In trademark dramatic fashion, with bonus hockey and a sea of red (and maybe a dash of blue) on the edge of their seats, the Chicago Blackhawks edged the St. Louis Blues in overtime late Wednesday.
It was a thrill ride of a game, with much of the third period resembling a Blackhawks Penalty Kill after blowing a 2-0 lead in the second, but Patrick Kane came in clutch in the end with a zinging wrister from the left circle, sending the puck over goalie Ryan Miller‘s shoulder and evening up the Round One playoff series at 2-2.
“Big difference between 3-1 and 2-2,” Kane said of the series. “Going into overtime, we were all pretty confident that we were going to get another win in front of our home crowd. It was just a matter of time in the overtime because we had a lot of chances.”
Kane has tied Jeremy Roenick‘s record (3) for the most franchise playoff overtime wins during this two goal, one assist outing.
“Their defensemen pinched so we kind of had a two-on-one…thing going down the ice,” Kane said. “(Brandon Saad) made a good play driving to the back post and gave me some space to try and get a shot off. I just tried to pull it to the middle and get it by their defenseman, try to use him as a screen and lucky enough it went in.”
This came after disappointingly hitting the pipe just a few minutes prior.
“He’s a dangerous player,” Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “He’s dangerous off the rush. The most dangerous player in the league.”
The Hawks entered the danger zone themselves when they lost a 2-0 lead.
“We certainly weren’t happy,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We’re going along fine and perfectly. We took to many penalties in the second period but we have a 2-0 lead late in the period. That one at the end of the period reminded me of the one late in Game 2. (I thought), ‘Here we go again.’ We started slower in the third because of that, and then we had to press a lot more at the end to get the equalizer.”
The Blues used their momentum to open the third period with Tarasenko’s second goal of the game (giving him four in the playoffs) off a pass from Pietrangelo 12:26 into the third.
Aside from those two goals, the third period was a game of keep-away, blocked shots, and, for fans, reminders to inhale and exhale.
Crawford and Miller each had 30 saves in the game.
The Blackhawks head back to St. Louis for a 7 p.m. CT face-off Friday.
“We have the momentum so we’ll try to keep it,” Kane added “We’re going to expect a tough game, especially going into their building. I’m sure it’s going to be rocking. It’s important to come out strong in that game and try to keep the momentum we have.”
Keys to winning in the Show-Me State:
Show them Blackhawks hockey. Don’t give in to the Blues’ style of play. Hits were 42-32 Blues this game and have favored St. Louis the entire series. The best retaliation does not involve a roughing call, however. It’s a victory.
Maximize the Power Play. Use the man-advantage.
Stay out of the box. Do not take mindless penalties. Every momentum shift is costly in a tight series.
Protect your players. Avoid vulnerable situations. With Steve Ott after Michal Handzus Wednesday, LaPierre targeting Brookbank Monday and Wednesday, and the wounds still fresh from Captain David Backes‘ injury, it’s wise to keep heads up.
Be ready for Backes’ return. Hitchcock isn’t going to show his cards until the very last moment. Despite having one assist and a -1 in the two games before his injury, Backes has a very powerful, physical presence on the ice that can’t be ignored. And Brent Seabrook, who had one goal and one assist in each of the games before being suspended for his hit on Backes will be out until Sunday.
Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot the puck. Get it to the net. Rebound. Deflect. Focus less on complicated setups and more on gritty goals and hard shots from the point.
And, don’t stop playing until the final horn sounds. No lead is big enough to be ahead or to come from behind, Because It’s The Cup.
The St. Louis Blues fell to the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time in a row at the Madhouse, in Overtime, 3 to 4. The Blues trailed early and were playing from behind for a majority of the game until the third period. The series is now tied up a two a piece, and game five will be the tie breaker for someone to take the lead.
The first period allowed no goals for either team but that all changed in the second period. Andrew Shaw and the Blackhawks took advantage of a power play opportunity and scored the first goal of the game. Patrick Kane would increase the Blackhawk’s lead 2 to 0 in the second period.
The Blues rallied and never gave up at any point in the game. Two late second period goals would help the Blues gain the momentum that they would need in the third period. Vladimir Tarasenko netted his first goal of the night on a power play opportunity, with a wrist shot from the top of the circle that fired passed Crawford’s blocker. Then, there were 3.1 seconds left in the second period when Maxim Lapierre’s shot from the dot trickled over the glove of Crawford, to tie the game.
The Blues had all the momentum at the start of the third period, but it wasn’t until the twelve minute mark that Tarasenko would get his second goal and give the Blue’s the 3 to 2 lead. The Blues could not hold onto the lead as Bryan Bickell scored with just under four minutes to go in the game.
