X75 Productions

Tag: NHL

  • 2019 NHL Entry Draft Recap- Round 1

    2019 NHL Entry Draft Recap- Round 1

    My fellow Hockey fans, we are now officially in phase one of the NHL offseason! Tonight begins round one of the 2019 NHL entry draft. This is considered to be one of the most deepest draft classes in recent memory highlighted by superstar prospects in American born center Jack Hughes & Finnish winger Kappo Kakko. Each of these two prospects are capable of turning around a teams misfortunes and help speed up the process of becoming a Stanley Cup contender again. Jack Hughes is expected to be your prototypical number one center who can create plays, score goals, pass, defend, and can overall make his teammates better players. Kappo Kakko on the other hand really showed how capable he can be as a superstar goal scorer at the National Hockey League level as he showcased his abilities at the IIHF 2019 World Championships. While these two are expected to be generational and franchise changing players, this draft class also shows there are other players that have excellent abilities that could help a franchise improve their depth in a big way. Let’s take a look at the draft results:

    Draft Results:

    1. Devils – Jack Hughes, USNTDP

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1142225278455799809?s=19
    2. Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Finland)


    3. BLACKHAWKS – Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)


    4. Avalanche (via Senators) – Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)


    5. Kings – Alex Turcotte, USNTDP


    6. Red Wings – Moritz Seider, Adler Mannheim (Germany)


    7. Sabres – Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)


    8. Oilers – Philip Broberg, AIK (Sweden)


    9. Ducks – Trevor Zegras, USNTDP

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1142237184675631104?s=19
    10. Canucks – Vasili Podkolzin, SKA (Russia)


    11. Coyotes (via Flyers) – Victor Söderström, Brynäs IF (Sweden)


    12. Wild – Matthew Boldy, USNTDP


    13. Panthers – Spencer Knight, USNTDP


    14. Flyers (via Coyotes) – Cam York, USNTDP


    15. Canadiens – Cole Caufield, USNTDP


    16. Avalanche – Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)


    17. Golden Knights – Peyton Krebs, Kootenay (WHL)


    18. Stars – Thomas Harley, Mississauga (OHL)


    19. Senators (via Blue Jackets) – Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)


    20. Jets (via Rangers) – Ville Heinola, Lukko (Finland)


    21. Penguins – Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)


    22. Kings (via Maple Leafs) – Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)

    https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/1142259915353780224?s=19
    23. Islanders – Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (Sweden)


    24. Predators – Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)


    25. Capitals – Connor McMichael, London (OHL)


    26. Flames – Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL)


    27. Lightning – Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)


    28. Hurricanes – Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)


    29. Ducks (via Sabres/Sharks) – Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1142268296395235330?s=19
    30. Bruins – John Beecher, USNTDP


    31. Sabres (via Blues) – Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)

     

    Analysis:

    This draft class as stated earlier featured generational stars and a lot of depth. Obviously Jack Hughes & Kappo Kakko will change the New Jersey Devils & New York Rangers each respectively in a HUGE way. It really could’ve went either way who would’ve went first or second. It just depended on what each team’s plans were. The Devils are looking to build their team with Center ice depth down the middle which has been the trend of teams that have won the Stanley Cup in recent memory. It definitely factored into them drafting Hughes number one. The Rangers on the other hand are looking to speed up their rebuild a little bit faster by adding a more polished product while Hughes may take a year to develop despite his higher overall talent ceiling. The fact that Kaako is more “NHL ready” falls in line with the Rangers plans of speeding up the rebuilding process which certainly factored into their decision. Tonight’s draft also featured a record-setting eight American first-round draft picks. Obviously, tonight was a great night for USA hockey overall and the national development program. There were some other picks within this round I really liked and one that shocked me being drafted highest:

    Chicago Blackhawks: I really like the Blackhawks drafting Kirby Dach. Other scouts have made comparisons of his game with Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf. He has size like him, can score, and is a very great play maker. Dach also has the benefit of learning how to play a full 200 foot game in the NHL from a great center like Jonathan Toews.

    Colorado Avalanche– drafting Bowen Byram is a great choice as he has shown so far in his development he could possibly play in the NHL very soon with comparisons to a young Duncan Keith. He can potentially add a lot more to the Avalanche’s already impressive d-core with fellow youngster Cale Makar.

    Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres pick of Dylan Cozens is a pick I’m a big fan of. His game reminds me a lot of a young Ryan Kessler. Like Kessler, he plays a full 200 foot game, plays with a tough competitive edge, and also has a bit of a scoring capability like Kessler. He definitely has the potential of being a Selke trophy nominee or winner

    Detroit Red Wings- the Wings pick of German defenseman Moritz Seider at #6 was a big shock amongst other scouts and GMs as he wasn’t projected to be selected that high. Maybe Steve Yzerman knows something we don’t? Yzerman when he was a consultant with the Lightning had a lot of time to travel and scout a lot of these young players. Time will tell how this pick works out

    Washington Capitals: The Capitals with the 25th pick drafted London Knights Center Connor McMichael. From watching highlights, he really seems like he has a scoring touch with a nose for the net. McMichael has a nice release and is capable of shooting and scoring from anywhere. He also is very versatile and can play on the wing as well as a Center.

     

    What’s Next/Important Dates:

    NHL Free Agent interview period- begins this Sunday June 23rd

    2019-2020 Schedule Release: June 25th

    Restricted Free Agent Qualifying Offers due: June 25th

    Restricted Free Agent contact period: June 26th

    1st Buyout Period ends: June 26th @ 5pm

    NHL Free Agency- begins July 1st

  • St. Louis Blues – Stanley Cup Champions At Last

    St. Louis Blues – Stanley Cup Champions At Last

    “It’s been a rough season to be a fan of the St. Louis *ahem* Blues, and at this point everyone either realizes that the team is in the middle of a rebuild or is in desperate need of one.” — some hack earlier in the season *checks notes*, oh, yes, me.

    Well, well, well, look at who’s left standing at the mountain top. Before recapping this incredible playoff run, let me first just say that I absolutely cannot believe this finally happened. Growing up, watching great teams with great players like Brett Hull (more on him later), and watching them so often fail in the most comical ways – let’s just say, it jaded me.

    This year was different – every round had at least one defining moment of adversity that the Blues had to overcome. Against the Winnipeg Jets, the Blues found themselves down 2-0 in the third period of a pivotal game 5, yet managed to erase that deficit with 3 goals in the third. Against the Stars, who quite honestly posed a very bad matchup for the Blues, they found themselves down 3 games to 2, before roaring back to thoroughly dominate them the next two games. But for Ben Bishop in Game 7, the scores of the last two games would have been incredibly lopsided. There was the infamous hand-pass against the Sharks, after which the Blues outscored them by a combined 12-2 mark the last three games. Even in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blues came back after getting blown out in game 3, having multiple players suspended, and losing a chance to clinch at home.

    There isn’t much to go over that TXHT has not covered in the game recaps, but my hope is to convey just how much this means to the city, to me. St. Louis is a nice city, but one people don’t necessarily need to visit. However, once you live there, once you experience the people, the day-to-day life, it becomes your home – forever. That’s why Brett Hull cares so much. That’s why greats like Bernie Federko, Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, and Wayne Gretzky still live, at least partially, in the city and were there every step of the way for this run. There’s also a certain kinship people have with the Blues that they don’t have even with the Cardinals – maybe the Cardinals win too much it becomes old hat? I really don’t know. But I do know that records were set for viewership and ticket cost, and almost half the population showed up for the parade. Brett Hull might still be having his own parade right now.

    But, as much as I try, I am certainly not a good enough writer to adequately convey its meaning in words, so please accept these two words as my final thought:

    Thank you

    https://twitter.com/STLBlueshistory/status/1139007682986348544

  • NHL Trade Alert: Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers

    NHL Trade Alert: Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers

    Seemingly out of the blue, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton completed a trade for defenseman Jacob Trouba.

     

    Trouba, who has long been rumored to be traded out of Winnipeg, was finally traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Neal Pionk and the 20th pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The hockey world is still coming to terms with this trade and how it shakes up the landscape of the NHL. Let’s take some time to analyze this for both squads.

     

    Winnipeg’s end of the deal

    The Winnipeg Jets, while the initial reaction is understandably not very positive, do get their first rounder back in a very deep 2019 draft. That will help them as they continue to try to find the right pieces to compete for a Stanley Cup and there will still be some great prospects available at the 20th overall spot. While this draft is considered to be as unpredictable as any in recent memory the Jets will have their pick of quality prospects. WIth the trade of Trouba, the Jets should look to a guy like Sweden’s Tobias Bjornfot to eventually replace him on their blueline.

