After the first game of the Montreal-New York series, Canadien Coach Michel Therrien said of the Chris Kreider/Carey Price collision: “I think it was accidental, honestly. The fact that he didn’t play in the third period, that was more to protect him than anything, because we were not sharp in front of him.” Don’t worry about Carey Price, basically. Worry about everybody else.
A day later, the Canadiens organization announced that Price would not play for the remainder of the series; instead, they would end up playing AHL call-up Dustin Tokarski in place of Peter Budaj, though Therrien insisted that they had confidence in both players. He also changed his tune significantly regarding Kreider, saying, “Looking at the incident, you know, it’s a reckless play. That’s the truth. And Kreider, this is not the first time he’s going at goalies. But our group faced a lot of adversity through the course of the season, and we respond and we’ve got the attitude to respond really well.”
Now, “reckless” is not the same as “dirty,” but it’s hard to mistake the changed tone of Therrien’s language. Part of that may be that Therrien really did believe the team would have Price back on the ice in time for tonight’s match-up; part of it may be that upon review of the collision itself, he simply changed his mind regarding the incident with Kreider. Given that Kreider has, throughout the entirety of the 2014 playoffs, been something of a time bomb on the ice (note that I’m saying “time bomb” but what I mean is “absolute crazy person”), it’s not unreasonable to think that Therrien might have only later noticed what he interpreted as a pattern.
It’s also not unreasonable to note that the Habs have found themselves in a bit of a conundrum. Putting aside the fact that Carey Price has, without doubt, been one of (if not the) best player on that team, the Canadiens have just emerged from a long, hard series against Boston, in which the Bruins absolutely drew no quarter. This is not to say that the Rangers breezed through their series with Pittsburgh; back-to-back shutouts suggest differently. But it was a different kind of difficult, and the Rangers didn’t emerge from that particular battle limping and licking at wounds.
After Saturday’s loss, Therrien told reporters that “we were not ready mentally. Physically we were not ready to compete,” after the Boston series. The Habs have to contend not only with a team who is coming off a momentous turnaround, winning the series after being down 3-1, but they have to contend with a team whose style of play is the exact opposite of Boston. Where the Bruins are willing to Hulksmash their way to the goal–if they have to–the Rangers are more likely to sneak through a crack in the wall (excepting, apparently, Chris Kreider).
In many ways, the 2014 playoffs in the east have felt like the Battle of the Brick Walls, with Tuukka Rask, Henrik Lundqvist, and Carey Price each dragging their teams from round to round. Personally, I think we saw more moments of greatness from Montreal skaters than we’ve seen from New York; the win over Pittsburgh can be attributed almost entirely to Lundqvist’s absolute refusal to let pucks into the net, whereas overcoming Boston required as much effort from the Canadiens’ top lines as it did Price’s heroic effort between the pipes.
The Canadiens lost 3-1 tonight, which is notably better than losing 7-2 but it still isn’t winning any Stanley Cups. Their play tonight showed that they are trying, as quickly as possible, to figure out how to win without their secret weapon. To figure out how to play without the luxury of knowing that they have a guy like Price in the net.
Therrien changed his tune between Saturday and Monday, painting the picture of a team who was prepared to rise above adversity (rather than a team that was still gathering the pieces of itself after a long previous competition). He told reporters, “We’ve got a lot of character. That is the number one reason why we’re here. We were capable to prove it in the past, and again, we’ve got that challenge to show again that we’ve got tons of character.”
But what is that character, exactly? Are they the scrappy underdogs or the heavy-hitters? Are they the risk-takers they were allowed to be with Price in the net, or do they play a more careful east-west game?
The Toronto Marlies edged one step closer to the 2014 Calder Cup Friday night following a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Wolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The win represents the first time the Wolves have been swept since the 2005 Calder Cup Finals. The Marlies remain undefeated this post-season.
