the most coveted draft picks in recent memory. Ovechkin, taken number 1 the year prior to Crosby, was widely regarded as one of the most talented Russian's in the world and proved just that by leading Russia to a World Junior Gold Medal in 2003. In 2005 the hockey world got their first true glimpse at one of the greatest blossoming individual hockey rivalries of this era as Sid and Ovie took centre stage in Grand Forks to play for Gold. However, the much anticipated Russia-Canada and Ovechkin-Crosby matchup didn't quite have the muster that most people were so eager to see. Ovechkin was hurt midway through the second period and the Canadian juggernaut assembled because of the NHL lockout went on to dismantle the Russians 6 - 1. Round one goes to Crosby.
The next time fans would get a true taste of this rivalry would be the 2005 - '06 NHL regular season where, coming out of a lockout, the hockey God's quickly erased the negative memories of a work stoppage by creating an arms race for the Calder trophy. Ovechkin and Crosby dazzled fans and asserted themselves among the elite in the NHL immediately by posting 106 and 102 point seasons respectively. Ovechkin sniped 52 goals and fell just 4 short of Jonathan Cheechoo's 56 for the Rocket Richard trophy. Both superstars, however, were unable to lead their teams to playoff hockey and they finished next to each other in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Not surprisingly, Ovechkin was awarded the Calder trophy that June with Crosby finishing a close second. Round two to Ovechkin.
Rounds three and four of this heavyweight tilt seem to be split decisions as both stars became young legends individually. Crosby, fresh off his Calder trophy loss to Ovechkin, took the NHL by storm in '06-'07 and became the youngest NHL player in history to win the Art Ross trophy at 19 years of age. Crosby, joined by that years Calder winner Evgeni Malkin, would make up one of the most dangerous duos in hockey to this day and led the Penguins to a playoff birth. The 120 point season for Crosby would also earn him the Hart trophy and Lester B. Pearson award as the league's most outstanding player judged by the NHL players association. Not to be outdone, Ovechkin would win the Hart trophy, Lester B. Pearson award, Art Ross trophy and Rocket Richard trophy with 65 goals and 112 points in '07-'08. Ovechkin is still the only player in NHL history to capture all four awards in the same season and was able to lead the Caps to the playoffs that same year. The two had cemented themselves as the NHL's premier superstars and new faces of the game.
Following Ovechkin's record breaking season in '07-'08 it seems as though this argument of the greatest player in the game has seen a separation. It is extremely easy and difficult at the same time to make a case for either Crosby or Ovechkin as the greatest individual player in today's game solely based on individual numbers because the two are seemingly so equally matched. The only true separation between the two can be the achievements of the teams they have respectively led. Crosby captained the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup appearances and boasts a Stanley Cup ring. He will live on in Canadian hockey lore as the image of the 'Golden Goal' in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will be forever etched in the minds and hearts of the Canadian faithful. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has yet to reach a conference final with the Caps and was a part of one of the poorest Russian showings in an Olympic hockey game as they were embarrassed 7 - 3 by the Canadians in the quarterfinals. The talent level of each team is not in dispute either as the Capitals and Penguins have been powerhouses in the NHL for several years now and both the Russian and Canadian teams were slated to play for Gold.
In a game clearly defined as a 'team sport', individual greatness always seems to be represented by team wins and losses. Is it fair? No, probably not. Is it a reality? Yes, plain and simple. The greatest individual players in team sports are constantly defined by how they are able to perform in the post-season and how they are able to lead their teams to greatness. Legends like NFL hall of famer Dan Marino are forever slightly tarnished because of his inability to capture that career defining win. Is the perception of individual greatness within team sports one that needs to be redefined, or is it simply the mark of the true greats that they are able to seize that greatness and will their team to victory? The great debate will continue to rage on as it always has, continuing to beg the question of who is the best. It's early on in both their young careers and we expect many more years of excellence from both Ovie and Sid the Kid, but for now one must acknowledge that this two horse race has a clear cut thoroughbred in Crosby. Sid has emerged not only as one of the most talented players in the NHL today, but as a born leader and a true winner. Until Ovechkin is able to prove his worth in post-season hardware, it seems as though he will play second fiddle in the great debate to a much more seasoned and accomplished Crosby.
With the concussion Crosby sustained in early January and the rumours that he would probably not return no matter how deep the Penguins were able to advance this year, many perceived this as Ovechkin's moment for greatness. The Capitals seemed poised and ready for a deep playoff run led by their Russian phenom and Sid the Kid could only watch from the press box. Ovechkin and company clearly did not seize this moment as they were handily swept aside by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a fairly uneventful second round clash. For the fourth straight year the Capitals have dominated the regular season racking up four straight Southeast division titles, two Eastern Conference titles and a Presidents Trophy, yet have nothing more than a pair of first round wins over the NY Rangers to show for it in the post-season. At what point does the onus begin to fall squarely on the shoulders of Ovechkin, widely considered to share the title of the best player in the world with the aforementioned Crosby? With both of these superstars now on the outside looking in on the playoffs, I thought it fitting to take a glimpse at their young careers (Ovechkin is only 25 and Crosby 23) and see how the perceptions of these two hockey giants differ based upon wins and losses.
The Ovechkin-Crosby debate has become a staple among the hockey world since the two squared off against each other in the Gold Medal game of World Junior Championship in 2005. Crosby showed utter dominance in the QMJHL collecting 303 points in 121 games in just 2 seasons with Rimouski before being drafted number 1 overall by the Penguins in 2005 as one of the most coveted draft picks in recent memory. Ovechkin, taken number 1 the year prior to Crosby, was widely regarded as one of the most talented Russian's in the world and proved just that by leading Russia to a World Junior Gold Medal in 2003. In 2005 the hockey world got their first true glimpse at one of the greatest blossoming individual hockey rivalries of this era as Sid and Ovie took centre stage in Grand Forks to play for Gold. However, the much anticipated Russia-Canada and Ovechkin-Crosby matchup didn't quite have the muster that most people were so eager to see. Ovechkin was hurt midway through the second period and the Canadian juggernaut assembled because of the NHL lockout went on to dismantle the Russians 6 - 1. Round one goes to Crosby.
The next time fans would get a true taste of this rivalry would be the 2005 - '06 NHL regular season where, coming out of a lockout, the hockey God's quickly erased the negative memories of a work stoppage by creating an arms race for the Calder trophy. Ovechkin and Crosby dazzled fans and asserted themselves among the elite in the NHL immediately by posting 106 and 102 point seasons respectively. Ovechkin sniped 52 goals and fell just 4 short of Jonathan Cheechoo's 56 for the Rocket Richard trophy. Both superstars, however, were unable to lead their teams to playoff hockey and they finished next to each other in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Not surprisingly, Ovechkin was awarded the Calder trophy that June with Crosby finishing a close second. Round two to Ovechkin.
Rounds three and four of this heavyweight tilt seem to be split decisions as both stars became young legends individually. Crosby, fresh off his Calder trophy loss to Ovechkin, took the NHL by storm in '06-'07 and became the youngest NHL player in history to win the Art Ross trophy at 19 years of age. Crosby, joined by that years Calder winner Evgeni Malkin, would make up one of the most dangerous duos in hockey to this day and led the Penguins to a playoff birth. The 120 point season for Crosby would also earn him the Hart trophy and Lester B. Pearson award as the league's most outstanding player judged by the NHL players association. Not to be outdone, Ovechkin would win the Hart trophy, Lester B. Pearson award, Art Ross trophy and Rocket Richard trophy with 65 goals and 112 points in '07-'08. Ovechkin is still the only player in NHL history to capture all four awards in the same season and was able to lead the Caps to the playoffs that same year. The two had cemented themselves as the NHL's premier superstars and new faces of the game.
Following Ovechkin's record breaking season in '07-'08 it seems as though this argument of the greatest player in the game has seen a separation. It is extremely easy and difficult at the same time to make a case for either Crosby or Ovechkin as the greatest individual player in today's game solely based on individual numbers because the two are seemingly so equally matched. The only true separation between the two can be the achievements of the teams they have respectively led. Crosby captained the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup appearances and boasts a Stanley Cup ring. He will live on in Canadian hockey lore as the image of the 'Golden Goal' in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will be forever etched in the minds and hearts of the Canadian faithful. Ovechkin, meanwhile, has yet to reach a conference final with the Caps and was a part of one of the poorest Russian showings in an Olympic hockey game as they were embarrassed 7 - 3 by the Canadians in the quarterfinals. The talent level of each team is not in dispute either as the Capitals and Penguins have been powerhouses in the NHL for several years now and both the Russian and Canadian teams were slated to play for Gold.
