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Tag: Stanley Cup Playoffs

  • April 11th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 11th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, April 11th, 2019 and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were five contests yesterday in action for the first day of Stanley Cup Playoff action.

     

    TXHT is going to have all of your coverage and you will our coverage in the games below.

     

    NEW YORK ISLANDERS 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT) (New York Islanders lead the series 1-0)

    The New York Islanders would take Game 1 in this contest by downing the Pittsburgh Penguins by the score of 4-3 in overtime, thanks to Josh Bailey scoring the game winner at the 4:39 mark in overtime.

     

    Game 2 takes place Friday night at 7:30 p.m., ET, when the Islanders will look to take the 2-0 series lead.

     

    TXHT’s Christopher Vasilas has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

     

    Columbus 4, TAMPA BAY 3 (Columbus leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would take Game 1 from the Tampa Bay Lightning after being down 3-0 at the end of the first period, winning the contest by the score of 4-3.

     

    Columbus looks to take the 2-0 series lead Friday night in Tampa.

     

    TXHT’s Russell Hartman has your full coverage of Game 1 at the following page.

     

    St. Louis 2, WINNIPEG 1  (St. Louis leads the series 1-0)

     

    In a hard fought contest, the St. Louis Blues would take the home-ice advantage, downing the Winnipeg jets by the score of 2-1.  The St. Louis Blues lead the series 1-0.

     

    The St. Louis Blues will look to take the 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off for Game 2 on Friday night.

     

    TXHT’s Aryan Weisenfeld has your coverage of the contest between the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets at the following page.

     

    Dallas 3, NASHVILLE 2 (Dallas leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Dallas Stars would take Game 1 from the Nashville Predators with the 3-2 win.  Dallas’ defenceman Miro Heiskanen would score two of the Stars goals in the contest, after being down 1-0 early in the contest.

     

    Mats Zuccarello would go on to score his first postseason goal as a member of the Dallas Stars organisation and Nashville’s defenceman P.K. Subban would bring Nashville within a goal but Nashville could not tie the game late in the third period.

     

    Dallas looks to take the 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off Saturday night at 6 p.m., ET.

     

    TXHT’s Dickson Kendrick has your full coverage of the contest at the following page.

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Vegas 2 (San Jose leads the series 1-0)

     

    The San Jose Sharks would get five goals past Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to down the Vegas Golden Knights by the score of 5-2.

     

    Five different goal scorers in total emerged in the contest on the Sharks side whereas Mark Stone would register the only two goals for the Golden Knights.

     

    TXHT’s Michael Lindenbaum has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

     

    Today there are three games in Stanley Cup Playoff action…

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    TXHT will have your full previews and gameday recaps of all three contests so make sure to stay tuned for all of your Stanley Cup playoff coverage.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Carolina Hurricanes (46-29-7 99pts) v. Washington Capitals (48-26-8 104pts)

     

    Regular Season Series:

    CAR: 0-3-1

    WAS: 4-0-0

     

    Preview:

    For the first time in both franchise’s history, the Washington Capitals will face the Carolina Huuricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the Capitals they will be looking to defend the title as Stanley Cup Champions and are looking to this series as the beginning of their championship defense.

     

    Meanwhile for the Hurricanes, they will be participating in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Hurricanes will be looking to replicate past successes when the team has made it into the playoffs, and view the Capitals as a solid test as to what they are made of going into this playoff run.

     

    Offense:

    For the Hurricanes they had five 20 goal scorers with only one of them hitting the 30 goal mark and that being Sebastian Aho. Compare this to the Capitals who have seven 20 goal scorers, with one 50 goal scorer in Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals are a bit deeper than the Hurricanes are in regards to scoring depth, but it will be a matter of sysytems that will dictate how much scoring will happen in this series.

     

    Defense:

    For defense, both teams will be looking to play responsible hockey in both the neutral zone and in their own zones. The last two games these two had against eachother, both teams played defensively responsible, but it would the Capitals high powered offense eventually pushing through for victories in both games.

     

    Key players that both teams will be looking to to have an impact in these playoffs will be Dougie Hamilton and Justin Faulk for the Hurricanes, and John Carlson for the Capitals. With Michal Kempny out until next season, the Capitals will be looking to both Christian Djoos and Jonas Siegenthaler to step up in Kempny’s absence.

     

    Goaltending:

    For the Capitals, Braden Holtby will be tasked once again to carry the Capitals to the promised land. This time though Holtby will be starting the series instead of his backup like last postseason.

     

    For the Hurricanes, they have a one-two punch in Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. While Mrazek is slated to be the starting goalie for this series, McElhinney can steal some games if called upon.

     

    Special Teams:

    CAR Powerplay: 17.8% 20th Overall

    WAS Powerplay: 20.8% 12th Overall

    The 2018-19 season was a dip in the Capitals powerplay, despite a hot start to the season. However, the Capitals were able to remain consistent throughout the season despite drought spurts.

     

    For the Hurricanes they were right around everyone expected them to be this season despite the dangerous duo of Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.