The Marlies started strong in Game 4, scoring eight minutes into the first period with a goal from forward Greg McKegg. Marlies forward Carter Ashton made the score 2-0 three minutes into the second, ripping a slapshot past Wolves goaltender Jake Allen’s glove. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and Marlies centre Peter Holland scored on a breakaway seven minutes into the third and final period. The Wolves pulled their goaltender with almost four minutes remaining in the third, and with 4.7 seconds remaining in the game, Marlies defenseman Korbinian Holzer added an empty netter to seal the Wolves’ fate. The win earns Marlies goaltender Drew MacIntyre his second shutout of the playoffs, stopping all 30 shots in Game 4.
“I’ll take anything in a clinching game as long as it’s a win,” said MacIntyre after the game. “Tonight the guys were amazing. We battled and battled. The third period we stuck to our game plan and we didn’t give them anything.”
The Chicago Wolves, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, out-shot their rivals for the fourth game in a row but failed to capitalize on chances.
“We didn’t have the lead once in the whole series,” said John Anderson, Head Coach for the Chicago Wolves. “That’s it in a nutshell. We looked nervous at the start again tonight. We had that feeling in the very first game and this game too. They just took advantage of our mistakes.”
The Marlies advance to face the Texas Stars in the Western Conference Final. Puck drops Friday May 23 at Cedar Park Centre, Texas.
LA Kings head coach Darryl Sutter promised this after his team lost an overtime heartbreaker to the San Jose Sharks in Round 1 that put them in an 0-3 hole. But in keeping with his vow, Sutter coached his team to four straight victories and another place in the history books.
After dropping three straight games to the Anaheim Ducks, once again, the Los Angeles Kings proved that they’re a stubborn, resilient bunch who don’t rattle easily. In fact, they play best when it’s do-or-die. On Friday night, the Kings showed why they’re contenders with a complete, thorough and dominating win over the Ducks.
Game Recap
Period 1:
The Kings came out the gate flying. Three minutes in, Dustin Brown drew a holding penalty on Ben Lovejoy. With 18 seconds left to go in Lovejoy’s penalty, Mr. Game 7Justin Williamsstruck. Some great cycling down low allowed Williams to capitalize on a rebound and open the scoring.
With six minutes left, Corey Perry blocked Drew Doughty‘s shot. Perry got a breakaway and Doughty followed, but couldn’t keep up. Just as Perry took the shot, his stick broke (it had actually fractured when he blocked the shot) and was awarded a penalty shot, much to Doughty’s unhappiness.
Perry’s stick breaks, leads to penalty shot. GIF Credit: @myregularface
It was a huge moment that could’ve changed the outcome of the entire game. Fortunately for Doughty, Jonathan Quick was up to the task. Afterward, Doughty apologized to the refs.
A minute later, Mike Richardsscored what was the eventual game winning goal. He gained the zone with Dwight King following behind as a trailer. Gibson stopped King’s initial shot but couldn’t handle the rebound. With an extra effort to keep pushing forward, Richards chipped the puck over Gibson’s pad and into the net.
3-0 LA at first intermission.
Period 2:
The Kings picked up almost right where they left off. Two minutes in, Anze Kopitar‘s snap shot beat Gibson short side and ended his night. Jonas Hiller replaced the young rookie with the hope of at least stopping the bleeding.
Despite being up 4-0, the Kings were not content to sit back and manage the clock. They kept pushing forward, even as Anaheim pressed for a goal. At 14:08, Gaborik scored a power play goal to put the Kings up 5-0. Using Bryan Allen as a screen, Gaborik side stepped him and wristed a shot past Hiller.
The Ducks finally got on the board when Kyle Palmieri‘s shot squeaked between Quick’s foot and the post with about three minutes to go.
The goal seemed to really stir the crowd inside the Honda Center as well the Ducks but it came so late, they were unable to sustain momentum for long.
Period 3:
Perry finally beat Quick during 4v4 play while Slava Voynov and Andrew Cogliano served matching minors. Jake Muzzin got caught puck watching as Ryan Getzlaf drew attention to himself, leaving Perry wide open for a perfect shot, just under the cross bar.