In a game clearly defined as a 'team sport', individual greatness always seems to be represented by team wins and losses. Is it fair? No, probably not. Is it a reality? Yes, plain and simple. The greatest individual players in team sports are constantly defined by how they are able to perform in the post-season and how they are able to lead their teams to greatness. Legends like NFL hall of famer Dan Marino are forever slightly tarnished because of his inability to capture that career defining win. Is the perception of individual greatness within team sports one that needs to be redefined, or is it simply the mark of the true greats that they are able to seize that greatness and will their team to victory? The great debate will continue to rage on as it always has, continuing to beg the question of who is the best. It's early on in both their young careers and we expect many more years of excellence from both Ovie and Sid the Kid, but for now one must acknowledge that this two horse race has a clear cut thoroughbred in Crosby. Sid has emerged not only as one of the most talented players in the NHL today, but as a born leader and a true winner. Until Ovechkin is able to prove his worth in post-season hardware, it seems as though he will play second fiddle in the great debate to a much more seasoned and accomplished Crosby.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
First Round Frenzy Leads To Second Round Clash of the Titans
The first round came to an emphatic end last night with yet another game 7 overtime goal in Boston and a 1 - 0 nail biter in Pittsburgh. The past two weeks have epitomized the excellence of playoff hockey as we may have just witnessed the greatest and most exciting first round in NHL history. The 49 total games played in the first round as well as 9 straight days with an overtime game were both NHL records. Half of the series were pushed to a game 7, with 2 of those game 7's going into overtime, and 7 of the 8 series went at least 5 games with only the Detroit - Phoenix series finishing in a sweep. There is really no more fans could have asked for short of actually having some playoff hockey in Toronto, but that is a whole different story isn't it. Regardless, when the horn sounded on the Pittsburgh Penguins 1 - 0 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the hockey world had officially set its Conference semi-finals. The four series bring with it some intriguing matchups as the East and West both have rematches of last years Conference semi-finals. I went 5 - 3 in the first round losing out on 2 game 7's and laying an egg on the Coyotes. Here is the way I see the second round shaping up.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 Vancouver Canucks VS 5 Nashville Predators (Winner - Vancouver Canucks)
If you were a hockey fan you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. If you were a hockey fan with no affiliation to either team you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. If you were not a hockey fan and you didn't have much to do on Tuesday, you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. When Alex Burrows brought down Chris Campoli's horrible clearing attempt and slapped a rolling puck over the right shoulder of Corey Crawford you could literally feel a weight lift from wherever you were sitting, standing or jumping. The Vancouver Canucks had exorcised their Chicago demons and had avoided the most historic collapse of all time. Roberto Luongo had avoided, for now, the title of biggest choke artist and most overrated goaltender in the NHL. The Sedin twins were saved from an offseason of questions and concerns regarding how soft they play and their true leadership capabilities. Alain Vigneault's job itself was saved for at least one more series. Quite a lot was riding on that one fateful goal as you can see.
The reason I have gone on and on about the last series is because it fuels the reasoning for my pick in this series. The Canucks may be the loosest team coming into the 2nd round now. They have officially beaten their nemesis. I can sit here and shoot numbers out at you all day as to why the Canucks should win this series against Nashville now, but I won't because you already know they are far superior on paper. The simple fact is the Predators came into these playoffs with 1 thing on their mind: win a series. The Canucks came in also with 1 goal in mind: win the Stanley Cup. The Predators have accomplished their goal, the Canucks haven't yet. I believe we see the full coming of age of these Vancouver Canucks in this series. The Canucks win this series handily and await their opponent with their eyes fixed on the prize; Lord Stanley's mug.
2 San Jose Sharks VS 3 Detroit Red Wings (Winner - San Jose Sharks)
Our first rematch of the 2010 Conference semi-finals features 2 very different superpowers in the Sharks and Red Wings. The Sharks regular season success over the past several years has been overshadowed dramatically by their post-season failures. On the other hand, the Red Wings are 2 years off of a Stanley Cup win and have a long track record of knowing when to turn their game up a notch. However, this matchup doesn't seem to bode well for this particular Red Wing team. Last years 2nd round matchup saw the Sharks easily dispose of the Wings in 5 games and the Sharks followed that up by taking 3 of the 4 regular season games from the Wings this year. The Sharks clearly have the mental edge going into this series, but does that mean much against a veteran laden team like the Wings?
Both teams will be fairly well rested with the Sharks having 3 days rest and the Wings having a whopping 8 days off before the start of round 2. This could actually work in favor of the Sharks coming off a dramatic overtime game 6 win in Los Angeles on Monday to close out the Kings. The 8 days between games could allow the Wings to have a slight mental lapse which may end up costing them game 1 in San Jose. The Sharks are going to have to make sure their lacklustre power play from the first round, which was so good in the regular season, is firing on all cylinders against the Red Wings who allowed 6 power play goals in 4 games to the Coyotes. The goaltending battle should be fairly even with Niemi and Howard, so I look for this series to be high scoring and high intensity. We could be in for a 'whoever scores last wins' kind of series which should ultimately favor the Sharks. The slight edge in firepower and home ice advantage should carry the Sharks to the Conference final for a second year in a row.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 Washington Capitals VS 5 Tampa Bay Lightning (Winner - Washington Capitals)
The Caps - Lightning series seems to be flying under the radar slightly with the storylines coming out of the other 3 series. However, these two high octane offenses could prove to be one of the most exciting 2nd round matchups. The Lightning asserted themselves against the Penguins coming back from a 3 - 1 deficit to win the series in 7 games. Veteran Dwayne Roloson showed the hockey world why Steve Yzerman made the move to snag him from Long Island early in the season as he had the most saves of any goalie in the first round and had the best goals against average of any goalie that started every game for his team. This rock solid play in net combined with the stellar play of Hart trophy nominee Martin St. Louis and emergence of young superstar Steven Stamkos vaulted the Lightning past an injury depleted Penguins team. They are able to put up goals in a hurry and Roloson is a steadying force in net giving the Lightning a chance to win night in and night out.
The Capitals will pose quite a different threat to the Lightning than the Penguins. Without Crosby and Malkin in the linuep, the Pens relied heavily on positioning, defense and goaltending to win their series and the Lightning were able to exploit their offensive weaknesses. The Caps don't have the same weakness. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and even Mike Green's head seem to be just fine heading into the second round. The Caps easily disposed of the Rangers giving them ample rest before their clash with the Lightning whereas it took Tampa 7 gruelling games to get by Pittsburgh. I think the fatigue factor will come in to play in this series as it rolls along and favor Washington. Furthermore, the new look Caps attention to defense and ability to score should overwhelm Tampa Bay and give the Capitals the edge as they progress to the third round.
2 Philadelphia Flyers VS 3 Boston Bruins (Winner - Boston Bruins)
Well I'm going to use a quote by journalist Steve Rushin that I used when describing the Montreal - Boston series in the first round: "By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game One of the NHL playoff series". I don't like re-using material but this quote just seems so fitting once again to describe this series between 2 teams who are big, strong, physical and for all intense and purposes, mean. The Flyers made history last year and came back from a 3 - 0 deficit to beat the Bruins in 7 games. These two teams don't like each other and that will be very evident throughout this series. Chris Pronger is officially back for the Flyers which is great for Flyers fans especially with the problems they have in net. The three headed circus Philadelphia brought to the table in round one featuring Bobrovsky, Leighton and eventual game 7 winner Boucher will not fly against a much better Boston Bruin team. Pronger will definitely help out in the defensive end, but if their problems in goal continue the Flyers will have a tough time advancing.
On the other side, the Bruins came in as heavy favorites in round 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. Well, they didn't quite live up to the billing. The Bruins needed to comeback from a 2 - 0 series deficit and get an overtime goal from Nathan Horton in game 7 to advance to round two. Their power play was an abomination finishing without a goal in the first round, while Tim Thomas looked average at times. If the Bruins are going to win this series they will need to get leading scorer Milan Lucic going after Lucic was virtually non-existent against Montreal. They have the clear cut advantage in net with Thomas and I believe this is where the series will ultimately be won or lost. Thomas shows his Vezina form in round 2 and Chara wins the battle of the defensive beasts over Pronger as the Bruins get revenge for last years meltdown and move on to round three.
We are about half an hour away the start of round 2 and I think it should be a doozy. To recap I like the Canucks to assert their dominance against Nashville, the Sharks to continue their mastery over Detroit, the Caps to beat the Lightning and the Bruins to sneak by the Flyers. If the first round is indicative of how the rest of these playoffs are going to go, I can't wait! Let's do it now, turn on the TV's and let's watch some puck!
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 Vancouver Canucks VS 5 Nashville Predators (Winner - Vancouver Canucks)
If you were a hockey fan you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. If you were a hockey fan with no affiliation to either team you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. If you were not a hockey fan and you didn't have much to do on Tuesday, you were watching the Hawks-Canucks game 7. When Alex Burrows brought down Chris Campoli's horrible clearing attempt and slapped a rolling puck over the right shoulder of Corey Crawford you could literally feel a weight lift from wherever you were sitting, standing or jumping. The Vancouver Canucks had exorcised their Chicago demons and had avoided the most historic collapse of all time. Roberto Luongo had avoided, for now, the title of biggest choke artist and most overrated goaltender in the NHL. The Sedin twins were saved from an offseason of questions and concerns regarding how soft they play and their true leadership capabilities. Alain Vigneault's job itself was saved for at least one more series. Quite a lot was riding on that one fateful goal as you can see.