     

    CAR Penalty Kill: 81.6% 8th Overall

    WAS Penalty Kill: 78.9% 24th Overall

    This season under first time head coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes were able to improve on their penalty kill, and the use of both Aho and Teravainen brought speed to the penalty kill unit.

     

    However, for the Capitals they dropped excessively this season after the departure of Barry Trotz and Lane Lambert. Also the loss of Jay Beagle during the offseason took away one of their biggest faceoff threats. The Capitals can get hot with their penalty killing as we have seen at times this season, but they need it to be consistent throughout the entire series and playoffs.

     

    Prediction: WAS in 6

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs v. Boston Bruins

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs v. Boston Bruins

    Matchup:

    Toronto Maple Leafs (46-28-8, 3rd in Atlantic) vs Boston Bruins (49-24-9, 2nd in Atlantic)

    Regular Season Series: 3 – 1 Boston with 16 goals scored and 1-3 for Toronto with 10 goals scored

    Outlook:

    Boston:

    The Bruins walk into a very familiar situation where they have had extraordinary results. This being the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons the Bruins and the Leafs have met in the 1st round of the playoffs, with the Bruins taking 2 of the 3 so far in 7 games – one of which is the heartbreaking 3 goal collapse in the 3rd period. The Bruins look to keep things that way and not allow the Leafs to gain any momentum.

    Leafs:

    The Leafs, on the other hand, are looking to get over the 1st round playoff hump for the first time since 2004 and the beating the Bruins would be the best way to do it. But the Leafs went 1-3 against the Bruins in the season surrendering 16 goals, averaging 34 shots a game and going 3/8 on the Powerplay, which 37.5%. The Leafs bring a lot of new faces into this matchup or a lot of guys who have some experience this season. Players like Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Jake Muzzin, Frederik Gauthier, John Tavares, and Trevor Moore all either have seasoned a bit and become an integral part of the core or are veterans who will play massive roles in the success or detriment of this team.

    Game Changers:

    Brad Marchand – Marchand tallied 100 points for the first time in his career this season and he looks better than ever. His ability to annoy and put tremendous amounts of points make him the perfect playoff player. He will be one of the players to watch in this post-season and if the Leafs don’t find a way to contain Marchand, they may be watching the second round of the playoffs from home.

    Auston Matthews – Matthews missed 14 games with a shoulder injury and yet still was able to total 73 points and score 37 goals. But last year in the playoffs he went dry and this is the reason why he is being chosen as a game changer. When Matthews is on his game and dangerous, the Leafs can roll out 3 lines that can score and with the arrival of Tavares some eyes might be taken off of Matthews and put on the Tavares, Marner, Hyman line. If Matthews brings his game this series turns interesting and could see the Bruins watching the second round of the playoffs from their couches.

    Advantage Overview:

    Goaltenders:

    Boston

    Tuukka Rask started the season off very low and seemingly lost the number 1 spot to backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak. But after a 19 game point streak where he truly regained his form, there were no more questions. Rask finished 27-12-5, with a 2.42 GAA and .912 save percentage. While Halak put in a solid effort when called upon to hold down the fort, finishing 22-11-4 with a 2.34 GAA and .922 save percentage.

    Toronto

    This is a far cry from the Leafs goaltending. In fact, the exact opposite. Frederik Andersen started the season on fire and was just about in every conversation that had the name Vezina in it. But Andersen struggled heavily in March and April adding some serious question marks to the crease, especially considering the struggles backup netminder Garret Sparks has had – Eventually being sent away from the team – Michael Hutchinson will serve as Andersen’s backup. Andersen still managed to finish with pretty good numbers.  Andersen finished 36-16-7, with a 2.77 GAA and .917 save percentage.

    Advantage: Goaltending overall goes to Boston with Halak and Rask. But If we’re talking head to head Andersen vs Rask, it comes down to which Andersen shows up.

    Forwards:

    Boston

    The Bruins are top line heavy after that players drop off considerably. The Bruins have Krecji who has had a revolving door of wingers this season. But rely heavily on that top line and it’s not to say that others are bad players they just aren’t on the level of reliance or scoring ability as Pastrnak, Marchand and Bergeron. Scoring significantly tales off after the top line for the Bruins but their style of hockey is conducive to that.

    Toronto 

    The Leafs, on the other hand, are three lines deep of scoring. One of the highest scoring teams in the league during the regular season. The question on the Bruins mind must be who do we defend the most Tavares/Marner/Hyman or Matthews/Kapanen/Johnsson – all 20 or more goal scorers.

    Advantage – Leafs, because there offense is deadly, especially if the powerplay is working and it did versus the Bruins all season.

    Defense:

    Boston 

    Bruins have a good defense especially if you’re talking on the defensive side of the game. Offensively not the best but defensively one of the top defenses in the League. Anchored by Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, through Torey Krug and Kevan Miller, then the 3 remaining in  Matt Grezelcyk,  Brandon Carlo and John Moore.

