Game 1 Random Thoughts

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Derek

After losing in such ugly fashion, it’s hard to believe. I’m so accustomed to seeing the Rangers defend better than they did tonight. Simply put, they didn’t play till the final buzzer and it cost them dearly.

Joel Ward’s goal with 1.3 seconds left which gave the Capitals a stunning 2-1 win to take Game 1 at MSG is one that’ll be replayed until Saturday afternoon at 12:30 PM. The Rangers must respond to their first adversity of the postseason. They’ll have to play with more urgency than they showed tonight waiting till the third period before Jesper Fast tied the game with 4:39 left.

Let’s put down some random thoughts from Game 1:

-Giveaways. They were way too sloppy. The Rangers had 20 giveaways. That’s not a misprint. You had instances where Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein passed the puck right to Caps only to be bailed out by Henrik Lundqvist. The only defenseman who played well was Dan Girardi. No coincidence he had zero.

-A question for Alain Vigneault. Why would he have Dan Boyle out in the final minute of a tie game and not Girardi, who forms a potent tandem with McDonagh? It made about as much sense as having Boyle out for Alex Ovechkin’s power play rocket that Henrik Lundqvist still hasn’t found. Not the best deployment by AV.

-It wasn’t that the Caps played great but they were tough defensively and had great gap control. Their forecheck also caused problems. The Ovechkin line had a big night factoring in on both goals. They were way better than the Rangers’ top unit with Derick Brassard and Martin St. Louis getting chances while Rick Nash stayed on the perimeter. One goal in six postseason games for the Big Nashty. But who’s counting?

-Vigneault’s words about his “best players” were accurate. There were too many passengers. I thought St. Louis was fine on the top line. You don’t expect Derek Stepan to make such a huge mistake on the winner just as you never expect McDonagh to get beat by Ovechkin, who made a great play.

-That third line was great. It’s obvious that Kevin Hayes, Carl Hagelin and Fast have something going. They were effective during their shifts pinning the Caps D in and eventually creating the Rangers’ lone goal. Btw…give Boyle credit for a good pinch which caused a Cap turnover that led to Hayes’ shot which went off Fast and in.

-So according to some fools, “Ovi sucks!” Really? I don’t think he paid too much attention. He was too busy scoring a goal and assist while dominating and leading like a captain who’s hungry to finally help his team get past Round 2. Ovechkin did more in one period than Evgeni Malkin did in five games last round.

-Braden Holtby was good but never had to be great. The Rangers eventually got more traffic as the game went on. One of their best chances came late in the second when Brassard just missed on the doorstep. They also missed some other opportunities with J.T. Miller blowing two and Chris Kreider firing wide.

-Mats Zuccarello. You knew it was coming. They definitely missed him. He plays with such edge and smarts that of course they missed him. He’s so effective on the forecheck using his speed and creativity while also getting his nose dirty. Not having Zucc hurts. The Rangers are just gonna have to find a way to step up. Miller, Hagelin and Kreider are candidates.

-Brooks Orpik had a mammoth game for the Caps. He was all over Nash taking his space away. He didn’t let him breathe. Nash only had an assist in the Rangers’ seven-game comeback win over the Pens last year matched up against the same rough tough defenseman. Right now, Orpik’s making the Caps look pretty smart for investing so much in him and ex-Pen Matt Niskanen. Their D is a lot harder to play against.

-The Nicklas Backstrom hit. It’s one of those that you hate seeing decide a game as big as this one. What if they had just blown the play dead? I know they can’t do that. It happens so fast that maybe that’s why the play continued and Ovechkin set up Ward for the crusher. The refs have a hard job. But we’ve seen some glaring examples of the Caps getting away with controversial hits. None bigger than Ovechkin plowing over Islander defenseman Thomas Hickey from behind. No call. You can’t make it up.

-That said, that’s not why the Rangers lost. They weren’t hard enough on the puck and didn’t play a full 60 minutes. They better put their hard hats on for Game 2.

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Capital Devastation: Ward’s goal with 1.3 seconds left dooms Rangers

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Derek

How do you describe what just happened? In a word, awful. Brutal, disgusting and humiliating all come to mind. Forget for a second that Nicklas Backstrom’s hit on Dan Boyle caused him to cough up the puck. What the heck were Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan doing on Joel Ward’s game-winner with 1.3 seconds left? More to the point, why did Stepan go to Alex Ovechkin when McDonagh was on him? I’d love to hear his explanation.