This would be yet another Blues vs Blackhawks game that would take to Overtime before delivering a winner. The Madhouse gave the Blackhawks some energy as they came out to the puck drop. The Blues were over handling the puck, not making simple plays, and most importantly not taking the shot when there was one available. In overtime you need to put everything on net, the Blues were just trying to do too much which caused a turn over. This turnover cost the Blues the game. Patrick Kane score the overtime game winning goal for the Blackhawks, knotting up the series up at two.
Game five of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be in St.Louis, on Friday the 25th, at 7PM CST.
As the National Hockey League released their video explanation of the seven game suspension of Matt Cooke of the Minnesota Wild, the hockey community seems to be nodding their heads, as if to say they knew all along that Cooke couldn’t keep his nose clean. His last supplementary discipline though was in March, 2011, which shows that he could play a clean game if his occupation was on the line—which it had been when he was playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Perhaps when they did not re-sign him in the summer of 2013, he decided to revert to his old ways. It is hard to say. He signed with the Wild on July 5, 2013, to a three-year, $7.5 million contract.
Cooke’s hit on Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, April 21 at 2:02 of the second period resulted in just a minor penalty for him, while Barrie struggled first to the bench and then went down the tunnel, not returning to the game. Later it was announced that Barrie had suffered an MCL injury and would be out for a least four to six weeks. This is a terrible blow to the Avalanche. Head coach Patrick Roy referred to Barrie, the night of the injury, as “our best offensive defenseman.”
http://youtu.be/3qmQHevtAJA
The video explanation released by the NHL’s Department of Player safety explained the suspension:
“As the video shows, Barrie makes a pass to a teammate in the neutral zone, as Cooke approaches in the opposite direction. Cooke is leading with his left knee. After Barrie releases the puck, Cooke continues in this posture, further extends his knee and makes contact with Barrie’s left knee. This is kneeing.
“The play is entirely in front of Cooke from the moment he steps on the ice and begins striding towards Barrie well before impact is made The onus is on Cooke to ensure that any check he attempts is executed legally and through the core of Barrie’s body. There is no question that, seeing Cooke coming at him, Barrie takes evasive action and moves to his right in an attempt to avoid contact. While this evasive action might have worsened the extent of the injury, it should have been entirely predictable to Cooke that Barrie would attempt to avoid contact. It is important to note that Cooke is leading with his knee, a part of the body with which he cannot legally deliver a check. Additionally upon seeing that Barrie has moved to avoid this check, instead of avoiding the possibility of illegal contact, Cooke further extends his left leg to ensure contact.
“Kneeing infractions are evaluated based on the degree of their severity, many do not rise to the level of supplemental discipline. In this case the distance traveled with an extended knee, the further extension of the knee to ensure contact, the force of the impact and the resulting injury to an opponent merits supplemental discipline. These factors, combined with Cooke’s history warrant a more significant penalty than the most recent suspensions that have been imposed for kneeing.
“To summarize:
This was kneeing
Barrie suffered a significant injury as a result of this hit
Cooke is not considered a repeat offender under the CBA as he has not been subjected to supplementary discipline since March of 2011. However, Cooke has been fined or suspended nine times during his 15-season NHL career
“The Department of Player Safety has suspended Matt Cooke for seven games.”
Though Cooke has not had supplementary discipline in the past 38 months, whatever character he felt he had built has been completely undone with this latest incident. This hit was intended to injury and seven games does not seem to be enough to impress on Cooke that he cannot continue to play in this manner. Though he has not used his stick as a weapon, ala Marty McSorley, or lost his cool and punched an opponent in such a severe manner that his career was ended, and his day-to-day life was forever altered as Todd Bertuzzi did, one has to wonder just how many horrific injuries Cooke will be allowed to make before he is expelled from the league, rather than suspended for just a few games.
Often the most sought after and famous member of any NHL organization is the teams mascot. Fans young and old are often able to recognize a mascot long before a player at off ice events. The mascot readies the crowd and attends events throughout the community year round. It is tough work, especially in the NHL with the added ice and skating component. Although you may never see another teams mascot in the wild, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to be prepared in the event that you do. Here is a look at some of the most notorious mugs in the National Hockey League.
Al the Octopus, Detroit Red Wings: It can be a tough life when you have 8 legs and 80,000 adoring fans. In keeping with a Red Wing tradition, fans would throw an octopus on the ice at Joe Lewis arena for good luck before games. The Zamboni driver Al Sabotka would then scoop up the octopus and spin it over his head. NHL commissioner Gery Bettman banned this act in 2008 and in 2011 banned fans from throwing octopus on ice (it still hasn’t seemed to stop Red Wings faithful). This is where the Red Wings mascot comes in; named after the beloved Zamboni driver Al Sabotka. Al the Octopus hangs from the rafters and garners support from his fan base. Al is also the only NHL mascot that isn’t a costumed character.