    Toronto

    The Leafs have struggled defensively but look to turn the tides in the playoffs. Having all hands on deck for the first time in over a month will help with the defensive play for sure. Anchored by Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey, through Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev and down to the X-factors on the Leafs defense Jake Gardiner and Travis Dermott. Those 2 will be the factors on how well the Leafs defense play.

    Advantage – Boston

     

    Projected Lineups

    Bruins 

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Marcus Johansson

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — Kevan Miller

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Karson Kuhlman, Steven Kampfer, Connor Clifton

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder) and John Moore (Upper-Body)

     

    Maple Leafs 

    Zach Hyman — John Tavares — Mitchell Marner

    Andreas Johnsson — Auston Matthews — William Nylander

    Patrick Marleau — Nazem Kadri — Kasperi Kapanen

    Trevor Moore — Frederik Gauthier — Connor Brown

    Ron Hainsey — Morgan Rielly

    Nikita Zaitsev — Jake Muzzin

    Jake Gardiner — Travis Dermott

    Frederik Andersen

    Michael Hutchinson

    Scratched: Calle Rosen, Tyler Ennis, Nic Petan

    Injuries: None

     

    Winning Scenarios:

    1. Bruins win if the top line of Pastrnak, Marchand, and Bergeron can how the same ability to tear the Leafs defense apart again this year.
    2. The Leafs win if Frederik Andersen comes back to form and gives the Leafs some much needed solid goaltending.

    Final Thought/ Numbers:

    Boston has allowed the 3rd lowest goals against in the league this year with a 2.59 per game. Only behind the Islander (2.33) and Stars (2.44). This will be the test for Toronto who is 4th best in goals for in the league, which sits 3.49 per game.

    Frederik Andersen sat at 2.56 GAA and .924 save percentage through 50 games. But in his last 9, allowed 3.85 goals per game with an .878 save percentage.

     

     

     

  • Gameday Recap: Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars (First Round: Game 1)

    Gameday Recap: Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars (First Round: Game 1)

     

    Game Recap:  In Game 1 of this Western Conference First Round Match-up between the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars the first half of the first period would end up being a feel out process for both teams.  A strong showing would be shown during the contest however there would be a hard but clean hit by Nashville’s Brian Boyle to Dallas’ Jason Dickinson.  With that hit, Dickinson would have to go into the concussion protocol.  The rest of the first period would be a tough battle with both teams fighting strong for possession of the puck.  Roman Josi would score at the 12:12 mark in the period to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

    In the second period, it would be a hard hitting period with good hits being thrown by both squads.  Midway through the period, Dickinson would return to the ice after the Boyle hit earlier in the contest.  Nashville would also spend a lot of this period trying to get shots off but were unsuccessful in making any of that happen.  Rinne would have a brilliant save to prevent the Stars from making it a 2-1 lead, with less than five minutes left in the period with Nick Bonino clearing the puck.  Look for both teams going into the third period to finish off strong as this has been a big defensive battle, despite the penalties that were taken in this period.

    When Miro Heiskanen scored for Dallas to make it a tie game, he would become the youngest defenceman in franchise history to register a postseason goal.

    In the third period, it would be a slow start before Heiskanen would score his second goal in the game at the 6:10 mark to give the Stars their first lead in the game, leading 2-1.  A few minutes later, Mats Zuccarello would score his first postseason goal as a member of the Stars organization at the 10:39 mark.  Predators defenceman P.K. Subban would bring the game to within a goal with his goal at the 13:24 mark and then Mattias Janmark would get called for a holding penalty at the 15:08 mark to give Nashville a much needed chance to score on a critical power play.  Nashville would pull Rinne with five seconds left in the power play, but after several great chances to tie the game at 3 a piece, Nashville would fall to Dallas.

    The Dallas Stars would escape with the win, winning 3-2, and would take the home-ice advantage away from Nashville.  Nashville will look to even out the series on Saturday.  Game 2 will take place at 6 p.m., ET and I will have your full coverage of the contest.

     

    First Period:

     

    Dallas Penalty:  Mattias Janmark for Slashing —  2 min minor  —  8:51

     

    Nashville Goal:  Roman Josi (1) assisted by Ryan Ellis (1) and Nick Bonino (1)  —  12:12

     

    Nashville Penalty:  Brian Boyle for Hooking —  2 min minor  —  14:13

     

    End of 1st – DAL – 0       NSH – 1

    Shots              09                12

    Faceoffs         07                10

    Hits               06                  14

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

     

    Second Period:

     

    Nashville Penalty: Colton Sissons for Goaltender Interference —  2 min minor  —  3:18

     

    Dallas Penalty:  Ben Bishop for Embellishment (served by Mats Zuccarello) —  2 min minor  —  3:18

     

    Dallas Penalty:  John Klingberg for Roughing  —  2 min minor —  8:08

     

    Nashville Penalty:  Colton Sissons for Holding  —  2 min minor  —  11:10

     

    Dallas PPG:  Miro Heiskanen (1) unassisted  —  12:37

     

     

    Dallas Penalty:  Roman Polak for Tripping  —  2 min minor  —  15:30

     

