Erik Gustafsson finally saw some real game action instead of just practicing against his teammates. He played in his first game of the season on Saturday night when the Philadelphia Flyers took on the Detroit Red Wings.
He had been a healthy scratch for the first five games of the Flyers season in favor of fellow defenseman Andrej Meszaros. The only ice time Gustafsson had seen so far this season was during practice and preseason.
The defenseman looked pretty good in the 18:19 he spent on the ice. He moved the puck out of his own zone well, which Meszaros had failed to do in his five starts. If Gustafsson made a mistake, he was quick enough to be able to fix it; whereas, Meszaros has looked slow and sloppy in the early season.
He knew when to pinch in the offensive zone and when to stay back so he could be in a good defensive position if the Red Wings went on the attack. On one shift, Gustafsson was paired with Kimmo Timonen and everyone on the ice kept cycling the puck and the Flyers managed to get a couple of good scoring chances out of it.
In the second period, Brayden Schenn got the puck back to Gustafsson at the point, and he took the shot. The puck took a weird bounce in front of the Red Wings goalie, Jimmy Howard, and went into the net.
The puck movement was better coming out of their own zone since Gustafsson was in the lineup and not Meszaros, who isn't know for his puck-moving skills. Meszaros is the bigger of the defensemen, but Gustafsson has the puck-moving skills and has better mobility than Meszaros.
The two defensemen play both the power play and the penalty kill. Meszaros is coming off a season where he missed the majority of the season due to a torn rotator cuff and Gustafsson is coming off of a summer in which he won the World Championships with Sweden.
The new head coach, Craig Berube, will make the final decision on who plays and who sits, but Gustafsson should be in the lineup again on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Tim Thomas and the Florida Panthers Agree to One Year Contract
The Florida Panthers and 39-year-old goaltender, Tim Thomas have
agreed to a one year contract.
The deal has a cap hit of $3.75 million for the 2013-14
season with $2.5 million being the base salary and $1.25 million in player
bonuses, according to capgeek.com.
Thomas signed a pro
tryout contract with the Panthers in the beginning of training camp. He has yet to play in a preseason game, but
is in net for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Thomas has been
out of hockey for a year after deciding to sit out the final year of his
contract with the Boston Bruins in the 2012-13 season.
The goaltender has played in 378 career games and they have
all been played with the Bruins, where he compiled 196 wins, 121 loses, a .921
save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average. He also has played in 50 playoff games and
won a Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins.
The 39-year-old has been selected to the All-Star game four
times in his career (2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012). He has won the Veniza Trophy in both the
2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons as the best goaltender in the NHL. Thomas also won the William M. Jennings
Trophy with Manny Fernandez as the top goaltending duo for the 2008-09 season. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being
the playoff MVP in 2011.
Thomas is currently the third goaltender on the roster for
the Panthers behind 23-year-old Jacob Markstrom and Scott Clemmenson, who is
currently out with a knee injury. It
should be interesting to see who the Panthers keep between the pipes for the
upcoming season, which starts on Thursday, October 3rd on the road
in Dallas.
Thomas is
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Philadelphia Flyers and Matt Read Agree to Contract Extension
The Philadelphia Flyers and forward Matt Read have agreed to a four year, $14.5 million contract that has a cap hit of $3.625 million per season.
The new deal won't start until the 2014-15 season, since Read is in his last year of a three year, $2.7 million contract. The cap hit for this season remains at $900,000.
The Flyers signed the undrafted right winger, out of Bemidji State University, in 2011. He played 11 games for the Adirondack Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate, that same season.
In his rookie season, Read played in 79 games tallying 24 goals, 23 assists and 47 points. He also played in 11 playoff games scoring three goals and setting up two others for five total points.
Read has proved to be a versatile player in his first two seasons with the Flyers. He usually plays the point on one of the power play units, gets significant time on the penalty kill, and is trusted to be out on the ice during the last minute of a one goal game.
The right winger can both score and setup his teammates. He works hard every night and can play on any line, whether it be the top line or the third line.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Bruins Agree to Eight Year Contract with Patrice Bergeron
The Boston Bruins and forward Patrice Bergeron have agreed to a new eight year contract worth $52 million with a cap hit of $6.5 million per season.