The reason I have gone on and on about the last series is because it fuels the reasoning for my pick in this series. The Canucks may be the loosest team coming into the 2nd round now. They have officially beaten their nemesis. I can sit here and shoot numbers out at you all day as to why the Canucks should win this series against Nashville now, but I won't because you already know they are far superior on paper. The simple fact is the Predators came into these playoffs with 1 thing on their mind: win a series. The Canucks came in also with 1 goal in mind: win the Stanley Cup. The Predators have accomplished their goal, the Canucks haven't yet. I believe we see the full coming of age of these Vancouver Canucks in this series. The Canucks win this series handily and await their opponent with their eyes fixed on the prize; Lord Stanley's mug.
2 San Jose Sharks VS 3 Detroit Red Wings (Winner - San Jose Sharks)
Our first rematch of the 2010 Conference semi-finals features 2 very different superpowers in the Sharks and Red Wings. The Sharks regular season success over the past several years has been overshadowed dramatically by their post-season failures. On the other hand, the Red Wings are 2 years off of a Stanley Cup win and have a long track record of knowing when to turn their game up a notch. However, this matchup doesn't seem to bode well for this particular Red Wing team. Last years 2nd round matchup saw the Sharks easily dispose of the Wings in 5 games and the Sharks followed that up by taking 3 of the 4 regular season games from the Wings this year. The Sharks clearly have the mental edge going into this series, but does that mean much against a veteran laden team like the Wings?
Both teams will be fairly well rested with the Sharks having 3 days rest and the Wings having a whopping 8 days off before the start of round 2. This could actually work in favor of the Sharks coming off a dramatic overtime game 6 win in Los Angeles on Monday to close out the Kings. The 8 days between games could allow the Wings to have a slight mental lapse which may end up costing them game 1 in San Jose. The Sharks are going to have to make sure their lacklustre power play from the first round, which was so good in the regular season, is firing on all cylinders against the Red Wings who allowed 6 power play goals in 4 games to the Coyotes. The goaltending battle should be fairly even with Niemi and Howard, so I look for this series to be high scoring and high intensity. We could be in for a 'whoever scores last wins' kind of series which should ultimately favor the Sharks. The slight edge in firepower and home ice advantage should carry the Sharks to the Conference final for a second year in a row.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 Washington Capitals VS 5 Tampa Bay Lightning (Winner - Washington Capitals)
The Caps - Lightning series seems to be flying under the radar slightly with the storylines coming out of the other 3 series. However, these two high octane offenses could prove to be one of the most exciting 2nd round matchups. The Lightning asserted themselves against the Penguins coming back from a 3 - 1 deficit to win the series in 7 games. Veteran Dwayne Roloson showed the hockey world why Steve Yzerman made the move to snag him from Long Island early in the season as he had the most saves of any goalie in the first round and had the best goals against average of any goalie that started every game for his team. This rock solid play in net combined with the stellar play of Hart trophy nominee Martin St. Louis and emergence of young superstar Steven Stamkos vaulted the Lightning past an injury depleted Penguins team. They are able to put up goals in a hurry and Roloson is a steadying force in net giving the Lightning a chance to win night in and night out.
The Capitals will pose quite a different threat to the Lightning than the Penguins. Without Crosby and Malkin in the linuep, the Pens relied heavily on positioning, defense and goaltending to win their series and the Lightning were able to exploit their offensive weaknesses. The Caps don't have the same weakness. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and even Mike Green's head seem to be just fine heading into the second round. The Caps easily disposed of the Rangers giving them ample rest before their clash with the Lightning whereas it took Tampa 7 gruelling games to get by Pittsburgh. I think the fatigue factor will come in to play in this series as it rolls along and favor Washington. Furthermore, the new look Caps attention to defense and ability to score should overwhelm Tampa Bay and give the Capitals the edge as they progress to the third round.
2 Philadelphia Flyers VS 3 Boston Bruins (Winner - Boston Bruins)
Well I'm going to use a quote by journalist Steve Rushin that I used when describing the Montreal - Boston series in the first round: "By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game One of the NHL playoff series". I don't like re-using material but this quote just seems so fitting once again to describe this series between 2 teams who are big, strong, physical and for all intense and purposes, mean. The Flyers made history last year and came back from a 3 - 0 deficit to beat the Bruins in 7 games. These two teams don't like each other and that will be very evident throughout this series. Chris Pronger is officially back for the Flyers which is great for Flyers fans especially with the problems they have in net. The three headed circus Philadelphia brought to the table in round one featuring Bobrovsky, Leighton and eventual game 7 winner Boucher will not fly against a much better Boston Bruin team. Pronger will definitely help out in the defensive end, but if their problems in goal continue the Flyers will have a tough time advancing.
On the other side, the Bruins came in as heavy favorites in round 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. Well, they didn't quite live up to the billing. The Bruins needed to comeback from a 2 - 0 series deficit and get an overtime goal from Nathan Horton in game 7 to advance to round two. Their power play was an abomination finishing without a goal in the first round, while Tim Thomas looked average at times. If the Bruins are going to win this series they will need to get leading scorer Milan Lucic going after Lucic was virtually non-existent against Montreal. They have the clear cut advantage in net with Thomas and I believe this is where the series will ultimately be won or lost. Thomas shows his Vezina form in round 2 and Chara wins the battle of the defensive beasts over Pronger as the Bruins get revenge for last years meltdown and move on to round three.
We are about half an hour away the start of round 2 and I think it should be a doozy. To recap I like the Canucks to assert their dominance against Nashville, the Sharks to continue their mastery over Detroit, the Caps to beat the Lightning and the Bruins to sneak by the Flyers. If the first round is indicative of how the rest of these playoffs are going to go, I can't wait! Let's do it now, turn on the TV's and let's watch some puck!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Canucks on the Verge Historic Collapse
Lord Stanley's glorious mug has circulated throughout the hockey world for over a century since the Lord Stanley of Preston donated the cup in 1892. The significance of having one's name inscribed on this magnificent trophy of trophies is far beyond words for the players who compete year in and year out at the highest level of hockey in the world. For the country who considers hockey to be 'our game', Canada has been starved for almost 2 decades as the Stanley Cup has not been presented to a Canadian team since Patrick Roy led the Montreal Canadiens to hockey glory in the '92 - '93 season. This insatiable lust for hockey glory that resides within many Canadians looked as though it had its best chance at being quenched this playoff season as our West coast brothers from Vancouver asserted their dominance over a remarkable regular season and continued that supremacy through the first 3 games of these playoffs. Now for the bad news. We may be witnessing the greatest collective collapse in the history of the National Hockey League.
I have heard for a few days now about the Chicago Blackhawks and their grit, determination and heart. I've listened as people have talked about their will to win and their ability to raise their game to another level and how their perseverance and courage will vault them into another class in hockey history. Well, frankly I am sick and tired of hearing about it. I don't want to talk about the Chicago Blackhawks of today, the Philadelphia Flyers of last year, the 1975 New York Islanders or the even the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. I want to focus my efforts on describing how tonight's game 7 will determine whether or not the Vancouver Canucks will live on in hockey lore as the biggest goats of all time. I want to talk about last years Boston Bruins, the 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1942 Detroit Red Wings who all suffered the same fate as the Canucks face tonight, and illustrate how a Canuck loss would put them front and centre as the most epic collapse in NHL history.
Going chronologically, the first team in NHL history to blow a 3 - 0 series lead was the 1941 - '42 Detroit Red Wings. Good on them for even being up 3 - 0 in the series is the way I look at it. The powerhouse Leafs came in 2nd in the NHL that year while the Wings finished 5th and were 8 wins and 15 points back of the Leafs. The Leafs were led that year by future Hall of Famers Turk Broda and Syl Apps and were clearly the more superior team to the Wings on paper. The meltdown by Detroit was not expected by any means, but can be forgiven in some respects when looking at the facts.
The 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins received the same rude awakening as the '42 Wings when Denis Potvin and company from Long Island stormed back down 3 - 0 to win their quarterfinal matchup. The Pens and Islanders were separated by only 1 point that year during the regular season and it was a tale of 2 very different teams. The offensively gifted Penguins went up against the defensive minded squad from Long Island in a battle of 2 separate hockey identities. The series was hard fought and the islanders prevailed after giving up 14 goals in their first 3 losses, the Isles clamped down defensively and gave up a mere 4 goals in their 4 wins. Even though the Pens arguably wear the crown as the biggest goat in hockey history to this point, the two teams were fairly evenly matched and lightning seemed to strike at the right time for the Islanders.