Bailey, Los Angeles Kings: Rivaling the height statistics of the players for which he represents; Bailey is a 6 ft tall, 6 ft 4″ if you include his ferocious mane, lion. Named in honor of the Kings long time scouting coach Garnet “Ace” Bailey who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. While Bailey might instill fear in his opposing teams mascots, he brings smiles to the fans in sunny Los Angeles, California.
Bernie, Colorado Avalanche: A perfect mascot for the snowy Colorado weather; Bernie is a giant St. Bernard dog. Wearing a #1 in the shape of dog bone on his jersey, this mascot is a fans best friend.
Blades, Boston Bruins: After skyrocketing to mascot fame following the Bruins Stanley Cup win in the 2010-11 season; Blades the bear still remains one of the most charitable mascots in the league. Never hibernating, not even in the off season, Blades attends countless events to support the Bruins Foundation. Rivaling Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara, Blades wears a size 13 skate and XXXL jersey.
Carlton, Toronto Maple Leafs: Although polar bears are known to be ferocious, Carlton is anything but — Standing at a mere 6’4”, Carlton has supported his team at home and occasionally on the road. In addition, he can be credited for bringing NHL mascots together as he was the chair for the first annual mascot summit at the 50th NHL All Star Game which took place at his home in Toronto. Talk about a team player!
Fin, Vancouver Canucks: Fin is a killer whale, but their is nothing killer about this mascot beyond his personality. A fan favorite, Fin is also a key player in various charitable events around the Vancouver community. One of the most important components in the mascot job description is a love of children and Fin shows that love throughout the year.
Gnash, Nashville Predators: This saber-tooth tiger risks his 9 lives almost every game while performing tricks around the arena. Repelling from the rafters and buzzing around on an ATV are just a few of the reasons why Nashville’s fans love their mascot.
Harvey, Calgary Flames: He ain’t nothing but a hound dog, cheering all the time. The oldest mascot in the league, Harvey clocks in at 6’ 6”. Like many dogs, Harvey hasn’t always lived the good life. Oilers Coach Craig MacTavish ripped out his tongue during an altercation a few years back. The incident hasn’t stopped Harvey from supporting his Flames and earning countless awards for being one of the best mascots in the league.
Howler, Phoenix Coyotes: Not a lot is known about the coyote mascot, although various reports state that he is the snappiest dresser in the league. Howler can often be seen in different costumes throughout a single game.
Iceburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins: Another mascot that has been around for quite some time is Iceburgh the Penguin. Revving up fans of the Penguins franchise is all in a days work for this mascot who probably enjoys the ice more than other mascots in the league.
Louie, St. Louis Blues: Being a polar bear can be tough. Perhaps it’s why this hot dog loving mascots fur is the appropriate color for the team he supports.
Mick E. Moose, Winnipeg Jets: While many of his other colleagues were NHL’ers from the start, Mick E. Moose had to put in 15 seasons of hard work in the AHL before finally getting the call up to the big show. Proving that he’s a valuable asset to the team, Mick E. Moose proudly wears his jersey and helmet to cheer on the Jets.
N.J. Devil, New Jersey Devils: This mascot could be seen as a big devil. Running through the arena, signing autographs and garnering cheers for his home team. Being such a good mascot is sure to never put him in H-E-double hockey sticks.
Nordy, Minnesota Wild: This mascot is an undefined species, perhaps a hybrid breed of its own. Not a lot is known about Nordy, he’s the lockness monster of mascots.
Sabretooth, Buffalo Sabres: You can never have too many of the same species in the NHL. With bears a plenty throughout the teams; Sabretooth is another sabre-tooth tiger. Instead of living in the musically cultural Nashville, Sabretooth lives up near the Canadian border in Buffalo, New York. Much like Gnash, Sabretooth is known to drop from the rafters onto the ice, propels t-shirts into the stands from a bazooka and ride around on a 4 wheeler. Oh, the life of a mascot. This could be one of the hardest working mascots in the league, for a few years he did double time by cheering on the Buffalo Bandits indoor lacrosse team as well.
S.J. Sharkie, San Jose Sharks: It’s shark week all season in San Jose with the extremely animated team mascot S.J. Sharkie. This shark is one of the most acrobatic in the league and can be seen dropping onto the ice, skating through the giant shark head pre game and running around the arena to greet fans. Rumor has it that S.J. Sharkie is a real ham with a sense of humor.
