Going into the third period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Nashville Predators looked to have righted the ship in many ways, having scored first during the opening twenty and to be the ones winning in the faceoff circle. Their penalty kill was impressive throughout the entire game, denying the Pittsburgh Penguins on all seven of the Penguins power plays. As the second intermission began the teams were tied at 1-1, but that all changed.
Just ten seconds into the final frame Jake Guentzel, the rookie on a hot streak, got the go-ahead goal. Three minutes and three seconds later Scott Wilson put the Penguins up 3-1 and 15 seconds later Evgeni Malkin gave Pittsburgh their fourth goal. With three goals in a matter of three minutes and 18 seconds, Nashville’s head coach Peter Laviolette decided it was time to slow things down and pull his starting goaltender Pekka Rinne, substituting him with backup Juuse Saros. It looked like the Penguins had their fifth goal with 13:12 remaining in the third, but Laviolette used his Coach’s Challenge suspecting that the play was offside and after review the goal was overturned.
“I think the first goal of the third period—we went out there after playing two really solid periods. They scored in the first shift. I think that put us on our heels for a few minutes. That was kind of a 50/50 puck that went towards the penalty box, and two guys went for it. They poked it. They got numbers going back the other way. Ended up scoring on a rebound on a hard-angle shot,” Laviolette said after the game. “After that we made a couple of mistakes. Those mistakes ended up going in our net. I think that’s something we need to clean up.”
Of course, the onslaught of goals in the third began with the rookie center Guenzel. With that goal, he set a new rookie record for game-winning goals in a single postseason—which currently stands at five, though there are at least two more games to be played in this series.
Jake Guentzel scored the game-winning goal for a 2nd straight game to set a rookie record for GWGs in a single postseason (5). #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/DPXLcddgbJ
“If he just plays the game the right way, you know, it’s winning battles. It’s the wall play. It’s gaining lines. It’s taking what the game gives you,” Guenztel’s coach Mike Sullivan said about his phenom. “When the plays are there, his instincts will take over. He’s a real talented kid.”
Back-to-back game-winning goals and his goal in Game 2 pushed his playoff goals to 12, moving him to just two goals behind Dino Ciccarelli, who potted 14 in 1981 while playing with the Minnesota North Stars.
Guentzel isn’t getting cocky though. He doesn’t believe that he’s solved Rinne, or is getting into the net minder’s head. And he knows that as the series shifts to Nashville, that the Predators will definitely get energy from their fan base.
“I think the start is huge for us. We know their building is going to be rocking. We just got to come out and set the tone early,” Guentzel told media after the game.
Both teams have a bit of a rest, as they will not play Game 3 until Saturday, June 3. However, the Predators have been strong in their home arena, and they are obviously looking to tighten things up even more. The game is scheduled for 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, and should prove to be a physical one. Game 2 had plenty of pushing and shoving and a number of additional penalties, so it is likely that the hockey memories will not forget anything even if the bodies get a bit of a chance to rest.
It’s the end of May and that means it’s Stanley Cup Finals. The Pittsburgh Penguins played host to the Nashville Predators on Monday night for the opening tilt between these two teams in the best-of-seven series.
Going into the evening’s game it was possible that Jake Guentzel might have been the healthy scratch. No doubt, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is patting himself on the back for deciding to put the center in for the game. Guentzel’s go ahead goal with 3:17 remaining in the third period after the Predators had clawed themselves back into the game to tie it no doubt vindicated that decision.
Perhaps what was most frustrating for the Predators was that they were outshooting the Penguins throughout the game—denying the Penguins even a single shot on goal for 37 minutes in the middle of the game, after streaking out to a three goal lead. When the final buzzer sounded, the Predators had 26 shots against the 12 for the Penguins, but the score was 5-3 in favor of the Pittsburgh.
It may have been some nerves in the opening frame that allowed Pittsburgh to get three goals past Pekka Rinne, giving the Penguins a huge lead going into the middle twenty, but the Predators weren’t ready to say die. While they only managed to get one goal past Matt Murray, their ability to deny the Penguins any chances certainly helped boost their confidence, and they tied it 13:29 into the third.
Jake Guentzel
Guentzel’s game winner was his tenth goal of the playoffs—having played 20 games so far in the postseason—and fourth game-winning goal in the run for the Cup. The rookie is leading the league this postseason currently fifth among rookies in league history among those who have scored ten or more goals in a single postseason.