Tanner Pearsonscored with six minutes left in the game, ensuring that the Ducks would not be able to stage a late comeback.
Brief Analysis
The Kings believe in themselves. Justin Williams appropriately described it as a “quiet arrogance.” Even down in the Sharks series, there was always a belief that they could get it done. Over the last three years they’ve displayed that they’re winners and won’t quit until the final horn sounds. With the same core that won the Stanley Cup in 2012, every player (at least in the media) radiates confidence that they can and they will get it done. They’ve experienced this sport’s ultimate glory and they want to achieve it again. With their third consecutive trip to the Western Conference Final, they are strong contenders that will be difficult for any team to beat.
The #fancystats suggested that the Kings were the better team, in spite of the teams’ regular season records. They also have a lot more experience than their southern counterparts and were able to lean on that. NBCSN showed an interesting graphic during the the game: as a collective group, the Kings have 57 games played experience in Game 7 with only four losses. The Ducks, on the other hand, only have 34 games of experience and 27 losses. Over the last three years, the Kings have played 52 postseason games (20 – 2012; 18 – 2013; 14 – 2014) while the Ducks have only played 20 games (0 – 2012; 7 – 2013; 13 – 2014). Anaheim has a few more young players in their current lineup than LA and the inexperience showed as mistakes proved costly.
The Kings will need to play more consistently in the next round if they hope to advance or at least win a few games. Jewels from the Crown has a Western Conference Final preview here and fellow The Pink Puck writer Carly Mullady has a Blackhawks-Kings series preview here.
Thank You, Teemu
Once the game finished, the two teams lined up for the traditional handshake and Teemu Selanne was mic’d up for it.
Warning: Beware of onion chopping ninjas you may get misty eyed.
The respect for Teemu Selanne is incredible and it was a fantastic gesture by the Kings to remain on the ice and tap their sticks in honor of the future Hall of Famer. Selanne has done a lot to grow the sport of hockey in the warm, sunny climate of Southern California and his dedication to the sport means a lot to people everywhere. He is universally loved and deservedly so with a long, illustrious career and the many accomplishments he has achieved. As a hockey fan in general, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and I sincerely hope he sticks around So Cal a little longer.
Following the game, there was an outpouring of support for him on twitter.
@DucksFanZone@BaileyLAKings from Kings nation, thank you Teemu for your career and contributions. Socal hockey owes you.
Though the first game has already taken place between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, in which the Rangers gave the Canadiens a beating, there is still a lot of hockey yet to play before one of these two teams goes on to meet the Western Conference Final championship in the Stanley Cup Finals.
After the Canadiens finished the Boston Bruins in Game Seven, P.K. Subban told Pierre McGuire, “I said a couple of things I probably, normally, wouldn’t have said; talking about the crowd and taking the energy away from them; taking everything away from them.”
While it is true that the Canadiens won the series and sent the Bruins to an earlier summer than they would have liked, his comments seemed to indicate almost an idea that the Canadiens had won the Cup, rather than just completed round two. Given the kiss that Subban planted on McGuire at the end of the interview, it would seem that at least he was feeling the team had won a lottery.
http://youtu.be/JtsHFJPcsFA
During his interview on Friday after the New York Rangers practice in Montreal, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault was asked about his team fighting complacency, which apparently was something that the Canadiens were fighting.
“One thing that Montreal has to know is, I know that they felt that the Boston Bruins didn’t respect them very much. We’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for them, for their players, their staff,” Vigneault answered. “They’re a great organization, and right now they’re the team to beat. We’re coming in here and we’re going to try to put our best foot forward. We know it’s a tough challenge for us, but we’re going to give it our best.”
And perhaps that explains the routing that the Rangers gave the Canadiens in game one. The Rangers came to play and perhaps the Canadiens thought less of the Rangers than they should have. Hockey is not only a game of mistakes; it is a game of not underestimating your opponent.