Slapshot, Washington Capitals: An appropriately named mascot, Slapshot the bald eagle represents the Washington Capitals in the nations capital. Cheering on his team since 1995 hasn’t slowed down this mascot or his slapshot!
Sparky, New York Islanders: With a tail in the shape of a hockey stick, Sparky the Dragon is ready to play at a moments notice. Sparky is another mascot who has done double time in another league. Up until 2009 he had cheered on both the Islanders and the New York Dragons Arena Football team.
Spartacat, Ottawa Senators: This giant cuddly lion is an active member of the Ottawa community and can be seen bringing smiles to fans of all ages. Spartacat has quite the personality and he strives to bring happiness to local hockey teams, libraries and hospitals when he can. This mascot was a one lion welcoming committee when the NHL All Star Weekend skated into town this past January 2012; even showing hospitality to his arch nemesis Carlton from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Stanley C. Panther, Florida Panthers: Named after hockey’s holy grail, the Stanley Cup. Stanley C. Panther splits his mascot duties with “Mini Stanley” a smaller version of himself that caters to the young Panthers fans.
Stinger, Columbus Blue Jackets: This is one yellow jacket that you’ll never step on. Buzzing in at 6’9” Stinger can be found stinging the hearts of Blue Jackets fans all over Ohio. When you’re as loved as Stinger it’s not so tough to be a bug.
Stormy, Carolina Hurricanes: Perhaps a strange choice for a mascot, Stormy the ice hog can be seen hogging the crowd in North Carolina at all home games.
Thunder Bug, Tampa Bay Lightning: A giant bug can be seen striking all over the arena in Tampa Bay. With thunderous clapping and t-shirt launching this mascot is hard to miss.
Tommyhawk, Chicago Blackhawks: Dressed in hockey pants and a jersey, Tommyhawk the hawk also wears the 4 feathers that represent the team on his head. Like his other mascot colleagues Tommyhawk attends events throughout the community although he prefers skating to flying as a mode of transportation.
Wildwing, Anaheim Ducks: Wild indeed, driving an ATV through a ring of fire is just another day for the Ducks mascot. Resembling the cartoon duck from Mighty Ducks the TV series, Wildwing adds flare to an already loved franchise thanks to Disney.
Youppi!, Montreal Canadiens: Forget switching teams, this mascot switched leagues. From 1979-2004 Youppi! was the king of the diamond cheering on the Montreal Expos baseball team. When the team left Montreal and their mascot behind; the Canadiens stepped up to the plate and taught Youppi! what it means to be a real mascot. A giant neon orange fluff ball; Youppi! meaning Yippee in french has been cheering excitedly for his hockey team ever since.
A mascot is an easy way to gain fan support both inside and outside of the arena; but some teams don’t have a mascot to call their own. Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are the four NHL teams with no one to love.
Surely Dallas fans would love to have a giant star that lasso’d the opposing teams fans, maybe the Rangers could get behind supporting a life sized Statue of Liberty who donned a hockey helmet. The Flyers could use any bird or even steal the eagle concept from the Capitals. When it comes down to the Oilers, perhaps it’s easy to see why this team doesn’t have a mascot. Animals don’t really take well to oil.
Mascots make the game more enjoyable from a fans perspective and they always have a never ending line of support waiting to take photos or get autographs. The mascot is often the most famous face on the team. Giant over sized creatures, bringing NHL fans together since the early 80’s.
[All mascot photos were taken from their NHL affiliates team websites]
Well, it looks like Chicago-dogs on are on the menu tonight. And, yes, I’m wearing the same Blackhawks shirt I wore Monday. Unwashed. And, different from those I wore for games one and two, when the Hawks’ 4-3 OT losses brought them down 0-2 to the St. Louis Blues.
The hot dog thing started last year, when I thought it was a good idea to eat Chicago-style food during the Blackhawks’ winning streak and playoff run. When hot dogs and wins became a pattern, it stuck, kind of like Quinoa Burgers for this guy.
Needless to say, they’ve been less than crave-worthy since the Cup was hoisted in Boston last year. (That’s a lot of games.) But, with regular dinners and wardrobe changes proving powerless through three overtimes in Game 1 and one overtime in Game 2, it was time to get (the grill) fired up.
Not surprising considering the Blackhawks of late, the team struggled offensively and couldn’t land another goal until an empty-netter from Marcus Kruger with 20 seconds left of play. Fortunately, they were able to hold the one goal lead with a powerful defense.
“We’ve had a lot of penalty kills and it’s desperate times in the playoffs,” Hjalmarsson (who had 157 blocks in the regular season) said. “You really want to be able to do everything you can to prevent them [from scoring]. We’ve been killing a lot of penalties the first three games. You got to do what you got to do. I think we’ve been doing really good so far on the kill. Hopefully we can keep it going here.”
