Jack Edwards Stanley Cup Soliloquy

Jack Edwards being his usual ridiculous self.

Memorial Day

Just want to give a special Memorial Day thank you to all of the troops serving to protect our freedom and way of life in the United States.  God bless.

Tampa Bay Lightning: A Class Act

Although I had selfish motivations for rooting for the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals (my hope that I can catch a Stanley Cup final game while I'm in Boston), I've learned to love the Tampa Bay Lightning.   The Tampa Bay organization has conducted itself in a classy, professional matter throughout the playoffs, showing respect for their opponents, officials and fans at all times, both on and off the ice.  The players are terrific role models for young hockey players to look up to and emulate.  I wasn't surprised to learn that the day after their postseason elimination, the Lightning took the time to greet their faithful fans to show their thanks and support.

Steven Stamkos autographs a stick for a fan.

Coach Guy Boucher takes the time to shake hands with dedicated Lightning fans.

It was a great gesture to have the team show some appreciation and gratitude for their fans.  I'm sure after just being eliminated a round short of the Stanley Cup finals, the team wasn't necessarily enthusiastic about shaking hands and autographing sticks, but they did it anyway.  I have a lot of respect for that.

Let's talk about Steven Stamkos for a minutes.  One minute the man takes Boychuck's tipped slapshot directly in the face, skates off the ice doing his best to hold his perfusely bleeding, shattered nose together with his hands, and then a few minutes later returns to the ice with a cage on ready for his next shift like nothing happened.  Just another example of why hockey players are the toughest athletes around:

And why soccer players certainly are not:

Anyway, the Lightning squad represents the best of what hockey has to offer, and the team has a lot to be proud of.  It's too bad we won't get to see them contend for a Stanley Cup this year, but expect them to be right back in the race again next year.

Bruins Advance

Game 7 between the Bruins and the Lightning was one of the most complete and perfectly played games I have ever seen. The game was dominated by the defense, and even when the offense found scoring chances, Roloson and Thomas were there. Coming into Game 7 Roloson was 7-0 in elimination games. If it were not for a knee injury, he would already have had a ring on his finger. The Lightning relied heavily on Roloson in the first to fight off the incredible Boston crowd. After the first, Roloson and Thomas were perfect with 15 and 9 saves respectively. The second period had the same outcome with Roloson and Thomas perfect. Roloson, however, was a kept busy with 14 shots in comparison to Thomas' 8. Guy Boucher told NHL.com, "Roli really stood the fort there, he was outstanding tonight." At the start of the third period the game was notched at 0 and who would have expected anything less from these two teams. The lone goal tallied in the third would be all it would take to advance the Bruins to the Stanley Cup. The goal originated back in the Bruins zone when Andrew Ferrence collected the puck, regrouped, and headed up ice. Ferrence fed the puck to an open Krejci just outside the blueline. With a textbook offensive move, Krejci accelerated to the outside giving himself ample space from Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer. The move to the outside gave him so much space that he was able to bring the puck back to his forehand despite being on the left wing. In another display of offensive excellence, Nathan Horton crashed the net and found himself open on the back door. Being the playmaker he is, Krejci threaded a pass through Brewer and the back checking Stamkos for a tap in by Horton. With 17 points in 18 games, Horton now has a legendary status in Boston. Hortons eight goals will forever be remembered by the Boston faithful. He has 3 game winning goals in the series, two of them Game Seven winners. Despite Horton's publicity, he couldn't be more modest. Horton said, “Well, it does feel good,” Horton said, “but it feels better to know that we’re going to the Stanley Cup finals. In the end, it doesn’t really matter who scores the goals, but it does matter if you’re moving on.”(Norwich Bulletin) The Bruins are doing exactly that; moving on.

Tampa Bay @ Boston: Game Seven Preview

All the questions surrounding this series will be answered in tonight's Game 7 match-up between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Will the Bruins figure out how to score on a powerplay?  Can they continue to have postseason success if they don't?  Will they learn how to kill penalties against Stamkos, Lecavalier and St. Louis?  Which goaltender will emerge dominant in this best-of-1 series?  Will Tim Thomas continue to put his team on his back and make heroic saves?  Will Dwayne Roloson play the way we all know he is capable of playing?  If he doesn't, will Tamapa Bay manage to score enough goals to get the win like they did in Game 6?  Can Roloson continue his undefeated posteason record in elimination games?  Will this be another high scoring game?  Low scoring?

Here's what I think.  The Bruins will continue to struggle tonight with respect to their special teams.  I didn't see any indication in Game 6 to suggest otherwise.  They might be able to slide by the Lightning with their horrendous powerplay and penalty kill, but they won't be able to pull it off against Vancouver if they're lucky enough to get the chance.  I think both Thomas and Roloson understand the importance of tonight's game, and I expect both of them to play accordingly.  With that said, I'm sticking with the prediction I made before Game 6 that the Bruins will win the series.  That would mean Roloson will no longer be undefeated in postseason elimination game.  Expect to see a low scoring game for a change.  

Game 7's are as exciting as the sport gets, and hockey fans are guaranteed a great game tonight.  Only one team will have the opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup finals.  History will be made.