Whether or not it should’ve been a penalty on Backstrom, it doesn’t matter now. On just a brilliant effort from their captain Ovechkin, the Capitals stunned the Rangers 2-1 to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal at MSG. Full credit to Ovechkin for not giving up on the play. He outskated McDonagh and fed Ward for a goal so heart breaking you wonder how the Rangers will respond in Game 2. They better get it or it’s trouble.

In all honesty, they didn’t play well enough for my liking. For two periods, they didn’t test Braden Holtby. There weren’t enough battles in front. He was able to see everything. Credit a stingy Caps defense led by Brooks Orpik and John Carlson. Orpik stifled Rick Nash, who had three quiet shots in 28 shifts (18:40). I’m in agreement with NBC’s Mike Milbury. Nash needs to elevate his level. He didn’t while Ovechkin did and that was the difference.

How this game isn’t in overtime I can’t explain. The Rangers finally showed urgency in the third. They forechecked better and got bodies in front of Holtby. Chris Kreider, who did nothing the first two periods finally had a couple of strong shifts. He nearly ran into Holtby after being shoved by Orpik but missed him. He also had a good redirect which Holtby got a piece of.

On a night where the top two lines weren’t good enough, it was the third scoring unit of Kevin Hayes, Carl Hagelin and Jesper Fast that tied the game. All game, they were the most effective. Especially the speedy Hagelin who was all over the ice. Hayes was hounded by the Caps throughout but kept battling as did Fast, who got just reward by getting the goal when a Hayes shot deflected off his leg past Holtby to tie it with 4:39 left in regulation.

It was a weird game. Even in that final minute, it felt like something was gonna happen. The Rangers had a good chance to score earlier but couldn’t with J.T. Miller unable to get his stick on a loose puck with a gaping net. Washington coach Barry Trotz had the Ovechkin line with Backstrom and Ward matched against Stepan, Kreider and Miller, who was more visible than his line mates. Even if he had a scary turnover when they still trailed.

The Caps did the smart thing with under 10 seconds left getting the puck deep. Backstrom closed hard on Boyle hitting him with a tough shoulder which freed the puck. I wouldn’t say it was directly from behind. But I wondered as it happened, ‘That could have been called.’ Next thing you know, Ovechkin made the play to Ward, who didn’t miss on Henrik Lundqvist as he did when he hit the goalpost earlier.

Of course, Alain Vigneault was hot on the Rangers bench. Who could blame him? It’s a excruciating way to lose. An uncalled penalty which allowed Ovechkin to set up Ward in front. Lundqvist was totally unprepared. But that’s beside the point. It was way too easy.

Overall, I thought the Rangers were sloppy. They coughed up the puck a lot and had some bad giveaways. Sure enough, they had 20. Way too many. You can’t do that against a opportunistic opponent like the Caps. Only Dan Girardi played well of all our D. Every other defenseman had trouble with Washington’s forecheck. Kevin Klein was okay but shaky in his end with a couple of bad giveaways. McDonagh wasn’t good either. Marc Staal struggled. Keith Yandle wasn’t a factor and passed up on shots again while having a couple of hiccups defensively. Boyle remains an enigma but he did compete hard one on one. His offense remains missing.

They just weren’t good enough. Even with outshooting the Caps 32-29, the Blueshirts can play a lot better and will need to starting Saturday at 12:30 PM. They’re facing a lot of pressure. Usually, they win the first game and drop the second. Now, they have to win the second just to earn a split before the series shifts to Washington. If it’s anything like tonight, it won’t be easy.

The start wasn’t a problem. The Rangers had the better of the play the first few shifts utilizing their speed to generate chances. Despite having an edge in shots 12-7 for the first period, they didn’t take advantage of an Orpik penalty. The power play got looks but again failed. Yandle’s reluctance to shoot isn’t helping. At some point, he has to take the shot. It’s way too predictable.

Unfortunately, the Caps didn’t misfire on their power play. Dominic Moore took an unnecessary holding minor with 2:34 left. Trotz started his second unit. After they went off, Ovechkin went to work. Taking full advantage of time and space the Rangers penalty kill gave him gaining easy access, he used Boyle as a screen firing a missile high short side past Lundqvist that came out so fast it was amazing. Carlson and Holtby got assists on Ovechkin’s third of the playoffs at 18:13.

Kreider took an ill advised high-sticking minor with 21 seconds remaining. That was not a good penalty. It put the Caps right back on the power play. The Rangers were able to kill it off but Ovechkin was dangerous throughout with six shots and also hitting the crossbar. He had too much room.