The new contract doesn't start until the start of the 2014-15 season since his previous contract was until the end of next season. Bergeron was drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was part of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Bergeron had 10 goals, 22 assists, 32 total points, and was a plus 24 in 42 games played last season. He came up big in the playoffs by scoring the game winning goal in game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bergeron played in 22 games, had nine goals and six assists for 15 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The center played with a broken rib, torn cartilage, and a separated shoulder during game six of the Stanley Cup Finals. He was also treated for a punctured lung after the game.
Bergeron has played in 579 games with 153 goals, 280 assists, 433 points and is a plus 70 in his career. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the best defensive forward during the 2011-12 season. The center was a plus 36 that year and was a plus 24 last year, which was sixth best in the league.
He missed a majority of the 2007-08 season due to a head injury. Bergeron is one of the Bruins leaders both on and off the ice and is one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He is also versatile because he can be trusted in any situation on the ice including the power play or penalty kill.
Bergeron has only had one minus season in his career and that was back in the 2006-07 when he was a minus 28.
The center was the 2012-13 winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner for his leadership and humanitarian contribution.
Sources: capgeek.com/player/221
http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bergepa01.html
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=677835&navid=nhl:topheads
The new contract doesn't start until the start of the 2014-15 season since his previous contract was until the end of next season. Bergeron was drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was part of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Bergeron had 10 goals, 22 assists, 32 total points, and was a plus 24 in 42 games played last season. He came up big in the playoffs by scoring the game winning goal in game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bergeron played in 22 games, had nine goals and six assists for 15 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The center played with a broken rib, torn cartilage, and a separated shoulder during game six of the Stanley Cup Finals. He was also treated for a punctured lung after the game.
Bergeron has played in 579 games with 153 goals, 280 assists, 433 points and is a plus 70 in his career. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the best defensive forward during the 2011-12 season. The center was a plus 36 that year and was a plus 24 last year, which was sixth best in the league.
He missed a majority of the 2007-08 season due to a head injury. Bergeron is one of the Bruins leaders both on and off the ice and is one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He is also versatile because he can be trusted in any situation on the ice including the power play or penalty kill.
Bergeron has only had one minus season in his career and that was back in the 2006-07 when he was a minus 28.
The center was the 2012-13 winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner for his leadership and humanitarian contribution.
Sources: capgeek.com/player/221
http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bergepa01.html
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=677835&navid=nhl:topheads
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Flyers Use Final Buyout on Ilya Bryzgalov
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that the team will buyout goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
The organization signed him to a nine year deal worth $51 million on June 26, 2011, after acquiring his right from the Phoenix Coyotes. He only played two seasons in Philadelphia.
The Flyers will have to pay him two-thirds of his remaining salary owed or $23 million. It will be paid over the course of 14 years and won't count against the Flyers cap. Teams can't officially buyout players until 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Finals, which would be Wednesday around 11 p.m. eastern time. ( http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=675174&navid=DL|NHL|home).
In two seasons with the Flyers, Bryzgalov went 52-33-10 with a 2.61 GAA and .909 save percentage in 99 games played. In 11 playoff games, he was 5-6 with a 3.46 GAA and a .887 save percentage.
He didn't play too bad last season sporting a 19-17-3 record with a 2.76 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
The Flyers used its other compliance buyout on forward Danny Briere. The two buyouts will free up about $12.1 million in cap space over the next two seasons.
The projected starter now for the Flyers is Steve Mason. He was acquired last season from the Columbus Blue Jackets for backup goaltender Michael Leighton and a draft pick.
The organization signed him to a nine year deal worth $51 million on June 26, 2011, after acquiring his right from the Phoenix Coyotes. He only played two seasons in Philadelphia.
The Flyers will have to pay him two-thirds of his remaining salary owed or $23 million. It will be paid over the course of 14 years and won't count against the Flyers cap. Teams can't officially buyout players until 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Finals, which would be Wednesday around 11 p.m. eastern time. ( http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=675174&navid=DL|NHL|home).
In two seasons with the Flyers, Bryzgalov went 52-33-10 with a 2.61 GAA and .909 save percentage in 99 games played. In 11 playoff games, he was 5-6 with a 3.46 GAA and a .887 save percentage.
He didn't play too bad last season sporting a 19-17-3 record with a 2.76 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
The Flyers used its other compliance buyout on forward Danny Briere. The two buyouts will free up about $12.1 million in cap space over the next two seasons.