Tampa Evens Series

Right about now the Bruins are kicking themselves for blowing a first period 3 goal lead in Game 4. The loss of the 3 goal lead was crucial for Tampa's comeback to force Game 7. The Bruins, however, are staying calm because of their home ice advantage. Coach Claude Julien said, "That's one of the key things that if you can get home-ice advantage this time of year, you need to take advantage of it. We did against Montreal, and now we need to do the same thing against Tampa."(ESPN) Game 6 was filled with offensive fire power with both top lines contributing in big ways. The first line point tally went as follows:

Boston
1. David Krejci- 3 goals
2. Milan Lucic- 1 goal, 1 assist
3. Nathan Horton: 2 assists

Tampa Bay
1. Martin St. Louis- 2 goals, 1 assist
2. Vincent Lecavalier- 2 assists
3. Steve Stamkos- 1 goal, 2 assists

The game was opened up by the Lightning once again in the first minute. After David Krejci was kicked out of the face off, Purcell shifted from the right wing to directly behind Lecavalier after he recognized Chris Kelly's weakness. Lecavalier won the draw back and Purcell beat Thomas through a screen to make it 1-0. The Bruins headed into the locker room after goals by Lucic and Krejci. It took 13 minutes for the Lighting to even things up when St. Louis converted on a powerplay opportunity. After a slew of goals in the second and third, Martin St. Louis put the Lightning up 5-3 with just9:45 remaining. Krejci evened things up a few minutes later on a flukey goal that found its way passed the sprawled Roloson after redirecting off of a Tampa defenseman. The Bruins poured it on towards the end of the third but could not solve Roloson. One game will decide who advances to the Stanley Cup and who heads to the beach. Lucic put it perfectly when he said, "For all of us, it's the biggest game of our careers. We've got to go out there and have no regrets. You've got to be confident. You've got to believe. Everything is on the line here. It's a chance to move on and play for something that you've been dreaming about your whole life."(ESPN)

For a video recap click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IZaM1QU-uQ

The Bruins Look to Eliminate the Lightning in Tonight's Game 6 Match-Up

Tim Thomas' save on Steve Downie is the kind of save the can define an entire series.  Absolutely incredible.  The Bruins have no choice but to raise their standard of play after watching their goaltender make a save like that.  In Brad Marchand's post-game press conference, he commented on the fact that in the final ten minutes of the third period when things were starting to get hectic, Thomas appeared to be poised and calm.  This has a contagious effect on the entire hockey team, and it's obvious that the Bruins have the utmost confidence in their goaltender.  This confidence allows the five other skaters on the ice to take risks and chances knowing that Thomas has their back.  "With their goaltender, we're not nervous, we're expecting that," said Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher after Game Five.  Not only does Tim Thomas' performance earn the confidence of his own team, it drains the life out of the opposition.  Steve Downie remained on the bench reflecting on what could have been long after the game was finished:

The goaltending situation for the Lightning has not been as straightforward as it has been for the Bruins.  I believed that, despite being pulled in Game 4, Dwayne Roloson would still start Game 5.  Clearly, I was wrong.  Roloson watched the game from the bench in favor of Mike Smith who made 17 saves on 19 shots.

It has been confirmed, however, that Roloson will get the Game 6 start tonight.

The good news for Tampa Bay is that Roloson is 6-0 in postseason elimination games.  We'll find out at 8:00 PM EST tonight if he can keep that streak alive.  I believe that this series will take seven games to decide, and that the Bruins will eventually emerge victorious to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals.

Vancouver Moves On

The Vancouver Canucks went in to Rogers Arena last night knowing if they won, they would move on to their first Stanley Cup since 1994. They did just that. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks by a score of 3-2 in a double over time thriller. The last time the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals they were sent on a double over time victory by the hands of Greg Adams. Ironically, it had been 17 years last night since Adams sent the Canucks to the Finals. This time it would be Kevin Bieksa who would propel the Canucks to another Stanley Cup Finals. Despite Bieksa's overtime conversion, it was Luongo who carried the team to the Finals. Last night Luongo made a stunning 54 saves, which includes 16 in the first over time period. "He was great. He turned away everything," Ryan Kesler said. "After he let that one in in the third, he shut the door after that. He really battled hard and gave us a chance to win."(Fox News) Luongo was sharp from the start making one of the best saves of the night just 1:40 into the game. The scoring was opened up by Alexandre Burrows 8:02 into the first on a tic-tac-toe passing play that featured who else, but the Sedin twins. Dan Boyle evened things up on a shot from the point through a screen mid way through the second that found its way through Luongo. It was only fitting that the game was tied heading into the third period. The Vancouver faithful were not pleased just 00:24 into the third when Devin Setoguchi converted on a flukey 2 on 0 goal. In an attempt to prevent the odd man rush, Luongo aggressively skated out of the net, but to no avail. Pavelski slid the puck over to Setoguchi with ease who slid the puck into an open net. Down by one in the third, the Canucks were relentless on offense, but they could not solve Niemi. With just under a minute to play the Sharks seemingly iced the puck, which brought an offensive face off for the Canucks. The icing, however, was heavily contested by the Sharks who explained it had hit a Canucks forward prior to leaving the zone. Upon further review, the Sharks were proven correct, but the call had been made. The Canucks managed to generate a shot from the half wall that managed to squeak through Niemi setting off a huge celebration. The next Vancouver goal would come in double over time after an awkward bounce off the glass. The puck was dumped in off the glass, but hit a seam and bounced to the open Kevin Bieksa. Bieksa fired the puck from the point past the unsuspecting Niemi. Although the Canucks found themselves in that position due to a missed call and a lucky bounce, they found a way to get the job done. Patrick Marleau couldn't have been more right when he said, " An inch here or there and we get a break, but it went the other way tonight." Hockey is a game of inches and the inches happened to fall the Canucks way last night. The Canucks will face either the Boston Bruins or the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Finals.

Tampa Bay @ Boston: Game Five Preview

Tampa Bay Lightning fans formed a human lightning bolt at the airport to show support for their team as they begun their flight to Boston for game five:

The Bruins vs. Lightning match-up has evolved into a promising series as we head into game five tonight in Boston.  One of the big questions heading into tonight's game is whether or not Dwayne Roloson will be getting the start, despite giving up three goals on nine shots in the first period of game four.  He was replaced by back-up Mike Smith who stood perfect for the remainder of the game and allowed Tampa Bay to score five unanswered goals to even up the series. According to an NHL.com article, all indications suggest that Roloson will be starting.  According to Lightning coach Guy Boucher:

I don't think we have a situation.  We have a goaltender that has taken us here and has played really well and is preparing for (Monday).  And you've got a goaltender that came in relief, and he's done really well.  Every time we've asked Smitty to come in, he's played well.  We've got a goaltender that's taken us here, knows how to win and knows how to bounce back.  I don't feel there's a situation there.