On the post game, Vigneault said their gap control must be better. He also had some harsh words indicating that his best players have to play like their best players. Interesting. He didn’t comment on the Backstrom hit and didn’t give any update on Boyle on whether he was injured.

Regarding the hit, McDonagh said he didn’t see it as it was such a fast play and before he knew it, the puck was in the back of the net. Bang bang. That quickly. Miller said he has to do a better job in front taking Ward. But that was really on Stepan, who admitted as such. When asked whether they can take some positives out of the game, he said they did some good things but obviously they’ll have to make adjustments.

During a good shift by the fourth line, Tanner Glass got his stick on Holtby who lost his mask and fell to the ice. It was hard to pickup initially because NBC SN went to break which made no sense. But the replays showed that it might’ve been intentional. The Caps didn’t like it. Tom Wilson went after Glass. Interestingly, following Ward’s late heroics, both fourth lines were out and Wilson challenged Glass. It didn’t amount to much with only matching roughs.

The damage was done. The Caps took home ice. Whether or not it was a penalty, ask refs Chris Rooney or Kelly Sutherland. I’m not discussing it. It’s not why they lost.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jesper Fast, NYR (1st career goal, +1 in 19 shifts-14:49)

2nd Star-Joel Ward, WSH (scored game-winner with 1.6 seconds left in regulation)

1st Star-Alex Ovechkin, WSH (PPG-3rd of playoffs, assist, 6 SOG, +1 in 28 shifts-18:26)

Notes: According to Elias Sports Bureau, Ward became only the third player to ever score a game-winning goal in the postseason with less than two seconds left. He joins Jussi Jokinen and Bob Pulford. … Holtby finished with 31 saves while Lundqvist made 27 in defeat. … Moved up to the top line, Martin St. Louis had four shots including one good opportunity in front with a backhand padded away by Holtby. He was more noticeable than Nash, who was called “marshmallow soft” by Milbury during the second intermission. A harsh assessment but accurate. … Rangers controlled faceoffs going 34-for-61. Brassard (12-and-9), Stepan (9-and-6) and Moore (7-and-4) were all good. Jay Beagle was the Caps’ best going 7-and-3 while Backstrom struggled finishing 8-and-16. … In his first game on the fourth line, James Sheppard was okay in 16 shifts (11:02) with two hits.

Key Statistics

Giveaways WSH 13 (Niskanen 5) NYR 20 (Staal 5)

Hits WSH 32 (Backstrom, Wilson 5) NYR 34 (Klein 6)

Blocked Shots WSH 19 (Orpik 4) NYR 15 (McDonagh 3)

Shot Attempts WSH 60 NYR 65

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Series Preview: Rangers face Capitals test in Round Two

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Derek
Brassy! Derick Brassard celebrates his overtime winner with Rick Nash. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Brassy! Derick Brassard celebrates his overtime winner with Rick Nash.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

If the first round was just an appetizer, then Round Two should be a entree for the Rangers when they face a Capitals test starting tonight at MSG. After dismissing the Penguins in a much closer fought five games that included OT winners from Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin, they should be ready for a tough battle against a physical opponent who won a war of attrition over the Islanders in seven.

The Caps love to hit. Led by captain Alex Ovechkin, they will look to punish the Rangers. Featuring heavy hitters Brooks Orpik, Tom Wilson and Troy Brouwer, they’ll try to use their size to wear down a strong Rangers defense that gets back Kevin Klein. Matt Hunwick did an admirable job. Unless Klein is banged up or Dan Boyle struggles, they boast a deep blueline led by captain Ryan McDonagh. Teamed with the rugged Dan Girardi, they’ve matched up against Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom plenty in the playoffs.

The Rangers and Capitals will see each other for the fifth time in six years. The Caps took the first two but the Rangers returned the favor prevailing in seven in both 2012 and 2013. Three of the previous four have gone the distance.

After missing the postseason last year, Washington is back with new coach Barry Trotz. They’re deeper thanks to key blueline additions Orpik, Matt Niskanen and former Cup winner Tim Gleason. Karl Alzner had a great first round scoring twice. They also boast better scoring depth with electrifying Russian rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov burning the Islanders for three goals including the series clincher. He anchors a good second line that includes Marcus Johansson and Jason Chimera. Joel Ward plays with Backstrom and Ovechkin. He’s a good fit taking the body and going to the net. Trotz has Brouwer on the third line with Jay Beagle and Andre Burakovsky. The fourth line is your classic crash unit featuring Wilson, Brooks Laich and Curtis Glencross.