    As for Neal Pionk, well this is a bit more complicated. During Pionk’s time in New York he showed flashes of being a good offensive defenseman but ultimately, he hasn’t shown any of the consistency that the Rangers hoped for. He had 26 points this past season which wasn’t bad at all but his plus-minus at a minus-16 was absolutely awful. The advanced stats also aren’t very kind to him as they paint him as one of the worst defensemen in the NHL last season. The thing is in Winnipeg, the Jets won’t force him into a top pair role. He can play on the bottom two pairs, or hopefully bottom pair where he is more suited, and have an easier time finding his way in the league. If Pionk can become a serviceable offensive defenseman for the Jets as the years go on, that would be good as they compete for a Stanley Cup.

    The Jets defense pairing should look like this next season:

    Josh Morrissey – Dustin Byfuglien

    Ben Chiarot – Tyler Myers

    Dmitry Kulikov – Neal Pionk

     

    New York’s end of the deal

    The Rangers acquire a 25-year-old right handed first pair defenseman. That is EXACTLY what they needed this offseason. Jacob Trouba, along with Brady Skjei and prospects K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Adam Fox and others will lead New York’s blueline into the future as they hope to get back to Stanley Cup contention. Trouba had eight goals and 42 assists last season for 50 points during his age 24/25 season and will be a cornerstone on the Rangers blue line for years to come. GM Jeff Gorton essentially turned three months of Kevin Hayes and Neal Pionk into Brenden Lemieux and Jacob Trouba. Fantastic job by the boss in New York. The Rangers have put their rebuild into overdrive and this Friday  they will get the chance to add Kaapo Kakko or Jack Hughes at the entry draft in Vancouver. It has been an amazing year since the Rangers announced their plans to rebuild.

     

    The Rangers defense corps should look like this next season:

    Brady Skjei – Jacob Trouba

    Libor Hajek – Adam Fox

    Marc Staal – (prospect to be determined)

  • Capitals Announce 2019-20 Preseason Schedule

    Capitals Announce 2019-20 Preseason Schedule

    Today the Washington Capitals have announced their 2019-20 Preseason Schedule which will feature six games against three opponents.

     

    The Capitals will take on the Chicago Blackhawks, 2019 First Round rival Carolina Hurricanes, and the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues. For the Blackhawks they will be looking to continue thier turnaround under first time head coach Jeremy Colliton who went 30-28-9 in 67 games after taking over for Joel Quenneville last season.

     

    Then there is the Carolina Hurricanes who will be looking to build upon their exciting 2018-19 season that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals, only to be swept by the Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes will be the only Eastern Conference test the Capitals will have in the preseason.

     

    Lastly, the Capitals will be facing the newly crowned champion Blues in what will be the two most interesting games of the preseason given the what we have gotten the last two preseasons between these two teams. In a preview of the last two Stanley Cup Champions, there will now be some added value to seeing what both teams could look like going into the 2019-20 Regular Season.

     

    The 2019-20 Preseason is very far away, but is a good reminder of what is coming up next.

  • Capitals News: Hagelin Re-signs for 4 years $11 million

    Capitals News: Hagelin Re-signs for 4 years $11 million

    On Sunday June 16th the Washington Capitals announced that they have re-signed forward Carl Hagelin for four years and $11 million that has an AAV of $2.75 million per season.

     

    Hagelin, who was aquired from the Los Angeles Kings near the trade deadline, recorded 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 20 games with the Capitals last season. Before coming to the Capitals Hagelin combined for eight points with both Los Angeles (1g, 4a in 22 games) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (1g, 2a in 16 games), and upon his arrival in the Nation’s Capital Hagelin averaged 2:21 minutes per game on the penalty kill, which was first amongst forwards for the Capitals since his debut on February 23rd.

     

    Now to take a look at where you could slot Carl Hagelin in the Capitals lineup next season. Now right now looking at the Capitals lineup here is what we can expect going into next season:

     

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Carl Hagelin – Lars Eller – ???