Goaltender Mike Smith seems to be in agreement with Boucher:

I don't expect to (start Game 5). But I'll be ready to. Roli's carried us through the playoffs this far and I don't expect anything less than for him to come back and have a great game.

I fully support Dwayne Roloson getting the start tonight.  He deserves it.  The 41-year-old goaltender has carried his team throughout the playoffs to date, and, for the most part, has been phenomenal.  I believe that he understands this is most likely his last year to win a Stanley cup, and I'm sure that's not something he's taking for granted.  Expect Roloson to play and stand on his head tonight.  At the same time, however, note that the Lightning have outscored the Bruins 7-0 when Mike Smith has been in net, and Mike Smith has yet to allow a goal on the 27 shots he has faced.  While I think that Roloson will, and should, get the start tonight, I don't think it's an obvious or easy decision for Boucher to make.

The most critical area for the Bruins to improve in is their special teams.  Special teams can make or break a series.  The puck movement on Tampa Bay's power play in game four was nothing short of impressive.  The Lightning's power play percentage is at 23.7% for the series, compared to the Bruins who are operating at just 7.7%.  It seems to me like these stats are the result of a dominant Tampa Bay power play with Stamkos, Lecavalier and St. Louis, combined with a struggling Bruins penalty kill.  The Bruins are killing off just 81.8% of penalties, versus the Lightning who are killing off 92.8% of theirs.  This is clearly a problem the Bruins must address and improve to be successful moving forward.

The Bruins will also need to pay special attention to Teddy Purcell who scored the first two goals for Tampa Bay in game four that started their comeback.  Sean Bergenheim had the third goal of that same game, and he now leads the league in postseason goals.

Twins, Basil. Twins.

The Vancouver Canucks will have the ability to eliminate the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night at Rogers Arena in front of their own 18,860 fans. Although the sun may be shining in San Jose California, things aren't looking so bright for the Sharks. It was a mere two minute span that opened up the game that saw 3 Vancouver powerplay goals. Todd McLellan was not too happy with his teams lack of discipline in the second period.

The Sharks cannot afford to give Vancouver powerplays, especially five on threes. The Canucks lead all remaining teams with a powerplay percentage of 28.8%. This incredibly high percentage can be attributed to playmaker Henrik Sedin. Sedin, who was highly criticized by the Vancouver media for his playoff performance through the Conference Finals, finished the night with 4 assists. Two of his assists were also assisted by twin brother Daniel Sedin. When put together on the powerplay, the Swedish twins light it up. When asked about the powerplay, Henrik Sedin said, "We got some good looks, and for me it was picking and choosing who was going to shoot the puck."Despite the quick three goal lead, Vancouver was heavily outplayed throughout the game. Luongo had to come up with 33 saves to clinch the game, while Niemi only made 9. If the Canucks manage to take another win away from this series, they will find themselves in the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.

"You can just title it 'this is how i know soph has a crush on me, cuz she wrote for my blog...voluntarily'"

Guest post, courtesy of Sophia Sopuch:

After the Blackhawks were eliminated from the Stanley cup playoffs this season, I have yet to watch another play off game in its entirety. So, sticking to territory I am familiar with, I would like to reflect back on the seven game series, which ultimately ended the Blackhawks season. Technically the Blackhawks couldn’t even say they made the playoffs this season, because they relied on Minnesota beating Dallas in order to advance into the first round. However, the state of Minnesota made friends with Blackhawks fans around the nation when the Wild sent Chicago to the playoffs and the Stars packing, with a 5-3 win.

The Canucks-Blachawks series started as expected, Vancouver lead 3 games to 0. Luongo had his second career playoff shutout in the first game of the series, showing the Blackhawks they would have to step up in order to have a chance against the number one seed. Many also feared that without the help of Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, and Dustin Byfuglien, who helped lead Chicago to its Stanley Cup win last year, the Blackhawks would have no chance of beating a tgeam like Vancouver in the first round. However, no one would have predicted that Chicago would win three straight games and take game 7 into a nail-biting OT. One of the low-lights of the series for me was when Brent Seabrook took a hard hit from Raffi Torres in game 3 and had to sit out of game 4, putting a hole in the defensive lineup. However, clearly it did not affect the team dynamic, it may have even helped the Blackhawks, because they ended up winning their first game of the series, 7-2. The highlight of the series for me was when Vigneault sat Roberto Luongo, arguably the best goalie in the NHL, after he let in 10 goals in two games. 

Game seven “was a game filled with drama and playoff ghosts for a Canucks team that had been knocked out of the last two playoffs by the Blackhawks.” The game went into overtime after Blackhawks Captain, Jonathan Toews, scored a short-handed goal with 1:56 left to go. A few minutes into OT, Burrows ended the game with a slapshot over the shoulder of rookie goalier, Corey Crawford. However, this was not a representation of Crawford’s goal-tending throughout the series. If there was one reason the Blackhawks made it as far as they did, it was Corey Crawford. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks it is an injustice that Crawford wasn’t nominated for rookie of the year, who had a .930 GAA. If I were the Canucks, I would have been rattled by the Blackhawks series, which I am sure they were. The series made me question whether or not the Canucks really deserve the hype they get at all.