Finally, last years magical run by the Philadelphia Flyers encompassed a 2nd round 'upset' much to the chagrin of the Boston Bruins. The Flyers, led by Chris Pronger and playoff phenom Michael Leighton, stormed back down 3 - 0 to Boston and capped their epic series comeback by overcoming a 3 - 0 deficit in game 7 as well. The Flyers would continue on to the Stanley Cup and would only be stopped by, guess who, the Chicago Blackhawks. Once again, however, when breaking down the Flyers-Bruins series one can easily see how these two teams matched up well and the expectation was a hard fought and long series. The Bruins finished 6th in the Eastern Conference with the Flyers finishing only 3 points behind them in 7th. The Flyers actually had 2 more regular season wins than the Bruins and had a better goal differential. It's fairly obvious that much like the Pens-Isles series in '75 that these two teams were fairly evenly matched. This is not to devalue the accomplishments of the Leafs, Isles or Flyers teams that were able to come back from down 3 games because it has only happened 3 times in hockey history. But my point here is that the Vancouver Canucks meltdown will far exceed the previous 3 meltdowns.
Let's first discuss the hard facts in this years Hawks-Canucks matchup. The Canucks finished the regular season as President's Trophy winners and finished 10 full points ahead of the Washington Capitals for regular season supremacy. The Canucks led the NHL in goals for and goals against while boasting the NHL's number 1 ranked power play and number 2 ranked penalty kill. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, sat back and watched as an oddly inspired Minnesota Wild team beat the Dallas Stars in the last game of the NHL's regular season allowing the Hawks to backdoor into the playoffs with 20 points fewer than the Canucks. Furthermore, the Canucks possess the last 2 Art Ross trophy winners, most likely the last 2 Hart trophy winners and an Olympic gold medal winning goaltender. The Blackhawks counter with a rookie netminder and a team decimated by an offseason fire sale that saw many of its key playoff contributors move on to other teams. The series was really over before it started; or so we thought.
Getting past the numbers game this series becomes even more intriguing as most of us should already know the immediate history between these two teams. The Chicago Blackhawks are essentially the reason why the hockey world has ever questioned Roberto Luongo in his quest to become the premier goaltender in the NHL. The past 2 seasons, in animosity filled series I might add, the Hawks have sent the Canucks to the links. The undertone to the series this year, even if the Canucks didn't acknowledge it publicly, was to make the Hawks pay and taste the same sour taste of defeat that has been left in Vancouver in back-to-back years now. Unfortunately, Apollo Creed had Rocky on the ropes and just hasn't been able to throw the knockout punch.
If the Canucks are able to complete this disastrous meltdown tonight and are sent home for a third time in three years it would be the most catastrophic happenstance in Vancouver hockey as well as the greatest collapse of any hockey franchise in NHL history. Tonight's game 7 means so much more than just who advances to the second round. Tonight is a career defining game for Roberto Luongo. After the shame of being pulled in back-to-back games, followed by not starting game 6 and still giving up the game winner, Luongo and his decade long contract will be a tough sell in Vancouver. This loss will follow the Canadian tender for the rest of his career and will be an enormous burden to carry. The Sedin twins can throw their hat in the mix with Luongo as reports have surfaced that they travelled to Sweden after game 3 and have yet to return this series. These 3 marquee players must step up for themselves, their teammates, the franchise, the city of Vancouver and Canadians alike who are starved for a Stanley Cup winner on home soil (yes I know the Habs are still in but I am being realistic). No pressure though. Good luck Vancouver. May your sticks be solid, your gloves be quick and God forbid you come out on the wrong end of the score sheet tonight, don't bother coming back.
I have heard for a few days now about the Chicago Blackhawks and their grit, determination and heart. I've listened as people have talked about their will to win and their ability to raise their game to another level and how their perseverance and courage will vault them into another class in hockey history. Well, frankly I am sick and tired of hearing about it. I don't want to talk about the Chicago Blackhawks of today, the Philadelphia Flyers of last year, the 1975 New York Islanders or the even the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. I want to focus my efforts on describing how tonight's game 7 will determine whether or not the Vancouver Canucks will live on in hockey lore as the biggest goats of all time. I want to talk about last years Boston Bruins, the 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1942 Detroit Red Wings who all suffered the same fate as the Canucks face tonight, and illustrate how a Canuck loss would put them front and centre as the most epic collapse in NHL history.
Going chronologically, the first team in NHL history to blow a 3 - 0 series lead was the 1941 - '42 Detroit Red Wings. Good on them for even being up 3 - 0 in the series is the way I look at it. The powerhouse Leafs came in 2nd in the NHL that year while the Wings finished 5th and were 8 wins and 15 points back of the Leafs. The Leafs were led that year by future Hall of Famers Turk Broda and Syl Apps and were clearly the more superior team to the Wings on paper. The meltdown by Detroit was not expected by any means, but can be forgiven in some respects when looking at the facts.
The 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins received the same rude awakening as the '42 Wings when Denis Potvin and company from Long Island stormed back down 3 - 0 to win their quarterfinal matchup. The Pens and Islanders were separated by only 1 point that year during the regular season and it was a tale of 2 very different teams. The offensively gifted Penguins went up against the defensive minded squad from Long Island in a battle of 2 separate hockey identities. The series was hard fought and the islanders prevailed after giving up 14 goals in their first 3 losses, the Isles clamped down defensively and gave up a mere 4 goals in their 4 wins. Even though the Pens arguably wear the crown as the biggest goat in hockey history to this point, the two teams were fairly evenly matched and lightning seemed to strike at the right time for the Islanders.
Finally, last years magical run by the Philadelphia Flyers encompassed a 2nd round 'upset' much to the chagrin of the Boston Bruins. The Flyers, led by Chris Pronger and playoff phenom Michael Leighton, stormed back down 3 - 0 to Boston and capped their epic series comeback by overcoming a 3 - 0 deficit in game 7 as well. The Flyers would continue on to the Stanley Cup and would only be stopped by, guess who, the Chicago Blackhawks. Once again, however, when breaking down the Flyers-Bruins series one can easily see how these two teams matched up well and the expectation was a hard fought and long series. The Bruins finished 6th in the Eastern Conference with the Flyers finishing only 3 points behind them in 7th. The Flyers actually had 2 more regular season wins than the Bruins and had a better goal differential. It's fairly obvious that much like the Pens-Isles series in '75 that these two teams were fairly evenly matched. This is not to devalue the accomplishments of the Leafs, Isles or Flyers teams that were able to come back from down 3 games because it has only happened 3 times in hockey history. But my point here is that the Vancouver Canucks meltdown will far exceed the previous 3 meltdowns.
Let's first discuss the hard facts in this years Hawks-Canucks matchup. The Canucks finished the regular season as President's Trophy winners and finished 10 full points ahead of the Washington Capitals for regular season supremacy. The Canucks led the NHL in goals for and goals against while boasting the NHL's number 1 ranked power play and number 2 ranked penalty kill. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, sat back and watched as an oddly inspired Minnesota Wild team beat the Dallas Stars in the last game of the NHL's regular season allowing the Hawks to backdoor into the playoffs with 20 points fewer than the Canucks. Furthermore, the Canucks possess the last 2 Art Ross trophy winners, most likely the last 2 Hart trophy winners and an Olympic gold medal winning goaltender. The Blackhawks counter with a rookie netminder and a team decimated by an offseason fire sale that saw many of its key playoff contributors move on to other teams. The series was really over before it started; or so we thought.
Getting past the numbers game this series becomes even more intriguing as most of us should already know the immediate history between these two teams. The Chicago Blackhawks are essentially the reason why the hockey world has ever questioned Roberto Luongo in his quest to become the premier goaltender in the NHL. The past 2 seasons, in animosity filled series I might add, the Hawks have sent the Canucks to the links. The undertone to the series this year, even if the Canucks didn't acknowledge it publicly, was to make the Hawks pay and taste the same sour taste of defeat that has been left in Vancouver in back-to-back years now. Unfortunately, Apollo Creed had Rocky on the ropes and just hasn't been able to throw the knockout punch.
If the Canucks are able to complete this disastrous meltdown tonight and are sent home for a third time in three years it would be the most catastrophic happenstance in Vancouver hockey as well as the greatest collapse of any hockey franchise in NHL history. Tonight's game 7 means so much more than just who advances to the second round. Tonight is a career defining game for Roberto Luongo. After the shame of being pulled in back-to-back games, followed by not starting game 6 and still giving up the game winner, Luongo and his decade long contract will be a tough sell in Vancouver. This loss will follow the Canadian tender for the rest of his career and will be an enormous burden to carry. The Sedin twins can throw their hat in the mix with Luongo as reports have surfaced that they travelled to Sweden after game 3 and have yet to return this series. These 3 marquee players must step up for themselves, their teammates, the franchise, the city of Vancouver and Canadians alike who are starved for a Stanley Cup winner on home soil (yes I know the Habs are still in but I am being realistic). No pressure though. Good luck Vancouver. May your sticks be solid, your gloves be quick and God forbid you come out on the wrong end of the score sheet tonight, don't bother coming back.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Pipe Dreams - Where Have All the Goalies Gone?