Subban said that he felt “sorry for the team that’s got to come in our building” for the Eastern Conference Final. And at least in game one it was the Rangers who took the energy from the Montreal fans.
Michel Therrien
When asked about what the Canadiens could do to have an impact on New York’s goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, it seemed that Therrien didn’t want to dwell on the embarrassing game, preferring to look forward.
“Yesterday’s game is behind us. It’s like we know what we’re supposed to do, and yesterday we didn’t do it at all, at all. I don’t want to talk about that game like everything was bad for us last night and we’ve got to move on,” he said. “I like the way they respond because we always show the right attitude. Tomorrow we will have the right attitude to approach tomorrow night’s game.”
One game at a time is certainly the best approach when getting this far into the playoff season. Regardless of that approach though, it is clear that Lundqvist is back in his zone. Despite the many commentators who have spoken at length about the immense experience with pressure that Price apparently has weathered from his recent play at the Sochi Olympics, those same commentators would do well to remember that it was Lundqvist’s second trip to the Olympics.
Lundqvist
Many, early in the season, when the New York Rangers struggled, wrote them off. Being on the road for the first six weeks of your regular season is certainly not an ideal way to begin the 82-game schedule. However, it is possible that such a beginning has given the Rangers a stronger ethic when on the road. And though historically, throughout the regular season, the Rangers have gone 64-200-40-2 in the 306 games played in Montreal, one thing is certain—the playoffs are definitely not the regular season.
Both teams have long and proud histories that they would like to reclaim in the form of the Stanley Cup’s return. As a result, neither team is going to give up easily. And though the Canadiens may not have been as prepared as they should have been for game one, the Rangers would be foolish to think the next games will be a cake walk.
“I think that over the years I’ve been playing here, I don’t think a lot of teams have showed us respect,” Subban said after the Canadiens beat the Bruins. “I think we earned that today.”
Unfortunately when it comes to playoff hockey, respect must be earned over and over again. Character and confidence must be shown for a minimum of sixty minutes after the puck drops on each playoff game. And the team that brings that commitment will be the one to go on to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Sunday, the best of the west face off on their Stanley Cup quest.
Each vying for a coveted spot in the final, the last two teams to raise Lord Stanley–the Chicago Blackhawks and L.A. Kings–are fighting for the Western Conference crown.
The Blackhawks, who took the Minnesota Wild in six games, have home ice advantage and a few days’ rest. The Kings, on the other hand, have the momentum of a 6-2 Game 7 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
The Hawks beat the Kings in five games last year, going on to defeat the Boston Bruins for the ultimate prize.
“We’re excited about coming here. We talked about this all year,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “They’re the last team to beat us in the playoffs. They’re the team that has the Cup. If we want another shot at it. We knew it was probably going to have to be down this road.”
Winger Justin Williams said the Blackhawks “had their number” last year. “But we certainly want to get back to the finals,” he added. “And to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. They’re the best right now.”
Chicago is the highest-seeded team left in the race. And so far this season, Chicago has defeated L.A. in each of their three meetings, winning 3-1 Dec. 15, 1-0 Dec. 30, and 5-3 Feb. 3.
But, none of that matters now. Higher-seeded teams have already been eliminated. And, the playoffs are a whole new puck-game.
“I think it’s tough to compare year to year, even regular season to playoffs,” Brent Seabrook said. “[The Kings are] playing really well right now, so we’ve got to be focused on what they’ve been doing the last couple of series and the way they’re playing. Seems like they’re never out of a game or out of a series.
“If we’re down, we got to work like hell to get back. At the end of the day we have to focus on our game and focus on what we’ve been doing, get better at that and be the team that we can be.”
Chicago-style Hot Dogs
Captain Jonathan Toews has five goals (fifth in the league) and five assists. Patrick Kane has been putting on a show. He has 10 points, with six goals (third in the league) and four assists.
“Every team has those tough guys that you relish going up and playing against. Some guys are tougher than others. These two in particular are going to be really tough for our ‘D,’ our forwards, as well,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “I look forward to playing against Toews and Kane, and keeping them off the score sheet to the best of my ability.