Neither team would say they played well. The Penguins may have taken their foot of the gas a little too soon, underestimating the resolve of the Predators, after going up three markers. And though Nashville played strong in the middle, their breakdowns at the beginning coupled with their often chasing the puck, a result of the Penguins winning 58% of the faceoffs, didn’t do them any favors.
The teams will regroup and be back at it in Pittsburg on Wednesday night at the PPG Paints Arena.
On Tuesday, May 30, 2017, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced the signing of Anders Bjork to a three-year entry-level contract, putting to rest many rumors and concerns that the forward did not plan to sign with Boston.
The 20-year-old native of Mequon, Wisconsin, had finished his junior year at the University of Notre Dame—which was in its final season as part of the Hockey East Division. During his third year with the Fighting Irish, Bjork served as an alternate captain and finished the season with 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points—all career highs for the 5-foot-11 forward. Also during the year, he assisted the Fighting Irish in reaching their first Frozen Four appearance since 2011. At the end of the season, Bjork had earned a selection to the Hockey East All-Star Team and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
Prior to his collegiate career, Bjork compiled 33 goals and 32 assists for 65 points in 117 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program over two seasons. He has also represented the United States in international competition four times—his most recent was as part of Team USA at the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championships; playing in five games.
Many comments were made after his team was eliminated from the Frozen Four and he did not immediately commit to the Bruins organization that he was perhaps going to take the same route as Jimmy Vesey. Vesey had been drafted in 2012 by the Nashville Predators and then informed them at the end of his 2015-16 collegiate season that he was not going to sign with them—ultimately signing with the New York Rangers on August 20, 2016. In Bjork’s case though, it really had nothing to do with wanting to make his own path.
“It was really tough. It was a tough process, for sure. There are a lot of factors and I wasn’t really sure. I kind of just wanted to make the right choice for my hockey career. But, I also had to think a lot about my degree and school and stuff like that,” Bjork told reporters after the deal was announced.
“I think the World Championship experience was a good one, especially for [making a decision}, because it gave me time to think,” Bjork elaborated. “Obviously, I was playing—playing with pro guys and a lot of NHL guys over there. [It] was a great experience and talking with them about it was helpful.”
And as for the his wanting to pull on the Spoked-B?
“Yeah, obviously very excited and honored to be a part of such a great organization now. I was very fortunate to get drafted by the Bruins and it’s pretty cool that I’ve done well enough to earn a contract with such a prestigious organization,” Bjork shared. “So, it’s one thing to sign an NHL contract, but it’s another to sign it with an organization like the Boston Bruins that has so much history and is so prestigious as I said.”
He clearly understands that he won’t just skate right onto the roster. He knows that there will be work, and perhaps the Bruins development camps that he has attended in the past have served their intended purpose of clueing the young prospects into what it takes to become an NHL level professional.
For now though, he can bask in the glow of his future before getting down to work, and the fans and rumor mills can find something else to talk about.
After pulling out the win in the second overtime of Game 5 in Ottawa, the Boston Bruins returned to TD Garden for Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators. Having gone down three games after winning the first, the Bruins were now in a situation where they had to win every game. They managed to win in Game 5, but they still needed two more to advance to the second round of playoffs.
The first ten minutes of the opening period of Game 6 saw the Bruins denying the Senators any chances on net, but it seemed once Ottawa did get their first shot on goal it opened a floodgate because Ottawa was soon outshooting the Bruins as they had in other games. And the penalties the Bruins took in the first period definitely did not help them at all—three delay of game penalties as Sean Kuraly, Joe Morrow and Colin Miller sent the puck over the glass, plus Kuraly got a roughing penalty later in the period. Despite all of that, the Bruins went into the first intermission with the only goal scored in the first twenty, a power play goal by Drew Stafford who had been acquired at the trade deadline.
The second period saw the Senators capitalize on their fifth power play of the game, this time as rookie Charlie McAvoy sat for a tripping call, deflected in off the stick of Bobby Ryan who had been consistently impressive with the points throughout the series. Kyle Turris would get the Senators up 2-1 five minutes later. For the Bruins, though they did manage to outshoot Ottawa in that middle frame, their play looked sloppier and they were not as aggressive as they had been earlier in the game.
The second period slump had been an Achilles heel for the team throughout much of the regular season, as it had been last season as well. For some unknown reason the Bruins do not seem to be as cohesive or as motivated during the middle twenty. This is not to say that the players on the ice aren’t motivated—it is simply the impression they radiate to those watching the game. The turnovers increase and tape-to-tape passes are not as crisp or more often are nonexistent.