    Travis Boyd – Nic Dowd – Chandler Stephenson

     

    For now it would make sense to have Hagelin on the third line with Lars Eller as that is the line that will need the most looking at right now given how it is expected that Devante Smith-Pelly will not be with the Capitals next season, and there is a chance the Capitals could let Brett Connolly go to free agency to test the market which means we could be seeing some new faces get opportunities to crack the Capitals 2019-20 lineup. I personally only see two players getting a true opportunity at taking that last open spot and the extra forward roster spot and that is Riley Barber and Shane Gersich. Barber has proven in the AHL with the Hershey Bears that he is a goal scorer and he deserves a legitimate chance at the NHL level. Then with Shane Gersich, he has had a taste of the NHL level, especially in the playoffs during the Cup run, and is a speedy player that has a very hard work ethic and a promising NHL career ahead of him. With that said I could see one of two potential lineups for next season:

     

    Option 1:

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Carl Hagelin – Lars Eller – Riley Barber

    Travis Boyd – Nic Dowd – Chandler Stephenson

    Shane Gersich

     

    Option 2:

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Carl Hagelin – Lars Eller – Riley Barber

    Travis Boyd – Nic Dowd – Shane Gersich

    Chandler Stephenson

     

    Now with both options that I see for the Capitals they both have Barber on the third line, but on the fourth line I could see Gersich and Chandler Stephenson switching off and on for the fourth line, but this is a conversation when we get closer to September once we see what other trades and signings General Manager Brian MacLellan may do in the coming months leading up to Training Camp.

     

    As for Hagelin, I see him starting the season on the third line. Him and Eller created some really good chemistry in the short time Hagelin was here in Washington. Now with a contract extension taken care of, their chemistry can continue to grow. However, on the same token Hagelin was also utilized on the other three lines, and just like with Tom Wilson, was able to breathe life into whatever line he was placed on so Hagelin is a true utility player that will can be used anywhere in the lineup.

     

    Overall this signing was a very good one for the Capitals and for Hagelin. The AAV is very generous, and allows the Capitals more Cap flexibility going into next season. Plus it gives the Capitals a player that they can utilize in multiple parts of their lineup, and one they are familiar with, and not one they have to teach the system to and start from scratch.

  • Coming Soon – What to expect from TXHTHockey.com this Offseason

    Coming Soon – What to expect from TXHTHockey.com this Offseason

    Ladies and gentlemen X75 Productions is proud to announce this offseason’s lineup for TXHTHockey.com.

     

    With the 2018-19 NHL Season officially concluded, TXHT will be covering the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft, and the first 36 hours of free agency. Also TXHT will continue to cover the NWHL’s Free Agency news as they are announced. TXHT will also cover all major NHL news throughout the summer as deemed appropriate.

     

    Also this summer TXHT will be doing a Jersey Share series which will feature hockey jerseys that have been collected over the years. This is expected to start in the next week or two.

     

    TXHT will return to full NHL coverage in September.

     

    X75 Productions is proud to announce that AwesomeMania with Ben Taylor and Michael Lindenbaum is back in full force with all of your pro wrestling talk.

    AwesomeMania

    AwesomeMania airs live on Twitch every other Thursday night. AwesomeMania will also feature a special live edition at Wilkes Comic Con in Wilkes, NC in July.

     

    X75 Productions is also proud to announce the return of X75 Unsanctioned on Twitch. Join Michael every other Thursday night when AwesomeMania is not recording.

    X75 Unsanctioned

    X75 Unsanctioned will air live on Twitch from 7p to 9p EST starting this week.

     

    Lastly, X75 Productions would like to announce its newest podcast “Nerdy Notions” with Sasha Kaplan.

    nerdy notion3

    Join Sasha as she discusses topics in regards to comics, movies, television, and so much more. “Nerdy Notions” will be debuting this week.

     

    X75 Productions will be announcing another new podcast later this summer once all details have been finalized.

  • NHL Trade News – Capitals Trade Niskanen to Philadelphia for Gudas

    NHL Trade News – Capitals Trade Niskanen to Philadelphia for Gudas

    Today in NHL news the Washington Capitals have traded veteran defenseman Matt Niskanen to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Radko Gudas.

    This trade comes at a time where the Capitals are looking to shed some salary going into the offseason so they can re-sign players and take a look at who they may have interest in going into July 1st with free agency opening up.

     

    For the Capitals they send Niskanen to Philadelphia with two years left on his contract with an AAV of $5.75 million, and in return receive Gudas who has one year left on his deal with an AAV of $3.35 million, but as part of the trade the Flyers retain 30% of his salary which would shed $1.005 million from his cap hit helping the Capitals clear $3.405 million in cap space with this trade.

     

    Now looking at this trade in-depth a little bit more outside of contracts and salary cap space, we take a look at what both players bring to the table for their new respective teams starting off with Matt Niskanen going to the Flyers.