So I wasn't sure if anyone was actually reading these blogs or not, but after my post regarding the monotony of game 1's in the NHL playoffs I am starting to believe I may have an avid following of NHL players, coaches and, more specifically, goaltenders alike. Here is an excerpt from that particular post: "if the eight game 1's are any indication of what is to come we may be in for a low scoring and borderline monotonous opening round of the playoffs." Boy oh boy did I not fully anticipate what was to come in the near future. Since I took my stand against the dull and lifeless opening of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, teams have combined to score 223 goals in 34 games. That works out to be almost 6.6 goals per game on average. Now please, don't get me wrong, I don't deserve all of the credit for revitalizing playoff hockey and rescuing it from the depths of borderline boredom. I shouldn't be praised either for waking up any sleeping giants and salvaging the NHL from being compared to an offensively explosive and riveting game of soccer. So what can account for this offensive barrage at a time when fans fully expect the games to be lower scoring and tighter checking? Ummm, I can think of one fairly obvious explanation; the goaltending has been awful!
This April has got to be the worst display of goaltending in recent playoff memory. Only one series is complete at this point and already we have managed to see 10 different games in which a starting goaltender has been pulled from a game. There have only been 42 games played people. I think you can do the easy math and figure out that a goalie pulled once in every four games isn't quite synonymous with playoff hockey is it? Here is the quick and dirty list of playoff performances to forget this year.
At this point we can look to only 2 series where the goaltending has been consistently decent: Washington - New York and Boston - Montreal. All 6 other series have either had goaltenders pulled, starters changed, or in the case of Ilya Bryzgalov a failure to change the starter may have been the downfall in Phoenix. Any way you look at it, it feels as though we are witnessing the emergence of some old time hockey. The death of the goaltender era, a changing of the guard from defense to offense, however you want to put it; it may in fact be upon us. No longer are we seeing Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Ed Belfour of the 90's carry teams year after year to playoff glory. It is beginning to feel like the Oiler's of the 80's where Grant Fuhr won a Vezina trophy with a 3.43 gaa and an .881 save percentage. Are you serious?
If you look at the previous 10 winners of the Vezina trophy, 6 different goaltenders have received the award with the only repeat winner being the aforementioned Brodeur who has claimed 4 of those. With Brodeur seemingly being at the end of his storied career, I'm not sure if there is a legitimate threat to take over the claim as the greatest goalie in the NHL. Is it Roberto Luongo? Bobby Lou has all the numbers and a gold medal to his name, but can he win in the playoffs? Well judging by Cory Schneider's start in game 6 it doesn't seem like Canucks upper management thinks so. Is it Tim Thomas? Well let's just say this guy wasn't even allowed to start in between years where he could possibly win 2 Vezina's, go figure. How about Carey Price? See similar reasoning to Tim Thomas and Roberto Loungo, combine them both and you have Carey Price.
The bottom line is this revolving door of masked men has severely changed the complexion of playoff hockey. A decade ago the Hasek's, Belfour's, Brodeur's and Roy's captivated us with a constant onslaught of stellar regular seasons and deep playoff runs. Today's fan is merely looking for the next Michael Leighton or Antti Niemi, someone to get hot and give their team just enough to win. Where does this flaw in hockey logic stem from? Isn't it clear that better goaltenders will always be better goaltenders? Or is it possible the game itself has changed so much that goaltending can be in a constant state of flux and a team can still be successful? We've watched as the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers have been two of the more successful teams over the past few years and I don't have enough fingers or toes to count all the tenders they have used combined. The shift in today's game seems clear: substitute goaltending for offensive firepower and bring in more fans. It was clear with last year's Stanley Cup winners as the Blackhawks went to arbitration with Niemi and declined to pay him what seemed to be a reasonable amount for a young and talented goaltender who has just won a Stanley Cup.
I'm not sure if I am biased because I grew up with the game of the 90's watching the Jersey trap and Hasek's acrobats, but I love the 2 - 1 nail biters. The gritty game where every mistake looms so large because getting pucks past the tailors of the tangled twine (to steal a quote from Joe Bowen) was virtually impossible. Today you sometimes need a calculator and your own score book to keep up. I realize high octane offenses bring in fans, but I still can't help but feel we lose something from within the game when we lose faith in the last line of defense. Confidence levels must be at an all time low for goaltenders around the league with the knowledge that this game could be their last. That's how I feel the games changed, the hockey world seems to have lost faith in goaltending itself, and consequently it seems that goaltending has lost faith in hockey.
This April has got to be the worst display of goaltending in recent playoff memory. Only one series is complete at this point and already we have managed to see 10 different games in which a starting goaltender has been pulled from a game. There have only been 42 games played people. I think you can do the easy math and figure out that a goalie pulled once in every four games isn't quite synonymous with playoff hockey is it? Here is the quick and dirty list of playoff performances to forget this year.
- Bobrovsky in game 2 -- 3 goals on 7 shots
- Boucher in game 5 -- 3 goals on 11 shots
- Leighton in game 6 -- 3 goals on 8 shots
- Fleury in game 5 -- 4 goals on 14 shots
- Luongo in game 4 -- 6 goals on 28 shots
- Luongo in game 5 -- 4 goals on 12 shots
- Niemi in game 3 -- 4 goals on 10 shots
- Niemi in game 5 -- 3 goals on 4 shots
- Ellis in game 1 -- 4 goals on 24 shots
- Rinne in game 4 -- 6 goals on 29 shots
At this point we can look to only 2 series where the goaltending has been consistently decent: Washington - New York and Boston - Montreal. All 6 other series have either had goaltenders pulled, starters changed, or in the case of Ilya Bryzgalov a failure to change the starter may have been the downfall in Phoenix. Any way you look at it, it feels as though we are witnessing the emergence of some old time hockey. The death of the goaltender era, a changing of the guard from defense to offense, however you want to put it; it may in fact be upon us. No longer are we seeing Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Ed Belfour of the 90's carry teams year after year to playoff glory. It is beginning to feel like the Oiler's of the 80's where Grant Fuhr won a Vezina trophy with a 3.43 gaa and an .881 save percentage. Are you serious?
If you look at the previous 10 winners of the Vezina trophy, 6 different goaltenders have received the award with the only repeat winner being the aforementioned Brodeur who has claimed 4 of those. With Brodeur seemingly being at the end of his storied career, I'm not sure if there is a legitimate threat to take over the claim as the greatest goalie in the NHL. Is it Roberto Luongo? Bobby Lou has all the numbers and a gold medal to his name, but can he win in the playoffs? Well judging by Cory Schneider's start in game 6 it doesn't seem like Canucks upper management thinks so. Is it Tim Thomas? Well let's just say this guy wasn't even allowed to start in between years where he could possibly win 2 Vezina's, go figure. How about Carey Price? See similar reasoning to Tim Thomas and Roberto Loungo, combine them both and you have Carey Price.
The bottom line is this revolving door of masked men has severely changed the complexion of playoff hockey. A decade ago the Hasek's, Belfour's, Brodeur's and Roy's captivated us with a constant onslaught of stellar regular seasons and deep playoff runs. Today's fan is merely looking for the next Michael Leighton or Antti Niemi, someone to get hot and give their team just enough to win. Where does this flaw in hockey logic stem from? Isn't it clear that better goaltenders will always be better goaltenders? Or is it possible the game itself has changed so much that goaltending can be in a constant state of flux and a team can still be successful? We've watched as the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers have been two of the more successful teams over the past few years and I don't have enough fingers or toes to count all the tenders they have used combined. The shift in today's game seems clear: substitute goaltending for offensive firepower and bring in more fans. It was clear with last year's Stanley Cup winners as the Blackhawks went to arbitration with Niemi and declined to pay him what seemed to be a reasonable amount for a young and talented goaltender who has just won a Stanley Cup.
