The St. Louis Blues only have to look back to last year's playoffs, if they are feeling a sense of déjà vu.
In the 2013 playoffs, the Blues faced the Los Angeles Kings, the defending champions, in the first round. The Blues had home ice advantage and took a 2-0 series lead. The Kings then won the next three games to take a 3-2 series lead, and eventually won the series in six games.
This year the Blues are playing the Chicago Blackhawks, the defending champions, in the first round. The Blues again took a 2-0 series lead but the Blackhawks have won the last three games to take the 3-2 series lead. The Blackhawks have a chance to finish off the Blues in six games, just like the Kings did last season. The only difference this season is that Ryan Miller is in goal for the Blues and not Brian Elliott.
Those are just a few similarities between the two series. The Blues won game one against the Kings last year on a shorthanded goal by Alexander Steen in overtime and took the 1-0 series lead. Alexander Steen also scored the game winning goal against the Blackhawks. This time it was in the third overtime and again gave the Blues the 1-0 series lead.
In game two last season, Barrett Jackman scored a late goal against the Kings in regulation to give the Blues the 2-0 series lead. This season Vladimir Tarasenko score with just 6.4 seconds left on a power play with the goalie pulled. Barrett Jackman scored in overtime to give the Blues a 2-0 series lead over the Blackhawks.
Jonathan Quick and the Kings got the 1-0 shutout in game three last year, while the Blackhawks and Corey Crawford got the 2-0 shutout this season in game three. In game three against the Kings, the Blues power play didn't score in four opportunities. In game three against the Blackhawks this year, the Blues power play had no goals in three chances.
The Kings came back and won game four in overtime by a score of 4-3 in the playoffs last year. This year Chicago also won game four by a score of 4-3 in overtime. The Blues have blown a 2-0 series lead the past two seasons. In the past two years, the series were tied at two games apiece going back to St. Louis for a pivotal game five.
In game five against the Kings, the Blues tied the game at two on a goal by Alex Pietrangelo. In overtime, Slava Voynov scored for the Kings and gave them the 3-2 series lead. In game five against the Blackhawks, Alex Pietrangelo score the game tying goal again to force overtime. This time Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews, scored the game winning goal to give the Blackhawks the 3-2 series lead.
The Kings went on to win the series against the Blues last season in six games. The Blackhawks have the series lead going back home and into game six.
Will history repeat itself for the Blues? They will have to wait until Sunday and game six to find out.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Pens Defeat Blue Jackets to Take Series Lead
The Pittsburgh Penguins came back from a 3-1 deficit in the third period to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. It was the Blue Jackets first home playoff game in almost five years.
The Blue Jackets jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first 3:18 of the game. Boone Jenner got the Blue Jackets on the board first. Jack Skille took the shot from the boards and Marc-Andre Fleury made the save, but the rebound went right to Jenner, who put the puck in the back of the net.
Brandon Dubinsky kept control of the puck behind the net and managed to get a shot off from the corner. Fleury gave up another rebound and this time Jack Johnson put it in the net for a 2-0 Blue Jackets lead. The Blue Jackets were out shot 16-7 in the first period.
The Penguins started to play better in the second period. They started to get more offensive zone pressure and Fleury was making the saves that needed to be made to keep his team in the game. The Penguins work paid off with only 1.7 second left in the period. The Blue Jackets tried to clear the zone but Paul Martin kept it in at the blue line for the Penguins. Martin got the puck down low to Beau Bennett, and he got the puck over to Brooks Orpik in the slot. Orpik made a nice move around a sliding Cam Atkinson and wristed the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky.
At the end of the second period, the Blue Jackets had the lead 2-1. The Blue Jackets had a little bit of luck on their side for the third goal. Bobrovsky made a save and the rebound went right to Matt Calvert, who got the puck ahead to Dubinsky. Dubinsky made a nice move around Penguins defenseman, Kris Letang, took the shot and the puck went off of Cam Atkinson and behind Fleury. The Blue Jackets took a 3-1 lead in the third period.
The turning point of the game was when Brandon Sutter scored a goal for the Penguins and made it 3-2. Bennett got the puck back to Martin at the point and he got the shot to the net with plenty of traffic in front of Bobrovksy. Sutter got his stick on the puck and deflected it past Bobrovsky.