     

    Now with Niskanen going to the Flyers, he will add a veteran presence on the blue line that will help elevate their very young core that features Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Sam Morin, all of which are players born no earlier than 1993 (Average age is 24 years old amongst the five defensemen). Niskanen having won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Capitals will bring valued knowledge and experience to the Flyers dressing room as well, and will be used to help mentor the young defense on how to handle those high pressure situations. So for the Flyers, getting a skilled veteran defenseman who has a Cup is very valuable to this young team. Plus as Niskanen admitted in his conference call today, he may not be a number one defenseman anymore, but he sees himself as a really good support piece for the Flyers, and that he can still play top four minutes.

     

    Now for the Washington Capitals and the addition of Radko Gudas, they are picking up a solid defensive defenseman that was single handedly the Flyers best defenseman all season long. With Gudas you’re going to get a lot of grit and a lot of hits. Some of which has landed Gudas in trouble with NHL Player Safety, but overall Gudas will be a really good fit for the Capitals. Having just turned 29 on June 5th, Gudas is younger than Niskanen, 32 turning 33 in December, and can step in and play those top four minutes that Niskanen was playing for the Capitals. Also with the pending departure/retirement of veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik, it is more logical to see Gudas taking Orpik’s place in the lineup over Niskanen’s which some could say was taken care of with the Nick Jensen trade and signing right before the trade deadline.

     

    So if we look at the Capitals defensive pairings, this is what they looked like before Michal Kempny’s leg injury:

     

    John Carlson – Michal Kempney

    Dmitry Orlov – Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik – Nick Jensen

     

    With Jonas Siegenthaler and Christian Djoss as spare defensemen, we would see Djoos fall out of favor during the playoffs and Siegenthaler rise during the regular season and again during the 3 games he played in the playoffs. Now with that said, here is what we could see next season for the Capitals defense pairings:

     

    John Carlson – Michal Kempny

    Radko Gudas – Dmitri Orlov

    Nick Jensen – Jonas Siegenthaler

    Christian Djoos

     

    Djoos in my opinion would start the season as the seventh defenseman with Siegenthaler starting the season on the third pairing with Jensen. Now with that said I could easily see Gudas and Jensen flipping spots in the lineup pending on who they are playing or how one of them is performing over the other. Plus we have to put into factor about Kempny and how he will be once he returns from his leg injury, so that will play a factor into things as well. Also Gudas is a guy who we can put onto our penalty killing unit in Orpik’s place given how he plays with that same style as Orpik, and know that he can be relied on in that aspect of the game.

     

    Overall when I look at this trade that swaps Niskanen with Gudas, it makes a lot of sense in several aspects both on and off the ice. The Capitals get some cap space relief, while also getting a solid defensive defensman in Gudas, and at the same time the Flyers get a Stanley cup champion who can help elevate their young defensive core and take them to the next level. So overall a solid trade for both teams.

     

    And lastly to end this piece, the Capitals said it best on Twitter today:

     

  • Stanley Cup Final Game 7 – St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    Stanley Cup Final Game 7 – St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    Game 7 – Series Tied 3-3

     

    Game Recap:

    Going into Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins will look to win their first ever Final Game 7 at home while the St. Louis Blues will look to win their first ever Stanley Cup in their 52 year history. To start the game both teams would play with a very high tempo, but it would be the Blues getting the early jump, but the Bruins would generate some of the better scoring opportunities. Throughout the majority of the first period it would be the Bruins dominating on the shot counter, but late in the period it would be the Blues getting a strong shift from Ryan O’Reilly and Sammy Blais as they would force the play in the Bruins zone that would allow Jay Bouwmeester to get off the point shot that O’Reilly would deflect and go right through Tuukka Rask for the first goal of the game. Then with 7.9 seconds off of a bad line change by Brad Marchand, Alex Pietrangelo would go into the Bruins zone unattended and would receive a beautiful pass from Jaden Schwartz as he would drive the net and backhand it past Rask to give the Blues a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.

     

    Going into the second period the Blues looked to maintain their two goal lead over the Bruins, and they would play with a layered defense to clog up the neutral zone against the Bruins which would work for the most part as Jordan Binnington was able to see all shots that came his way when the Bruins would get into the Blues zone. The Blues would keep the Bruins off the board in the second period, and will need to continue their tough play and keep the play out of their zone for the final 20 minutes of this game.