San Jose Prevents Late Game Effort

Rallying behind the San Jose crowd, the Sharks were able to jump out to a 3-0 lead after the first period. It was a start the Sharks desperately needed after being down 2-0 in the series going into Game Three. Head coach Todd McLellan wanted his team to treat Game 3 like it was a game 7, and that they did. The Sharks opened up the game by out shooting the opposition 16 to 8. The onslaught brought on by the Sharks resulted in goals by Patrick Marleau and Ryan Clowe. Marleau capitalized on the powerplay just 3:56 into the first, and then again on a breakaway 17:25 into the first. Separating Marleau's offensive clinic was Ryan Clowe. Clowe managed to convert on a rebound chance off of a Dan Boyle shot from the point. The second period saw relatively no offensive action with Niemi and Luongo on top of their game. Niemi made perhaps the play of the game when he stopped a backdoor chance by Alex Burrows with 4:21 left in the second. Although the third period was highlighted by 3 Vancouver goals, it would not be enough on this night. The Canucks left Game 3 with one lesson; stay out of the box. The Canucks took 11 penalties on the night, which the Sharks used to their advantage. Going into the Western Conference Finals, the Sharks were 7 for 51 on the power play. So far they are 6 for 13 against the Canucks. Henrik Sedin told the Hockey News, "When you give those guys the chances we did, they are going to score." The Canucks are going to need to eliminate the power play opportunities the have given the Sharks if they want to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

McLellan and I Agree on Sitting Eager in Game 3

After game two, I wrote that if was Sharks coach Todd McLellan, I would sit Ben Eager for his embarrassing lack of class Wednesday night.

I was happy to see that McLellan and I are on the same page.

In other news, Ben Eager, who began the 2010-2011 season with the Atlanta Thrashers, is apparently very supportive of the decision to move the franchise to Winnipeg.  More about my thoughts on this topic later.  Let's just say that Eager and I haven't exactly been seeing eye-to-eye lately...

Deadly Mix of Alcohol and Oxycodone Responsible for Boogaard's Death

Derek Boogaard has been respected as one of the toughest players in the NHL (which is saying something) for many years.  What fans - and even teammates - didn't know, was that Boogaard was fighting another battle off of the ice.

"Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker revealed Friday that Boogaard died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and the powerful prescription painkiller, Oxycodone."

From the New York Ranger website:  Boogaard family issues statement.

News broke of Boogaard's death last week, but no specific details regarding the cause were released until today.  I had a suspicion that his death was drug or alcohol related when I learned that foul play was ruled out.

This is an extremely unfortunate situation, and my thoughts and prayers are still with his family.

Atlanta Thrashers Possibly Relocated to Winnipeg

The Atlanta Thrashers will reportedly be moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Thrashers have not been the success the staff had hoped for in their 10 year history. The Thrashers have made the playoffs only one time in their 10 years, and were swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. Not only have the Thrashers had no success, no one attends the games that they lose. This year they finished 28th overall in attendance with an average of 13,469. Winnipeg is an old friend to the NHL, hosting the Winnipeg Jets from 1979-1996. The Winnipeg area has a huge passion for hockey and created the "white out" effect in the 1987 playoffs. The move to Winnipeg would benefit the Atlanta Thrashers as well as the NHL as a whole. As anticipated as this deal is, it is not yet final.

Defending The Blue Line

Derek Boogaard was heavily involved in a non-profit organization called Defending The Blue Line that helps "children of armed service members stick with hockey programs."  In lieu of flowers, the family of Derek Boogaard requests that any donations from fans in Derek's memory be made to Defending The Blue Line.  This is a terrific program and all donations go to support a worthy cause.

From the New York Rangers website:

Please note that in lieu of flowers, the family of Derek Boogaard requests that any donations from fans in Derek's memory be made to Defending The Blue Line.

The Boogaard family would like to see Derek's legacy live on by supporting military kids and the game he loved.

Donations can be mailed to:

Defending The Blue Line
c/o Boogaard Booguardians Memorial Fund
1206 N. Frontage Road, Suite B
Hastings, MN 55033

Donations can also be made online at www.DefendingTheBlueLine.org

This is Hockey Right?

The Eastern Conference finals has seen no shortage in goals thus far with 18 being scored in the first two games. The high scoring games are an oddity for both the Bruins and the Lightning. During the regular season, the Bruins averaged 2.98 goals for per game with 2.30 goals against and the Lightning averaged 2.94 g/g and 2.85 ga/g. Although the series had a lot of hype about goaltending, it seems that each team has scored at will in the first two games. The Lightning even had to relieve Dwayne Roloson of his goaltending duties after two periods in favor of Mike Smith.

Clearly, the 6 goals against were not Roloson's fault, or atleast Guy Boucher doesn't think so. Roloson has been around the block a time or two, and will be back between the pipes tonight. At the other end of the rink, Thomas has been spectacular at times, and well, not so much at times. Regardless of the "soft" goals Thomas let in, his spectacular breakaway and sprawling saves gave the Bruins momentum to win the game. Jonathan Quick told Fox News,

"He had about four breakaways in the second period that if he lets any of those go in it's a completely different game. He allowed his team to get momentum in the second period and score the goals the way they did."

Jonathan Quick, who is the goalie for the Los Angeles Kings and an Avon Old Farms product, is fascinated by Thomas' ability to change his game by his competitiveness. Quick said, "He doesn't give up on any play, on any puck." The Bruins will continue to need the outstanding play of Thomas in Tampa Bay. Another Bruin that propelled the Bruins to a Game Two victory is rookie Tyler Seguin. Seguin, who finds his record setting performance almost amusing, is only a 19 year old and has 6 points in two games. Rather than sporting a collared shirt or jacket in his post game interview, Seguin rocked a retro Bruins jacket like it was 1992.

Seguin has drastically gained confidence in the first two games of his playoff career. He bursted for 2 goals and 2 assists in Game Two that he attests to his poise. After his career night Seguin said, "As I went on, I felt more confident, more poised." As the playoffs continue, you can only assume Seguin will blossom before our eyes. I know the Bruins are counting on it.

“A beat down in British Columbia” – Liam McHugh

Vancouver’s 7-3 victory over San Jose had a lot of resemblance to the “pond hockey” style we saw in game two of the Boston vs. Tampa Bay series. There was certainly no shortage of action at the HP Pavilion Wednesday night.

Kevin Bieska of the Vancouver Canucks kept himself busy tonight earning the classic Gordie Howe hat-trick: a goal, assist, and, of course, a fight. Bieska had a beautiful breakaway goal that beat San Jose’s Antti Niemi on the ice through the five-hole. The cross-ice pass from Higgins to send Bieska on his way was almost as nice as the goal itself.