In fact, the Blues have only scored one Power Play goal in 16 chances so far this series, making them 15th in the league so far in the postseason.
The Blackhawks aren’t Power Play experts themselves (14th in the NHL for the playoffs), and couldn’t seal the deal with four opportunities Monday–including 30 seconds of a 5-0n-3. Power Plays haven’t been the strong point in a while for Chicago, where the Penalty Kill is second in the league to Boston for the postseason. St. Louis takes third.
Although David Backes was not on the ice for the Blues’ official morning skate today, Coach Ken Hitchcock told media, “He’s not going to play unless he’s healthy. So you never know. He could be skating in another rink. He could be doing something else. You don’t know that stuff. There’s a lot of rinks here in Chicago. He could be doing other things.
“He’s not going in the lineup unless he’s a player. If he’s a player, the way he plays is going to have a huge impact on the series. So if he skated somewhere else and is in fine-tune conditioning, you’ll see him tonight.”
“I wouldn’t evaluate our roster until you see it tonight. Put it in pencil, not pen.”
Likewise, Brenden Morrow is not expected to play for the rest of the series, with a lower body injury listed. He had a foot injury April 10, but played in Game 1 and Game 3.
The Blackhawks are being less secretive. They’re expecting the same lineup as Monday, where Toews and Patrick Kane teamed up on the first line, Brookbank stepped in for Brent Seabrook (now on game two of a three-game suspension), and goalie Corey Crawford.
Tonight’s players to watch in red:
Captain Serious Toews (1 goal, 2 assists) and Kaner (1 goal) to capitalize on their star power. Both players want more and will work to make it happen.
Ben Smith. Smitty had a bit of a streak going before playoffs, scoring goals April 3, 4, and 6.
Marian Hossa. He has 60 points in 72 games this year and he’s due for more.
And, in white/blue:
Alexander Steen. He moved up to the top line to take David Backes’ spot, and has 62 points from the regular season, with one goal and one assist in the series.
T.J. Oshie. The Olympic star has one goal and one assist in the series.
To stay afloat, the Blackhawks will need to up their offensive game. They need to shoot the puck. They’ve been outshot all three games so far (52-42 in Game 1, 31028 in Game 2, and 34-25 in Game 3). This team has plenty of scoring depth, and they need to use it. This isn’t the time for complicated passing plays. Their defense is good, but can be even better if the puck is at the other end of the rink. It’s time to get the biscuit in the big basket and fill the United Center with Chelsea Dagger as often as possible, Because It’s The Cup.
The puck drops at 8:30 p.m. CT today, then 7:00 p.m. CT Friday in St. Louis (barring any schedule changes).
Going into the playoffs, the Kings appeared to be contenders. All the signs were there: They were the best possession team in the NHL during the regular season, disproportionately keeping the puck away from opponents in over 60 games while losing the possession battle only 18 times. They were also the best defensive team, allowing the fewest goals, which earned them the Jennings Trophy.
None of that means anything, though, as they fell 4-3 in overtime to San Jose on Tuesday night and the Sharks took a 3-0 series lead. The Kings came oh so close but just couldn’t quite pull it off.
After the first two games that were a huge mess, the Kings were much better in the third game. They played deliberately, their passes were crisper, team defense overall was much sharper and even Jonathan Quick was fantastic. They finally looked like the Kings of old only to be undone by a little misfortune and poor discipline.
Goals Recap
Brent Burns got a fortunate bounce while on the power play as Joe Thornton’s initial shot hit Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr in the foot and rolled over to Burns who mostly fanned on a one timer that knuckled and beat Quick. They were down early, but this time, the Kings put on their big boy pants and refused to go quietly into the night.
Early in the second with the Kings on the power play, Doughty connected with Tyler Toffoli who sent a slick, no-look, cross-ice pass to Jarret Stoll for a one-timer that beat Niemi high.
Marian Gaborik decided he wanted in on the goal scoring action and scored a gorgeous goal off the rush. It’s something the Kings fans aren’t familiar with seeing happen. Well usually it’s happening TO the team, but not FOR them. Martinez and Brown teamed up for a defensive zone turnover, gave the puck to Gaborik who went 175 feet and blew the puck past Niemi. It was great. The celebration brought out this GIF below (stick tap Thx Bud).
Credit to: Thx Bud
But fortune was not on LA’s side. As hard as they were working, the Sharks had an answer for everything. Regehr was battling in front of the net with Sharks forward Logan Couture when they got tangled up and he fell on top of Quick who was unable to get up in time to stop Matt Nieto’s tip.
Sigh. 2-2.