     

    In the third period it would be very much the same as the second period as the Blues would continue playing their game against the Bruins, and while the Bruins would generate some solid chances, Binnington would stand tall and shut door on them. Then a little past the 11 minute mark Vladimir Tarasenko would work hard to get to the puck deep in the Bruins zone and would take a quick look before getting the puck and would feed Brayden Schenn in the slot who would one time it to make it a commanding 3-0 lead for the Blues. Then with less than five minutes left in the game David Perron would feed Zach Sanford in front of the net to seal the deal for the Blues and give them the 4-0 lead. However, with a little over two minutes left the Bruins would pull Tuukka Rask and Matt Grzelcyk would score to cut the Blues lead to three, but it would be too little too late as the Blues hold on for the 4-1 win to become the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions.

     

    Lineups:

    St. Louis Blues:

    Jaden Schwartz — Brayden Schenn — Vladimir Tarasenko

    Zach Sanford — Ryan O’Reilly — David Perron

    Sammy Blais — Tyler Bozak — Pat Maroon

    Ivan Barbashev — Oskar Sundqvist — Alexander Steen

    Carl Gunnarsson — Alex Pietrangelo

    Jay Bouwmeester — Colton Parayko

    Vince Dunn — Joel Edmundson

    Jordan Binnington

    Jake Allen

    Scratched: Robert Thomas, Robert Bortuzzo, Robby Fabbri, Michael Del Zotto, Mackenzie MacEachern, Chris Thorburn, Ville Husso, Jordan Nolan

     

    Boston Bruins:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman

    Marcus Johansson — Charlie Coyle — Danton Heinen

    Joakim Nordstrom — Sean Kuraly — Noel Acciari

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo

    Matt Grzelcyk — John Moore

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Steven Kampfer, David Backes, Connor Clifton

    Injured: Chris Wagner (upper body), Kevan Miller (lower body)

     

    First Period:

    Blues Penalty – 7:57 – Colton Parayko 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Blues Goal – 16:47 – Ryan O’Reilly (8) from Jay Bouwmeester (7) and Alex Pietrangelo (16)

    Blues Goal – 19:52 – Alex Pietrangelo (3) from Jaden Schwartz (7)

     

    End of 1st – STL – 2       BOS – 0

    Shots              04                12

    Faceoffs         07                11

    Hits               14                  11

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    N/A

     

    End of 2nd – STL – 2        BOS – 0

    Shots               10                 23

    Faceoffs          17                 18

    Hits                 27                  21

    PP                   0/0                  0/1

     

    Third Period:

    Blues Goal – 11:25 – Brayden Schenn (5) from Vladimir Tarasenko (6) and Jaden Schwartz (8)

    Blues Goal – 15:22 – Zach Sanford (1) from David Perron (9) and Ryan O’Reilly (15)

    Bruins Goal – 17:50 – Matt Grzelcyk (4) from David Krejci (12)

     

    End of 3rd – STL – 4         BOS – 1

    Shots              20                   33

    Faceoffs        25                    26

    Hits               36                     27

    PP                 0/0                    0/1

     

    Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues for becoming the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions!

     

     

    Thank you for following TXHT’s extensive Playoffs coverage on our 2019 NHL Playoffs page.

     

    TXHT’s Stanley Cup Finals coverage sponsored by:

    4380127

  • Stanley Cup Final Game 6 – Boston Bruins v. St. Louis Blues

    Stanley Cup Final Game 6 – Boston Bruins v. St. Louis Blues

    Boston Bruins v. St. Louis Blues

    Game 6 – STL Leads 3-2

     

    Game Recap:

    Coming into Game 6 in St. Louis the Blues will look to close out the Stanley Cup Final at home with the decisive fourth victory, but the Boston Bruins are highly motivated to send the series back to Boston for Game 7  after the controversial ending to Game 5. In the first period to start the game both teams would trade chances, but then penalties would come into play as at first the Bruins would get a delay of game penalty when Sean Kuraly would accidently shoot the puck over the boards. The Blues would not be able to capitalize on the powerplay, and then would take not one, but two penalties themselves to give the Bruins a two man advantage that would see David Pastrnak feed Brad Marchand the one timer for the first goal of the game and give the Bruins the 1-0 lead.