I'm not sure if I am biased because I grew up with the game of the 90's watching the Jersey trap and Hasek's acrobats, but I love the 2 - 1 nail biters. The gritty game where every mistake looms so large because getting pucks past the tailors of the tangled twine (to steal a quote from Joe Bowen) was virtually impossible. Today you sometimes need a calculator and your own score book to keep up. I realize high octane offenses bring in fans, but I still can't help but feel we lose something from within the game when we lose faith in the last line of defense. Confidence levels must be at an all time low for goaltenders around the league with the knowledge that this game could be their last. That's how I feel the games changed, the hockey world seems to have lost faith in goaltending itself, and consequently it seems that goaltending has lost faith in hockey.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
First Round Marred By Suspension Debate
Playoff hockey is in full gear and this year's group of sixteen hasn't disappointed thus far. We've witnessed magnificent goals, stunning goaltending, suffocating defense and hard hitting action throughout the first half of round one. The Blackhawks and Coyotes are on the verge of being swept out of the playoffs while the other six series are locked in entertaining and heart stopping battles. Unfortunately, the common fan may not bear witness to all these tremendously positive storylines as the first week of the playoffs has been seemingly overrun with negativity. Daily headlines haven't surrounded winners and losers, great goals or saves, but rather have focused in on injuries and suspensions.
The first round of this years Stanley Cup playoffs has already seen four separate players receive disciplinary action adding up to a total of 5 lost games, with a fifth player narrowly and controversially avoiding a suspension. The epidemic that has become the National Hockey League must be stopped before our children and our children's children fall victim to this wicked tyrant. Air Canada, as we speak, is pulling the plug on their sponsorship and has even gone as far as to say they will cease flying in or out of North America if the league does not step in and put in place concrete preventative measures for their players safety.
Is anyone still reading this? If you are, I think you can clearly see how ridiculous all this sounds, but I sometimes feel this way when reading people's comments about suspensions and 'vicious' hits in hockey. The bottom line is there are millions of people who believe they should be in charge of disciplining players in the NHL (most of which have never strapped on a pair of skates) and feel Colin Campbell and company aren't doing it properly. Well, when we get past all the whining and outlandish statements, I may tend to agree to a certain extent with some of them. The subjectivity of suspensions seems to be front and centre in this years playoffs, so I wanted to take a look at each suspension, and the one non-suspension, to see if I could figure out the rationale behind the decisions.
Jarret Stoll on Ian White
I thought I would start with the Stoll hit as it was the first that received any disciplinary action in these playoffs. I also believe it was arguably the worst of all the hits. For those who didn't see the hit, during game 1 of the Sharks-Kings series Stoll ran Ian White from behind and drove his head into the end boards with his elbow. I say this was arguably the worst of the hits because of the nature surrounding hits from behind in the NHL and really throughout all of hockey. The damage that hitting a defenceless player from behind can inflict far exceeds most instances of body contact which is why minor hockey has placed large red stop signs on the backs of all jerseys. The NHL has gone to vast lengths to try and remove hits from behind from hockey and this check was clearly from behind as White had his back to Stoll for several seconds and Stoll took several steps before drilling White behind the net.
The other issue here is the idea that the punishment should fit the crime. This is where the real subjectivity comes to play when comparing suspensions but for now we will just look at the Stoll hit. Ian White was clearly hurt after this hit as he was barely able to get up under his own power and looked very shaken up. White did not return to the game and was ruled out of game 2 as well with what can only be assumed to be a concussion. The notion that a severe hit from behind causing injury can only render a one game suspension does not seem to add up in the minds of many people. As we move forward and look at the other suspensions and hits it becomes even more glaring how this hit was given leniency possibly because of the time of year.
Steve Downie on Ben Lovejoy & Chris Kunitz on Simon Gagne
The second and third hits are out of chronological order but they go along with the subjective nature of suspensions in the NHL and possible leniency based upon the time of year. Steve Downie and Chris Kunitz both received one game suspensions following game 3 of the Penguins-Lightning series for their hits on Ben Lovejoy and Simon Gagne respectively. Neither Lovejoy nor Gagne appears to be injured following their hits which are about the only positive thing one could say about them. The Downie hit happened behind the Pittsburgh net as Ben Lovejoy went to retrieve the puck; Downie came full speed from the hash marks and obliterated Lovejoy while leaving his feet to do so. Leaving your feet when checking an opposing player is illegal and brings with it a charging penalty, however, the vicious nature of this particular hit brought with it a one game suspension. We will see the difference between leaving your feet and not doing so when we look at the Raffi Torres hit as there are many similarities between the two other than having one's feet on the ground. This all seems fairly standard until you consider Downie's history:
The other suspension coming from game 3 in that series goes to Chris Kunitz of the Penguins for his elbow to Simon Gagne's head. Kunitz also received a 1 game suspension which once again seems far too lenient when looking at the hit. Gagne came across the edge of the crease and as he lost the puck Kunitz, who was a foot or two away from Gagne, reached out his elbow into Gagne's head as the two crossed paths. I'm not sure what Kunitz is thinking at this point, but this hit can only be considered a blatant attempt to injure another player. The two weren't close enough for an actual body check and Kunitz made no attempt with any other part of his body other than his elbow to make contact with Gagne. For a league that has continuously discussed protecting their players from headshots it is hits like these, the blatant attempts on another player's head, which should be made examples of. Both Kunitz and Downie, for different reasons, should most definitely have been given harsher disciplinary penalties. Unfortunately, during playoff time in the NHL it seems there are a slightly different set of rules inside and outside the game.
Raffi Torres on Brent Seabrook
The Raffi Torres hit on Brent Seabrook is the only one being looked at that did not garner a suspension. The hit was reminiscent of Steve Downie's hit on Ben Lovejoy as Torres wiped out Seabrook behind the Blackhawks net as he was playing the puck. The crucial difference between the two hits was Torres keeping his feet on the ground and leading with his shoulder. Whether you agree with the rules put in place by the National Hockey League or not, you cannot argue that Torres' hit was not a legal one. The unfortunate nature surrounding the hit is that Seabrook eventually had to leave the game and subsequently missed game 4 as well. But people have to keep in mind that this is a physical game and injuries are going to be a part of it. I compare this hit to Scott Stevens on Eric Lindros in the '99-'00 playoffs which put Lindros' career in severe peril. However, hockey players have to understand where they are on the ice and must be aware of their surroundings. It is imperative not only for the player throwing the check, but for the player receiving the check to have a heightened sense of awareness of who is around him. The old saying goes 'never skate with your head down' for a reason, because that is when injuries occur. If the league wants to address hits where a player is 'legally' blindsided then that is something to do in the future. In this instance, Raffi Torres was well within the rules of the game leading with his shoulder and hitting a player from the front. It is just an unfortunate repercussion that Brent Seabrook was injured on the play.
Bobby Ryan on Jonathan Blum
The final suspension I want to discuss doesn't even involve a body check and yet Ryan received the most games (2) out of all the players suspended so far. Ryan was suspended for stomping on the foot of Jonathan Blum behind the Nashville net. Now, I am in no way condoning what Bobby Ryan did whatsoever. I believe it was pure stupidity that Ryan thought, out of frustration or not, that using a blade in a stomping motion would be alright. Furthermore, there is some severe precedent that has already been set for issues of stomping as Chris Simon and Chris Pronger have both had suspensions of 30 games and 8 games respectively for stomping on players. Granted, Ryan's particular stomp was not as comparable to those two, but there still have been examples set. What I don't understand is how Colin Campbell is able to justify that Bobby Ryan's stomp, which rendered no penalty or injury to Blum, is more serious than Jarret Stoll's brutal hit from behind which left Ian White injured, Steve Downie's best torpedo impression or Chris Kunitz's blatant attempt to injure with his elbow?
The issue is not whether all of these hits and stomps deserved disciplinary actions, but rather the justifications behind the suspensions that were handed down. I think fans and players alike are constantly confused by the NHL and the methods they are using to hand down punishments. It clearly is not a black and white profession and I respect Campbell and anyone else in a similar position, however, there needs to be some parody in respect to these punishments in order to rectify the situation itself. If the NHL continues to place such an emphasis on removing head shots and blatant attempts to injure from the game then they must be responsible for handing out punishments worthy of the crime. It's just one guys opinion I know, but I find it hard to see the logic in some of these suspensions especially when compared to each other. Other then that though I am loving this first round! Keep it coming boys!
The first round of this years Stanley Cup playoffs has already seen four separate players receive disciplinary action adding up to a total of 5 lost games, with a fifth player narrowly and controversially avoiding a suspension. The epidemic that has become the National Hockey League must be stopped before our children and our children's children fall victim to this wicked tyrant. Air Canada, as we speak, is pulling the plug on their sponsorship and has even gone as far as to say they will cease flying in or out of North America if the league does not step in and put in place concrete preventative measures for their players safety.
Is anyone still reading this? If you are, I think you can clearly see how ridiculous all this sounds, but I sometimes feel this way when reading people's comments about suspensions and 'vicious' hits in hockey. The bottom line is there are millions of people who believe they should be in charge of disciplining players in the NHL (most of which have never strapped on a pair of skates) and feel Colin Campbell and company aren't doing it properly. Well, when we get past all the whining and outlandish statements, I may tend to agree to a certain extent with some of them. The subjectivity of suspensions seems to be front and centre in this years playoffs, so I wanted to take a look at each suspension, and the one non-suspension, to see if I could figure out the rationale behind the decisions.