Braden Holtby will match-up against Henrik Lundqvist. He’s had a very good season winning 41 games with nine shutouts and a .923 save percentage. He allowed seven goals in the last five games against the Isles finishing with a 1.63 goals-against-average in the first round. All-time versus the Rangers in the postseason, he has a 2.05 GAA and .925 save percentage. Aside from a Game 2 hiccup in which he permitted four goals, Lundqvist shutdown the Pens limiting them to four total in the Rangers’ four wins all by an identical 2-1 score. He was at his best the final two games when things got tight with each needing overtime.

For the Rangers, they’re missing top right wing Mats Zuccarello, who suffered an apparent concussion in Game 5 against Pittsburgh when he took a McDonagh shot off the side of his helmet. The team lists him as out indefinitely. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks is now reporting that he’ll miss the entire second round and his status remains uncertain if the Rangers advance to the Conference Finals. Who knows what the timetable is.

For the Blueshirts, they’ll have to find a way to overcome Zuccarello’s loss. He’s an important player who does so much including use his speed and creativity on the forecheck while also being a diligent backchecker. He’s a pesky player who goes to the net and is never afraid to mix it up. Zuccarello’s replacement Martin St. Louis won’t do that. The 39-year old former Hart winner has a similar skill set. They’re practically the same size. St. Louis brings plenty of skill and experience. Moved up to the top line with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, he must be better this series. He didn’t score a goal but set up Hayes’ Game 5 OT winner.

“I think they play similar; they have the same height,” a chuckling Brassard said of the diminutive wingers. “They both like to make plays and like to work off [their linemates].

Sometimes, St. Louis can be too unselfish. When he was on the Hayes’ third unit, he was more of a shooter. Back on the top line, he’ll be more of a play maker looking to set up Nash. The key is he must also think shot when the opportunity presents itself. Brassard was the best player on the line in Round One torching the Pens for three goals. Nash recorded a goal and three assists tying Brassard for the team lead in points with McDonagh, who quietly registered four points.

A big key will be Nash who was solid in their first round win. Four points in five games is okay considering how much the Pens slowed it down. However, Nash has yet to have that breakout series. He’ll be defended well by the combination of Orpik and John Carlson. However, he has enough size and speed to make an impact.

Without Zuccarello, that puts more attention on Chris Kreider. He only had one point. The game-winner in Game 3. He did throw his weight around registering 18 hits. His combination of size, speed and skill must be a factor. Playing with USA sidekicks Derek Stepan and J.T. Miller, Kreider is the Rangers’ most physically gifted forward. He takes the body and goes to the net. They need him.

Stepan is the heady two-way pivot who always is in the right spot. Whether it be defensively or offensively, he’s going to make the smart read. A very unselfish player, he has great chemistry with Miller and Kreider. Miller has developed into a physical two-way threat who plays with edge. He also only had one point in the first series but delivered 19 hits. Stepan had two goals and a helper. The second unit will need to be more consistent.

The third line was a determining factor against the Pens. After a slow start to his postseason career, Hayes scored his first goal in Game 4 of sudden death finishing off a play started by St. Louis with Hagelin right in the middle. Ironically, it was Hagelin who eliminated the Pens in Game 5 when he retrieved a loose puck from Dominic Moore and came out and beat Marc-Andre Fleury. Hagelin had two goals and an assist. His game breaking speed was a factor. His speed and defensive acumen allow him to be a two-way threat. His hustle is what makes him such a effective player.

Minus Zuccarello, rookie Jesper Fast moves up to the third line with Hayes and Hagelin. Fast doesn’t do anything fancy. However, he’s a good defensive forward who can forecheck. In a more offensive role, he can contribute. He spent some time with Hayes and Hagelin during the season.

With Fast moved up, deadline acquisition James Sheppard becomes a key cog to the fourth line anchored by Moore and flanked by Tanner Glass. In Round One, the fourth line was only on for one goal against and were effective during most of their shifts. Moore remains the most overlooked player on the roster. Dependable at even strength as well as penalty kill, he also is good on faceoffs. He went 35-and-31 against the Pens. Glass picked his spots finishing with 19 hits and no penalties. He’ll have to remain disciplined against the ornery Wilson and Glencross. Sheppard is an agitator who is capable of contributing. He must avoid the box.