     

    In the second period the Blues would come out with a bit more step in their game, and would draw two penalties against the Bruins for two powerplays that saw them control the tempo very well. However, the Blues would not be able to capitalize on either opportunity, but they would continue their strong play. The Bruins would be able to hold off the Blues off of the hard work of Tuukka Rask and take their 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

     

    Going into the third period the Bruins would grow their lead to two when Brandon Carlo would get off a point shot that would take a rough bounce off the ice and squeak past Jordan Binnington to make it 2-0 for the Bruins early in the third. Then in the midway point of the third, Karson Kuhlman would rip a wicked wrist shot past Binnington to make it 3-0 for the Bruins as they would really push this game out of reach for the Blues. However, the Blues would respond off of an offensive zone faceoff when Ryan O’Reilly would get the rebound in front of the net and we would think Rask would make the save, but Toronto would call down to say that the puck went into the net and the Blues get back into this game as O’Reilly would be credited with his seventh of the playoffs and cut the Bruins lead to two. But the Bruins would not relent as Sean Kuraly would force a turnover behind the Blues net as he would get the puck to Brad Marchand who would feed David Pastrnak the puck would then make his move and get the puck over Binnington to regain the three goal lead, and then to seal the deal Zdeno Chara would lob the puck over into the Blues net to make it 5-1 to seal the Bruins Game 6 victory and force Game 7 on Wednesday night.

     

    Lineups:

    Boston Bruins:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman

    Marcus Johansson — Charlie Coyle — Danton Heinen

    Joakim Nordstrom — Sean Kuraly — Noel Acciari

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo

    John Moore — Connor Clifton

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Steven Kampfer, David Backes

    Injured: Matt Grzelcyk (concussion protocol), Chris Wagner (upper body), Kevan Miller (lower body)

     

    St. Louis Blues:

    Jaden Schwartz — Brayden Schenn — Vladimir Tarasenko

    Zach Sanford — Ryan O’Reilly — David Perron

    Pat Maroon — Tyler Bozak — Robert Thomas

    Sammy Blais — Oskar Sundqvist — Alexander Steen

    Carl Gunnarsson — Alex Pietrangelo

    Jay Bouwmeester — Colton Parayko

    Vince Dunn — Robert Bortuzzo

    Jordan Binnington

    Jake Allen

    Scratched: Joel Edmundson, Robby Fabbri, Michael Del Zotto, Mackenzie MacEachern, Chris Thorburn, Ville Husso, Jordan Nolan

    Injured: None

    Suspended: Ivan Barbashev

     

    First Period:

    Bruins Penalty – 2:42 – Sean Kuraly 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Blues Penalty – 7:17 – Brayden Schenn 2 minutes for Boarding

    Blues Penalty – 8:19 – Ryan O’Reilly 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Bruins PPG – 8:40 – Brad Marchand (9) from David Pastrnak (10) and Torey Krug (16)

    Bruins Penalty – 18:21 – Zdeno Chara 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – BOS – 1       STL – 0

    Shots              11                10

    Faceoffs         07                10

    Hits               10                  09

    PP                 1/2                 0/2

     

    Second Period:

    Bruins Penalty – 9:11 – Brad Marchand 2 minutes for Tripping

    Bruins Penalty – 13:43 – Charlie McAvoy 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of 2nd – BOS – 1        STL – 0

    Shots               20                 19

    Faceoffs          17                 22

    Hits                 19                  23

    PP                   1/2                  0/4

     

    Third Period:

    Bruins Goal  -2:31 – Brandon Carlo (2) from Jake DeBrusk (7)

    Bruins Goal – 10:15 – Karson Kuhlman (1) from David Krejci (11)

    Blues Goal – 12:01 – Ryan O’Reilly (7) from Alex Pietrangelo (15) and David Perron (8)

    Bruins Goal – 14:06 – David Pastrnak (9) from Brad Marchand (14) and Sean Kuraly (6)

    Bruins ENG – 17:41 – Zdeno Chara (2) from unassisted

    Blues Penalty – 19:38 – Sammy Blais 2 minutes for Slashing

    Blues Penalty – 19:38 – Sammy Blais 2 minutes for Roughing

    Bruins Penalty – 19:38 – Connor Clifton 2 minutes for Roughing

    Blues Penalty – 19:43 – Robert Bortuzzo 2 minutes for Cross Checking

     

    End of 3rd – BOS – 5         STL – 1

    Shots              32                   29

    Faceoffs        26                    37

    Hits               27                     29

    PP                 1/2                    0/4

     

    Next Up:

    Game 7 – Series Tied 3-3

     

    Thank you for following TXHT’s extensive Playoffs coverage on our 2019 NHL Playoffs page.