As the puck dropped on the third period, with Boston down a goal, it was going to be essential that they score the next goal to have a chance at the win. Assistant captain Patrice Bergeron, hanging around the net, put in a garbage goal, off a rebound from Craig Anderson, to tie the game at 1:57 of the period. The Bruins had ramped up their intensity limiting Ottawa to a mere three shots on goal while they continued to send a barrage of shots on Anderson—12 in that period.
At the end of regulation with the score tied at two it was clear that once again overtime would be necessary to determine a winner in this series.
As the goalies switched ends, it would mean that the Bruins would find themselves in the same scenario as they are in during the second period of home games. And like those second periods, this overtime would see their play change. They were without a single shot on net through the first 5;54 of the period, which is when David Pastrnak was whistled for a holding penalty and again the Senators would get a power play in overtime. Thirty-six seconds into the man advantage Clarke MacArthur scored the game-winning goal for the Senators and ended the Bruins playoff run.
The Senators now go on to play the New York Rangers in the second round of playoffs and the Bruins are left to assess their individual play while management assesses the team and makes some decisions.
Though the Bruins did not go far into the playoffs, they did make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Coming in as the interim head coach in February, Bruce Cassidy’s team was not looking destined for playoff action, so much can be said to what he accomplished in such a short time. He stated he definitely wants to remain as the coach, and many of the players commented to a similar desire of wanting him back as head coach next season. Now all that remains is the waiting to see if management feels he has earned a shot.
With their third straight loss in the Round 1 playoffs against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, the Boston Bruins find themselves as up against the wall as can be possible. To continue in the playoffs, they must now win every remaining game of this round. If you’re a betting person, you know the odds are not in their favor. However, there have been many times when the Bruins have come from behind—it’s almost as though it is part of their DNA, or more precisely the DNA of the city they represent.
“Get ready and it’s not over until it’s obviously over,” captain Zdeno Chara shared. “We know it’s still playable, it’s 3-1, it’s not an ideal position but we know that we can play the same way, even better and get better results.”
The Senators are outstanding and the chemistry currently surging between Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan has certainly caused pain for the Bruins in the matter of goals the two have achieved together in this series. Ryan scored the only goal in Wednesday night’s game, with an assist from Karlsson. Ryan now has points in every game in the series, but more importantly he has scored the game-winning goal in the last two games played in Boston—Monday night’s in overtime and Wednesday night in regulation as the Senators goalie Craig Anderson fed the Bruins a shutout on their own ice. Karlsson has five assists in the series, showing his talent for seeing teammates on the ice who can make something happen.
Heading back to Ottawa, the Bruins are now down 3-1 in the series and must focus on winning Friday night if they want another opportunity to play in front of their home crowd in a game six on Sunday. Of course, they aren’t thinking as far ahead as Sunday, they are dialed in to the task before them on Friday evening.
“Scoring first is a beautiful thing in this game and when you’re able to do it, you’re able to play with that lead and, you know, really counterpunch well. And unfortunately they’ve had that a little more than we’ve had and their system clogging up the neutral zone’s been effective against us at times,” forward David Backes offered. “Other times we’re able to solve that, get into their zone and, you know, work some offensive zone plays which has been effective for us. And we need to make sure we’re tilting the scales in our favor every way we can.”
With the number of badly timed injuries the team faces—Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, and Adam McQuaid still sidelined—the number of defensemen who are playing in their first ever NHL playoff situation is increased. Of course with the changes the team has undergone over the last few years and their missing the playoffs the previous two seasons, there are also a number of forwards who are seeing playoff action for the first time.
Playoff hockey is nothing like the regular season, and it isn’t something that can really be explained. However, the veterans on the team are doing their best to prepare the younger players for each game.
“Yeah, it’s the same way we’ve been the whole series where it’s matter of fact, it’s, you know, try to let them know, try to give them a little … They’re going to be baptized by fire while it happens, but give them a little heads up of every play matters, every play’s magnified, you know, every hit you take to make a play, every hit you land on them is an investment,” said Backes. “I expect Game 5 to be much like it was [Wednesday night], where teams are playing hard, every little play, you’ve got to work for every inch of ice. And in the end the team that is able to push through is going to have the advantage.”
One player who doesn’t seem to be phased by the tempo of playoff hockey is rookie Charlie McAvoy, who continues to bring his game. His inexperience at the NHL level and with the Bruins’ system may be hindering him a little bit but his skills and hunger show what he will be bringing to the Black and Gold in the coming years.