Jarret Stoll on Ian White
I thought I would start with the Stoll hit as it was the first that received any disciplinary action in these playoffs. I also believe it was arguably the worst of all the hits. For those who didn't see the hit, during game 1 of the Sharks-Kings series Stoll ran Ian White from behind and drove his head into the end boards with his elbow. I say this was arguably the worst of the hits because of the nature surrounding hits from behind in the NHL and really throughout all of hockey. The damage that hitting a defenceless player from behind can inflict far exceeds most instances of body contact which is why minor hockey has placed large red stop signs on the backs of all jerseys. The NHL has gone to vast lengths to try and remove hits from behind from hockey and this check was clearly from behind as White had his back to Stoll for several seconds and Stoll took several steps before drilling White behind the net.
The other issue here is the idea that the punishment should fit the crime. This is where the real subjectivity comes to play when comparing suspensions but for now we will just look at the Stoll hit. Ian White was clearly hurt after this hit as he was barely able to get up under his own power and looked very shaken up. White did not return to the game and was ruled out of game 2 as well with what can only be assumed to be a concussion. The notion that a severe hit from behind causing injury can only render a one game suspension does not seem to add up in the minds of many people. As we move forward and look at the other suspensions and hits it becomes even more glaring how this hit was given leniency possibly because of the time of year.
Steve Downie on Ben Lovejoy & Chris Kunitz on Simon Gagne
The second and third hits are out of chronological order but they go along with the subjective nature of suspensions in the NHL and possible leniency based upon the time of year. Steve Downie and Chris Kunitz both received one game suspensions following game 3 of the Penguins-Lightning series for their hits on Ben Lovejoy and Simon Gagne respectively. Neither Lovejoy nor Gagne appears to be injured following their hits which are about the only positive thing one could say about them. The Downie hit happened behind the Pittsburgh net as Ben Lovejoy went to retrieve the puck; Downie came full speed from the hash marks and obliterated Lovejoy while leaving his feet to do so. Leaving your feet when checking an opposing player is illegal and brings with it a charging penalty, however, the vicious nature of this particular hit brought with it a one game suspension. We will see the difference between leaving your feet and not doing so when we look at the Raffi Torres hit as there are many similarities between the two other than having one's feet on the ground. This all seems fairly standard until you consider Downie's history:
- Suspended 5 games in the OHL for cross checking teammate Akim Aliu during practice and knocking out 3 teeth because Aliu would not participate in a hazing tradition.
- Suspended 20 games in the 2007 preseason for deliberate attempt to injure by leaving his feet and hitting Senators forward Dead McAmmond behind the net.
- Suspended 20 games in 2009 for slashing a linesman while playing for the Norfolk Admirals after a controversial empty net goal
The other suspension coming from game 3 in that series goes to Chris Kunitz of the Penguins for his elbow to Simon Gagne's head. Kunitz also received a 1 game suspension which once again seems far too lenient when looking at the hit. Gagne came across the edge of the crease and as he lost the puck Kunitz, who was a foot or two away from Gagne, reached out his elbow into Gagne's head as the two crossed paths. I'm not sure what Kunitz is thinking at this point, but this hit can only be considered a blatant attempt to injure another player. The two weren't close enough for an actual body check and Kunitz made no attempt with any other part of his body other than his elbow to make contact with Gagne. For a league that has continuously discussed protecting their players from headshots it is hits like these, the blatant attempts on another player's head, which should be made examples of. Both Kunitz and Downie, for different reasons, should most definitely have been given harsher disciplinary penalties. Unfortunately, during playoff time in the NHL it seems there are a slightly different set of rules inside and outside the game.
Raffi Torres on Brent Seabrook
The Raffi Torres hit on Brent Seabrook is the only one being looked at that did not garner a suspension. The hit was reminiscent of Steve Downie's hit on Ben Lovejoy as Torres wiped out Seabrook behind the Blackhawks net as he was playing the puck. The crucial difference between the two hits was Torres keeping his feet on the ground and leading with his shoulder. Whether you agree with the rules put in place by the National Hockey League or not, you cannot argue that Torres' hit was not a legal one. The unfortunate nature surrounding the hit is that Seabrook eventually had to leave the game and subsequently missed game 4 as well. But people have to keep in mind that this is a physical game and injuries are going to be a part of it. I compare this hit to Scott Stevens on Eric Lindros in the '99-'00 playoffs which put Lindros' career in severe peril. However, hockey players have to understand where they are on the ice and must be aware of their surroundings. It is imperative not only for the player throwing the check, but for the player receiving the check to have a heightened sense of awareness of who is around him. The old saying goes 'never skate with your head down' for a reason, because that is when injuries occur. If the league wants to address hits where a player is 'legally' blindsided then that is something to do in the future. In this instance, Raffi Torres was well within the rules of the game leading with his shoulder and hitting a player from the front. It is just an unfortunate repercussion that Brent Seabrook was injured on the play.
Bobby Ryan on Jonathan Blum
The final suspension I want to discuss doesn't even involve a body check and yet Ryan received the most games (2) out of all the players suspended so far. Ryan was suspended for stomping on the foot of Jonathan Blum behind the Nashville net. Now, I am in no way condoning what Bobby Ryan did whatsoever. I believe it was pure stupidity that Ryan thought, out of frustration or not, that using a blade in a stomping motion would be alright. Furthermore, there is some severe precedent that has already been set for issues of stomping as Chris Simon and Chris Pronger have both had suspensions of 30 games and 8 games respectively for stomping on players. Granted, Ryan's particular stomp was not as comparable to those two, but there still have been examples set. What I don't understand is how Colin Campbell is able to justify that Bobby Ryan's stomp, which rendered no penalty or injury to Blum, is more serious than Jarret Stoll's brutal hit from behind which left Ian White injured, Steve Downie's best torpedo impression or Chris Kunitz's blatant attempt to injure with his elbow?
The issue is not whether all of these hits and stomps deserved disciplinary actions, but rather the justifications behind the suspensions that were handed down. I think fans and players alike are constantly confused by the NHL and the methods they are using to hand down punishments. It clearly is not a black and white profession and I respect Campbell and anyone else in a similar position, however, there needs to be some parody in respect to these punishments in order to rectify the situation itself. If the NHL continues to place such an emphasis on removing head shots and blatant attempts to injure from the game then they must be responsible for handing out punishments worthy of the crime. It's just one guys opinion I know, but I find it hard to see the logic in some of these suspensions especially when compared to each other. Other then that though I am loving this first round! Keep it coming boys!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Game 1's - The Good, The Bad and The Boring?
We are two days into the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it's blatantly evident that there is a tremendous emphasis early in this playoff season on goaltending and defense. What's new you ask? I understand playoff time is a different animal completely from the regular season as each game is viewed as monumental and a virtual must-win. The games themselves feature tighter checking, a more physical style of play and usually a more fierce attention to detail on defense. However, if the eight game 1's are any indication of what is to come we may be in for a low scoring and borderline monotonous opening round of the playoffs.
Consider the fact that four of these eight series have opened with a shutout, compared to last years first round where we saw a total of five shutouts and none in the opening games. The Eastern Conference matchups have tallied a total of nine goals combined throughout the four games, an average of less than 2.5 goals per game. Another mind-blowing stat is other than Brian Gionta's goal against Boston a mere 3 minutes into the game, there was not one goal scored in the first or second period of any Eastern Conference matchup. We watched as 3 games went into the third period deadlocked at 0 - 0, while the Habs had a 1 - 0 lead heading into the final frame. Now, I love a hard nosed defensive game just as much as anybody, but that's a little ridiculous don't you think? If you include the Vancouver - Chicago game with the 4 games in the east then we've watched 9 of 15 scoreless regulation periods thus far. Of those 6 periods that a goal has been scored in regulation, only 2 of them saw multiple goals as the Pens tallied 3 in the third against the Lightning and the Rangers and Caps traded 3rd period goals. It's safe to say we are hoping the Nashville - Anaheim and Detroit - Phoenix series' aren't going to carry the majority of the offensive prowess through the rest of this first round.
Aside from the lack of offensive firepower, the opening set of games has created a few more storylines to follow as we progress through the first round. Beginning out west where the last of the 8 game 1's was played late last night, the Sharks and Kings are playing only the third series all time featuring two teams from California. However, that story, along with the Sharks gutsy overtime win, was overshadowed today by the suspension of Kings forward Jarret Stoll for his hit on Sharks defenseman Ian White. Stoll drove White's head into the boards behind the San Jose net on an obvious hit from behind which forced White to leave the game and not return. White immediately fell to the ice after the hit and needed help getting up and skating off the ice as it looked like the Sharks defenseman may have a concussion. There was no penalty called on the play which seemed to further escalate the issue. The following face-off saw Sharks forward Ben Eager take his frustration out on Kyle Clifford as the two fought in the Sharks zone which ignited an intense battle that carried on throughout the game between the two teams and spilled into an overtime period before Joe Pavelski ended it for the Sharks. These two teams play in the same division all year and already have a rivalry brewing, but Stoll's hit may have just pushed this series into a new dimension. I'm looking forward to game 2 on Saturday!