At the end of the second, the Sharks took a penalty. Gaborik could’ve basically set up shop and sold sandwiches with the amount of time he had alone in front of Niemi but his shot struck iron. Both teams went into the break tied at two and the Kings started with 58 seconds of power play time in the third.
While on the power play, Jeff Carter tipped in Anze Kopitar’s shot. The puck hit Carter’s stick, hopped over Niemi’s shoulder, fell over the line and rolled into the back of the net.
Credit the Sharks for not giving up as they pressed for an equalizer. They outshot the Kings 23-3 following Carter’s goal and 28-8 overall that period. Just over halfway, Alec Martinez was nailed for a weak hooking call. In the dying seconds of the power play, Quick stopped the initial shot but his teammates were unable to corral the rebound and Tomas Hertl, who had four good whacks at the puck, cleaned up the garbage.
Tied AGAIN. It didn’t appear that the Kings were going to be catching any kind of break.
Stoll took an undisciplined interference penalty with just over two minutes to go but Kings survived into overtime. They controlled the majority of the play during OT but as the theme has been so far, things were not going their way. Six minutes in, Slava Voynov tipped Patrick Marleau’s weak shot over a screened Quick’s shoulder and San Jose went back to their hotel happy winners. Oh, and that was San Jose’s only shot in the period, too.
In summary:
it wasn’t a lack of grit or skill or anything. they ran over their own goalie and a puck deflected two inches the wrong way twice
When you’re a good team, bounces will go your way. It’s been a very frustrating season for the Kings as bounces have literally not gone their way. Fluke goals and bad calls on top of a sudden inability to score made for an adverse season. Kings fans were hoping and praying that with the frustrating way the season has gone and the great trade with Columbus, history would repeat itself and the eventual result would be like that of 2012.
Sadly, this is not the Kings’ year. With the addition of Gaborik on Kopitar’s wing and rookie call ups Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, the team looked deep and dangerous following the trade deadline. That is, until you look at their defense. Oh sure there’s Drew Doughty, only one of the best defensemen in the world; Slava Voynov, who is no slouch; Jake Muzzin, who is a puck possession machine; and Alec Martinez, a very underrated puck mover. But then there’s Robyn Regehr, Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene who are 30+, slow and are absolutely getting killed.
“The Sharks are specifically targeting the slow-footed defensemen on the Kings back end and are having their way with them. In game one, Regehr was paired with Voynov and got destroyed. In game two, it was Mitchell and Mitchell’s underlying numbers over the first two games have been woeful.” I extracted this from a post that Robert P. posted Monday on Jewels from the Crown.
The harsh reality is that the Kings’ aging veterans are now hindering them rather than helping them. The model of defensive defenseman is going away as young puck movers take their place. The slow, lumbering muscle man who is only good for rimming the puck around the glass is being phased out for guys that have more footspeed, are better at executing the breakout and can jump up into the rush.
While there is a very real likelihood that the Kings will be swept, Coach Sutter promised that his stubborn, resilient team that took last year’s eventual Stanley Cup Champions to double overtime in Game 5 with full belief that they could pull it out and win, hasn’t given up yet. “It’s a tough hill, and we won’t go quietly away, that’s for sure.”
The team will rely heavily on the leadership of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter who were on the Philadelphia Flyers squad that came from a 3-0 hole against the Boston Bruins in 2010. The Flyers are one of only three teams in history to come back from such a deficit and win. When asked about that experience, Richards told reporters, “Just play each game and don’t worry about what’s ahead of you. We just have to have a mindset of winning the next game and going from there.”
LA hopes to build off their best game of the series so far as they try to stave off elimination and perhaps, even, pull off a miracle. Should the impossible happen, the odds are stacked against them as San Jose has done an excellent job at exposing LA’s weaknesses, particularly on defense. Yet, as Darryl Sutter intoned, “You don’t get nothin’ for three.” It’ll be difficult, but nothing is truly impossible if you want it badly enough.
It was announced on Wednesday April 23rd, that the three finalists for the Calder Cup were Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning is the first club to have multiple finalists since Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews’ rookie season in 2008.
The trophy has been awarded since the 1936-1937 season when NHL President Frank Calder would purchase a yearly trophy to be given permanently to the NHL’s most outstanding rookie. After his death, the NHL decided to name the trophy in his honour. The top three are decided each year by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association who submit ballots at the end of the regular season.
This year’s finalists are as follows:
Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning
The twenty-three year old scored 24 goals this season to set the Lightning rookie record, tying follow candidate Nathan MacKinnon for the lead in rookie goals. Johnson’s five shorthanded goals also tied for the overall lead in the league. Johnson became only the second rookie in NHL history to record five power-play and five shorthanded goals. It is a record that has not been seen since Dennis Maruk in the 1975-1976 season. The forward led all rookies in total ice time (1,540:20) and face-offs (1,275). He was signed as a free agent by Tampa in March 2011, making him the first undrafted finalist since Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour in 1991.
Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning’s second candidate ranked second among rookie scorers with 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists). This record sat three points shy of Brad Richards’ Lightning rookie record of 62 points in 2000-2001. Palat was the league’s top rookie in the second half the season where he led all first year players in scoring after January 1st. He had 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in the final 42 games, including 14 multi-point games. The young Czech held rookie honours for January and March. Between December 23rd and January 9th he had an eight game point streak, the longest by a Lightning player. He finished the season with a plus-minus of +32.
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Even though he’s the youngest on the list, he topped all rookies in many facets. He had 63 points, including 39 assists, 8 power-play goals, 5 game-winning goals, 241 shots, and was tied with Johnson for 24 goals. The young Canadian was the first overall pick in the 2013 draft, and had at least a point in 13 consecutive games from January 25th to March 6th (5-13<18). He broke Gretzky’s NHL record for longest single-season point streak by a player 18 or younger. He has now become the fourth Avalanche player voted a Calder finalist in the past eight years. Before him were Paul Stastny (2nd in 2007), Matt Duchene (3rd in 2010), and Gabriel Landeskog (1st in 2012).
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 24, during the 2014 NHL Awards at the Encore Theater at the Wynn Las Vegas. The awards will be broadcasted by NBCSN in the US and CBC in Canada.
Austin Hefferin, a Junior hockey player from South Florida, recently got diagnosed with a tumor and brain cancer at the age of 21. Austin’s team, the Florida Junior Blades won their last game of playoffs, naming them Champions for their regular and post season. The Junior Blades’ next stop was Nationals, where Austin thought he would be headed, until Austin received news that has changed his life forever. Tests and scans were done, and doctors found a tumor that had grown to be 2 inches. Thinking he had heard the worst, Austin was later informed they had found cancer in the brain and surgery was his only hope. On April 8, 2014 Austin underwent his surgery and the tumor was fully removed.
“Starting chemo therapy next week. Nothing can stop me from beating this!”
-A
Unfortunately for Austin and his family, the battle is still not over. However, Austin’s courage and strength are higher than they’ve ever been. Austin has a hard time going a day without being on the ice and he still strongly believes his hockey career is not over. Some might think, how could this be possible for someone that has been through what he has? The answer is motivation and determination. Austin is the second oldest child of six, an assistant captain of his hockey team, a best friend to many, and a role model so many look up to – who have all kept him going in this time of need. Austin is committed to Becker, and will head up there in the summer for college, with high hopes to one day soon get back on the ice with the same passion and love for the game he has always had. With the help of community, hopefully we can get Austin and his family through this rough time with ease. Whether it be through words of encouragement, donations, or even prayers, every little bit counts.
The Flyers hosted the New York Rangers last night in Philadelphia for game 3. The Rangers, who have the most road-wins this season in franchise history, came to Wells Fargo Center prepared after losing game 2. But Henrik Lundqvist mentioned in an interview that the amount of road-wins does not make him more confident, and that it’s the playoffs, where anything could happen.
Flyers goaltender, Steve Mason, was on the bench last night, well enough to serve as Emery’s back up. Since sustaining an injury before the playoffs, Mason has not been present at all in the series. The Flyers are hoping he will feel good enough to play before the series is over.
The first period for the offensive-minded Rangers resulted in 2 goals. Derek Stepan scored within the first few minutes of play, assisted by Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis. Later, St. Louis also found the net with a tip-in goal assisted by Dan Girardi, and Nash again. By the end of the first period, Philadelphia’s Mark Streit had also gotten on the board to cut the lead in half.
In the second period, Dan Girardi scored on a slap-shot, again within the first couple of minutes of the game. It gave the Rangers the 2-goal lead back and they were able to take that into the second intermission.
Being up 3-1 going into the third period, the Rangers did everything except relax. They learned in game 2, that the Flyers really do bounce back well from being down a few goals. They played very cautiously, not letting a single shot get through to Lundqvist. The defense on the Rangers end improved incredibly. Mid-period, Rangers Daniel Carcillo was penalized with a hooking call. This penalty seemed questionable, as it many on the Rangers side thought Carcillo was just doing a very good job defending deep in the Rangers zone. Despite 11 total penalties called between the two teams, there were no power play goals in the game.
After coming out of the box, an excited Daniel Carcillo retaliated and scored against Philadelphia, putting the Rangeres up 4-1. The Rangers have again taken back the series and now lead 2-1.