The Rangers should have an edge on the back end. With Klein returning, it gives them four reliable defensemen who can play their end tough. Klein also is good at reading and reacting with a underrated right shot that hits the net. Keith Yandle had a couple of days off which should help his health. He had a good first series assisting on two goals while playing steady defensively. A strong skater and great passer, he made a perfect stretch pass that set up a Hagelin goal. Marc Staal was okay but can play better. Whether he’s paired with Boyle or Klein, he’ll likely draw the assignment against Kuznetsov. That could prove challenging.

Lundqvist gives them the edge in net. Though Holtby always seems to rise up in these series, it’ll be up to the offense to crack the Caps goalie.

Special teams are always huge. The Caps had the top ranked power play. Against the Isles, that didn’t matter. They only scored once while blanking the Isles. The Isles did a great job shadowing Ovechkin to limit his dangerous one-timer. Usually, the Rangers are able to keep him at bay. However, he scored five goals in the season series including four power play goals. Way too many due to leaving too much space. They must do a better job and of course stay disciplined. No silly penalties. It’s not just Ovechkin you must worry about. Backstrom, Brouwer, Ward and Carlson are all part of it. Kuznetsov is on the second unit with Mike Green.

When it comes to the power play, it makes Ranger fans cringe. They did score three times against the Pens. But if they have that many chances, they have to be able to punish opponents more. So, if the Caps start taking liberties at some point it has to click.

Both coaches are proven. Vigneault seems to push all the right buttons. The team responds to him and is as together as I can ever remember. They like each other. There’s great camaraderie. Top to bottom. Trotz is a great mind. Very respected, he was able to limit the Isles’ offense. His team never buckled despite all the pressure.

Series Prediction: When it comes down to it, the Caps will give the Rangers all they can handle. No Zuccarello should hurt. But unless Ovechkin explodes or Holtby outplays Lundqvist, they should still prevail. It’ll be close.

Rangers in 6

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Bishop, Lightning shutout Red Wings 2-0 to advance, Round 2 picks

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Derek

The Lightning became the final team to advance to the second round. Behind 31 saves from Ben Bishop, they shutout the Red Wings 2-0 to take Game 7 at home. Tampa Bay completed a comeback from 3-2 down to best Detroit in a entertaining seven-game first round series.

Astonishingly, captain Steven Stamkos didn’t score a goal. However, in a scoreless contest his top line had an impact. In the third period, a strong forecheck from line mates Alex Killorn and former Ranger Ryan Callahan led directly to ex-Flyer Braydon Coburn scoring the series clincher with 16:02 left in regulation. Following a Stamkos dump, Killorn recovered the puck and Callahan came out and made a great diagonal pass for a Coburn one-time blast that beat Red Wings netminder Petr Mrazek.

The unlikely combo of ex-Ranger and former Flyer helped the Lightning advance to set up a great second round match-up against the Canadiens. During the regular season, Tampa took the season series 5-0. However, none of that means much in the playoffs. It should be a tougher challenge against Montreal with the Habs having home ice. The winner of course will take on the winner between the Capitals and Rangers. Game 1 is Thursday night at MSG. Fasten your seat belts.

For two periods, the Red Wings out-chanced the Lightning by a wide margin. They also nearly doubled them in shots holding a lopsided 23-12 edge. However, they were unable to beat Bishop, who delivered his best game of the series. Despite some great chances created by Pavel Datsyuk, Darren Helm, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg, the Wings never could solve him. Even in the third, they had some close calls. They were a bit snake bit.

For the Bolts, they were able to put it together just in the nick of time. Amazingly, they only totaled 16 shots with 15 coming on Mrazek. That included four in the final stanza. Even after failing on a power play with Mrazek shrugging aside a Stamkos chance in the slot on a Tyler Johnson set up, the Bolts were able to find the one goal they needed.

Following Coburn’s tally, the Wings almost came back right away. On a perfect set up, Zetterberg was flat out robbed by a sliding Bishop who got across to deny him. Another opportunity to beat Bishop came in the closing seconds of the second period. A brilliant Datsyuk rush and pass had Helm in but his shot pass for a wide open Tatar with 2.1 seconds left just missed. If it hits his stick, it’s in.

That’s the kind of night it was for the Winged Wheel who might’ve played their final game under brilliant coach Mike Babcock. The soon to be free agent could leave Hockey Town. That would be sad but such is the business side of sports. He’s been a fixture there since leaving Anaheim following ’03-04. Babcock has a career record of 527-285-19. That’s a .627 win percentage. Behind the Red Wing bench, he’s 458-223-105 (.649) including leading the Original Six franchise to the Stanley Cup in ’07-08. They lost to the Penguins in a rematch the following year in seven.