The projected starter now for the Flyers is Steve Mason. He was acquired last season from the Columbus Blue Jackets for backup goaltender Michael Leighton and a draft pick.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Minnesota Wild Agree to Terms with Niklas Backstrom
The Minnesota Wild have agreed, in principle, to re-sign their starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The deal is reportedly three years worth $10.25 million and the cap hit is $3.42 million per season, which is a reasonable price for the Wild.
Since Backstrom is 35-years-old his contract would fall under the 35+ rule of the collective bargaining agreement. If a player is 35 or older when they sign their contract then their salary counts towards the cap, no matter if they are playing with the team or not. If Backstrom were to retire before the length of the contract was up then the Wild would be stuck with his $3.42 million still counting towards the cap.
Backstrom played in 42 games last season for the Wild. He started in 41 of those games. The goalie posted a 24-15-3 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.48 GAA. He also had two shutouts.
The Wild made the playoffs but backup goalie, Josh Harding, had to start because Backstrom was injured in a pre-game skate before game one of their first round series with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 35-year-old is 184-124-45 in 369 career games played with a .917 save percentage, 2.43 GAA, and 28 shutouts. He was signed by the team in 2006 as a free agent.
The Wild only have about $3.3 million in cap space this season and could use one or both of their compliance buyouts to free up some cap space. One choice would be Dany Heatley, who has one year left on his contract at $7.5 million. The other choice could be defenseman Tom Gilbert, who has a cap hit of $4 million for next season.
Among the restricted free agents that the Wild will have to try and re-sign are forward Cal Clutterbuck, and defensemen Justin Falk and Jared Spurgeon. They are all under contracts but can sign an offer sheet from other teams that the Wild would have to match in order to keep them.
The deal is reportedly three years worth $10.25 million and the cap hit is $3.42 million per season, which is a reasonable price for the Wild.
Since Backstrom is 35-years-old his contract would fall under the 35+ rule of the collective bargaining agreement. If a player is 35 or older when they sign their contract then their salary counts towards the cap, no matter if they are playing with the team or not. If Backstrom were to retire before the length of the contract was up then the Wild would be stuck with his $3.42 million still counting towards the cap.
Backstrom played in 42 games last season for the Wild. He started in 41 of those games. The goalie posted a 24-15-3 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.48 GAA. He also had two shutouts.
The Wild made the playoffs but backup goalie, Josh Harding, had to start because Backstrom was injured in a pre-game skate before game one of their first round series with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 35-year-old is 184-124-45 in 369 career games played with a .917 save percentage, 2.43 GAA, and 28 shutouts. He was signed by the team in 2006 as a free agent.
The Wild only have about $3.3 million in cap space this season and could use one or both of their compliance buyouts to free up some cap space. One choice would be Dany Heatley, who has one year left on his contract at $7.5 million. The other choice could be defenseman Tom Gilbert, who has a cap hit of $4 million for next season.
Among the restricted free agents that the Wild will have to try and re-sign are forward Cal Clutterbuck, and defensemen Justin Falk and Jared Spurgeon. They are all under contracts but can sign an offer sheet from other teams that the Wild would have to match in order to keep them.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Jonathan Bernier to Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings.
In return the Kings got goaltender Ben Scrivens, forward Matt Frattin and Toronto's second round pick in either the 2014 or 2015 draft.
Bernier is 24-years-old and has been the backup for Jonathan Quick for the past couple of seasons. He was taken in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He was 9-3-1 last season with a 1.88 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
Bernier has never played more than 25 games in a season so no one knows if he could handle an 82 game schedule. He will most likely be splitting time between the pipes with James Reimer, who is the starting goalie for Toronto. Bernier's best season came in the 2010-11 season, when he played in 25 games, had an 11-8-3 record, a 2.36 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
Bernier was set to become a restricted free agent but the Maple Leafs signed him to a two year, $5.8 million contract with a $2.9 million salary cap hit per season.
Ben Scrivens, who was the backup goalie for James Reimer in Toronto, is 26-years-old. He also doesn't have much NHL experience, but will be backing up Quick in Los Angeles.
He went 7-9-0 last season with a 2.69 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He has only played in 32 games in his career and is 11-14-2 with a 2.86 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
Matt Frattin is a 25-year-old winger, who was taken in the fourth round by the Maple Leafs in the 2007 draft. He played 25 games last season with seven goals, six assists, 13 points, and was a +6. In the playoffs, he only had two points and was a +1.