    Nashville Penalty: Kyle Turris for Interference  —  2 min minor  —  17:16

     

     

    End of 2nd – DAL – 1       NSH – 1

    Shots              19                17

    Faceoffs         13               20

    Hits               11                  19

    PP                 1/3                 0/3

     

     

    Third Period:

     

    Dallas Goal:  Miro Heiskanen (2) assisted by John Klingberg (1)  —  6:10

     

     

    Dallas Goal:  Mats Zuccarello (1) assisted by Ben Lovejoy (1) and Jamie Benn (1)  —  10:39

     

     

    Nashville Goal:  P.K. Subban (1) assisted by Brian Boyle (1) and Mattias Ekholm (1)  —  13:24

     

    Dallas Penalty:  Mattias Janmark for Holding  —  2 min minor  —  15:08

     

    End of 3rd – DAL – 3       NSH – 2

    Shots              29                32

    Faceoffs         00                00

    Hits               14                  00

    PP                 1/3                 0/4

     

     

    Nashville Predators Lines and Defensive Pairings:

    Filip Forsberg-Ryan Johansen-Viktor Arvidsson

    Mikael Granlund-Kyle Turris-Craig Smith

    Colton Sissons-Nick Bonino-Austin Watson

    Brian Boyle-Calle Jarnkrok-Wayne Simmonds

    Roman Josi-Ryan Ellis

    Mattias Ekholm-P.K. Subban

    Dan Hamhuis-Dante Fabbro

    Pekka Rinne

    Juusa Saros

    Injured: Rocco Grimaldi (upper body)

    Scratched: Matt Irwin, Yannick Weber, Rem Pitlick, Zac Rinaldo, Miikka Salomaki, Cody McLeod, Frederick Gaudreau, Niclas Westerholm

     

    Dallas Stars Lines and Defensive Pairings:

    Jason Dickinson-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov

    Jamie Benn-Roope Hintz-Mats Zuccarello

    Andrew Cogliano-Radek Faksa-Blake Comeau

    Mattias Janmark-Justin Dowling-Tyler Pitlick

    Esa Lindell-John Klingberg

    Miro Heiskanen-Roman Polak

    Taylor Fedun-Ben Lovejoy

    Ben Bishop

    Anton Khudobin

    Injuries: Stephen Johns (upper body), Marc Methot (lower body), Martin Hanzal (back), Brett Ritchie (hand)

    Scratched: Julius Honka, Jason Spezza, Jamie Oleksiak, Valeri Nichushkin

  • Game One Recap – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Game One Recap – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Game one of the Lightning and Blue Jackets series was supposed to be a coming out party for the Lightning. They were supposed to run all over the Blue Jackets and start their march to the Stanley Cup Final. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos were supposed to score hat tricks and… wait… that didn’t happen? No it didnt.

     

    Period one of game one started like everyone thought it would. The Lightning were using their speed and skill to great effect and were running over the Blue Jackets. On the Blue Jackets first power-play of the game, Alex Killorn stripped the puck from a Blue Jacket defender and sped into the offensive zone on a shorthanded breakaway. He would score to put the Lightning up 1-0. Soon after, Anthony Cirelli would capitalize on a rebound and beat Sergei Bobrovsky in close to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead. The Lightning would take a commanding 3-0 lead into the locker room after a Mikhail Sergachev blast was deflected by Yanni Gourde past Sergei Bobrovsky. Things were following the script.

     

    Until they weren’t.

     

    Whatever Columbus Head Coach John Tortorella said to his team in between the first and second periods worked. Half way through the second period, Nick Foligno, the captain and heart and soul of the Blue Jackets, would grab a loose puck and snipe the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy to get the Jacket on the board. The momentum was beginning to shift in favor of the Jackets and they wouldn’t look back.

     

    The third period was one of the most insane periods of hockey I’ve seen in a long time. The Jackets would get a highlight reel goal from David Savard at 7:56 of the 3rd period when he deked around Victor Hedman and ripped the puck top shelf past Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Jackets were feeling it and the Lightning were powerless to stop it. Josh Anderson would join the party next and on a shorthanded opportunity he would skate cross-ice, out wait Vasilevskiy and shoot the puck past him to tie the game at three. The Jackets would take the lead at 14:05 of the 3rd period after a laser of a wrist shot by Seth Jones beat Vasilevskiy. The Lightning wouldn’t score and the Jackets would go on to win game one by a score of 4-3.

     

    Just like everyone predicted.

     

    The Blue Jackets now have the momentum going into game two and make no mistake; now that they’ve tasted this win and know what it takes to beat Tampa they are not going to back down. This is going to be a long series that no one, including myself, predicted. Will Jarmo Kekkalainen’s savvy moves at the deadline pay off? It remains to be seen but the Jackets are off to a damn good start.