“It’s going to be a battle, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Bryan Bickell has been hot in the postseason as well, tied with Kane for goals, but with three assists. Marian Hossa leads the team in points with two goals and nine assists (fourth in the league).
Even the defensemen are pitching in. Seabrook (two goals, nine assists) is tied with Hossa in points.
Duncan Keith has two goals and six assists; he also has an average 27 minutes of ice time per game. Niklas Hjalmarsson is a shot-blocking machine, even without his voice–after blocking a shot with his throat in the Wild series. Plus, Hossa and Toews are among the top defensive forwards in the league.
Unfortunately, center Andrew Shaw remains out with an injury suffered after a hit in Game 1 of the Wild series.
All the Kings’ Men
Center Anze Kopitar has a stellar five goals (sixth in the league) and 14 assists (first) in the Kings’ 14-game postseason. Marian Gaborik leads the league with nine goals. He has six assists. Jeff Carter has four goals and seven assists. Justin Williams has five goals (sixth) and six assists. And, that’s just one line.
“Gaborik, the way he skates, definitely poses a threat and a problem,” Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp said. ” Then you have Williams, who is a great finisher. He’s got a lot of experience. He knows how to step up and play big in big games. I think they got a little bit of everything on that line. We’re going to have to be ready to play them tight, hard, physical–play our game against them.”
Doughty has one goal and eight assists (sixth in the league). Jake Muzzin has seven points.
Between the Pipes
Corey Crawford tops the league right now with a .931 save percentage and a 1.97 goals-against average. He’s saved-the-way for the Blackhawks through the first two rounds.
Kings netminder Jonathan Quick, on the other hand, has a .914 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average. But, just as Kane and Crawford are clutch for the Hawks, Quick epitomizes clutch for the Kings. In the six potential season-enders, Quick has a .956 save percentage.
Danger Zones
The trouble for Chicago may come if the series reaches a Game 7, where three Kings forwards (Gaborik, Mike Richards, and Williams) now have personal 6-0 records in the playoff do-or-die games.
Williams has six goals and 12 points in Game Sevens. All three have scored goals in the games.
The winner of the Western Conference best-of-seven series will go on to play the winner of the New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers have a 1-0 series lead after beating the Canadiens in Montreal Saturday.
First comes first, the tentative schedule is as follows:
Game 1 Sun, May 18 2:00 p.m. CT United Center NBC Game 2 Wed, May 21 7:00 p.m. CT United Center NBCSN Game 3 Sat, May 24 7:00 p.m. CT Staples Center NBC Game 4 Mon, May 26 8:00 p.m. CT Staples Center NBCSN Game 5 Wed, May 28 7:00 p.m. CT United Center NBCSN (if necessary) Game 6 Fri, May 30 8:00 p.m. CT Staples Center NBCSN (if necessary) Game 7 Sun, June 1 7:00 p.m. CT United Center NBCSN (if necessary)
The New York Rangers opened the Eastern Conference Final with a convincing 7-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre Saturday afternoon. The series marks the first time the two teams have faced each other in the postseason in 18 years, and represents goaltender Henriq Lundqvist’s first win in the Bell Centre since March 2009. Lundqvist entered the series on a 3-game winning streak and is currently tied with the highest playoff save percentage in this post-season. It also marks the first time a Rangers team saw seven different players score one goal in a post-season game since 1986.
Martin St. Louis opened scoring 4 minutes into the first period with a wrist shot that ricocheted past Habs goaltender Carey Price. Mats Zuccarello followed up just minutes later giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead as the horn sounded on the first. The second period went without a goal, until Rene Bourque scored a controversial goal on Rangers goalie Henriq Lundqvist involving the Rangers claiming the Habs had too many men on the ice. After closing the lead, it would remain a one-goal game until the Rangers scored two goals on Price in the closing minutes of the second.