“Well, he’s a heck of a talent. He wants the puck. He wants to be out there in big moments. I think the Boston Bruins fans are seeing something right now that they’re going to truly appreciate for years,” shared Bruins interim head coach Bruce Cassidy after Wednesday’s game. “Just his composure and ability to play in three zones. Even on the goal, he’s battling right to the end against a big-bodied guy. We can’t ask for much more from him. He’s come in and moved the puck and like I said, even when we got behind there, he’s pushing the pace and trying to make things happen, and those are special talents when, in situations like this, they want to be a difference maker. They can’t teach that. We can teach him some things system wise that he’ll pick up in a hurry. But, the stuff that he has—natural talents and abilities that you’re seeing—I think they’re getting a little bit better every time we see them.”
For the Bruins Friday night is as an important a game as they have experienced this season. It’s a must win. If they don’t their season will end and then will head off for vacations. The heart is there, but now it must be focused and fused with the skill and the brawn to bend the Senators to their will.
The atmosphere was electric. The sound was deafening. The enthusiasm as MBTA officer Richard H. Donahue, Jr., who was critically wounded the night the Marathon Bombing suspects were cornered in Watertown, started the large Spoked-B banner traveling as honorary Banner Captain was intense. Playoff hockey had returned to the home of the Boston Bruins—TD Garden, after having been absent the previous two seasons.
Coming into this pivotal Game 3 the teams were tied, having each won a game back in Ottawa. Interestingly enough, the team that was behind in each of those games had gone on to get the win. And now the Bruins were back on home ice, their fervent fans cheering with such passion, the energy from them alone should have lifted the Bruins from the moment the puck dropped.
However, it was clear from the beginning that the Bruins were struggling. Home ice had seldom been an advantage for them during much of the regular season. At one point Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron ran into each other—something that spoke to the extreme to which the Bruins were off in their game. Those two have played so much together that they almost know where each other is without looking. In this case they ran head long into each other.
The Ottawa Senators jumped the Bruins. They were outshooting them and outmaneuvering them. In the span of 25 seconds the Senators would get two goals. Their first was a breakaway for Mike Hoffman who was waiting at the Bruins’ blue line as Erik Karlsson sent the puck from behind the Senators’ net to the stick of Hoffman. Hoffman skated in and froze Tuukka Rask to get the puck into the net. Twenty five seconds later Derick Brassard put it in a wide open net as there was a breakdown in front of Rask, himself out of position—perhaps a little too aggressive in his push to block Bobby Ryan. Ryan instead of shooting on net though, passed the puck over to Brassard. That entire play was begun with a switch back by Viktor Stalberg behind Rask’s net, with Stalberg getting the other assist on Brassard’s goal by keeping that play alive and getting the puck to Ryan. Going into the first intermission this was certainly not where the Bruins wanted to be in the game.
As things got underway in the second, Bruin Kevan Miller was whistled for an interference and with just 12 seconds remaining on the man advantage, Hoffman got the Senators their third goal of the game—and his second—with assists from Chris Wideman and Brassard. Things did not look good for the Bruins who had managed only three shots on goal during the first period, and seemed to be picking up where they left off.
Of course there is something about playoff hockey and despite the obvious momentum that the Senators had, the Bruins weren’t giving up. Three minutes after being down by three, they notched their first marker of the game as Noel Acciari slapped the puck through traffic from the left point. Like the Senators in the first, the Bruins would make it a one goal game under a minute later. As Ryan fanned on clearing the puck, David Backes was right there to take it on a breakaway and get it past Craig Anderson. The Bruins would tie things up as Charlie McAvoy—making his home debut—made a solid pass to David Pastrnak who put it home on the power play. Like the Senators’ three goals, the Bruins got two even strength goals followed by a power play goal. The middle frame saw four goals scored and a tie game.
The third period began with some four on four action; a carryover from a hooking penalty for Karlsson and an unsportsmanlike conduct for Frank Vatrano. Six minutes later Marc Methot and Tim Schaller would both go off for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The Bruins seemed to have picked up the pace a bit and managed to outshoot the Senators for the first time all evening. Both goalies denied the few shots they saw in that period, and like Game 2, this one would have to go to overtime.
At 4:38 of the overtime, Riley Nash was whistled for a roughing, putting the Senators again on the power play. And a little over a minute into the power play Ryan would make up for his earlier gaffe by sealing the game for the Senators and giving Ottawa a 2-1 lead in the series.
This was not a good game for the Bruins. Many comments on Twitter alluded to the injuries on the blue line: Brandon Carlo, Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Colin Miller. However there was plenty of blame to go around in that first period. Perhaps it was playing their first playoff game on home ice in three years. Perhaps it was the emotion of it all. The Bruins walk a tight line between strong emotion and over the line. When they cross that line they back away from their game and their style and it shows. Tonight’s opening period was much like that.