     

    Game two is Friday night in Tampa.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Vegas Golden Knights v. San Jose Sharks

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Vegas Golden Knights v. San Jose Sharks

    Vegas Golden Knights (43-32-7 93pts) v. San Jose Sharks (46-27-9 101pts)

     

    Regular Season Series:

    VGK 2-1-1

    SJ 2-2-0

     

    Preview:

    For the second time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights will be taking on the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season these two teams met in the Western Conference Second Round which saw the Golden Knights defeat the Sharks in six games.

     

    Offense:

    For the Knights, they took a step back this season compared to last as they lost key veteran forwards James Neal and David Perron to free agency, however, they would pick up forward Paul Stastny via free agency and forward Max Pacioretty via trade with the Montreal Canadiens during the offseason. Also William Karlsson scored 24 goals this season compared to last season’s career high of 43. The Trade Deadline acquisition of forward Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators gives the Knights a solid scoring threat going into these playoffs.

     

    For the Sharks Evander Kane did not disappoint in his first full season with the team. Netting 30 goals and becoming a vital part of the powerplay, Kane is ready for a deeper run with the Sharks this postseason. Also Joe Pavelski had himself a solid 38 goal season, and is looking to step up and continue to help lead the Sharks in the playoffs.

     

    Defense:

    On defense for the Golden Knights having Nate Schmidt in the lineup is vital for the team. Vegas went 8-11-1 during his 20 game suspension, but once Schmidt got reinserted into their lineup the Knights would turn it around and go 11-3-1 in their first 15 games with Schmidt in the lineup. Plus the continued growth of Colin Miller and Shea Theodore have helped greatly during this season.

     

    On defense the Sharks went for broke when they traded for All Star Erik Karlsson during the offseason. Him along with fellow All Star Brent Burns will be looked upon to bring the offence from the blue line. However, one has to wonder about the health of Karlsson as he has missed a lot of time due to a groin injury.

     

    Goaltending:

    For Vegas they have Marc-Andre Fleury who was the driving force for the Golden Knights run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Fleury, who is a three time Stanley Cup champion, knows what it takes to win in the playoffs and this will be his third time facing off against the Sharks in the playoffs.

     

    For the Sharks they have Martin Jones who will be hoping that the third time is the charm for him in his head to head battle with Fleury. Jones has proven that he is a reliable goalie taking them to their lone Stanley Cup Finals appearance in which they lost in six games to Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.

     

    Special Teams:

    VGK Powerplay – 16.8% 25th Overall

    SJ Powerplay – 23.6% 6th Overall

    Going into the playoffs the Sharks have the advantage over the Knights in regards to the powerplay. With threats like Karlsson, Burns, Joe Thornton amongst others, the edge is in the Sharks favor.

     

    VGK Penalty Kill – 80.9% Tied 12th Overall

    SJ Penalty Kill – 80.8% 15th Overall

    For the penalty kill, both teams are very even with eachother. If the Sharks dominate powerplay can overpower the Knights penalty killers then this will be the difference maker between the two teams.

     

    Prediction: SJ in Six Games

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Tampa Bay Lightning (62-16-4) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (47-31-4)

    Eastern Conference First Round Series

    Best of Seven

    Winner Faces Boston/Toronto

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning had one of the most dominant and historic regular seasons in NHL history. They had three 40 goal scorers and Nikita Kucherov set the record for points in a season but a Russian-born player with 128. They dismantled opponents with their speed, power and skill all in front of an all-world defense led by Victor Hedman and an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. This team has been a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup and rightfully so; they have everything a cup contender needs in spades. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets, who went balls to the wall at the trade deadline, have a shot at taking out the biggest dog in the yard in the first round? It going to be a challenge needless to say.

     

    Forwards

    Tampa Bay

    First, let’s take a look at their forward groups. The Lightning boast one of the best in the entire league but Blue Jackets isn’t anything to laugh at either. The Lightning have a top-six forward group that consists of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde. That could be considered the best top-six forward core in the league rivaling the power of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. Stamkos, Kucherov and Point each had over 40 goals this year and whenever either of them is on the ice it means trouble for the opposition. Stamkos and Kucherov each have lethal shots and Point is no slouch either. Kucherov is on track to be the best Russian-player in the NHL today. Mix in Johnson, Palat and Gourde and you have a tremendous top-six that can beat you any given way on any given night.

     

    The Lightning’s bottom-six is nothing to laugh at either with the likes of Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli, J.T. Miller and Mathieu Joseph all playing on the third and fourth lines. Killorn has been a productive player for the Lightning since he joined the team in the 2012-13 season. Cirelli has drawn some calder buzz this year. Joseph was another great young find by the Lightning and J.T. Miller is your prototypical middle-six forward who can chip in offense when needed. From top to bottom the Lightning’s forward corps has the potential to light up opposing teams. Does Columbus have the talent to match?

     

    Columbus

    While the Lightning are impressive, the Columbus top-six forward corps is nothing to laugh at. Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Dzingel, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson make up a top-six that has a great deal of 7. ill and speed. Panarin is one of the best scorers in the game. Duchene is a proven number one center even with all the controversy that has followed him the past two seasons because of trades. Dubois is a star on the rise and Atkinson is always a threat for 30 goals. Anderson has proved he can be an effective power forward in the league. The Blue Jackets top-six, while not as intimidating as the Lightning’s, is still impressive and can light up the scoreboard on any given night. Panarin had 28 goals this year, Anderson had 27 goals, Atkinson scored a whopping 41, Duchene had 31 goals and Dubois put up 27.