The third period saw a change in goaltenders as Habs back-up Peter Budaj took his place between the pipes to mark his first playoff appearance with the team. Less than two minutes into the third, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh rocketed a slapshot past Budaj, followed up closely by Derek Stepan with a 5-on-3 power play goal assisted by St. Louis. Rick Nash scored the Rangers’ seventh goal of the night, ending a scoring drought stretching 17 playoff games. The Habs scored their second goal of the game, a slapshot by Lars Eller, with less than five minutes remaining.
“We know we can be a lot better than that. We’ll be ready to play next game. There’s so much hockey left to play in this series. We’ve already put this one behind us,” P.K. Subban said after the game.
“This is a good hockey team,” said Habs Head Coach Michel Therrien post-game. “They just beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. But we didn’t play our game. That is the most important thing. We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win this hockey game. So we’re going to regroup and make sure next game that we’re going to compete a lot harder and be more alert.”
At the end of the game, Marty St. Louis earned the game’s first star. His teammates also honoured him in the locker room with the ‘Broadway Hat’ as the team’s way of showing their support for St. Louis following the death of his mother just one week prior. “Tonight he got us going. It’s been an emotional week but the way you stepped up again Marty, it’s unbelievable,” said Lundqvist as he presented the honour to his teammate, much to the rapturous applause of the Rangers locker room. St. Louis responded graciously, “Big win boys.”
In a post-game interview, St. Louis expanded on the support he has received from the team.
“It’s been an emotional time for everybody, but the guys have been behind me and supporting me. Their effort is unbelievable. You know we’re for sure very close right now, and we’re trying to keep feeding off that.”
The puck drops on Game 2 May 19 at the Bell Centre, Montreal.
Anyone following either Jimmy Fallon or the Montreal Canadiens on Twitter got to see the back and forth banter that would lead to the most talked about bet on the Eastern Conference Final.
The deal started with the Habs tweeted a possible deal to @JimmyFallon, who has over 12.7 million followers on Twitter. It almost fell apart early when the Tonight Show host rejected the team’s earlier suggestions if the Rangers won. Fallon wanted more than Youppi! wearing a Rangers jersey at the teams’ first meeting at Centre Bell, or the beloved mascot hand-delivering Quebec poutine in a Rangers jersey to Fallon’s Tonight Show band, the Roots. Maybe they should have included some Roots clothing in the deal!
The former Saturday Night Live star, and new host of NBC’s Tonight Show, confirmed via Twitter that a deal had been stuck. If Montreal beats the Rangers, he will wear a Canadiens jersey during one of his monologues. However if the Rangers win, the @CanadiensMTL Twitter avatar will have to be Jimmy Fallon for a day, and Youppi! will have to shed the CH and dawn a Rangers jersey which will have to be worn around the city.
Within minutes of the bet becoming finalized, @NYRangers promised Fallon that they had his back, but the Canadiens have other plans. Now in addition to an Original Six Eastern Conference Final, the fans also get to look forward to some hockey laughs when the loser has to hold up their end of the deal.
The Tonight Show airs weekday nights on NBC at 11:35 p.m.
The Providence Bruins hosted the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for Game 4 of their second round series last night. A Penguins win would give them a 3-1 series lead, but a Bruins win would tie the series and that makes a big difference. Wilkes-Barre had the benefit of Brian Gibbons returning to the lineup after competing with the Pittsburg Penguins. Providence would have hoped to get Matt Fraser back from Boston after their elimination, but was not as lucky as it came out that he had been playing most of the postseason so far with a broken foot that might now need surgery.
Unlike Game 3, Providence managed to get onto the board during a first period that they really controlled. Rookie Seth Griffith had his 4th of the post season and has been an impressive factor in the playoffs. The first period was all about Providence with them controlling the puck and only allowing the Penguins to get four shots on rookie goalie Malcolm Subban. Subban had not started a game yet against the Penguins but had taken over to relieve Niklas Svedberg in Game 2.