The teams will regroup and be back at it on Wednesday night for Game 4. There are statistics for everything and the team who wins Game 3 when the teams are tied has a 67% chance of taking the series. Of course, quite a few people thought the Senators had Game 3 in hand when they went up 3-0 only to have to fight hard to take the win in overtime. It’s playoff hockey, and there’s a reason it’s a best of seven series. Boston will certainly be planning on bringing a better game on Wednesday.
If you even remotely follow hockey, you know the Wild Card Nashville Predators shredded the Division Leading Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center for Games Oneand Two of the First Round.
You know Goaltender Pekka Rinne had two straight shutouts against the veteran and rising stars of the Blackhawks. You know Chicago’s answer to a 1-0 loss was an unenthusiastic 5-0 loss. The heroes in red looked liked a high school team that would rather be at prom.
Rinne made 30 saves (and earned two assists) and the Predators blocked an additional 15 shots. That’s 11 fewer than the previous game.
Corey Crawford made 24 of 29 saves and the Hawks blocked 21 shots.
Now, giving credit where it’s due, Rinne has been exceptional.
Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville told media:
“He has been getting a lot of pucks, and getting on the forecheck has been challenging. So I think our puck placement, sometimes you want to think about getting it on the glass or keeping it away from him. But let’s make sure he’s not as effective.”
It’s hard to miss the Blackhawks’ utter lack of…everything. Coaching decisions were questionable. They couldn’t hit basic passes. They were having pucks stolen left and right and in the middle.
Everything they said they’d do after their first loss, they didn’t. For their dump and chase, they did not chase. Putting pressure on the crease? Aside from an early screen attempt by Artem Anisimov (isn’t that what Ryan Hartman is for?), the only thing obstructing Rinne’s view was a wall of his fellow teammates. Gritty goals? They still played keepaway in the offensive zone, and they didn’t do so well keeping the puck away from the Preds.
So what do the Blackhawks do now?
Winger Patrick Kane rightfully said it’s about shots.
“I think the biggest thing is having good shot selection. Sometimes throughout the first two games maybe we got those chances to shoot the puck, maybe it’s not the right time or you’ve got to find the right lane. It seems like a lot of their defensemen step in front of pucks, where they’re not just sitting back and trying to block it.”
“Maybe try a little deception or try to change the lane a little bit. It’s just about doing things quicker and being prepared for that, knowing they’re going to come at you hard and to be ready in your mind to make a play accordingly.”
History
As for Game Twos, they’ve only lost the first two games three times of the 22: 2009 versus Detroit, who lost to the Penguins in the Final; 2011 versus Vancouver, who lost to the Bruins in the Final; and 2014 against the Blues, when the Blackhawks won the next four straight and ultimately lost to the Kings in the Final.
After fighting for home-ice advantage, then coasting through a couple weeks of games, the Blackhawks remained shut off and were shutout by the Predators in Game One.
Viktor Arvidsson scored the first and only goal of the game in the first period.
Goalie Pekka Rinne made 29 saves in the victory. The Blackhawks outshot Nashville 29-20, including 23-9 in last two periods.
“We did a really good job messing up their systems and didn’t give them too much flow,” Rinne said. “They like to play with a lot of speed and puck possession, and we did the right things on the ice. I think that’s a credit for us to interrupt their style of play.”
That they did. It wasn’t just Rinne’s saves. The Preds blocked 26 shots in the game.
It’s not as if Chicago wasn’t putting on the pressure. Their opponents just had their game down.
Patrick Kane said they’ll need to adjust for Game Two.
“It looks like they’re kind of playing a 1-4 in the neutral zone, which is fine. We’re going to have to find ways to fight through that and more than likely, that comes with dumping the puck and hopefully getting pucks back, making them play in their end. We had some good shifts, had some good chances, didn’t really materialize the Grade-A we really wanted.”
“I don’t think there’s any excuse in the book that you can throw out there that would stand its ground. It’s the first game of the playoffs. We should have a better start than we did tonight, but sometimes there’s some nerves and you need to shake things off.”
Really it came down to not being able to permeate Nashville’s defense. All of the Hawks’ plays were passes and shots that were easy to block or easy to stop.
They need to be at the net. They need screens, deflections, gritty goals.
Quenneville said:
‘‘Going into every game, we always talk about [getting] to the net. The goalies are too good. They’re too big. If they see the puck, they’re going to stop it.”