     

    The Columbus bottom-six forward group features their captain Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, rookie Alexandre Texier, Brandon Dubinsky and Riley Nash. That third line of Foligno, Jenner and Bjorkstrand would be a capable second line on a lesser team but the fact that Columbus has that as a third line is super impressive. Bjorkstrand, although inconsistent, has a nice shot and Foligno is a prototypical power forward. The Columbus captain will make sure his team doesn’t go down without a fight. Toss in Dubinsky and Nash and the Jackets bottom six isn’t too shabby. So who has the forward edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The Tampa Bay Lightning. The trio of Stamkos, Kucherov and Point are just too good and will give the Blue Jackets all kinds of problems. The Lightning top-six is arguably the best in the entire league and their bottom-six is extremely lethal as well with sneakily good players like Cirelli, Killorn and Miller. The Blue Jackets have a great forward corps, especially with guys like Panarin and Duchene, but they don’t have nearly enough firepower to beat out the Lightning in this category.

     

    Defense

    Tampa Bay

    Victor Hedman is the reigning Norris trophy winner and had 54 points this season. Ryan McDonagh is one of the best shutdown defenseman in the game and he has 46 points this season. Mikhail Sergachev is a star on the rise, had 32 points this season and proved he can be an even better defenseman in year two of his career. Round out that six with Dan Girardi, who has been much better than advertised this season, Erik Cernak who has been a pleasant surprise and the capable Jan Rutta and the Lightning have an excellent group of defensemen who can lock down opponents and chip in the offense when needed. Anton Stralman getting back to full health will be something to keep an eye on in this series for sure.

     

    Columbus

    Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are the two powerhouses on defense here. Werenski had 44 points and Jones has 46 points this season. Both have the potential to be Norris trophy winner down the line. Jones is one of the best in the game today at both ends of the ice and Werenski is as lethal as they come on the offensive side of the ice. David Savard and Markus Nutivaara make a very capable second pair which the ability to chip in offense. The Blue Jackets third pairing of Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington rounds out a defense that can rock with the best of them in the league and if Adam McQuaid can stay healthy he can be inserted back into the lineup and give them an extra bit of snarl. The Blue Jackets will need all the help they can get this series. So who has the edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The saying goes that defense wins championships.The Lightning and Blue Jackets both have defenses capable of locking down the opposition and making life easier for their goaltenders. Before I give my answer here I need to stress how much closer this matchup is then the forward groups. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are extremely talented and that pair is probably a better pair than any pair of defenseman the Lightning can put put together but this is a case of the whole being better than the sum of its part. The Lightning possess Victor Hedman who at his peak is one of the best overall defenseman in the world. Ryan McDonagh was the Rangers number one defenseman and captain of the Rangers so he is used to being counted on and he has the leadership qualities to boot. Mikhail Sergachev is extremely talented and is only going to get better. One of those guys on each pair means the Lightning have someone to count on on every pair whereas the Blue Jackets get a little thin on their third pairing and their second pairing leaves something to be desired. If Anton Stralman can return, the Lightning only get stronger. The Tampa Bay Lightning get the edge once again.

     

    Goaltending

    Tampa Bay

    The Lightning possess an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy took over the crease from Ben Bishop a few seasons ago and he has been nothing but star caliber since he became the Lightning’s de facto number one goaltender. This season he had a .925 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. He is tremendously athletic and comes up big in big moments.  He’s played deep in the playoffs before and he’s shown he won’t break under the pressure. Vasilevskiy is going to be rock solid for the Lightning throughout the playoffs. THis year Vasilevskiy sported a record of 39-10-4.

     

    Columbus

    The Blue Jackets also possess an all-world goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky. Aquired from the Philadelphia Flyers a few season ago, Bobrovsky has done absolutely a goaltender can do and won a Vezina trophy along the way. The one thing missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup, same as his counterpart Vasilevskiy. Bobrovsky has been one of the best goaltenders in the regular season over the past few seasons but the knock on him is that he hasn’t been able to get it done in the playoffs. This year he will look to change that. This season he sported a .913 save percentage to go along with 2.58 goals against average. He sported a record of 37-24-1.