Then just 1:10 later the Penguins even up the game at 3-3. Chris Kunitz got the puck over to Lee Stempniak, who wristed the puck past Bobrovsky. The Penguins had two goals on two consecutive shots. Jussi Jokinen scored the evetual game winner on a deflection. Evgeni Malkin got the puck back to Olli Maata at the point. Maata took the shot and it was deflected out high by Jokinen and then off of Blue Jackets player, James Wisniewski, and behind Bobrovsky.
In game one, the Blue Jackets had a 3-1 lead but the Penguins came back to win that game 4-3. In game two, the Penguins were the team that blew a 3-1 lead and the Blue Jackets won in double overtime by a score of 4-3. It looks like the teams won't want to take a 3-1 lead or they'll wind up losing the game.
The Blue Jackets were out shot 41-20 in the game and 15-5 in the third period. A team can't expect to win a game when they get out shot that badly in the third period.
The series continues on Wednesday in Columbus at 7:00 ET on NBCSN.
The Blue Jackets jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first 3:18 of the game. Boone Jenner got the Blue Jackets on the board first. Jack Skille took the shot from the boards and Marc-Andre Fleury made the save, but the rebound went right to Jenner, who put the puck in the back of the net.
Brandon Dubinsky kept control of the puck behind the net and managed to get a shot off from the corner. Fleury gave up another rebound and this time Jack Johnson put it in the net for a 2-0 Blue Jackets lead. The Blue Jackets were out shot 16-7 in the first period.
The Penguins started to play better in the second period. They started to get more offensive zone pressure and Fleury was making the saves that needed to be made to keep his team in the game. The Penguins work paid off with only 1.7 second left in the period. The Blue Jackets tried to clear the zone but Paul Martin kept it in at the blue line for the Penguins. Martin got the puck down low to Beau Bennett, and he got the puck over to Brooks Orpik in the slot. Orpik made a nice move around a sliding Cam Atkinson and wristed the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky.
At the end of the second period, the Blue Jackets had the lead 2-1. The Blue Jackets had a little bit of luck on their side for the third goal. Bobrovsky made a save and the rebound went right to Matt Calvert, who got the puck ahead to Dubinsky. Dubinsky made a nice move around Penguins defenseman, Kris Letang, took the shot and the puck went off of Cam Atkinson and behind Fleury. The Blue Jackets took a 3-1 lead in the third period.
The turning point of the game was when Brandon Sutter scored a goal for the Penguins and made it 3-2. Bennett got the puck back to Martin at the point and he got the shot to the net with plenty of traffic in front of Bobrovksy. Sutter got his stick on the puck and deflected it past Bobrovsky.
Then just 1:10 later the Penguins even up the game at 3-3. Chris Kunitz got the puck over to Lee Stempniak, who wristed the puck past Bobrovsky. The Penguins had two goals on two consecutive shots. Jussi Jokinen scored the evetual game winner on a deflection. Evgeni Malkin got the puck back to Olli Maata at the point. Maata took the shot and it was deflected out high by Jokinen and then off of Blue Jackets player, James Wisniewski, and behind Bobrovsky.
In game one, the Blue Jackets had a 3-1 lead but the Penguins came back to win that game 4-3. In game two, the Penguins were the team that blew a 3-1 lead and the Blue Jackets won in double overtime by a score of 4-3. It looks like the teams won't want to take a 3-1 lead or they'll wind up losing the game.
The Blue Jackets were out shot 41-20 in the game and 15-5 in the third period. A team can't expect to win a game when they get out shot that badly in the third period.
The series continues on Wednesday in Columbus at 7:00 ET on NBCSN.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Philadelphia Flyers Clinch Playoff Berth
The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Florida Panthers to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the 17th time in the last 19 seasons.
Roberto Luongo was supposed to start for the Panthers but was a late scratch due to an upper body injury. The backup goalie, Dan Ellis, got the call and had a decent first period.
The Flyers couldn't get much going offensively until Drew Shore took a 4:00 high sticking call and then Scottie Upshall was called for a hooking minor. The Flyers had a 1:43 of 5-on-3 power play time but couldn't convert. They had opportunities but couldn't put the puck into the back of the net.
The Flyers finally got on the board in the second period. Adam Hall went in on the forecheck and forced the Florida defenseman to turn the puck over. Hall got a shot off and the rebound bounced to Vinny Lecavalier, who put the puck into the back of the net with traffic in front. It was Lecavalier's 20th goal of the season. The Flyers have seven players that have scored 20 or more goals this season, which leads the NHL. It was Lecavalier's fifth goal in his last seven games.
The Panthers had a prime scoring chance after Luke Schenn turned the puck over in his own zone. A shot got through from the point and Tomas Fleischmann was there to get the rebound but Steve Mason did the splits and pinned the puck along the post for the save.
Nicklas Grossmann made a nice pass out of his own zone to Claude Giroux, who skated into the Panthers zone, using Ed Jovanovski as a screen and blasted one past Ellis for his 26th goal on the season. The Flyers took a 2-0 lead.
At 8:50 of the second period, Scott Hartnell got the puck into the Panthers zone and Mark Streit went and got it along the boards. Streit made a nice pass to Giroux in the slot and Giroux fired it past Ellis for his 27th goal of the season, and gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead. The Orange and Black had three goals and only five shots on goal.
The final goal of the period come from Sean Couturier, who broke a 17-game scoreless streak. Matt. Read got the puck over to Couturier and he made a nice play along the boards to got the puck to the point. Braydon Coburn took the shot and it bounced right to Couturier, who scored his eleventh goal of the season.
The Flyers scored four goals on just 12 shots in the second period.
The Flyers came out slow to start the third period and the Panthers took advantage of it. The Flyers turned the puck over in their own zone, which led to offensive zone pressure and an eventual goal by Erik Gudbranson. Gudbranson took the shot from the point and the puck found its way past Mason with traffic in front.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored the second goal of the game for the Panthers after the puck went off of Streit's stick and past Mason. It was Huberdeau's first game back after missing 11 games due to a concussion.
The third period has not been a good period for the Flyers their last four games. They have been out scored 8-2 in the last four third periods played. They were fortunate the Panthers only scored two goals in the third period after their own sloppy play.
Tye McGinn scored the insurance goal for the Flyers late in the third period. Hall won the face-off and Lecavalier got the loose puck and made a nice pass over to McGinn. He tipped it past Ellis for the fifth and final goal of the night.
Roberto Luongo was supposed to start for the Panthers but was a late scratch due to an upper body injury. The backup goalie, Dan Ellis, got the call and had a decent first period.
The Flyers couldn't get much going offensively until Drew Shore took a 4:00 high sticking call and then Scottie Upshall was called for a hooking minor. The Flyers had a 1:43 of 5-on-3 power play time but couldn't convert. They had opportunities but couldn't put the puck into the back of the net.
The Flyers finally got on the board in the second period. Adam Hall went in on the forecheck and forced the Florida defenseman to turn the puck over. Hall got a shot off and the rebound bounced to Vinny Lecavalier, who put the puck into the back of the net with traffic in front. It was Lecavalier's 20th goal of the season. The Flyers have seven players that have scored 20 or more goals this season, which leads the NHL. It was Lecavalier's fifth goal in his last seven games.
The Panthers had a prime scoring chance after Luke Schenn turned the puck over in his own zone. A shot got through from the point and Tomas Fleischmann was there to get the rebound but Steve Mason did the splits and pinned the puck along the post for the save.
Nicklas Grossmann made a nice pass out of his own zone to Claude Giroux, who skated into the Panthers zone, using Ed Jovanovski as a screen and blasted one past Ellis for his 26th goal on the season. The Flyers took a 2-0 lead.
At 8:50 of the second period, Scott Hartnell got the puck into the Panthers zone and Mark Streit went and got it along the boards. Streit made a nice pass to Giroux in the slot and Giroux fired it past Ellis for his 27th goal of the season, and gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead. The Orange and Black had three goals and only five shots on goal.
The final goal of the period come from Sean Couturier, who broke a 17-game scoreless streak. Matt. Read got the puck over to Couturier and he made a nice play along the boards to got the puck to the point. Braydon Coburn took the shot and it bounced right to Couturier, who scored his eleventh goal of the season.
The Flyers scored four goals on just 12 shots in the second period.
The Flyers came out slow to start the third period and the Panthers took advantage of it. The Flyers turned the puck over in their own zone, which led to offensive zone pressure and an eventual goal by Erik Gudbranson. Gudbranson took the shot from the point and the puck found its way past Mason with traffic in front.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored the second goal of the game for the Panthers after the puck went off of Streit's stick and past Mason. It was Huberdeau's first game back after missing 11 games due to a concussion.
The third period has not been a good period for the Flyers their last four games. They have been out scored 8-2 in the last four third periods played. They were fortunate the Panthers only scored two goals in the third period after their own sloppy play.
Tye McGinn scored the insurance goal for the Flyers late in the third period. Hall won the face-off and Lecavalier got the loose puck and made a nice pass over to McGinn. He tipped it past Ellis for the fifth and final goal of the night.
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