History
Quenneville has taken the Blackhawks to the playoffs 22 times. Their record in Game Two after losing Game One is 6-3, and they’re 5-4 in series’ where they lost the first game.
Last year, they lost Game One against the Blues, ultimately losing the series 4-3 on a late Game Seven goal.
In 2015, they lost Game One to the Ducks, then came back for a 4-3 series lead and the Stanley Cup Championship.
In 2014, the Blackhawks lost to the Blues in the first two games, then came back with four wins, ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Kings.
In 2012, the Blackhawks lost Games One, Three, and Four to the Coyotes, who ultimately lost the conference finals to the Kings.
In 2011, Vancouver took Game One and, finally Game Seven, before a Stanley Cup Final loss in Game Seven. There were riots.
In 2010, the Hawks fell behind Vancouver 5-1 in Game One, then finished the series in six.
In 2010, the Hawks lost Game One 4-1 to the Predators before taking Games Two, Five, Six, and Seven and ultimately winning the Stanley Cup Championship against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In 2009, the Red Wings won Games One, Two, Four, and Five.
As for Game Twos, they’ve only lost the first two games three times of the 22: 2009 versus Detroit, who lost to the Penguins in the Final; 2011 versus Vancouver, who lost to the Bruins in the Final; and 2014 against the Blues, when the Blackhawks won the next four straight and ultimately lost to the Kings in the Final.
While that is interesting, none of it matters tonight.
“He definitely saw a lot of the shots. We didn’t make it too hard on him. He had a shutout, but it probably wasn’t the hardest shutout he had in his life,” Ryan Hartman told press. “I just think we need to get more pucks to the net.”
The Blackhawks will need to steal comfort back from Nashville if they want to even the series at home.
Because it’s the Cup.
The rest of the series schedule:
Blackhawks vs. Predators 7 p.m. C.T. Saturday, April 15, on NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Blackhawks at Predators 8:30 p.m. C.T. Monday, April 17, on CNBC, SN ONE, TVA Sports
Blackhawks at Predators 7 p.m. C.T., Thursday, April 20, on SN 360, TVA Sports
If needed:
Blackhawks vs. Predators, TBD, Saturday, April 22, TBD
Blackhawks at Predators, TBD, Monday, April 24, TBD
Blackhawks vs. Predators, TBD, Wednesday, Aptil 26, TBD
Photo: YouTube
Despite losses in their last four games, the Western Division leading Blackhawks (50-23-9, 109 points) are heading into the playoffs starting Thursday. They’ll face the Nashville Predators (41-29-12, 94 points), who took the number four wild card spot.
Though the Hawks won four of their five meetings this season, they enter playoffs with four consecutive losses while the Predators are fresh off a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Here’s a glance at the match-up, for a better understanding why neither team should be able to skate right through the first round.
Offense:
Predators
Nashville has a pretty consistent but strong roster with Viktor Arvidsson (31 goals and 30 assists in 80 games) leading the way. In 14 career playoff games, he has one goal and one assist.
Ryan Johansen has 14 goals and 47 assists in 80 games this year and six goals with eight assists in 20 career playoff games. James Neal has 23 goals and 18 assists in 70 games this season. Filip Forsberg has 31 goals and 27 assists in 82 games this season with a playoff history of six goals and four assists in 20 games.
Blackhawks
Chicago has six 20-plus-point players this year with closely-behind Ryan Hartman‘s 19 goals and 12 assists in 76 games only adding to their offensive depth.
The go-to guys, Patrick Kane (34 goals and 55 assists in 82 games) and Artemi Panarin (31 goals and 44 assists in 82 games) are no doubt a force against defensemen and goalies with a second-consecutive high-scoring season. In the postseason, Kane has 49 goals and 72 assists in 123 games while Panarin has two goals and five assists in seven games.
They’ve been missing one-third of the Blackhawks “Super-PAK,” while Artem Anisimov (22 goals and 23 assists in 64 games this year and eight goals and nine assists in 39 playoff games) recovers from injury. He’s been out since a foot injury March 14 but is expected to play again Thursday.
Veteran Marian Hossa has 26 goals and 19 assists in 73 games this season with 52 goals and 97 assists in 201 career playoff games.
Richard Panik has 22 goals and 22 assists in 82 games.
Defense:
Predators
P.K. Subban has a large presence on and off the ice. He’s a strong defender with production power. He has 10 goals and 30 assists in 66 games this year, and 11 goals and 27 assists in 55 career postseason games. He’s a minus-eight this year and a plus-one in playoffs.