While Babcock’s situation gets sorted out, the Lightning are still playing hockey. They did it the hard way rallying back to beat the Red Wings. Behind six goals from Johnson including heroics in Game 4 and Game 6 in Detroit, they will face the Canadiens.

For Tampa, all three ex-Rangers played roles in their win. Callahan’s imprints were all over the third. He was one of their most effective forecheckers setting up Coburn’s winner while doing a strong job on a late shift with Stamkos and Killorn in the final two minutes.

Anton Stralman was a standout. If not for Stamkos getting into it with Riley Sheahan, Stralman would’ve scored one of the prettiest goals of these playoffs completely undressing a Detroit player with a fake shot and then skating in and going backhand past Mrazek. However, ref Kevin Pollock got the call right. Both Stamkos and Sheahan wrestled each other down prior to Stralman beating Mrazek with Pollock waving the goal off. Ironically, Stralman would seal it with 1:18 left when his bank clear off the boards bounced down and in from Bishop. Very deserving for the strong two-way defenseman who had a whale of a game.

Brian Boyle also was solid doing yeoman’s work on the penalty kill which shutout the Red Wings in three chances. He also was noticeable on the forecheck outhustling players faster than him while playing responsible defensively. That’s Boyle. The man who steps up in the postseason. He and Stralman improved to 10-0 in Game 7’s. Most of which came playing for the Rangers with Henrik Lundqvist manning patrol.

So, the final eight are set. Tomorrow, the fun begins with the Rangers hosting the Capitals for Game 1 at MSG with a 7 PM start. At 10 PM, the Ducks play host to those Flames. Friday, it’s the Canadiens hosting the Lightning at 7 PM followed by the Blackhawks home for the Wild at 9:30 PM.

There’s a lot to be excited about. The Elite 8 should be fun. Every series has potential to go deep. After failing on the Blues and Jets in Round 1, I finished 6 for 8. However, Winnipeg and St. Louis was my Western Conference Final with St. Louis making me sing the Blues by once again folding. I doubt Ken Hitchcock will stick around. They’re out early a third consecutive year.

With eight remaining teams left in the field, here are my Conference Semi picks:

East

Canadiens over Lightning in 7

I know I took Tampa but something tells me Montreal is going to find a way due to Carey Price.

Rangers over Capitals in 6

This one could prove tougher due to no Mats Zuccarello. Plus the Caps aren’t just Alex Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom anymore. They’ll try to wear down our D by finishing every check. It could go seven but I believe Lundqvist is the difference. Expect bigger series from Rick Nash and Chris Kreider.

West

Blackhawks over Wild in 7

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Wild pull the upset. Zach Parise is on fire and Devan Dubnyk gives them an edge compared to Corey Crawford or Scott Darling. But the Hawks are so battle tested. Hard to go against Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews at this time of year. Plus Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Ducks over Flames in 6

I know I said I don’t like Anaheim. But they impressed me in Round 1 coming back in the third period in the first three games against Winnipeg. Corey Perry feasted and Ryan Getzlaf was stellar. Also, Ryan Kesler showed up. If Frederik Andersen holds up, it’s hard to go against them.

I love the Flames. They are the most fun to watch. Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Jiri Hudler form the top line. Dennis Wideman, Kris Russell and T.J. Brodie form a strong back end. Michael Ferland hits everyone. I just think the Ducks ability to forecheck will prove too much for Jonas Hiller who’s facing his ex-team.

If it comes to fruition, here is what my Conference Finals would look like:

Canadiens vs Rangers

Pits best two goalies.

Blackhawks vs Ducks

Star studded.

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Video: Kronwall suspended a game for hit on Kucherov (UPDATED)

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Derek

During last night’s Game 6 won by the Lightning over the Red Wings, Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall delivered a big hit on Tampa forward Nikita Kucherov. There was no penalty on the play. Kronwall is having a hearing for the hit today with Game 7 tomorrow.

From our vantage point, Kronwall comes across and delivers a shoulder to chest hit on a leaning Kucherov who just released the puck along the boards. He was in a vulnerable position. Due to that, Kronwall caught both upper chest and chin of Kucherov. That makes the hit questionable which is why it’s being reviewed.