Bieska’s fight was against Patrick Marleau – not the man you would expect to find squaring off. With just a few minutes left in the second period, it was obvious that Marleau was trying his best to fire up the bench and bring some life to his team, and for that, I give him credit. When Marleau, a finesse player who hasn’t fought since 2007, decides to drop the gloves in the Western Conference finals, I would expect his team to rally behind him. Instead, the Sharks came out flat to start the third period, and obviously went on to lose the game by four goals. 

San Jose should be disgusted with Ben Eager’s performance tonight. Eager embarrassed himself, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t see the ice in game three. If I was Coach Todd McLellan, I would sit him. There’s a difference between playing hard and playing stupid. Tonight, Eager was just stupid. His only positive contribution to his team was his a goal with just over two minutes left in the game, and he even found a way to screw that up. After he scored, he continued to stand over Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo talking trash to follow-up his lame celebration. When Luongo was asked after the game what Eager had said to him, Luongo responded with “we’ll keep that between me and him, but it’s good that he’s on the ice because he takes penalties.” And penalties he took; Ben Eager’s name appears on last night’s penalty summary six times. I hope Eager is humiliated by the way he let his emotions control his every move tonight. He should consider himself fortunate if he dresses in game three, and make sure this appalling display of hockey never happens again - his team clearly cannot afford it. His team needs him to channel that emotion into something productive.  He had 20 penalty minutes in roughly 11 minutes of ice time.

Apparently Eager chose to defend his play in a post-game interview.  When asked about the fight between Kevin Bieska and Patrick Marleau, Eager had this to say:

We've seen that before with Kevin. It's sad that someone's gonna sign him for big money when he's a phony. He goes after our top players. He's been asked many times -- by lots of players throughout the League (to fight) -- and he's declined.

Marleau clearly wanted that fight to shift the momentum of the game.  It looks like Eager decided to add on to the embarrassment after the game.

The frustration of the entire San Jose squad was evident by the scrums at the end of the game.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for Antti Niemi. He had absolutely no help from his team in the defensive zone. Like Dwayne Roloson Tuesday night, Niemi still had some incredible saves, and I expect him to rebound for Friday’s game three in San Jose.

In other news, the Vancouver fans don’t have to worry any longer about when the Sedin twins are going to start producing again. Daniel had two goals - both off of the power play - and Henrik had three assists. The Canucks put on a passing clinic all night long, and their impressive puck movement on the man-up resulted in three power play goals in total. The Sharks are going to have to drastically cut down on the number of penalties they take in game three to limit the amount of time Vancouver spends on the power play. You can’t win hockey games when you spend the entire game killing penalties.

There was enough action to keep me up writing all night long.

San Jose @ Vancouver: Game Two Preview

Going back to 2004, the San Jose Sharks have lost a total of 7 straight Western Conference Finals games, a trend they would like to put an end to. After coming off of a tough Game One loss in Vancouver, the Sharks find themselves on their heels. “I don’t feel uncomfortable with a lead, that’s where I want to be,” defenseman Dan Boyle said after Canuck goals 79 seconds apart caused Sunday’s loss in the last 20 minutes. “We've got to find a way to finish people off. I think maybe getting that next goal. With a one-goal lead you try to get the next goal without giving anything up.”(Bleacher Report) The Sharks need to find a way to maintain a lead if they are to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. One thing that separated the men from the boys in Game One was the physical play of the Canucks (I'm not sure how Patrick McNally will fit in). Chris Higgins absolutely demolished Pavelski on a clean open ice hit that had Pavelski spinning. Above and beyond the physical play of Game Two, special teams may very well separate who goes home happy, and who doesn't tonight. Going into tonights game, the Sharks have a miserable 15.4% power play percentage coupled with an 82.1% penalty kill. Needless to say, this is one area the Sharks need improvement in. An area that does not need correction at either end is the goaltending. Despite the criticism that each netminder has faced by the media, both show outstanding numbers. While Luongo boasts a .918% and a 2.23 GAA, Niemi shows of a .908% and a 3.01 GAA. If the goaltenders play as they have been, and the Sharks pick up the intensity, look for tonight to be a close and hard fought game.

Roloson Loses Title as Brick Wall

As "seanyd'sfat" pointed out on a previous post, I clearly jinxed Dwayne Roloson.  None-the-less, he loses my highly coveted title as a brick wall.

No disrespect, of course.  Roloson's still the man.

The Seguin Show

What do Tyler Seguin and I have in common?  Well, we're both 19 years old - and that's about where the similarities end.  While I try to enjoy the last few weeks of high school with my friends before graduation, Seguin is trying to win a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins.  The second overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft scored the first playoff goal of his career in game one of the Eastern Conference finals, his first career playoff game, and carried that momentum right into game two.  Seguin stole the spotlight in Boston's 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night with two goals and two assists - all in the second period.  

After the game, Seguin was fairly humble about his performance.  He got the chance to play in this series to begin with because Patrice Bergeron is out with a concussion.  Seguin commented about what it's like to play after not seeing any ice time in the first two rounds:

It’s definitely tough watching from above.  I try to take everything in and learn as much as I can, but it's hard sitting there and not being able to help out the boys.  I wanted to take advantage of any opportunity I got.  

In the same post-game press conference, Seguin mentioned the support he received from older, more experienced teammates, and commented numerous times on his desire to simply seize any opportunities given to him.  He referred to his rookie season as a learning curve, and said that he felt "more confident and more poised" as the season progressed.

Although Seguin has been spectacular in game one and game two, I would be cautious to say that the learning curve is over just yet.  It will be interesting to see how he performs from here on out.

Michael Ryder's stellar game was somewhat shadowed by Seguin's break through night.  I was happy to see this article on NHL.com recognizing Ryder's impact on game two.

Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher referred to the lack of structure in game two as "pond hockey," and went on to say that "even if we would have won that game, we certainly would not have been happy with the way we played."

Roloson didn't have the kind of game that fans have almost began to take for granted from him, but it's just one game out of a best of seven series.  Expect him to have a solid game three and four when the series moves down to Florida.  Roloson let in 6 goals on the 27 shots he faced, but still managed to come up with some impressive saves, especially in the first period.  He was replaced by Mike Smith at the start of the third period.

Guy Boucher on Dwayne Roloson in game two:

Notable Performances

Boston Bruins:

          Tyler Seguin - 2 goals, 2 assists; +3; first star of the game

          Michael Ryder - 2 goals, 1 assist; +2; third star of the game

          Nathan Horton - 1 goal, 2 assists

Tampa Bay Lightning:

          Steven Stamkos - 1 goal, 2 assists; -1

          Vincent Lecavalier - 1 goal, 3 assists; +1; second star of the game

          Martin St. Louis - 1 goal, 1 assists; -1

If tonight proved anything, it proved that this is going to be one crazy series.  Don't be surprised if it takes seven games to declare a winner.

Dwayne Roloson

The Bruins are going to need to learn how to get pucks past this brick wall:

Western Conference Finals Preview

The Western Conference finals started last night with game one between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose roster is stacked with big names.  Up to this point in the playoffs, it's been the designated leaders on the Sharks that have been contributing with points.

Forwards:

Captain Joe Thornton and Assistant Captain Ryane Clowe are tied with 13 points in the 2011 playoffs, however, Clowe has the clear +/- advantage over Thornton.  Thornton is -2 in the playoffs compared to Clowe who is +6.  Thornton had the first goal of game one of the Western Conference finals last night thanks to an embarrassing giveaway by Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Assistant Captain Patrick Marleau is +1 with 7 points in the playoffs.  He was credited with San Jose's second and last goal last night when he tipped Dan Boyle's shot from the point.  Joe Thornton had the second assist on Marleau's goal.

Defenseman: 

Assistant Captain Dan Boyle is tied with Logan Couture for the second most postseason points on the Sharks with 12, but, like Joe Thornton, is also -2 in the +/- category.

Goaltending:

Annti Niemi was named the second star of the game last night in game one with a 0.921 save percentage.  Except for a puck he gave-away behind the net that eventually resulted in a goal for Vancouver, Niemi looked pretty solid throughout the night on the 38 shots that he faced.  Niemi has a cumulative 0.908 save percentage  in the 2011 playoffs.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are also a team with a roster full of superstars.

Forwards:

After a quite first two rounds, captain Henrik Sedin and his twin brother assistant captain Daniel Sedin had the kind of game last night that Vancouver has been patiently waiting for.  Henrik was named the first star of the game with the game winning goal and an assist on Bieska's goal.  The twins have combined for an impressive 27 points in  the playoffs so far.

Assistant captain Ryan Kesler owns the number one spot in the league with 16 playoff points and is tied with Datsyuk, Purcell and Giroux for the most assists with 11.  He also leads the Canucks with a +6 rating.

Ryan Kesler on last night's game:

I just think we finally found our legs said.  We were a little rusty in the first period.  I thought we played well, but I think second and third period we found that extra gear and we continued.  We forced them and we put a lot of pucks on the net.  We generated most of the offense.

Defenseman:

Assistant captain Kevin Bieska netted Vancouver's second goal last night that was assisted by Alex Burrows and Henrik Sedin.  Bieska has 5 points in the playoffs so far and is second on the team in the +/- department with a +5 rating.

Despite being a defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff is tied for third on the team with Daniel Sedin with 10 points (two goals, eight assists).  Ehrhoff had an assist on Henrik Sedin's game-winner last night.  While it is certainly nice to see your defenseman putting points up on the board, their primary job is to stop the puck from going into their own net.  At -7, it is going to be critical for Ehrhoff to emphasize his defensive play for Vancouver to be successful moving forward.

Goaltending:

Is Roberto Luongo series with this?  He's going to need to work hard to gain his team's trust and confidence.

*  *  *

Game one highlights:

Somebody tell Pavelski to keep his head up next time he skates through the neutral zone:

Sharks Surrender Lead

All the San Jose Sharks needed to do was keep a one goal lead in third period and they would go home happy. No such happiness would be found following the game. The Sharks dominated play throughout the first and second out skating and hitting the Canucks. The Sharks jumped out to a 1 goal lead with just over a minute to play in the first on a Roberto Luongo misplay. Luongo attempted to start the breakout on his own and sent the puck right to Joe Thornton who buried it into the open net. Not the start the Canucks were looking for. Vancouver wouldn't stay down for long, just 2 minutes into the 2nd Maxim Lapierre connected on a tic-tac-toe play assisted by Hansen and Torres. Mid way through the second, Chris Higgins got the Canucks crowd going with a huge open ice hit. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. Although the Sharks would score within a minute of the hit on a Patrick Marleau goal, the energy was on the Canucks' side. Vancouver heavily outplayed San Jose in the latter part of the second and third outshooting them 27-19 in that span. 7:02 into the 3rd the Vancouver faithful's prayers were answered by a Kevin Bieksa one-timer goal. Under a minute and half later, the capacity crowd would have more to cheer for when who else, but captain Henrik Sedin buried an in close chance to take the lead. From then on, Vancouver completely outplayed San Jose and would not look back. Daniel Sedin believed this game was their best of the playoffs. Daniel told Vancouvercanucks.com, “We had the puck more in the offensive zone and we created a lot from those kind of shifts.” Vancouver had a huge advantage in the shot total with a 38-29 swing. Look for the offensive dominance to resume in Game Two.

Where Did They Go?