Roman Josi has 12 goals and 37 assists in 72 games and two goals and eight assists in 30 games, but has a minus-15 for playoff matches.
Keith has six goals and 47 assists in 80 games this season (a plus-22), but also has the advantage of 122 playoff games under his belt. In those, he has 18 goals and 62 assists and is a plus-37.
Seabrook tallied three goals, 16 assists in 79 games (a plus-five) this year and is a plus-11 with 20 goals and 39 assists in 119 playoff games.
No one blocks shots like Hjalmarsson. He’s entering the playoffs with five goals and 13 assists (a plus-12) in 73 regular season games and is a plus-26 with two goals and 26 assists in 124 career playoff games.
Oduya has one goal and one assist in 15 games played for Chicago this season. He is a plus-nine with six goals and 22 assists in 102 postseason matches
Goalies:
Pekka Rinne’s recent boost and Corey Crawford‘s less than stellar recent games have the two goalies matched with a .918 save percentage with a 2.24 goals-against average for Rinne in 61 games and a 2.55 goals-against average in 55 games for Crawford.
In playoffs, Rinne has a 2.51 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 48 games while Crawford has the postseason upper hand with a 2.26 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 83 playoff games.
He hasn’t quite found his mojo, though, since missing time for an appendectomy in December. Fortunately, Chicago seems to have an edge when it comes to backup netminders.
As for backups, Scott Darling has the perk of experience as well. He has a 2.38 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He also has the advantage of playoff history with a three out of five wins, a 2.22 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. Predators backup Juuse Saros has a 2.35 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in 21 games this season.
History and the future
Chicago is still smarting from a first-round loss to the Blues last season.
The previous two times the Blackhawks have faced the Predators in round one, they won the series’. But, it didn’t come easy.
The Predators lost in the first round to the Hawks in 2015 and to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference second round last season.
Forsberg told NHL.com that he thinks the team could be at an advantage from recent years’ losses.
“The first series against Chicago, it was a lot of players’ first appearance in the playoffs. We got a lot of experience from that and even more from last year. I think we obviously learned a lot of things playing three really good hockey teams in the playoffs. We learned a lot from those three matches and I think if we can put everything together, it can be a good run.”
And, regardless of the history, the slumps, and the stats, it’s certainly hard to forget how Nashville opened this season.
Predators Captain Mike Fisher told NHL.com he hopes to play off Chicago’s speed and skill.
“I think facing a team like Chicago first, it’s going to have to bring the best out of us as a group. We know they’re a great hockey team and they finished first for a reason, so I think we’re going to prepare. We know we’ve got to be at our best. I think that’s a good thing. It’s going to really bring out the best in us as a group.”
It’s also important to remember that the Blackhawks’ losses happened post-clinch with key players resting and Hjalmarsson joining his wife for the birth of their second child.
Captain Jonathan Toews, after scoring his 21st goal of the season, told the Chicago Tribune:
“Guys are maybe getting a bit of mental and physical rest these last couple games, too, so regardless of the results the last few games here on the road, we like where our team is at. We like how everyone is feeling and we’re excited to go forward next week…I think everyone’s looking forward to playoff hockey.”
So, they can put behind Nashville’s domination over Chicago at their season opener and Chicago’s following four consecutive wins. They can forget about Chicago outscoring Nashville 18-10 through the regular season.
Chicago’s home ice could prove an advantage as Nashville is 17-20-4 on the road, lower than any other playoff team. Meanwhile, Chicago is second in the league for road games and, their two first round series against the Predators were in 2010 and 2015.
Toews said the team is ready to host Nashville Thursday and start fresh with their “one goal.”
“I think that energy, that ambition and motivation is back. We have that feeling again, that every single moment and every single game matters. It’s a lot of fun to play at this time of the year. It’s why we work all year to get to this point, and as we have said in the past, the real season begins. Obviously, we want to see what we are made of, and I think we are all pretty confident what we are able to do.”
Because it’s the Cup.
The schedule:
Blackhawks vs. Predators 7 p.m. C.T. Thursday, April 13 on NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Blackhawks vs. Predators 7 p.m. C.T. Saturday, April 15, on NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Blackhawks at Predators 8:30 p.m. C.T. Monday, April 17, on CNBC, SN ONE, TVA Sports
Blackhawks at Predators TBD, Thursday, April 20, on SN 360, TVA Sports
If needed:
Blackhawks vs. Predators, TBD, Saturday, April 22, TBD
Blackhawks at Predators, TBD, Monday, April 24, TBD
Blackhawks vs. Predators, TBD, Wednesday, Aptil 26, TBD
The final two regular season games for the Boston Bruins took place on Thursday night when they hosted the Ottawa Senators and Saturday afternoon when the Washington Capitals came to Boston. The Bruins, who clinched their playoff spot this past Tuesday, will end up playing one of these two teams in the first round of the playoffs.