Bernier is 24-years-old and has been the backup for Jonathan Quick for the past couple of seasons. He was taken in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He was 9-3-1 last season with a 1.88 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
Bernier has never played more than 25 games in a season so no one knows if he could handle an 82 game schedule. He will most likely be splitting time between the pipes with James Reimer, who is the starting goalie for Toronto. Bernier's best season came in the 2010-11 season, when he played in 25 games, had an 11-8-3 record, a 2.36 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
Bernier was set to become a restricted free agent but the Maple Leafs signed him to a two year, $5.8 million contract with a $2.9 million salary cap hit per season.
Ben Scrivens, who was the backup goalie for James Reimer in Toronto, is 26-years-old. He also doesn't have much NHL experience, but will be backing up Quick in Los Angeles.
He went 7-9-0 last season with a 2.69 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He has only played in 32 games in his career and is 11-14-2 with a 2.86 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
Matt Frattin is a 25-year-old winger, who was taken in the fourth round by the Maple Leafs in the 2007 draft. He played 25 games last season with seven goals, six assists, 13 points, and was a +6. In the playoffs, he only had two points and was a +1.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Teams Starting to Fill Coaching Vacancies Before Draft
Alain Vigneault is headed for the bright lights of New York to coach the Rangers. Vigneault was fired by the Canucks after his team was swept right out of the first round of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks. He made the playoffs six of the seven years he coached the team reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, where the Canucks lost to the Bruins.
Vigneault is taking over for John Tortorella, who was fired by the Rangers after the team lost their second round playoffs series in five games to the Boston Bruins. Tortorella is thought to be more of a defensive-minded coach while Vigneault is more of an offensive coach. The Rangers only gave up 2.25 goals per game, which was fourth best in the regular season. The only scored 2.62 goals per game in the regular season and that put them in the middle of the pack. (NHL.com story on Vigneault heading to New York)
The Dallas Stars have found their next coach in Lindy Ruff. Ruff was fired by the Buffalo Sabres on March 20 after a disappointing year by his team. He coached for 15 seasons in Buffalo. He had eight appearances in the playoffs including three to the Eastern Conference Finals. Ruff took the team to the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost, ironically, to the Dallas Stars.
The Stars fired their coach, Glen Gulutzan, after another disappointing year. The team has high hopes coming into the season with the emergence of Jamie Benn, and the free agent signing of Jaromir Jagr. The team eventually traded Jagr to the Boston Bruins after it realized it wouldn't be making the playoffs. The Stars haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. (NHL.com story on Ruff hiring)
The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed their coach, Dave Tippett, to a long-term contract. His contract was set to expire on July 1st. He took over in 2009 after the Coyotes fired Wayne Gretzky. In 2011, the Coyotes won the Pacific Division for the first time and made a run deep into the playoffs before losing to the Los Angeles Kings, the defending champions. The Coyotes have been to the playoffs three of the four years that Tippett has been the coach. (NHL.com story on Tippett staying in Phoenix)
Vigneault is taking over for John Tortorella, who was fired by the Rangers after the team lost their second round playoffs series in five games to the Boston Bruins. Tortorella is thought to be more of a defensive-minded coach while Vigneault is more of an offensive coach. The Rangers only gave up 2.25 goals per game, which was fourth best in the regular season. The only scored 2.62 goals per game in the regular season and that put them in the middle of the pack. (NHL.com story on Vigneault heading to New York)
The Dallas Stars have found their next coach in Lindy Ruff. Ruff was fired by the Buffalo Sabres on March 20 after a disappointing year by his team. He coached for 15 seasons in Buffalo. He had eight appearances in the playoffs including three to the Eastern Conference Finals. Ruff took the team to the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost, ironically, to the Dallas Stars.
The Stars fired their coach, Glen Gulutzan, after another disappointing year. The team has high hopes coming into the season with the emergence of Jamie Benn, and the free agent signing of Jaromir Jagr. The team eventually traded Jagr to the Boston Bruins after it realized it wouldn't be making the playoffs. The Stars haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. (NHL.com story on Ruff hiring)
The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed their coach, Dave Tippett, to a long-term contract. His contract was set to expire on July 1st. He took over in 2009 after the Coyotes fired Wayne Gretzky. In 2011, the Coyotes won the Pacific Division for the first time and made a run deep into the playoffs before losing to the Los Angeles Kings, the defending champions. The Coyotes have been to the playoffs three of the four years that Tippett has been the coach. (NHL.com story on Tippett staying in Phoenix)
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Stanley Cup Finals: Game 1: Bruins/Blackhawks
The Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins started off with a bang. The game started on Wednesday night and didn't end until early Thursday morning. Andrew Shaw finally ended the game about midway through the third overtime. It was the fifth longest game in Stanley Cup Final history.