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    Just like the last two categories, I have to give this one to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy is the better goaltender and could very well win the Vezina trophy this year. He has shown up in the playoffs, even if he hasn’t won the big one just yet. Bobrovsky has consistently been a let down in the playoffs and until he proves otherwise this will be a big knock on him. This category is actually a lot closer than most people think since both goaltenders are quite good but the edge goes to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

     

    Series Prediction

    The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in 5 games
    Columbus may steal a game here but this is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series to lose. They are just deep, and they have arguably one of the best put together teams of all time. With players like Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, and an all world goaltender in Vasilevskiy it will just be too much for the Blue Jackets to overcome. The Blue Jackets did all they could to bolster up at the deadline but they run into the buzzsaw that’s the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sorry Columbus, Tampa is about to unleash their full power in the playoffs.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – St. Louis Blues v. Winnipeg Jets

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – St. Louis Blues v. Winnipeg Jets

    “When I look at [the Stanley Cup], I also see lots of magic moments. I see the dreams of thousands of young people who, at least once, have pictured themselves at hockey’s ultimate moment of triumph, hoisting the Stanley Cup.” — Ken Dryden, 6-time Stanley Cup Winner, lawyer.

     

    We sit here today, a far cry from my last article, impelling St. Louis Blues’ executives to rid the team of Doug Armstrong – architect of a team full of effete players with a poor attitude spreading like a pestilence through the locker room. Blues fans were consigned to ennui and despair with, at best, a chance to draft Jack Hughes.

     

    But I was wrong (though you’ll never get me to admit it). Today, April 10, this new, resurgent version of the Blues begins their quest for the Cup against the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams finished the regular season at 99 points, with the Blues having a record of 1-2-1. That might not seem particularly lopsided, but it was with the Jets winning 5-1, a laughable 8-4, and, what might have been the Blues’ worst loss of the season, a 5-4 OT loss when leading 3-1 going in to the third.

     

    All that said, the firing of Mike Yeo marked an important epoch in the Blues’ season. Since taking over, the Blues have gone 38-19-6 under new coach Craig Berube, good for a .651 points percentage. Contrast this to the Jets, who have posted only 35 wins during that time, and the disparity only grows once a grace period is accounted for to give Berube time to implement his system. Since January 1, the Blues have been one of the, if not the, best teams in the league. Unfortunately, the Blues and Jets have not matched up since December 7 (thank you, NHL?), so it is hard to use results of head-to-head matchups to offer predictive value for the playoffs.

     

    Regardless, one key for the Blues to win this series is to contain Patrick Laine. As one of the game’s elite scorers, he torched the Blues for 6 goals in 4 games, including a 5 goal performance. Even looking outside of this season, Laine has scored 13 goals against the Blues in his short, three-year career.

     

    As far as offensive production, the Blues season stands or falls on the production of the top line of Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Brayden Schenn. According to Murat Ates, who covers the Jets for The Athletic (a great follow on Twitter for those looking for a perspective from the Jets, @WPGMurat), 5 on 5, O’Reilly, Tarasenko & Schenn have a mark of 55.8 xG% and 22-9 lead in goals scored. Their+13 goal differential is 8th best line in the NHL. As a comparison: Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler finished the year as a -6 as a line.

     

    Simply put: Line 1 bad = loss.

     

    A wildcard to some, though not to me, is rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington. Binnington who has put up an out-of-this world 1.89 GAA, .927 save percentage, and 24-5-1 (!!!) record this season, but has yet to start a playoff game. Fresh in the mind of all fatalistic Blues fans (myself included), is the disastrous performance of playoff neophyte Roman Turek back in 2000. A series of unfortunate events, too numerous and disheartening to rehash, led to an early exit and a shortened career for Turek because he was never able to fully, and consistently, recover. My hope is that even if some minor things go wrong for Binnington, he has an unyielding calmness that gives me great confidence that he will be able to weather any storm and play valiantly regardless of circumstance.

     

    So here we go. One more year. One more chance. I’ll watch. I’ll hope – just as I’ve done every year since 1993 – that the Blues can muster the strength to string together 16 wins. I’ll predict that they’ll be the one team left at the top of the mountain at the end, and tell you all that I am but simply part of the clerisy if they are.

     

    And if not, I don’t want to talk about it.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Dallas Stars v. Nashville Predators

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Dallas Stars v. Nashville Predators

    Today we are going to take a look at the First Round match-up between the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars

     

    How We Got Here:

    The Nashville Predators come into this series winning the Central Division, with a record of 47-29-6 (100 pts) and the Dallas Stars getting the first wild card spot in the Western Conference with a record of 43-32-7.

    In the five match-ups between the two teams this season, the Nashville Predators had a record of 3-2-0 with the Dallas Stars having a record of 2-1-2.

     

    The Season Overview:

    While the Nashville Predators were not as dominant as the were last year when they won the President’s Trophy with the NHL’s best record, Nashville would win the Central Division again this season.

    Nashville did have the injury bug hit them during the season with defenceman P.K. Subban missing 19 games with an upper body injury and forward Viktor Arvidsson missing 21 games with a thumb injury, the Predators would finish off the season strong, going 8-2-1 in the teams final games.  Forward Filip Forsberg would also miss 17 games with an upper body injury during the season as well.

    For the Dallas Stars, they did everything they could to hold off the Colorado Avalanche from getting the top wild card spot by winning five of their last seven contests (5-1-1).

    On the defensive side of the puck, the Stars allowed the second fewest goals against per game (2.44) and in doing so goaltenders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were in the mix for the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals allowed until the latter part of the season.