Philadelphia will host the Rangers again on Friday, the 25th of April at Wells Fargo Center for game 4.
It’s finally that time a year in the AHL as well. They’re getting kicked off a week later than the NHL but for 16 teams, the race to the Calder Cup starts now.
Here are the match-ups:
(1) TexasStars vs. (8) Oklahoma City Barons
(2) Chicago Wolves vs. (7) Rochester Americans
(3) Toronto Marlies vs. (6) Milwaukee Admirals
(4) Grand Rapids vs. (5) Abbotsford Heat
Stars v. Barons
The Texas Stars finished atop the league this season after battling for that spot last season. Last season they finished best in the West, but second in the league and this season they seemed to want that top honor. The Stars are a team on a mission right now. They won 12 of their last 14 games taking 25 of 28 points, including an 11 game winning streak. They were led by Travis Morin, recipient of this season’s scoring title and MVP honors, as well as Curtis McKenzie and Colton Sceviour. They led the entire league in goals scored, averaging 3.6 goals per game.
Despite their record, the Barons finished strong. They went 22-11-1-4 in the second half of their season. Had they stayed on pace from the first half of the season, they would have finished below 70 points and would have missed the playoffs by a long shot. They have the determination but they got unlucky facing the red hot Stars.
The division rivals met 12 times during the regular season and these teams are clearly familiar with each other. Over the 12 games, the teams combined for 78 goals. This is sure to be a high scoring series. While the Barons were towards the top of the Conference in penalty minutes, Texas had the fewest penalty minutes in the league. This will likely be a series focused on scoring rather than the rougher play.
Wolves v. Americans
The Wolves started off a little bit slow but hit their stride in November and seemed to pick up steam to finish atop their division. They have benefitted from having their scoring spread out over a number of players, making them a difficult team to shut down. Throughout the season, they have had a great trio of veteran presence acting as the alternate captains. Chicago has also benefitted from having Jake Allen between the pipes for 52 of their games.
Rochester will have the benefit of players returning to the line-up from Buffalo, including midseason acquisition Nick Deslauriers. After being acquired in a trade with LA, Deslauriers only skated in 5 games for Rochester. The defenseman turned forward recorded 39 points in 60 games before the trade and could be a big addition. The Americans have had to dress a number of goalies over the season and will not seem to have access to Nathan Lieuwen or Matt Hackett.
These two teams will meet for the first time in the postseason. They only met twice during the regular season, coming from separate division. The teams split the series, each winning on home ice.
Marlies v. Admirals The Toronto Marlies were the final division winner in the West. Despite their record, they went 5-5-0-0 to end the season. TJ Brennan led the team in goals and points while also racking up a decent amount of penalty minutes. Throughout the season, the Marlies seemed to be a physical team but they need to make sure they’re mindful of taking too many penalties. They won’t want to give up unnecessary power plays in the post season. Goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who impressed throughout the season, will be back with the Marlies after a brief stint with the Maple Leafs.
The Milwaukee Admirals made a strong showing at the end of the season to give themselves a shot at the postseason. They were 7-3-0-0 in their last 10. Despite getting shut out in their last game, they had been putting together a good scoring touch that you want to see headed into the playoffs.
These two teams met twice during the regular season and Milwaukee came away with the two points in both cases. The most recent meeting was a month ago, where the Admirals skated to an easy victory. If the Marlies remember that game, it could be just the motivation they need to take control of the series.
Griffins v. Heat
The Grand Rapids Griffins are the defending Calder Cup champions appearing in the post season again this year. They earn the fourth seed but actually finished with a better record than one of the division winners, as happened in the East. Coming off the Calder Cup win, the Griffins had a number of call-ups to Detroit as the Red Wings dealt with injuries. Despite that, the Griffins stayed strong and put together three separate 7 game winning streaks. They will look to their returning leadership from last season to guide them again this season as they attempt to win back to back Calder Cups.
The Abbotsford Heat started off a little shaky but quickly changed that. They took 24 of 26 points during the month of November and had a 9 game winning streak going. They countered that with an 8 game losing streak in February and March, but appeared to finish the season strong. They took 17 of 20 points in their last 10 games and seem to be back on a hot streak. The only problem will be seeing if they can keep from falling into a slump at the wrong time here with a short first series.
These two teams met four times during the regular season and Abbotsford struggled, only winning one contest. With Abbotsford making their exit from the city following this post season run, they are likely looking to exit on a high note. But it might not be enough to overcome the most recent Calder Cup champions, who know a lot about staying with it in the playoffs.
Austin Hefferin, a Junior hockey player from South Florida, recently got diagnosed with a tumor and brain cancer at the age of 21. Austin’s team, the 
Unfortunately for Austin and his family, 
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