The Bruins top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton got off to a great start. The line teamed up for the Bruins first two goals and the Blackhawks just didn't seem to have an answer on how to stop them.
Lucic and the Bruins got on the board first. The Bruins dumped the puck into the Blackhawks zone, and Horton took a hit from Niklas Hjalmarsson to make a play. Horton got the puck free, then Krejci picked up the puck along the boards, and put it right on the tape of Lucic's stick. Lucic fired a wrister past goaltender Corey Crawford for a 1-0 Bruins lead.
The Lucic line then went to work again early in the second. This time Lucic won a puck battle in the corner, and got the puck to Krejci, who slid it right back onto the stick of Lucic, who one-timed the puck past Crawford for a 2-0 Bruins lead.
The Blackhawks came back about three minutes later to cut the lead in half. Brandon Saad scored his first goal of the playoffs and Marian Hossa got the assist. Then Michael Frolik tripped up Zdeno Chara and was sent to the penalty box. The Bruins capitalized on the ensuing power play with Patrice Bergeron scoring the goal. Lucic got the puck to Tyler Seguin, who made a cross ice pass to Bergeron, who restored the Bruins two-goal lead.
The Blackhawks wouldn't give up and scored two more goals in the third period. Andrew Shaw got the puck at the blue line and skated it into the Bruins zone. He spotted Dave Bolland coming down the wing and fed him the pass, which Bolland put into the back of the net. Johnny Oduya scored to tie the game 3-3 with about eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Marcus Kruger dropped a pass back to Frolik, who was poke checked along the boards. Kruger picked up the loose puck and pushed it back to Oduya. The defenseman then skated to the middle of the ice and loaded up and took a slap shot. The Blackhawks had plenty of traffic in front of Rask distracting him from making the save.
The first overtime period saw quality scoring chances for each side and the goaltenders stealing the show. Horton left the game in the first overtime and didn't return for the rest of the game. He appeared to shove Hjalmarsson out of his way, and they was grimacing as he skated back to the Bruins bench. The Bruins never released his injury to the press.
If Horton misses any significant time that would be a big blow for the Bruins. The Blackhawks didn't seem to have an answer for his line and the Bruins are already down Gregory Campbell, who broke his fibula in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The second overtime was much like the first but with the Blackhawks getting the better of the chances but again both goalie seemed to be up to the task of stopping the puck.
The third overtime seemed to be a little sloppy with players getting fatigued as the overtime wore on. At 12:08 of the third overtime Shaw deflected the puck off of a Michael Rozsival shot from the point, and sent everyone at the United Center home happy.
The series continues in Chicago on Saturday night on NBC. The Bruins will be looking to even the series at one game a piece, while the Blackhawks will be looking to take 2-0 series lead.
The Bruins top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton got off to a great start. The line teamed up for the Bruins first two goals and the Blackhawks just didn't seem to have an answer on how to stop them.
Lucic and the Bruins got on the board first. The Bruins dumped the puck into the Blackhawks zone, and Horton took a hit from Niklas Hjalmarsson to make a play. Horton got the puck free, then Krejci picked up the puck along the boards, and put it right on the tape of Lucic's stick. Lucic fired a wrister past goaltender Corey Crawford for a 1-0 Bruins lead.
The Lucic line then went to work again early in the second. This time Lucic won a puck battle in the corner, and got the puck to Krejci, who slid it right back onto the stick of Lucic, who one-timed the puck past Crawford for a 2-0 Bruins lead.
The Blackhawks came back about three minutes later to cut the lead in half. Brandon Saad scored his first goal of the playoffs and Marian Hossa got the assist. Then Michael Frolik tripped up Zdeno Chara and was sent to the penalty box. The Bruins capitalized on the ensuing power play with Patrice Bergeron scoring the goal. Lucic got the puck to Tyler Seguin, who made a cross ice pass to Bergeron, who restored the Bruins two-goal lead.