This is a tough one. From one aspect, Kronwall was making a hockey play by hitting an opposing player with the puck. But the speed of the game is so fast that once Kucherov got rid of it, the onus is on Kronwall to avoid contacting the face. The head isn’t the principle point of contact. There wasn’t enough time for Kronwall to change course.

Former NHL official Kerry Fraser chimed in on both this hit and Alex Ovechkin’s dangerous hit from behind on Islander defenseman Thomas Hickey. His point of contention is that Kronwall launched himself into Kucherov which is illegal. That’s charging. He’s correct. The determining factor will probably be Kucherov’s status. He wasn’t injured. My guess is they’ll pass on suspending Kronwall.

UPDATE: For once, the NHL didn’t pass on disciplining a player with a Game 7 tomorrow. Kronwall was suspended a game for charging Kucherov. I can’t disagree with the ruling. As Fraser said, Kronwall left his feet to make the hit. Had he not, he would’ve been fine. So, Detroit loses their top defenseman for Game 7 at Tampa Wednesday. That should be interesting.

As for Ovechkin’s hit on Hickey, that was dangerous and should’ve resulted in at least a double minor for boarding. Instead, nothing was called. Fraser felt it was bad enough to be a major and game. Ovechkin stayed in and the Caps prevailed 2-1 over the Isles advancing to a second round match-up against the Rangers.

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Video Of Day: Ovechkin Mic’d Up For Handshake Line

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Derek

Our second Video Of Day features Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin mic’d up during handshakes with the Islanders. The fiery Russian is a breath of fresh air when it comes to his personality revving up fans following the first round victory.

We get to see Islander defenseman Johnny Boychuk congratulate Ovechkin and tell him, “I hope you achieve your goal,” to which Ovechkin replies, “Definitely.” We also see Isles’ assistant Doug Weight tell him, “I’ll root for ya.” Ovechkin congratulates Islanders coach Jack Capuano saying, “Great coaching staff.”

The handshakes following each series is one of hockey’s best traditions. It shows us good sportsmanship and respect for the opponent. Of course, there have been examples of the opposite with Milan Lucic losing his cool after the Bruins lost to the Canadiens last year threatening Dale Weise. There was also the non-handshake between Martin Brodeur and Sean Avery following Devils/Rangers. Similar to Kirk Maltby and Claude Lemieux after a heated Western Conference Final between the Red Wings and Avalanche.

For the most part, players respect each other win or lose.

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Video Of Day: All Access- Isles vs Caps Game 7

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Derek

Today’s Video Of Day features last night’s emotional Game 7 of the first round between the Isles and Caps. It gives us a unique perspective into the players’ mindsets. It’s cool to see them mic’d up and their reactions along with strategy.

You’ll notice how pumped up Alex Ovechkin throughout motivating his bench to make a push following Frans Nielsen’s tying goal. And of course, his excitement for Russian Evgeny Kuznetsov who scored the series decider with 7:18 left on a brilliant move and finish.

Kudos to the NHL for providing more access to the fans.

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Tweet Of The Day

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Derek

Occasionally, I get things right. As bad as I was predicting the West taking Winnipeg to the Conference Final and St. Louis to the Stanley Cup Final, I did sorta nail Evgeny Kuznetsov’s series clincher for the Caps over the Isles.

https://twitter.com/NewYorkPuck/status/592867519691661313

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Isle Be Seeing Ya: Kuznetsov, Capitals eliminate Islanders in seven

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Derek
Evgeny Kuznetsov celebrates his series clinching goal with Brooks Orpik as the Caps eliminated the Islanders 2-1. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Evgeny Kuznetsov celebrates his series clinching goal with Brooks Orpik as the Caps eliminated the Islanders 2-1.
AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

There won’t be a Islanders/Rangers series in the second round. Instead, it’ll be the Capitals who eliminated the Islanders in seven games by posting a 2-1 win at Verizon Center. They’ll meet the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 1 likely Thursday.

It wasn’t Alex Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom who did in the Islanders. Evgeny Kuznetsov was the standout scoring the series clincher with 7:18 left in regulation. The talented 22-year old Russian who also dominated the Islanders in Game 5 was the determining factor. His third goal of the series was a superb individual effort. Powering off the wall to escape Frans Nielsen, he moved in front and deked Jaroslav Halak slipping a forehand past the brilliant Islander starter.

There was nothing Halak could do. A question mark entering the series, he was utterly brilliant making 24 saves in a lopsided Game 7 to give his team a chance. That included stopping 20 of 21 shots in the first two periods dominated by Washington. They outshot the Isles 21-7. If not for Halak, it wouldn’t have been close. His best save came on Jay Beagle with the game tied when he robbed him with an amazing split recovering just in time.