They sit in the second Wild Card position going into the final day of the regular season. While the Bruins don’t play, they must wait and see what happens between the Toronto Maple Leafs as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday evening. If Toronto earns at least a point out of Sunday’s game then the Bruins will remain in the second Wild Card spot and will play the Washington Capitals in the first round—with the Capitals having home ice advantage. If the Maple Leafs fail to garner a point against the Blue Jackets, then the Bruins will move into the number three slot in the Atlantic Division by virtue of their tie-breaking ROW (Regulation or Overtime Wins) being higher than the Leafs. If that is the case, then the Bruins will travel to Ottawa for the first two games of the playoffs against the Senators.
Of the two games, the Senators game was closer—it wasn’t solved in regulation or overtime, having to go to the shootout. Both games though the Bruins were a bit lacking in their play, just somehow not having the energy that they have played with for the most part since interim coach Bruce Cassidy took over. The team was also without Brad Marchand, who had been suspended two games for his spearing of Jake Dotchin when the Bruins played the Lightning this past Tuesday. And unfortunately, due to injuries, the team found themselves reduced to just five defensemen for much of both games. During the game against Ottawa, it was Torey Krug who left the game and did not return. He’s been listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury and there was no major hit or play that could be pointed to as having caused the injury.
Ovechkin and Carlo (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
Saturday’s game against the Capitals the loss was rookie defenseman Brandon Carlo who was hit from behind by Alex Ovechkin during the first period. Carlo went down and it was clear he was hurt. The trainer came out to attend to him and then Carlo was assisted off the ice by a teammate. He and the trainer went down the tunnel and it was later announced that Carlo had an upper body injury and wouldn’t be back.
“I didn’t like it. I mean, I don’t think it was intentional, you know, to hit a guy from behind,” Cassidy told the media after the game. “It looks like [Ovechkin] held up but he still grabbed him and he was in a vulnerable spot and he went head first into the glass and generally there’s a call on that. Sometimes two, sometimes five, but to have no call at all I thought was wrong, incorrect. But I don’t think there was an intent to injure, the way I saw it.”
Also on the injury list for the Bruins on Saturday was Noel Acciari. This opened up a spot for Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson who recently signed his entry level contract after playing for two years with the Boston University Terriers.
When asked about playing in his first NHL game, the 20-year-old Stockholm, Sweden native agreed that it was different.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
“It’s a little faster out there, and it’s nice to get out there and get the first game out of the way,” Forsbacka Karlsson said after the game. “I felt better and better as the game went on. It’s a lot faster. You have less time with the puck. Guys are stronger, faster.”
It’s never easy to decide to put a new player into an end-of-season game, whether the team is out of the playoffs, clinched the playoffs or still fighting for their spot. However, given the injuries the team had and the fact that they had clinched a spot, it certainly wasn’t a bad call to give him a game.
“It’s not ideal no matter when, coming in this time of year in meaningful games. There are teaching moments no matter what, but that’s kind of where we’re at and it’s a good thing,” Cassidy said. “But really the only thing we talked to him about was, ‘Listen, you’re playing against men. They’re going to be hard on pucks, hard around the pucks.’ I think he probably found that out today because, you know, he was positionally solid and he didn’t hurt us.”
In the end the loss of Saturday’s game was an overall lack of investment. They were playing the first-place team in the entire league and yet their passes were off and there were a lot of situations where they just didn’t seem to have it together.
The Bruins get a few days to rest, which is good news for those who have injuries right now. And Marchand has now served his two games and can get back into things with the team when they get back out on the ice for practice.
“We’ve done what we could through 82 games. You can’t change anything now. We’ll know who we’re playing by [Sunday] night and when we’re playing and we can move forward,” David Backes shared. “Whether you get those guys back [from injuries] … that’s part of the beautiful think about playoffs is you’re going to need extra bodies and when you get different guys filling in, they’ll need to bring their A-game. I think we know what kind of game benefits us when we’re playing it and if we can do that, giving ourselves a chance every night, taking it one at a time and again, they’ll tell us when we’re playing a new team, they’ll tell us when our season is over. But we’re going to play every game like it’s our last.”
“But we’re going to play every game like it’s our last.” — David Backes
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