The Blackhawks wouldn't give up and scored two more goals in the third period. Andrew Shaw got the puck at the blue line and skated it into the Bruins zone. He spotted Dave Bolland coming down the wing and fed him the pass, which Bolland put into the back of the net. Johnny Oduya scored to tie the game 3-3 with about eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Marcus Kruger dropped a pass back to Frolik, who was poke checked along the boards. Kruger picked up the loose puck and pushed it back to Oduya. The defenseman then skated to the middle of the ice and loaded up and took a slap shot. The Blackhawks had plenty of traffic in front of Rask distracting him from making the save.
The first overtime period saw quality scoring chances for each side and the goaltenders stealing the show. Horton left the game in the first overtime and didn't return for the rest of the game. He appeared to shove Hjalmarsson out of his way, and they was grimacing as he skated back to the Bruins bench. The Bruins never released his injury to the press.
If Horton misses any significant time that would be a big blow for the Bruins. The Blackhawks didn't seem to have an answer for his line and the Bruins are already down Gregory Campbell, who broke his fibula in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The second overtime was much like the first but with the Blackhawks getting the better of the chances but again both goalie seemed to be up to the task of stopping the puck.
The third overtime seemed to be a little sloppy with players getting fatigued as the overtime wore on. At 12:08 of the third overtime Shaw deflected the puck off of a Michael Rozsival shot from the point, and sent everyone at the United Center home happy.
The series continues in Chicago on Saturday night on NBC. The Bruins will be looking to even the series at one game a piece, while the Blackhawks will be looking to take 2-0 series lead.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Rangers, Maple Leafs Force Game 7; Detroit Wins Game 7
The New York Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, was an intergral part of the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals having to face each other in a series-deciding game seven.
Lundqvist stopped all 27 shots he faced and Derick Brassard scored the lone goal of the game at 9:39 of the second period.
The game remained in a scoreless tie after the first period. Then, Brassard deflected a shot past Braden Holtby and gave the Rangers the 1-0 lead, which stood for the rest of the game. The Capitals had their chances in the third period and even outshot the Rangers by a 12-7 margin, but they just couldn't find a way to get the puck past Lundqvist.
The winner of the Rangers/Capitals series will face the winner of the Boston Bruins/Toronto Maple Leafs series.
The Toronto Maple Leafs for their first home playoff win since the 2004 postseason and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Leafs were facing elimination, but instead came out and forced a game seven in their series with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins blew a 3-1 series lead and now the series is all square at three games a piece.
The goalies stole the show in the first two periods with neither team scoring a goal. Then, 1:48 into the third period, Dion Phaneuf finally got one past Tuukka Rask for a 1-0 Toronto lead, and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
At 8:59, Phil Kessel scored to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead. James Reimer stoppped 29 of 30 shots and James van Riemsdyk assisted on both of the Toronto goals. The Bruins pulled their goalie last in the game even thought they were still down by two goals. Milan Lucic scored for the Bruins with 24.5 seconds left regualtion, cutting the Leafs lead in half.
The Leafs and Reimer held the Bruins scoreless for the rest of the game and will be back in Boston tonight to see if they can get the win and move onto the next round to face either the Capitals or Rangers.
One series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is set with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Ottawa Senators, while the other semifinal still needs to be decided.
The Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings played in the first game seven of the playoffs.
Henrik Zetterberg scored just 1:48 into the game to give the Red Wings the early 1-0 lead. The Ducks pulled even after rookie, Emerson Etem, found a way to get the puck past Jimmy Howard. Justin Abdelkader scored a shorthanded goal and the Red Wings went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.
Valtteri Flippula scored his first goal of the playoffs at even strength to give the Red Wings the 3-1 lead in the second period. Flippula's goal was the only of the period.
At 16:14 of the third period, Henrik Zetterberg took a delay of game penalty for putting the puck over the glass. Francios Beauchemin and the Ducks capitalized on the ensuing power play and made it 3-2, but that's as close as the Ducks would get to the Red Wings. The Red Wings won game seven on the road.
The Western Conference Semifinals are now set with the Red Wings being the last team to clinch the series. The Chicago Blackhawks will take on those Detroit Red Wings, while the Los Angeles Kings will face the San Jose Sharks.