The momentum seemed to swing in the second period. Providence was not able to get control of the puck and put pressure on Penguins goalie Peter Mannino. Instead, the second period was all about the Penguins. They managed to put 18 shots on Subban in that period alone and he came up with some impressive saves. Only one shot managed to find it’s way through as defenseman Reid McNeill got his first tally of the playoffs to tie the game up.
When the teams came out for the third period, it was clear that the Bruins needed a spark in order to stay in the game. Just under three minutes into the period, it seemed they had found what they needed. With a scrum in from of Mannino, it seemed that one of the Bruins had pushed the puck in. However, the officials ruled it was not a goal and the Bruins ended up getting a penalty shot out of the situation. Nick Johnson took the shot but it hit Mannino in the chest and the score stayed tied.
Just over a minute later, Wilkes-Barre took their first lead of the game. Conor Sheary had his second goal in as many games. Despite that goal, it was the Bruins that controlled most of the shots in the third period. They were doing everything but score as the tried to keep the pressure high. It seemed that the game was over and the Penguins would have the 3-1 series lead. But, as the green light went off to signal the end of the game with a group of Bruins in front of the Penguins net, the referee closest to the net was also signaling a goal.
Since the time had run out, the officials had to look to the tape and review the goal. They needed to see if it had crossed the line in time. After a quick deliberation, the officials emerged and signaled a good goal, sending the teams to overtime. The goal came with less than a second remaining on the clock and was credited to Ryan Spooner.
It was the very definition of digging deep and the goal came at the perfect time for the Bruins to rally around. Even though the shots ended up being even in overtime, it was clear that Providence got the spark they were looking for. That spark ended with them stealing game 4 after looking like they were going to lose in regulation. Less than halfway into the overtime period, the puck was laying on the ice between the post and Mannino’s blocker. Cory Kane, a college player signed to an ATO out of Ferris State saw the puck and kept jabbing until it went in the net. It was his first pro goal.
Mannino was not happy, insisting that the play should have been whistled dead or the goal should have been called off due to goaltender interference. However, it was a good goal and Providence took Game 4 to even up the series.
Game 5 is tonight in Providence with the series lead up for grabs. The Bruins will be without Justin Florek. He suffered a lower body injury during last night’s game and left early. Bruins captain Mike Moore also took a stick up high in the third, but only missed a few shifts. So, the Bruins should just have to replace one player in the lineup for tonight.
Anger. Fear. Disgust. Contempt. Joy. Sadness. Surprise. The seven primary emotions that painted Game 7, and an overall postseason picture on a canvas that will now be wiped clear.
Emotions, often the suggestion is there to keep them off the ice, in a Game 7, it’s about putting them all on it, but in the room? Checking emotions at the door seems an unlikely option when it comes to saying goodbye. Goodbye to teammates, but more importantly friends — never truly knowing what the off-season may hold, who will lace up the skates alongside you or take a face-off against you in the coming year.
Breakup day doesn’t just end a season, but each and every year, puts an end to a roster that has become familiar to fans and trusted in the locker room.
Bruins Bergeron
It’s the blasted emotions that ran high, strong and mixed for the Boston Bruins after facing a second round elimination against the Montreal Canadiens. It’s what the team didn’t accomplish that splashed the headlines, rather than what they did. Despite a heartbreaking finish, the 2013-14 Bruins earned top honors in the league, nabbing the Presidents Trophy. They skated through a regular season with no more than two consecutive losses at a time. They fought injury, adversity and the constant target on their backs, all while proudly wearing the ‘Spoked B’ across their fronts, a symbolic image for big bad Bruins hockey and win or lose, the devoted fans they skate for.
“We had a great season, we did a lot of great things,” said Bruins Head Coach Julien. “When you look at the whole season, it’s a lot brighter than the ending.”
A loss in the books hasn’t changed the spark that’s caused a fire throughout Boston. In terms of the cities love for the game, it’s done nothing more than flourish since 2011. But how long will fans be willing to endure the heartbreak that has followed the past two seasons? The answer will differ among the masses, but the faith in the future of the franchise, far surpasses the emotions felt in the present.