In an absolute disgusting display of fanmanship, the Boston Bruins spectators filed out of TD Garden well before the final buzzer rang. In no way is leaving Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals early understandable. I've always held the Bruins fans and players to a higher standard than other Boston teams, but after this game they are a new team in my eyes. With poor and sloppy play being played in front of a vacant TD Garden, I felt like I was watching a game at Fenway when the Sox are down one run in the 6th. If the Bruins are to have a fighting chance in this series they need to clean their act up, and fast. Sean Bergenheim struck first for the Lightning when he netted a goal after Thomas failed to cover the puck 11:15 into the first period. Just twenty seconds later, Brett Clark entered the Bruins zone and let a backhander go from the bottom of the circle that found its way past Thomas. Just under a minute later, the Bruins would suffer another goal at the hands of Thomas and Kaberle. Kaberle leisurely played with the puck behind the Bruins net as Teddy Purcell forchecked. Kaberle proceeded to lose the puck to the front of the net while Thomas was daydreaming. Purcell easily tapped the puck past Thomas for a 3-0 lead. The stunned Bruins had something to cheer for 16:00 into the first when rookie Tyler Seguin danced through the lightning defense and fired a shot past Dwayne Roloson. After a scoreless second period, it seemed like the Bruins had a chance to make their way back into the game. All hope was lost when Marc-Andre Bergeron's slap shot from the point made its way through a screen and past Thomas. The unloyal fans began to file their way out of TD Garden to the disappointed streets of Boston. To add insult to injury Simon Gagne scored an empty net goal to make it 5-1. With minutes remaining Boychuk scored on a tip in assisted by Seguin for his second point of the night. Lets all hope the Bruins come out with a better effort in Game Two.

3 Stars:

1. Brett Clark
2. Dwayne Roloson
3. Tyler Seguin

Sharks Move On

Going into Thursday night, the Sharks were on the verge of becoming only the fourth team in NHL history to lose a series after winning 3 straight games. The Sharks would have no such history attached to them. The Sharks managed to hold off the Red Wings in game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals to advance and face the Vancouver Canucks. A main factor in game 7 was the play of "Jumbo" Joe Thornton. Thornton has been criticized over the years for his poor play come playoff time, but game 7 was not the case. "People have criticized Joe Thornton, said he's not a playoff guy," said Devin Setoguchi to Fearthefin.com. "But the passion he played with [in game seven] is just a clear example of what Jumbo brings to our team. He's our Captain, he's got to be our catalyst. It's going to start with him. He worked extremely hard and it rubbed off on everyone else." Thornton played with a gritty, physical, style of play that was unmatched. It was Thornton who set up Devin Setoguchi for a powerplay goal 12:20 into the 1st. With just under a minute left to play in the 1st, Henrik Zetterberg turned the puck over to Logan Couture who fired a shot over the left shoulder of the unexpecting Jimmy Howard. Zetterberg would make up for his mistake when he connected on a center lane drive style 3 on 2 with a beautiful backhand. The Sharks would go up 3-1 on a Patrick Marleau goal 12:13 into the third. Down 3-1, the Red Wings did everything they could to claw themselves back into the game. Pavel Datsyuk had what may be the best goal of the 2011 playoffs when he took a backhanded shot from the top of the circle that went in the words of George Pantazopoulos "Bar." Datsyuk would fight for his playoff life for the remainder of the game taking shots and battling for pucks, but his effort could not save the Wings. The Sharks move on to face the Vancouver Canucks.

New York Ranger Fans

Although the season is over, there's no shortage of news for New York Ranger fans lately.  Ranger fans, such as myself, have recently been dealt some fantastic news, as well as some deeply saddening news.

We'll start with the bad news.  It has been confirmed that Rangers forward Derek Boogaard has passed away at the age of 28.  Reports say that family members found him dead in his apartment Friday morning.  Little information has been released at this point in time, and it is not yet clear what the cause of death may have been.

Boogaard was respected as one of the toughest enforcers in the league:

Words from former teammate, Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom:

I don’t know how to describe it.  It’s really hard.  Unreal guy.   Great friend and an awesome teammate.   Just a really big teddy bear.   Outside the rink, he didn’t want bad for anyone.”

Boogaard registered 3 goals, 14 assists and 589 penalty minutes in 255 NHL games.

This is terrible news for the entire hockey community.  My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Derek Boogaard.  Rest in peace.

On a lighter, more encouraging note for Ranger fans, rumors have been swirling that the New York Rangers are going to play the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Rangers are the last of the Original Six teams to have not participated in a Winter Classic game.  It would be Philadelphia's second appearance.  It's interesting to note that reports are talking about the game being played on Monday, January 2nd instead of on Sunday, January 1st.  I would hate for the tradition of having the Winter Classic on New Years Day to change, but, at the same time, the annual outdoor game is a huge promotion for hockey, and it's important that the game is aired at a time that allows as many viewers as possible an opportunity to watch.  I'm interested to see what kind of impact an NFL lockout would have on the Winter Classic.  Perhaps the game will still be played on New Years Day if there is not football?

What I'm more excited for than the actual outdoor game itself is HBO's 24/7 series that will follow the Rangers and the Flyers throughout the weeks leading up to the 2012 Winter Classic.  HBO did an outstanding job this year filming the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.  This time around, I will get an insightful perspective into the workings of my favorite team.  The personalities on the Rangers - think coach John Tortorella and Sean Avery - would make for great television.  I suspect that the mouth of Tortorella could give Washington Coach Bruce Boudreau a run for his money, and that's no small accomplishment.

A short clip from HBO's series this year following Washington and Pittsburgh:

Detroit @ San Jose: Game Seven Preview

You have to be kidding me, Blogger.  It's pretty difficult to update a daily blog when Blogger is "unavailable" for an entire day.  Well, here was the game seven preview I had prepared for last night's Detroit vs. San Jose game, but never had the chance to post thanks to Blogger.  I'm not sure it makes much sense to post it at this point, and clearly my bold prediction was wrong, but it is what it is.  Sorry for the interruption of posts.

*   *   *

What do the years 1942, 1775 and 2010 all have in common?  These years represent the only three times in NHL history that a team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.  The Toronto Maple Leafs did it in 1942 against the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Islanders did it in 1975 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and, of course, the Philadelphia Flyers did it last year against the Boston Bruins.