The semifinals kick off tomorrow night with the Penguins and Ottawa facing off at 7:30 p.m. and the Kings and Sharks starting at 10:00 p.m. All times are eastern standard times.
Lundqvist stopped all 27 shots he faced and Derick Brassard scored the lone goal of the game at 9:39 of the second period.
The game remained in a scoreless tie after the first period. Then, Brassard deflected a shot past Braden Holtby and gave the Rangers the 1-0 lead, which stood for the rest of the game. The Capitals had their chances in the third period and even outshot the Rangers by a 12-7 margin, but they just couldn't find a way to get the puck past Lundqvist.
The winner of the Rangers/Capitals series will face the winner of the Boston Bruins/Toronto Maple Leafs series.
The Toronto Maple Leafs for their first home playoff win since the 2004 postseason and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Leafs were facing elimination, but instead came out and forced a game seven in their series with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins blew a 3-1 series lead and now the series is all square at three games a piece.
The goalies stole the show in the first two periods with neither team scoring a goal. Then, 1:48 into the third period, Dion Phaneuf finally got one past Tuukka Rask for a 1-0 Toronto lead, and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
At 8:59, Phil Kessel scored to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead. James Reimer stoppped 29 of 30 shots and James van Riemsdyk assisted on both of the Toronto goals. The Bruins pulled their goalie last in the game even thought they were still down by two goals. Milan Lucic scored for the Bruins with 24.5 seconds left regualtion, cutting the Leafs lead in half.
The Leafs and Reimer held the Bruins scoreless for the rest of the game and will be back in Boston tonight to see if they can get the win and move onto the next round to face either the Capitals or Rangers.
One series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is set with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Ottawa Senators, while the other semifinal still needs to be decided.
The Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings played in the first game seven of the playoffs.
Henrik Zetterberg scored just 1:48 into the game to give the Red Wings the early 1-0 lead. The Ducks pulled even after rookie, Emerson Etem, found a way to get the puck past Jimmy Howard. Justin Abdelkader scored a shorthanded goal and the Red Wings went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.
Valtteri Flippula scored his first goal of the playoffs at even strength to give the Red Wings the 3-1 lead in the second period. Flippula's goal was the only of the period.
At 16:14 of the third period, Henrik Zetterberg took a delay of game penalty for putting the puck over the glass. Francios Beauchemin and the Ducks capitalized on the ensuing power play and made it 3-2, but that's as close as the Ducks would get to the Red Wings. The Red Wings won game seven on the road.
The Western Conference Semifinals are now set with the Red Wings being the last team to clinch the series. The Chicago Blackhawks will take on those Detroit Red Wings, while the Los Angeles Kings will face the San Jose Sharks.
The semifinals kick off tomorrow night with the Penguins and Ottawa facing off at 7:30 p.m. and the Kings and Sharks starting at 10:00 p.m. All times are eastern standard times.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Recap of Chicago/Minnesota and Pittsburgh/New York Islanders
The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their series against the Minnesota Wild with a 5-1 win.
Cory Crawford made 21 saves on 22 shots, but 10 of those saves came in the first period. The Blackhawks buckled down after getting the lead and only allowed the Wild 12 shots in the final two periods.
Marian Hossa had two goals while Marcus Kruger, Andrew Shaw and Patrick Sharp each had a goal.
Torrey Mitchell had the only goal for the Wild. Josh Harding made the start for the Wild since their starting goaltender, Niklas Backstrom, was out with an injury.
Tomas Vokoun got the start in game five for the Pittsburgh Penguins after Marc-Andre Fleury reverted back to playing like he did in last year's playoffs. He couldn't stop anything and let in some cheap goals in game four.
The game was scoreless after the first period, and then the Pens got three goals in the second period to make it 3-0. Tyler Kennedy, Douglas Murray, and Sidney Crosby scored the goals.
Crosby's goal was a highlight reel material. He split the Islanders defensemen and beat Evgeni Nabokov to put the Pens up 3-0.
Kris Letang capped off the Penguins scoring. This is the second time in the series that the Islanders have been shutout.
The Penguins have a chance to close out the series Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Ottawa/Montreal Game 5
The Ottawa Senators won their first playoff series since the 2006-07 season when they went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
They did it behind the amazing play of goalie Craig Anderson. He made 171 saves on 180 shots and only allowed nine goals in five games.
The Canadiens seemed to be buzzing after that and even hit the post twice during one offensive sequence. Anderson seemed to be stopping everything that was thrown on net.
Then, the Senators got the puck and skated it into the offensive zone. Cory Conacher put the Sens up 2-0 after the puck went off Jean-Gabriel Pageau's skate, and then bounced off the post. The puck bounced to Conacher, who was in perfect position to put the puck in the back of the net.
The Canadiens finally scored with 15 seconds left in the first period. Daniel Alfredsson took the interference penalty and P.K. Subban capitalized on the ensuing power play. The Senators led 2-1 after the first period.
The score remained 2-1 until the 11:29 mark of the second period when the Sens scored a shorthanded goal. The Canadiens misconnected on a pass and the Sens skated down the ice.
Erik Condra was pushed into the goalie and not given a chance to get out of the crease while Kyle Turris took the shot and scored. The goal was reviewed but stood.
Daniel Alfredsson, Conacher and Condra each scored a power play goal in the third period. The Canadiens needed a better effort from Budaj, but didn't get it.
The Senators will face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Islanders series.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing. The San Jose Sharks finally got over their first-round demons by sweeping the Vancouver Canucks. The Sharks now have to wait-and-see who they'll face in the next round.
The other series in the Western Conference are going to go longer than four games. The Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to close out their series against the Minnesota Wild tonight at home. The Anaheim Ducks lead the Detroit Red Wings three games to two in their series. The Ducks and Red Wings series has the potential to go seven games.
The other series that is going on out West is the battle between the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blues led the series two games to nothing, but the Kings have stormed back and taken a three games to two lead. All five games in the series have been decided by one goal with two of those games going into overtime.
In the East, two teams have a three games to one lead in their series while the other two series are tied at two games a piece. The biggest surprise in the East has been the New York Islanders. Most people didn't give them a chance to even compete against the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. Once again, goaltending has come back to haunt the Pens just like it did last year in the first-round of the playoffs. The Penguins have a chance tonight to take the lead back in the series, but Marc-Andre Fleury won't be in net. Tomas Vokoun has been named the starter for Game 5.
The Washington Capitals took a two games to none lead against the New York Rangers, but the Rangers have come back to even the series.
The Boston Bruins couldn't get a win towards the end of the season and wound up being the number four seed instead of the number two seed in the East. It looks like it worked out for the better for the Bruins, who have a three games to one lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are making their first playoff appearance for the first time in nine years and their lack of experience is showing.
The Montreal Canadiens are down three games to one in their series to the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have a chance to close out the series tonight in Montreal. These two teams are becoming quick rivals with game two having 236 penalty minutes alone. Montreal's starting goaltender, Carey Price, suffered a lower-body injury last game and is out for the remainder of the series (http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=17399&navid=nhl:topheads). Peter Budaj will be the goalie for the remainder of the series.
The other series in the Western Conference are going to go longer than four games. The Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to close out their series against the Minnesota Wild tonight at home. The Anaheim Ducks lead the Detroit Red Wings three games to two in their series. The Ducks and Red Wings series has the potential to go seven games.
The other series that is going on out West is the battle between the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blues led the series two games to nothing, but the Kings have stormed back and taken a three games to two lead. All five games in the series have been decided by one goal with two of those games going into overtime.
In the East, two teams have a three games to one lead in their series while the other two series are tied at two games a piece. The biggest surprise in the East has been the New York Islanders. Most people didn't give them a chance to even compete against the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. Once again, goaltending has come back to haunt the Pens just like it did last year in the first-round of the playoffs. The Penguins have a chance tonight to take the lead back in the series, but Marc-Andre Fleury won't be in net. Tomas Vokoun has been named the starter for Game 5.
The Washington Capitals took a two games to none lead against the New York Rangers, but the Rangers have come back to even the series.
The Boston Bruins couldn't get a win towards the end of the season and wound up being the number four seed instead of the number two seed in the East. It looks like it worked out for the better for the Bruins, who have a three games to one lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are making their first playoff appearance for the first time in nine years and their lack of experience is showing.
The Montreal Canadiens are down three games to one in their series to the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have a chance to close out the series tonight in Montreal. These two teams are becoming quick rivals with game two having 236 penalty minutes alone. Montreal's starting goaltender, Carey Price, suffered a lower-body injury last game and is out for the remainder of the series (http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=17399&navid=nhl:topheads). Peter Budaj will be the goalie for the remainder of the series.
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