     

    TXHT’s Stanley Cup Finals coverage sponsored by:

    4380127

  • Stanley Cup Final Game 5 – St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    Stanley Cup Final Game 5 – St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins

    Game 5 – Series Tied 2-2

     

    Game Recap:

    Coming into Game 5 would be the question as to whether or not Zdeno Chara would suit up for the Boston Bruins after taking a puck to the jaw in Game 4 that would force him to miss the second half of the second period and entire third period. For the Bruins they would get Big Z for an important Game 5 against the visiting St. Louis Blues and he would play 5:55 in the first period. The Bruins would play off of that buzz of having Chara in the lineup and would outshoot the Blues 17-8 in the first, but would not get anything past Jordan Binnington who would stand tall in net.

     

    Heading into the second period the Blues would only need 55 seconds as Ryan O’Reilly would backhand a shot past Tuukka Rask to give the Blues the first lead of the game off of an amazing offesive zone rush by Blues to make the goal happen. The Blues would come close near the end of the period to extend their lead, but it would be David Krejci sliding through the crease to prevent Alex Pietrangelo from doing so.

     

    In the third period we would see the momentum rock back and forth between the two teams, but midway through the period the Blues would strike after a controversial play that would see Tyler Bozak trip Noel Acciari (sorry Aryan, it was a trip), but because the officials did not call it and play continued which would lead to David Perron scoring to make it 2-0 for the Blues. However, an irate Bruins team would respond during a delayed penalty against the Blues when Jake DeBrusk would score to cut the deficit back to one. The Bruins would force a late push, but the Blues would hold their ground and win the game 2-1 and take the 3-2 series lead going into Game 6 on Sunday night.

     

    Lineups:

    St. Louis Blues:

    Jaden Schwartz — Brayden Schenn — Vladimir Tarasenko

    Zach Sanford — Ryan O’Reilly — David Perron

    Pat Maroon — Tyler Bozak — Sammy Blais

    Ivan Barbashev — Oskar Sundqvist — Alexander Steen

    Carl Gunnarsson — Alex Pietrangelo

    Jay Bouwmeester — Colton Parayko

    Vince Dunn — Robert Bortuzzo

    Jordan Binnington

    Jake Allen

    Scratched: Joel Edmundson, Robby Fabbri, Michael Del Zotto, Mackenzie MacEachern, Chris Thorburn , Ville Husso

    Injured: Robert Thomas (undisclosed)

     

    Boston Bruins:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci

    Marcus Johansson — Charlie Coyle — Danton Heinen

    Joakim Nordstrom — Sean Kuraly — Noel Acciari

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo

    John Moore — Connor Clifton

    Steven Kampfer

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Karson Kuhlman, David Backes, Matt Grzelcyk

    Injured: Chris Wagner (concussion protocol), Kevan Miller (lower body)

     

    First Period:

    Blues Penalty – 6:27 – Vince Dunn 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Bruins Penalty – 17:22 – Brad Marchand 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 1st – STL – 0       BOS – 0

    Shots              08                17

    Faceoffs         11                04

    Hits               17                  21

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Blues Goal – :55 – Ryan O’Reilly (6) from Zach Sanford (3) and Alex Pietrangelo (14)

    Blues Penalty – 9:25 – David Perron 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 2nd – STL – 1        BOS – 0

    Shots               14                 25

    Faceoffs          24                 15

    Hits                 29                  35

    PP                   0/1                  0/2

     

    Third Period:

    Blues Penalty – 3:09 – Alexander Steen 2 minutes for Interference

    Blues Goal – 10:36 – David Perron (7) from Ryan O’Reilly (14)

    Bruins Goal – 13:32 – Jake DeBrusk (4) from Torey Krug (15)

     

    End of 3rd – STL – 2         BOS – 1

    Shots              21                   39

    Faceoffs        38                    26

    Hits               34                     43

    PP                 0/1                    0/3

     

    Next Up:

    Game 6 – STL Leads 3-2

     

    Thank you for following TXHT’s extensive Playoffs coverage on our 2019 NHL Playoffs page.

     

    TXHT’s Stanley Cup Finals coverage sponsored by:

    4380127