According to NHL.com:

Completing the comeback is an extreme rarity in the NHL -- the three successful clubs represent just 1.8% of the 167 clubs that have attempted it -- as well as in the other major professional sports leagues. Just one club in the history of Major League Baseball has done it, the Boston Red Sox in 2004 against the New York Yankees, and no club in the National Basketball Association has accomplished the feat.

Clearly, the odds are not in favor of the Detroit Red Wings in tonight's game.

When asked by a reporter after Detroit's game six victory, "How special would it be to see this team comeback from a 3-0 hole and finish them off?" Gordie Howe responded with "Expect it."

I am most certainly in no position to argue with Gordie Howe, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, so I'm going to have to agree with him on this one.  I'm going to take the 1.8% odds and say that Detroit wins game seven tonight.  It doesn't help that they're going to have to do it on the road at the Shark Tank, but if Philadelphia could do it last year, I don't see why the Red Wings can't do it this year.  The Detroit roster is stacked with players who have game seven experience.  A staggering 22 players on Detroit have played in a game seven, compared to only 11 players on San Jose with game seven experience.

Lidstrom Anchors Team, Detroit Forces Game 7

The Red Wings have been around the block a time or two. In the last fifteen years, the Detroit Red Wings have won 4 Stanley Cups, more than any other team. So when the Wings went down in the series 3-0, there was no need to panic. Well experienced captain Nicklas Lidstrom told the Calgary Sun, "We had to break it down, whether it was a game at a time or even a period at a time. You focus on just trying to work hard and hopefully things will work out for you. It makes it easier to approach rather than looking at the whole big picture of, 'We have to win four straight games.' When you break it down and focus on that, it makes it a lot easier." Many of the Red Wings realize that they have not accomplished their goal just yet and that they must keep their level of intensity up. Niklas Kronwall said in an interview, "We've been playing like its game 7 every night."

After a scoreless first and second period that saw phenomenal goaltending by both Jimmy Howard and last season's Stanley Cup winner Anti Niemi. Through the first two periods, Niemi made 32 stops and Howard 13. Logan Couture opened the score for the Sharks 3:52 into the third when he batted the puck through Howard's pads. The puck squeaked through Howard and slightly crossed the goal line. After going to the "war room" in Toronto, the goal was signaled. Half way through the period the Wings would notch the score at 1 on a Henrik Zetterberg tip-in. After entering the corner, Flippula cut back up the half board and sent a pass to wide open Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall let a wrist shot go that was tipped by Zetterberg past Niemi. 12:32 into the third, just as a "Lets go Red Wings!" chant emerged, the Red Wings took a 2-1 lead on a Flippula tap in. The severely injured Datsyuk winged a perfect backhanded saucer pass right onto the tape of Flippula while on an odd man rush, who tapped it past the sprawling Niemi. With just over a minute left Darren Helm capped off the victory with an empty net goal.

3 Stars:

1. Valtteri Flippula- assisted tying goal and scored the game winner
   
2. Pavel Datsyuk- game winning assist
   
3. Antti Niemi- .955 save percentage on the night
   

San Jose @ Detroit: Game Six Preview

Tonight, the San Jose Sharks will have an opportunity to advance and play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference finals.

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin made it clear that he doesn't have any preference on what team he plays in round three:

We don't really care. It's two good teams again. We've been through two good teams already. We'll see. It's going to be long flights anyway, and we'll take whoever we get.

My prediction is that the Detroit Red Wings will get the home ice win and force a game seven.  Hopefully my prediction for tonight's game goes better than my prediction for last night's game.  Detroit's comeback in game five made it obvious that they were simply a more determined team than San Jose.  I'll pick determination over skill any day of the week - not to say that the Red Wings aren't one of the most talented teams in the tournament, of course.  Besides, with so many star players out with injuries for both sides, heart and determination will play an even larger role.

Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk will be playing through a wrist injury tonight that left Red Wing fans wondering if he was going to be playing in game five; he did.  Detroit will, however, be playing without Johan Franzen tonight due to an ankle injury.  Mike Modano will take take his spot for tonight's game on the top line with Tomas Holstrom and Pavel Datsyuk.  Modano will be playing in only his second playoff game this year - he also replaced Franzen for one game in Detroit's first round series against the Phoenix Coyotes.  Modano commented on his start tonight in a very humble, focused manner.

I'm excited just to be a part of it.  It's all you look forward to all season long, to be involved in some sense and be on the ice with these guys and competing -- knowing they're going through some physical and mental abuse out there and to kind of help lighten that load maybe and not be such a target.

It was tough last night sleeping, knowing that I was playing and there was no mystery about it.  It wasn't coming here and waiting and seeing after warm-up or whatever. In some sense that's good. In some sense that's bad. I mean, you get kind of restless sleep, but then again you have time to really think about what you want to do as a player and what's expected of you. It's a Game 6, elimination game and the fans are going to be very revved up.

Commenting on their third period collapse in game five, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said that "we'll make sure that we take it up a notch higher" in game six.

The Sharks are battling injuries of their own, and will be down Ryane Clowe because of "an upper-body injury."  Clowe is currently tied for second with thirteen points in the playoffs so far.  This will be an enormous loss for the Sharks.

In response to Clowe's absence tonight, McLellan said:

It puts a little more pressure on other players. He's obviously an important guy to our hockey club. It's not about the ones that are out of the lineup. It's about the ones that are in.

San Jose captain Joe Thorton's remarks sounded similar to McLellan's:

During the course of a year, you're going to have a guy that's out. Different guys have to step up. That's been the case all year. I wouldn't expect anything different from us tonight. Guys just have to pick up the slack for Clowe."

Detroit General Manager Ken Holland said that "we plan to be flying back for game 7."  I hope he's right.  Nothing is better than a game seven in playoff hockey, and it would be a shame for round two to come to an end so quickly without any game sevens.