On the topic of physical series and intense animosity towards one another, game 1 of the Bruins - Habs series didn't quite have the hostility and anger many of us expected. In fact, I thought I was watching a rerun of games 5, 6, and 7 of last year's series with Washington until I saw the big bear on Zdeno Chara's chest. The Habs did exactly what they did last year, they played dull, boring and a fundamentally sound defensive game while relying heavily on their goaltender. They also did one other thing; they won again. Fault them or not, the Habs have created a playoff system that they seem to be able to execute almost to perfection. Anyone who watched that game could see that Carey Price had just about the easiest 31 save shutout a goalie could have. Now, just to clarify, I am not by any means taking away from how Price played. However, the Habs did an excellent job getting into shooting lanes and getting rid of traffic in front of Price. The Bruins shot puck after puck directly into the chest of a well positioned Price as the Habs took the opener in Boston. For anyone hoping to see a repeat of that incredible February brawl between these two teams, I wouldn't hold your breath. But, a flicker of hope in this case came late in the third when public enemy number one Zdeno Chara tried to see if Montreal's leading scorer Tomas Plekanec would fit through the ice. The 6'9 beast Chara clearly looked frustrated after Brian Gionta's second goal of the night and decided to try and take these frustrations out on the 5'11 Plekanec. One can only hope we will see some of that edginess leak through tomorrow for game 2.
The third storyline that I wanted to take a look at which is emerging in these playoffs is one nobody would have dreamed of coming into the 2010-2011 season. The Washington Capitals are a defensive minded juggernaut that can clamp down and play dirty. Yes, it is true, the Capitals and Bruce Boudreau re-worked their team philosophy and became a much better team defensively then in years past. It is also true that they came into the playoffs as the second best defensive team in the east next to only the Vezina frontrunner Tim Thomas and his Bruins. But, come on, this is the playoffs and the run and gun Caps will once again surface and the system will come crashing down in DC. Well, granted it's only been one game and nobody won anything in one game, but the Caps looked pretty darn good defensively on Wednesday night. The Caps blocked an astonishing 32 shots in game 1 which more than doubles their season average of 15.3 per game. They held the Rangers to 25 shots in nearly 4 periods (they went almost to the end of the first OT) and Michael Neuvirth looked comfortable in his first playoff start. I've said it before and I'll say it again; defence wins championships. The Caps will score with all the talent they have, so if they can continue this defensive minded trend then we may be seeing a lot more of Ovi and company in the next month or so.
Well as I said before, I realize it's just game 1 and nothing is ever won in the first game, but there definitely are some emerging stories to keep an eye on as we move forward. Miller Time was front and center in Philadelphia as the Flyers will need to solve Buffalo's Ryan Miller if they have any hopes of repeating as Eastern Conference champs. The goaltending debacle in Anaheim cost them game 1 and they will have a new starter for game 2 as Ray Emery gets the nod. The Detroit - Phoenix and Pittsburgh - Tampa Bay openers were pretty uneventful and I hope to get a little more out of both those series as they progress. Finally, the Canucks won game 1 for the third straight year against the Hawks, so Canucks fans don't start planning any parades just yet until there able to win 3 more. Game 1's are in the books, hopefully we see a few more goals and some intensity levels increase as these series continue to develop.
Consider the fact that four of these eight series have opened with a shutout, compared to last years first round where we saw a total of five shutouts and none in the opening games. The Eastern Conference matchups have tallied a total of nine goals combined throughout the four games, an average of less than 2.5 goals per game. Another mind-blowing stat is other than Brian Gionta's goal against Boston a mere 3 minutes into the game, there was not one goal scored in the first or second period of any Eastern Conference matchup. We watched as 3 games went into the third period deadlocked at 0 - 0, while the Habs had a 1 - 0 lead heading into the final frame. Now, I love a hard nosed defensive game just as much as anybody, but that's a little ridiculous don't you think? If you include the Vancouver - Chicago game with the 4 games in the east then we've watched 9 of 15 scoreless regulation periods thus far. Of those 6 periods that a goal has been scored in regulation, only 2 of them saw multiple goals as the Pens tallied 3 in the third against the Lightning and the Rangers and Caps traded 3rd period goals. It's safe to say we are hoping the Nashville - Anaheim and Detroit - Phoenix series' aren't going to carry the majority of the offensive prowess through the rest of this first round.
Aside from the lack of offensive firepower, the opening set of games has created a few more storylines to follow as we progress through the first round. Beginning out west where the last of the 8 game 1's was played late last night, the Sharks and Kings are playing only the third series all time featuring two teams from California. However, that story, along with the Sharks gutsy overtime win, was overshadowed today by the suspension of Kings forward Jarret Stoll for his hit on Sharks defenseman Ian White. Stoll drove White's head into the boards behind the San Jose net on an obvious hit from behind which forced White to leave the game and not return. White immediately fell to the ice after the hit and needed help getting up and skating off the ice as it looked like the Sharks defenseman may have a concussion. There was no penalty called on the play which seemed to further escalate the issue. The following face-off saw Sharks forward Ben Eager take his frustration out on Kyle Clifford as the two fought in the Sharks zone which ignited an intense battle that carried on throughout the game between the two teams and spilled into an overtime period before Joe Pavelski ended it for the Sharks. These two teams play in the same division all year and already have a rivalry brewing, but Stoll's hit may have just pushed this series into a new dimension. I'm looking forward to game 2 on Saturday!
On the topic of physical series and intense animosity towards one another, game 1 of the Bruins - Habs series didn't quite have the hostility and anger many of us expected. In fact, I thought I was watching a rerun of games 5, 6, and 7 of last year's series with Washington until I saw the big bear on Zdeno Chara's chest. The Habs did exactly what they did last year, they played dull, boring and a fundamentally sound defensive game while relying heavily on their goaltender. They also did one other thing; they won again. Fault them or not, the Habs have created a playoff system that they seem to be able to execute almost to perfection. Anyone who watched that game could see that Carey Price had just about the easiest 31 save shutout a goalie could have. Now, just to clarify, I am not by any means taking away from how Price played. However, the Habs did an excellent job getting into shooting lanes and getting rid of traffic in front of Price. The Bruins shot puck after puck directly into the chest of a well positioned Price as the Habs took the opener in Boston. For anyone hoping to see a repeat of that incredible February brawl between these two teams, I wouldn't hold your breath. But, a flicker of hope in this case came late in the third when public enemy number one Zdeno Chara tried to see if Montreal's leading scorer Tomas Plekanec would fit through the ice. The 6'9 beast Chara clearly looked frustrated after Brian Gionta's second goal of the night and decided to try and take these frustrations out on the 5'11 Plekanec. One can only hope we will see some of that edginess leak through tomorrow for game 2.
The third storyline that I wanted to take a look at which is emerging in these playoffs is one nobody would have dreamed of coming into the 2010-2011 season. The Washington Capitals are a defensive minded juggernaut that can clamp down and play dirty. Yes, it is true, the Capitals and Bruce Boudreau re-worked their team philosophy and became a much better team defensively then in years past. It is also true that they came into the playoffs as the second best defensive team in the east next to only the Vezina frontrunner Tim Thomas and his Bruins. But, come on, this is the playoffs and the run and gun Caps will once again surface and the system will come crashing down in DC. Well, granted it's only been one game and nobody won anything in one game, but the Caps looked pretty darn good defensively on Wednesday night. The Caps blocked an astonishing 32 shots in game 1 which more than doubles their season average of 15.3 per game. They held the Rangers to 25 shots in nearly 4 periods (they went almost to the end of the first OT) and Michael Neuvirth looked comfortable in his first playoff start. I've said it before and I'll say it again; defence wins championships. The Caps will score with all the talent they have, so if they can continue this defensive minded trend then we may be seeing a lot more of Ovi and company in the next month or so.
Well as I said before, I realize it's just game 1 and nothing is ever won in the first game, but there definitely are some emerging stories to keep an eye on as we move forward. Miller Time was front and center in Philadelphia as the Flyers will need to solve Buffalo's Ryan Miller if they have any hopes of repeating as Eastern Conference champs. The goaltending debacle in Anaheim cost them game 1 and they will have a new starter for game 2 as Ray Emery gets the nod. The Detroit - Phoenix and Pittsburgh - Tampa Bay openers were pretty uneventful and I hope to get a little more out of both those series as they progress. Finally, the Canucks won game 1 for the third straight year against the Hawks, so Canucks fans don't start planning any parades just yet until there able to win 3 more. Game 1's are in the books, hopefully we see a few more goals and some intensity levels increase as these series continue to develop.
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