     

    Game Changers:

    Nashville:  While Filip Forsberg was not the top point scorer this season, Forsberg still brings on a high energy to the team and will look to break out during this matchup.  Forsberg also had a few highlight-reel goals during the 2018 playoffs and will look to add to his post-season point total with 42 points (22 goals and 20 assists) in the 55 Stanley Cup Playoff games that he has played thus far.

    Dallas:  Mats Zuccarello was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on February 23rd for a conditional second round 2019 draft pick and a conditional third round 2020 NHL Draft pick, but Zuccarello has not played a full game for the team.  However, when Zuccarello has been in action, he has looked good, scoring three points (one goal, two assists) in two games, and has 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 60 NHL playoff games.

    Advantage:  Nashville

     

    Goaltenders:

    Nashville: Pekka Rinne, once again, had an excellent season by going 30-19-4 with a GAA of 2.42 and a .918 save percentage.  Rinne will look to have solid back-up in the net with Jusse Saros.  Saros had a good season as the back-up, going 17-10-4 with a 2.62 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

    Dallas:  Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin had a great season teaming up in net, coming close to winning the William M. Jennings trophy, given to the goaltenders for allowing the fewest goals during the regular season, until they would fall toward the end of the season.  Bishop had a record of 27-15-2 with a 1.98 GAA and an NHL best save percentage of .934.  Bishop would also miss 16 games during the season due to injuries, but he will look to be 100% healthy during the postseason.  Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin would go on to have a record of 16-17-5 with a 2.57 GAA and a .923 save percentage with two shutouts.

    Advantage: Even

     

    The Teams Will Win If:

    Nashville:  The special teams come out strong after finishing in last place on the power play with a 12.9% and keep the Stars from scoring.  The Predators had a strong Penalty Kill, ranking sixth in the NHL with a 82.1% percentage on the PK.

    Dallas:  The Stars will win if they can get firepower scoring to match up with the goaltending during the season.  Dallas finished 29th in the NHL with 2.55 goals per game and will look to improve and come out scoring early and often against a strong goaltender in Pekka Rinne.

     

    Series Prediction: Nashville in 6

     

    First Round Schedule is as follows (times are in ET):

    Wednesday, April 10, 9:30 p.m.: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | USA, SN1, TVA Sports

    Saturday, April 13, 6 p.m.: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | CNBC, SN, TVA Sports

    Monday, April 15, 9:30 p.m.: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports

    Wednesday, April 17, 8 p.m. Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| USA, SN, TVA Sports

    *Saturday, April 20, TBD: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | TBD

    *Monday, April 22, TBD: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| TBD

    *Wednesday, April 24, TBD: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | TBD
    *-if necessary

     

     

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    The NHL Playoffs kicks off this Wednesday. In this match up, we have two Metro division rivals squaring off against each other. The Islanders boast a record of 48-27-7 (103 Points) and finished 2nd in the division. While the Penguins have a record of 44-26-12 (100 Points) finishing 3rd in the division.

    The Penguins and the Islanders split the season series against each other 2 games apiece. In the first meeting on October 30th, the Islanders defeated the Penguins 6-3, then followed that up with a 3-2 victory in the shootout, just two days later. It wouldn’t be until December before the two teams would square off again, and it was the Penguins that were victorious, beating the Islanders 6-2 on December 6th. 4 days later, the two teams would square off for the final time in the regular season, and it was the Penguins who came out on top, a 2-1 shootout victory for them.

    The last time the Penguins and the Islanders played against each other in the playoffs, it was 6 years ago, way back in 2013. It was the Penguins who won the series, 4 – 2. It should be of note, that the game winning overtime goal in that series was provided by current Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8I7qIkugQ

    Keys to Victory for the Islanders

    • Use the home ice to their advantage. In round 1, the Islanders will be playing at Nassau Coliseum. Historically, the Islanders do well in this barn, and should take full advantage of the amped up crowd.
    • Shot blocking. One of the main reasons for the Islanders resurgence this season is their commitment to defense. They need to muck up the lanes and get in front of the puck.
    • Goaltending. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss won the William Jennings trophy for least goals allowed. They are both playing really well and will need to step up big time for the Isles going forward.

    Players to Watch

    Matthew Barzal (F)

    Robin Lehner (G)

    Devon Toews (D)

    Keys to Victory for the Penguins

    • Experience. The Penguins have made it to the playoffs for the last 13 consecutive seasons. Really impressive, because in those 13 years, they have won 3 Stanley Cups during that time.

    • Power plays. The Penguins ranked 7th in the NHL in power play percentage during the regular season. If the power play can continue with this trend, there are going to be some big opportunities for the star players to score some big goals.
    • Penalty Kill. As well as their power play has been, their penalty kill is also good. The Penguins are tied for the 3rd best penalty kill in the league. Special teams always is a difference maker in the playoffs.

    Players to Watch

    Sidney Crosby (F)

    Matt Murray (G)

    Evgeny Malkin (F)

    Here is what the schedule of the series looks like: