The Washington Capitals have been the NHL’s top team all season long, so it’s no wonder that most people are picking the Philadelphia Flyers to even have a chance in this series.
The Capitals didn’t play its best hockey once they had clinched a spot in the postseason going 6-4-3 since March 18. The Caps had the Conference wrapped up by March 22 and the Presidents Trophy won on March 28. The last seven games meant nothing to Washington, but Braden Holtby was trying to set the total number of wins for a goaltender in a season. He wound up tying the record of 47 wins shared with Marty Brodeur.
The Flyers struggled out of the gate, which could have been due to learning Dave Hakstol’s new system. The team really start to turn things around when rookie defenseman, Shayne Gostisbehere was brought up from the AHL, due to an injury to Mark Streit in November. Philadelphia battled back and almost every game was a must-win/playoff game for them down the stretch, which could help them. The Flyers will also be playing for Ed Snider, the team’s former owner, who pass away Monday at the age of 83.
Washington and Philadelphia are both entering the postseason pretty healthy. Michael Del Zotto, who is out because of a wrist injury, is the only injury for the Flyers. The Caps may have some players nicked up, but should have its regular roster ready to go for game one on Thursday night.
The Caps were the best overall offensive team in the Eastern Conference and second in the NHL in scoring. The offense came from every line with eight players score 10 or more goals in the regular season. Alex Ovechkin chipped in 50 goals in the regular season. The key player to watch on offense for Washington is Evgeny Kutznetsov, who can score or set up a teammate with a pretty pass. The Flyers will need its top line of Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jake Voracek to score big time goals. The Orange and Black had nine players who scored 10 or more goals on its roster, and that balanced attack will need to continue if they have any chance of beating the Capitals in the first round.
The Flyers’ defense as whole can move the puck, block shots and be physical, when needed. The Caps forwards will need to pay attention to Radko Gudas, who isn’t afraid to lay a hit in open ice. Gostisbehere could be a difference maker on the blueline for Philadelphia since he has an uncanny ability to move the puck, whether skating it up ice or make the pass out of the zone. Washington’s defense can put up points in the offensive zone and have been decent in their own zone. Philly needs to get in on the forecheck to force the Capitals’ defense into turnovers.
The goaltending will be the x-factor for both sides in this series. If Steve Mason can continue carry over his game from the last month of the regular season then the Flyers will have a chance at winning the series. Braden Holtby will probably be in the running for the Vezina Trophy this season, and this series could be over early if he continues his play from the regular season. It will be interesting to see how rookie coach, Dave Hakstol, reacts to the matchups and in-game adjustments that’ll need to be made while facing veteran coach Barry Trotz.
The special teams have been good for Washington all season with both finishing in the top five of the NHL. The Caps lethal power play finished fifth (21.9%) so it may be a good idea for the Orange and Black to stay out of the penalty box. The Capitals penalty kill (85.2%) finished second to only the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers penalty kill rebounded after an atrocious start and finished at 80.5% for the season. Philadelphia will need to figure out how to get shots through on the power play since the Caps will most likely try to take away Gostisbehere at the point and Giroux at the side wall. The Orange and Black will have to have quick puck movement, screens in front of Holtby and player movement to have success on the power play.
The Flyers are underdogs in the series that can play without the expectations and pressure that the Capitals will have on them. It will be a fast-paced, forechecking, physical series that the Capitals will win in seven games.
The Dallas Stars were one of the NHL’s top teams all season long, while its First Round Western Conference Playoffs opponent, Minnesota Wild, had its struggles.
The Wild eventually fired its head coach, Mike Yeo, and brought in John Torchetti, its AHL Affiliate’s head coach. The team responded by putting some wins together, but faltered once again before finally clinching a playoff spot with only 87 points. Minnesota is entering the playoffs having only six goals in its final five regular season games, all loses. The Stars head into the postseason having won six of its final regular season games, outscoring opponents 24-14. The good news for the Wild is that everyone starts with a clean slate in the postseason, and anything can happen.
Dallas is entering the playoffs relatively healthy, but are missing one of its top forwards in Tyler Seguin. He is recovering from surgery to repair his Achilles tendon that was partially cut by a skate, but he could be back for game one of the series. Minnesota will be without star forward Zach Parise to start the series. Erik Haula could miss some time during the seven game series, and Thomas Vanek is week-to-week.
The Stars were the best offensive team throughout the regular season averaging 3.23 goals scored per game played. The contributions came from up-and-down the lineup with 12 different players having scored 10 or more goals. The Wild had 11 players with 10 or more goals scored this season, but it just seemed like they couldn’t get everyone going all at once. The two key players to watch on offense for the Stars are Patrick Sharp and Jamie Benn, Dallas’ leading scorer. If Seguin can’t go then Sharp will need to step up and produce. If Parise can’t go then the Stars will have to pay attention to Mikko Koivu, who led the Wild in points.
Minnesota has a good top pairing on defense with Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon, but it gets a little dicey on defense after them. Marco Scandella and Matt Dumba have been inconsistent this season, so if either of them is in the lineup, Dallas will need to pressure them to force either into making mistakes. The Stars defense has been decent, but they can play a little loose at times, which they will need to stop if they want to advance to the next round. The Stars will give up some goals (228). The Stars have more depth and balance on the blueline than the Wild.
The biggest question heading into the postseason for the Stars is who does head coach Lindy Ruff star in goal. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have been sharing the net all season, and have similar numbers. The goaltending will be the x-factor for Dallas especially if they play loose in front of him. If the Wild want to win this series then Devan Dubnyk will have to be outstanding since he’s going to see a lot of rubber come his way.
The special teams could have an impact in the series. Dallas has a top 10 penalty kill and power play. Minnesota had a mediocre power play and one of the worse penalty kills during the regular season (27th). If the Stars can convert on some power plays, then it could be a long series for the Wild.
If Dallas plays the way they are capable of then this should be a quick series that the Stars will win in five games.
With 106 points during the regular season, the Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane will take home the Art Ross Trophy–making him the first American player to do so.
“What a tremendous season for Patrick,” General Manager Stan Bowman said. “He started the season very strong and carried our team with his dominant play early allowing our team to stabilize and come together as a group throughout the season. Patrick kept pushing the pace all year long and led not only our team but the entire league which demonstrates how impressive his performance was from day one until Game 82.”
Kane locked in the Art Ross, awarded to the league’s leading scorer, with a career-high 46 goals and 60 assists. He had at least one point in 78 percent of his games played–64 of 82, and finished 17 points ahead of the second-place leading scorer and last year’s winner, Dallas StarJamie Benn (41 goals, 48 assists).
“Pretty remarkable year he’s had,” Coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago SunTimes. “Can’t say enough positive things about how impressive his year’s been.”
Highlights
Kane’s 26-game points streak from Oct. 17-Dec. 23 (16 goals, 24 assists) broke the Blackhawks record held by Bobby Hull (21 games, 1971-1972) and passed the 18-game American-born player runs held by Eddie Olczyk (Toronto Maple Leafs, 1989-1990) and Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins, 2008-2009). It was also the longest by an active player, surpassing Sidney Crosby’s 25-game streak in 2010-2011 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was stopped in a shutout by the Colorado Avalanche just four points short of the NHL record of 30 points set by Mats Sundin in 1992-1993 with the Quebec Nordiques.
Kane scored his first two career hat tricks (Jan. 15 in Toronto and April 3 versus Boston), the latter landing him 100 points.
His 100-point milestone was the first hit by a U.S.-born player in a decade (Doug Weight, Detroit, 1995-1996) and the first by a Blackhawk since Jeremy Roenick in 1993-1994.
Kane led the league with 37 power play points.
With three goals and three assists for six points in three games, Kane was named the NHL’s second star of the week for the week ending April 10. The NHL cited Kane’s contribution to the Blackhawks’ four out of six points in that time–locking third place in the Central Division.
For the prior week ending April 10, his linemate Artemi Panarin, earned first star. Panarin (77 points–30 goals, 47 assists) tallied three goals and five assists in three games. He was held pointless in the first game against Minnesota but became the first rookie in Blackhawks history to have back-to-back four-point games with wins over Winnipeg and Boston. He was also instrumental not only in securing the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup spot, but also in Kane’s 100-point hat trick game against Boston.
While Kane took pride in the Art Ross, he noted it wasn’t a solo feat, citing Panarin and center Artem Anisimov among others, and noting there’s much more to do.
“It is an honor being the first American to win the scoring title as there have been so many great hockey players from the United States in the NHL. I take a lot of pride in that, but I also take a lot of pride in doing it with the Chicago Blackhawks. I owe a lot to my teammates, coaches and the organization as I couldn’t have done this without them. This has been a special season, but we still have a lot to accomplish as a team and I look forward to another long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
Playoffs
Teammates were quick to credit Kane and the Kane-Anisimov-Panarin line with the Blackhawks’ success this year as they head into the postseason.
“That’s the key thing, consistently producing like the way he’s been doing in this league,” defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “Nowadays, with the salary cap and how competitive it is, I think it’s tougher to put up more points compared with just five or six years ago, when there were some teams in the league that you kind of knew you were going to [beat] going into the game. Now you can’t think like that. There’s no easy games in the league anymore. That whole line there was pretty much carrying the whole team. They’re a huge part of why we’re in the playoffs this year. He’s been more than impressive to watch.”
The Blackhawks lost out on home ice for the playoffs, which begin Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues.
The team is relying on their Art Ross Trophy winner to remain hot. Kane has put up more points against the Blues more than any team in his career–with 46 points in 48 career meetings.
Hossa is sitting at 499 career goals. He has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 64 games this season. Shaw has 34 points (14 goals and 20 assists) in 78 games.
Defenseman David Rundblad has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs and Bryan Bickell and Dennis Rasmussen have been reassigned to the AHL team. Rundblad, 25, has 25 points in 113 NHL games with Ottawa, Arizona, and Chicago over his career. This year, he has two assists in nine games with the Blackhawks and 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 10 games with the IceHogs.
Bickell, 30, has two assists in 25 games with the Blackhawks this season, but 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 44 games in Rockford. Bickell has been a part of the Hawks’ 2010, 2013, and 2015 Stanley Cup-winning teams and has 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 75 postseason games. Rasmussen, 25, has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 44 games with the Hawks this season and 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) with the IceHogs in 22 games.
Goaltender Corey Crawford will likely start his second game back from injury. In 58 games played, he has a .924 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average.
Game 1: Chicago at St. Louis 8:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, April 13, NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports Game 2: Chicago at St. Louis 7:00 p.m. CT Friday, April 15, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports Game 3: St. Louis at Chicago 2:00 p.m. CT Sunday, April 17, NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports Game 4: St. Louis at Chicago 8:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Aptil 19, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sportsnet Game 5: Chicago at St. Louis, Thursday, April 21, if needed, TBA Game 6: St. Louis at Chicago, Saturday, April 23, if needed, TBA Game 7: Chicago at St. Louis, Monday, April 25, if needed, TBA
Whoever is on the ice will need to be prepared for another intense matchup with a heated rival in the quest for the greatest trophy in all of sports.
The Philadelphia Flyers lost the face of its franchise with the passing of owner, Ed Snider, who had been battling cancer for the past two years.
In 1966, Snider and a group of investors took a chance that hockey would be embraced by the city of Philadelphia. The Flyers were founded and became part of the “Second Six” or the first expansion class in NHL history. The Flyers’ inaugural season was the first 1967-68 season, and the organization will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next season. Mr. Snider never gave up on the organization because he believed that it would succeed. The team was the first of the expansion teams to win the Stanley Cup in the 1973-74 season and then again the following season.
Mr. Snider was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2005, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011. He also played a big part in starting the Flyers Wives Carnival, where the fans get to interact with the played while the money raised benefits Flyers Charities.
In 2005, the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation was founded, which is now Mr. Snider’s legacy. This is a way to provide inner city children in the Philadelphia area with the game of hockey. The program also reaches out to children in Camden, NJ. Mr. Snider rebuilt rinks in the area so young kids could experience the game of hockey. The foundation provides full equipment, ice time, experience coaching and is free of charge to the participants and families.
In addition to hockey skills, Snider Hockey also instills the importance of academics and hard work. The participants must keep their grades up in order to play in the games and activities. If a student is struggling in a specific class, the program offers tutoring to help the child get its grades up and back on the ice. The program offers public skating and learn-to-skate classes. The coaches and volunteers take the time to help the kids be fitted properly for equipment and skates. The players will sometimes make surprise visits and help out with coaching and instructing the kids.
Mr. Snider was the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Flyers are him. On Saturday, the Flyers clinched the playoffs for the 38th time in 48 seasons. The playoffs start Thursday night, and the team will no doubt be thinking of him as they begin the journey to the Stanley Cup.
NEW YORK (April 10, 2016) – The 2015-16 National Hockey League regular season concluded on Sunday with Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane capturing his first career Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring champion, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkinclaiming his sixth career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader and the Anaheim Ducks tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibsonwinning the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders who play at least 25 games for the club allowing the fewest goals.
Kane finished the season with a career-high 46 goals, 60 assists and 106 points, besting Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (41-48—89) and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby(36-49—85) for his first career Art Ross Trophy. Kane registered at least one point in 64 of the 82 contests he played in (78.0%), highlighted by a 26-game point streak Oct. 17 – Dec. 13 (16-24—40) – a franchise record, the longest by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and the longest by any player since 1992-93 (Mats Sundin: 30). He also recorded his first two career hat tricks (Jan. 15 at TOR and April 3 vs. BOS) and scored in a career-high seven straight games Nov. 2-15 (7-9—16), tied for the longest such run by any player this season. The Buffalo, N.Y., native became the first U.S.-born player in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy. He also became the first U.S.-born player to reach the 100-point milestone since 1995-96 (Doug Weight: Detroit, Mich.) and the first Blackhawks player to hit the number since 1993-94 (Jeremy Roenick).
Ovechkin scored 50 goals to capture his fourth consecutive and sixth overall Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, adding to the ones he earned in 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. Ovechkin, who finished ahead of Kane (46) and Benn (41) for the award, became the third player in NHL history to total seven or more 50-goal seasons, following Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky – each with nine. He also became the third player in League history to post 30-plus goals in each of his first 11 seasons, joining Mike Gartner (15) and Gretzky (13). Ovechkin recorded his 500th career goal while playing in his 801st NHL game – fifth-fastest in League history behind Gretzky (575), Mario Lemieux (605), Bossy (647) and Brett Hull (693). The Moscow native, who surpassed Sergei Fedorov (483) as the highest-scoring Russian-born player in League history, has compiled 164 more goals, 71 more power-play goals and 20 more game-winning goals than any other player since entering the NHL in 2005-06.
The Jennings race was not decided until the final game of the season. The Ducks traveled to Washington Sunday with a one-goal deficit in the competition — Washington with a League-low 191 goals-against, Anaheim with 192. Andersen and Gibson clinched their first career Jennings win when the Ducks, behind Andersen’s 24 saves, blanked the Capitals 2-0, keeping their goals-against total at 192 and pushing Washington’s to 193.
Andersen and Gibson are the first Ducks goaltenders to claim the Jennings Trophy. Andersen, who made 43 appearances in the Ducks’ goal, posted a 15-game point streak Jan. 1 – March 5 (13-0-2), the second-longest such run in franchise history behind Jonas Hiller‘s 16-game streak in 2013-14 (14-0-2). Andersen went 17-1-2 in his final 22 outings dating to Jan. 13. Gibson, meanwhile, appeared in 40 games and ranked second in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average, paced all rookie netminders with four shutouts and shared the rookie lead in wins (21).
NEW YORK (April 10, 2016) – The National Hockey League today announced the dates, starting times and national television coverage for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round, which begins Wednesday, April 13.
All times listed are ET and subject to change.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Date TIME (ET) #1 Florida vs. #4 NY Islanders Networks
Thursday, April 14 8 p.m. NY Islanders at Florida CNBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Friday, April 15 7:30 p.m. NY Islanders at Florida NHL Network, SN360, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 17 8 p.m. Florida at NY Islanders NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Wednesday, April 20 8 p.m. Florida at NY Islanders USA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
*Friday, April 22 TBD NY Islanders at Florida TBD
*Sunday, April 24 TBD Florida at NY Islanders TBD
*Tuesday, April 26 TBD NY Islanders at Florida TBD
Date TIME (ET) #2 Tampa Bay vs. #3 Detroit Networks
Wednesday, April 13 7 p.m. Detroit at Tampa Bay NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Friday, April 15 7 p.m. Detroit at Tampa Bay CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 17 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Detroit CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Tuesday, April 19 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Detroit NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Thursday, April 21 TBD Detroit at Tampa Bay TBD
*Sunday, April 24 TBD Tampa Bay at Detroit TBD
*Tuesday, April 26 TBD Detroit at Tampa Bay TBD
Date TIME (ET) #1 Washington vs. #4 Philadelphia Networks
Thursday, April 14 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 16 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Monday, April 18 7 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Wednesday, April 20 7 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Friday, April 22 TBD Philadelphia at Washington TBD
*Sunday, April 24 TBD Washington at Philadelphia TBD
*Wednesday, April 27 TBD Philadelphia at Washington TBD
Date TIME (ET) #2 Pittsburgh vs. #3 NY Rangers Networks
Wednesday, April 13 8 p.m. NY Rangers at Pittsburgh USA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 16 3 p.m. NY Rangers at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Tuesday, April 19 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at NY Rangers USA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Thursday, April 21 TBD Pittsburgh at NY Rangers Sportsnet, TVA Sports
*Saturday, April 23 TBD NY Rangers at Pittsburgh TBD
*Monday, April 25 TBD Pittsburgh at NY Rangers TBD
*Wednesday, April 27 TBD NY Rangers at Pittsburgh TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Date TIME (ET) #1 Dallas vs. #4 Minnesota Networks
Thursday, April 14 9:30 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 16 8 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Monday, April 18 8:30 p.m. Dallas at Minnesota CNBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Wednesday, April 20 9:30 p.m. Dallas at Minnesota NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports
*Friday, April 22 TBD Minnesota at Dallas TBD
*Sunday, April 24 TBD Dallas at Minnesota TBD
*Tuesday, April 26 TBD Minnesota at Dallas TBD
Date TIME (ET) #2 St. Louis vs. #3 Chicago Networks
Wednesday, April 13 9:30 p.m. Chicago at St. Louis NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports
Friday, April 15 8 p.m. Chicago at St. Louis NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 17 3 p.m. St. Louis at Chicago NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Tuesday, April 19 9:30 p.m. St. Louis at Chicago NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
*Thursday, April 21 TBD Chicago at St. Louis TBD
*Saturday, April 23 TBD St. Louis at Chicago TBD
*Monday, April 25 TBD Chicago at St. Louis TBD
Date TIME (ET) #1 Anaheim vs. #4 Nashville Networks
Friday, April 15 10:30 p.m. Nashville at Anaheim NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 17 10:30 p.m. Nashville at Anaheim NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Tuesday, April 19 9:30 p.m. Anaheim at Nashville USA, SN360, TVA Sports
Thursday, April 21 8 p.m. Anaheim at Nashville CNBC, FX Canada, TVA Sports
*Saturday, April 23 TBD Nashville at Anaheim TBD
*Monday, April 25 TBD Anaheim at Nashville TBD
*Wednesday, April 27 TBD Nashville at Anaheim TBD
Date TIME (ET) #2 Los Angeles vs. #3 San Jose Networks
Thursday, April 14 10:30 p.m. San Jose at Los Angeles CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 16 10:30 p.m. San Jose at Los Angeles NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Monday, April 18 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles at San Jose NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Wednesday, April 20 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles at San Jose USA, CBC, TVA Sports
*Friday, April 22 TBD San Jose at Los Angeles TBD
*Sunday, April 24 TBD Los Angeles at San Jose TBD
*Tuesday, April 26 TBD San Jose at Los Angeles TBD
* If necessary
TBD – To Be Determined
Starting time and national broadcast information for games listed TBD will be announced when available.
The Toronto Maple Leafs management started their downfall early in the season with a bunch of trades and continued the plan by calling up several young prospects throughout the year.
The reward was finishing in last place in the NHL standings (29-42-11, 69 points) and receiving the best odds, at 20%, to win the 2016 Draft Lottery. Even though the Leafs finished last, that doesn’t mean that they will automatically win the Draft Lottery. The Lottery will determine the top three spots in this year’s draft and not just the top spot, which means Toronto could finish as low as fourth overall in the draft. The Buffalo Sabres finished with the worst record last season, but the Edmonton Oilers, somehow, won the Draft Lottery (again).
Another reason for the bad season was defense during games. The team allowed 2.93 goals against per game, which was 25th in the league. The Leafs also allowed 30.5 shots against per game. Toronto allowed 240 goals against on the season, which was the seventh most allowed in the league. Jonathan Bernier had his struggles this year, but things seemed to turn around when James Reimer was traded and Bernier was named the Leafs number one goalie.
The offense also struggled to put the puck in the back of the net. The injuries to players like JVR, Lupul and Komarov didn’t help either. The Leafs managed to score just 2.34 goals per game played, which ranked 28th or third worst in the league. The team scored a total of 192 goals for making it the third worst offense in the league. The Leafs leading scorer was Nazem Kadri, who finished with 45 total points. The team only had one 20 goal scorer and that was P.A. Parenteau.
The special teams were a tale of two stories. The power play was ranked 29th in the league and scored only 40 goals in 259 opportunities. It didn’t help that the Leafs only scored on 11.8% of its opportunities on the road (15 goals in 127 chances). The penalty kill was the 13th best in the league at 81.6%. The penalty kill unit only allowed 50 power play goals against while being shorthanded 272 times. The Leafs were a better road team killing penalties than at home (77.8%).
The players came out and played hard every night and with effort throughout the season and even beat some playoff bound teams down the stretch. It could be a long-term rebuild in Toronto, but if they way the kids played is any indication of its future then they are in better shape than some other teams that didn’t make the playoffs.
Everything has been said that could be said by the Boston Bruins after their shootout loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday evening. It was in their grasp, and they just couldn’t pull the trigger. While they certainly did a good job of controlling much of the play, and limiting Carolina to a single goal, they likewise were limited to their single goal by the impressive work of Cam Ward during regulation.
Perhaps it was because the Hurricanes are out of the playoff run that they proved to be so formidable—they had nothing to lose. There is something to be said for playing simply for the freedom to play and to show you can. However, a positive attitude at this juncture of the season is important as an educational opportunity for the younger players as well who may not yet have faced such a disappointment.
“I mean at the end of the day this is the top league in the world. It’s the NHL and you’ve got to be professional about it,” Ward said after their win. “You’ve got to look at every game you put on the jersey and you’ve got to wear it proud and play for something. At the end of the day you’re getting paid to perform and it would obviously be nice to have something to play for, but proud of the guys that stepped up.”
Noah Hanifan, Rookie Extraordinaire
You’ve got to wear the jersey proud. Such a simple sentence, but by no means a simple sentiment. And when you are out of the playoff run, perhaps that pride is what you hold on to as you finish out the last games—giving any team you play a run for their money. That sentiment was not lost on rookie Noah Hanifin, the Boston native who, for the second time that these teams have met in Boston this season, took the win away from the home team.
“”It’s huge I think. You know this is a job for us now, and you know just because we are out of the playoffs doesn’t mean we can take nights off,” Hanifin said. “You know we got to show character and I think we’ve been doing that, we’ve been playing hard and you know we have a lot of young guys in this room who are definitely showing a lot of heart I think.”
The Bruins have two more games that they must win, but they also need some luck from the hockey gods to make it into the playoffs now. While they will be taking on the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, a team that is now two points ahead of them and in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Philadelphia Flyers will be playing against the Toronto Maple Leaps, another team out of the playoffs. The Flyers have games in hand and are sitting in the bottom wild card spot at this moment. Some teams have underestimated the Maple Leafs, who have shown they can bring a tight and strong game. While Bruins fans will be watching how the Black and Gold do against the Red Wings, they should be keeping track of the Flyers score tonight as well. How Philadelphia does in their final games may end up being the only opening the Bruins have to squeeze into the playoffs.
BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, April 5, that the team has recalled defenseman Colin Miller from Providence and assigned forward Seth Griffith to Providence. Miller is expected to join the Bruins prior to the team’s game vs. Carolina Tuesday night.
Colin Miller
Miller is in the midst of his first NHL season and has skated in 39 games with the Bruins in 2015-16, recording three goals and 12 assists for 15 points with 32 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating. The 23-year-old blueliner ranks seventh among rookie defenseman this season in points.
Miller has also appeared in 19 games with Providence in 2015-16, scoring four goals and adding eight assists for 12 points with 16 penalty minutes and a plus-three rating. Prior to joining the Bruins, the 6’1”, 196-pound defenseman played in 135 games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL), tallying 24 goals and 45 assists for 69 points with 117 penalty minutes and a plus-16 rating. Miller helped the Monarchs capture the Calder Cup in 2014-15, as he scored two goals and added eight assists for 10 points in 19 playoff games.
The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native was acquired by the Bruins, along with goaltender Martin Jones and a 2015 first-round pick, in a trade with Los Angeles in exchange for forward Milan Lucic on June 26, 2015. He was originally selected by Los Angeles in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Seth Griffith
Griffith has appeared in two games with the Bruins since being recalled from Providence on March 30. In total, the 23-year-old has skated in 34 games with the Boston Bruins over two seasons from 2014-16, totaling six goals and five assists for 11 points.
Griffith has played in 51 games with Providence in 2015-16, recording 22 goals and 45 assists for 67 points with 32 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating. The 23-year-old forward is tied for the league lead in assists and is tied for second in the AHL in points this season. In 2014-15, he skated in 39 games, tallying 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points, and in his first season with the P-Bruins in 2013-14, the 5’9”, 191-pound forward posted 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points in 69 games.
The Wallaceburg, Ontario native was originally drafted by the Bruins in the fifth round (131st overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
The road to clinching a playoff spot won’t be an easy one for the Philadelphia Flyers, who have to play five games in eight days including two sets of back-to-backs.
Philadelphia will play the Pittsburgh Penguins twice, the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders. The Penguins have already clinched a playoff spot while the Maple Leafs have already been officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Flyers, Red Wings and Islanders are still battling to see who gets the wild card spots. The Red Wings are also trying to take over the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division.
The Orange and Black will visit Pittsburgh on Sunday, where they played well in recent years. The Penguins have already clinched a playoff spot, but are still battling for playoff positioning and possibly home ice in the first round. Pittsburgh, who are already without forward Evgeni Malkin, will be without goalie Marc-Andre Fleury because of a concussion. The Flyers will need to come out with a strong effort, get in on the fore-check and play a good road game especially in the neutral zone. Philadelphia will need to avoid turnovers because Pittsburgh could use its speed in transition and have odd man rushes.
The Flyers will need to play a very good team defensive game at even strength and avoid taking penalties since the Pens’ power play unit is a dangerous one even without Malkin. The Orange and Black will need to get shots to the net and make sure there is traffic in front of the opposing goalie. Philadelphia will have to be patient since they don’t have the last change and may not get the matchups that they want or change lines on the fly. The Flyers have lost both games that they’ve played against the Penguins this season, and haven’t played well in either. Pittsburgh will visit Philly on Saturday, April 9 for a 3 p.m. start.
Philadelphia will have two days off before facing the Red Wings in Detroit on Wednesday night in a crucial meeting for both teams since this game could determine their playoff fate. The game will be on NBCSN as part of NHL’s Rivalry Night. The Flyers need to play the type of game that they played the last time these two teams met. Philadelphia came out and dominated Detroit in shots in the first period and just gave them no room to do anything in the offensive zone. The Red Wings will get the last change this time since they are at home so that could make a difference. The Orange and Black will need to get pucks through to the net because Detroit hasn’t been the best team defensively lately and they’ll need to crash the net looking for rebounds.
The Maple Leafs visit the Wells Fargo Center on April 7. Toronto has already been eliminated from the postseason, but Mike Babcock has them playing well even thought it’s a young team. Jonathan Bernier, the Maple Leafs’ goalie, has been playing well since the trade of James Reimer. Philadelphia will need to come out and be focused from puck drop and be willing to work for their chances. The Flyers will have to have good puck and player movement on the power play since Toronto has a decent road penalty kill. Philadelphia will need to be careful and avoid the turnovers in the neutral zone and their own zone.
The Flyers will visit the Barclays Center and the New York Islanders on Sunday, April 10. This game is a makeup game that was originally schedule for January 23, but a blizzard forced the game to be postponed and rescheduled. The Islanders are 8-6-2 in 16 games played since March 2, where they have only scored 39 goals and have allowed 48. The Flyers need to play a solid game in front of their goalie and get in on the forecheck. Philadelphia will need to take advantage when on the power play since the Islanders’ power play has only been operating at 75% since March 2. The Orange and Black will need to get the first goal, play physical and play a tight-checking game through the neutral zone.
If the Flyers want to make the post season then they’ll have to continue to play well down the stretch and gain wins and points.
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