“I think that’s almost the worst part, that you let the fans down and you let the city of Boston down,” said Lucic on the second-round exit. “But sometimes, when you have hard defeats like this, it gives you motivation to work harder in the summer, to come back hungrier for next year. Obviously, I’ll take a few days to get over a loss like this, but eventually you know that you have to move on and focus on next year. But as of right now, it definitely still stings.”
The success of Bruins hockey in recent years has grown in magnitude, a regular season empire, the east their dominion, the components to have that empire reign supreme once again, can be found in a vast system, deep with talent. A prime example of that talent can be found in the teams AHL affiliate, Providence Bruins. Despite an ever changing roster for the younger club, Providence has found their way to the Calder Cup Playoffs, skating with passion that their parent team perhaps lacked through the final games of the Montreal series.
“We have a young back line right now and I’m partially to blame if you want to assign blame. Maybe we didn’t get enough at the deadline, maybe we overestimated the youth and where they were,” said GM Chiarelli when asked for a diagnosis on the season. “They brought us to good spots and I think you’ll see in the future that these players, these young defenseman, are going to even be better as a result of participating in this series.”
The reality that any team must come to terms with as a season comes to a close, is to closely evaluate and find a prognosis for the future of the organization.
“For me, it was a seven game series,” continued GM Chiarelli. “I felt we were the better team, it was a seven game series and they won on the margins and we didn’t win. So disappointing, more disappointing because it is a rivalry, but I thought we had a heck of a year in the regular season and I thought we had a really good first round. But we’re here to win it all so I’m disappointed. “
Bruins Smith
With a resounding echo of disappointment plaguing each and every player, burning through the ranks to management, the offseason has officially arrived, leaving a team filled with questions, and the hope of a better outcome.
“I believe so, and for sure I think that we have a great group of guys,” said Chara regarding the Bruins being Stanley Cup contenders as the roster sits now. “It’s something that we have to learn from this year, and be more motivated and better coming up on playoffs.”
Having a solid core group and skating with the desire to add another banner to the rafters at TD Garden and soon, will be a sentiment carried through the lengthy off-season the Bruins now face.
“Yeah, we were this year,” said Bergeron on being Cup contenders. “I think we still are. If you look at the guys most of the guys are still going to be with us next year, and I think it’s, we have a great group of guys, a great core and we have the experience that you need in playoffs, and I think this year hopefully makes us eager to do it next year.”
Perhaps not Stanley Cup champions this season, the components are there to skate forward in the quest for 2015.
It seems to be a yearly event, at least in recent times, that each season sees the make-up of the AHL looking different from the year before. Going from the 2012-2013 season to to the 2013-2014 season, the Peoria Rivermen made the exit while the Utica Comets made their entrance.
Next season will be no different. The American Hockey League will host two new teams for the 2014-2015 season but only one change in cities. Prior to this past season, it was announced that the Adirondack Phantoms would play their last season in Glens Falls. The affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers spent 5 seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. During those 5 seasons, the Phantoms were not able to make it to the postseason. Their best season came during 2011-2012 and it was the only season that they finished above .500.
Come October, the Adirondack Phantoms will become the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as the franchise moves to Allentown, Pennsylvania. This move will bring the franchise closer to the Flyers as they will just be about 60 miles apart now.
The end of the regular season also brought the news that the Calgary Flames would be pulling their AHL team out of Abbotsford in British Columba. In that case, they were not able to make the finances work despite great partnerships and felt that it was in their best interest to put the franchise elsewhere.
When the news came out about the Flames moving their AHL franchise, Glens Falls was immediately the front runner. They made a big push to get Calgary to put their team there so that the fans would not have to be without hockey next season. And they got their wish. Calgary will place the franchise in Glens Falls. The Abbotsford Heat will become the Adirondack Flames.
You can find both teams on Twitter (@LVPhantoms and @AHLHeat) to keep up with all the latest news as they prepare for the 2014-2015 season.
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