Unfortunately, his teammates didn’t do enough to win the game. It’ll be a tough off season. Despite a valiant effort down three starting defensemen including Travis Hamonic, Lubomir Visnovsky and Calvin de Haan, the proud franchise still hasn’t won a playoff series since 1993. Even with injuries to key players, they still took the Caps seven games.

Ultimately, they lost to a better team. Unlike the Isles, the Caps were healthy and benefited from their depth. After falling behind 2-1 in the series, they allowed six goals the final four games. Washington’s defense made a difference with former Pens Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen having a solid first round. Their secondary scorers also stepped up with Kuznetsov and Joel Ward scoring in tonight’s win. Beagle, Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson were factors throughout.

Amazingly, the Islanders held Ovechkin to two goals. It didn’t matter. Even with top tandem Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy doing a stellar job while logging a ton of minutes, it wasn’t enough. Thomas Hickey and Brian Strait did an admirable job. Even Matt Donovan and Scott Mayfield gave a respectable account.

Offense was a problem in a do or die game. For two periods, the Islanders generated little. It was all Capitals with them controlling puck possession and pinning the Islanders deep. They spent extended shifts cycling effectively while pinching their D and making wholesale changes. One such shift allowed coach Barry Trotz to change on the fly and get his top line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Ward out. Despite heavy pressure, they couldn’t beat Halak.

After outshooting the Isles 11-3 in the first period, the Caps continued to control the action. So bottled up were the Isles that following an icing, coach Jack Capuano used his timeout to rest his skaters. They responded better by clearing the puck and even getting some attack time. But it was temporary.

Eventually, the Caps’ top scoring unit pinned the Isles in again and finally got the game’s first goal with under two minutes left in the second. Forcing a turnover, Ovechkin got the puck out to Orpik for a point shot which Halak stopped. But Ward swatted away at it knocking the puck in for a 1-0 lead with 1:25 remaining in the period.

On the next shift, Mikhail Grabovski got a chance but missed. The Caps took a one-goal lead into the locker room. The Isles struggled mightily getting outshot 10-4. The only thing they did well was defend in front of Halak keeping most of Washington’s chances to the outside. That along with Halak’s play was why they only trailed by one.

If they were going to go down, they at least showed a pulse in the third. Able to forecheck early, Boychuk got a shot on Braden Holtby, who may as well have been on vacation till that point. Even though the Caps netminder only saw four shots due to his D, he at least had to work. He also was shaky.

The Islanders finally got to Holtby when Nielsen beat him five-hole tying the score at 3:13. Taking a Hickey feed, Nielsen carried the puck and skated between Caps defenders and got off a simple wrist shot that eluded Holtby. His first of the playoffs came from Hickey and Ryan Strome, who was pretty quiet after a good start to the series.

One of the issues for the Isles was they didn’t get enough secondary scoring. Something that wasn’t a problem during the season. Rookie Anders Lee struggled and sat out the final two games in favor of fourth liner Colin McDonald. A questionable move by Capuano given the circumstances. He also scratched Brock Nelson for Game 5. That wasn’t the only move that left you scratching your head.

Even though they were finally able to get attack time after Nielsen’s goal, the Isles just couldn’t get enough shots on Holtby, who fought the puck on a Boychuk long try. They totaled only 11 shots the entire game. In a do or die situation, that just won’t get it done. Whether it was the lack of experience or nerves, they weren’t good enough. But somehow, they were still tied.

That changed when Kuznetsov escaped Nielsen’s check along the boards and beat Halak with 7:18 left in regulation. On a strong cycle, the former Caps first round pick wheeled through the slot and had a sweet finish effectively ending the Isles’ season.

They responded to the goal by getting a sustained forecheck from John Tavares’ top line with Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo. But on a night where the Islander captain was held without a shot, Bailey and Boychuk passed up golden opportunities to shoot. By the time Boychuk wound up, his shot was blocked and the Caps escaped.

Such chances in a tight checking game where the refs didn’t call a single penalty until the final few minutes were rare. If you’re down a goal in Game 7 and only have 11 shots, you better make them count. The Islanders weren’t aggressive enough and learned a valuable lesson. To quote Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Perhaps the biggest Capuano second guess was his reluctance to pull Halak. Following a bad John Carlson roughing minor in the offensive zone, it handed the Isles one last chance to score on the power play. They were 0 for the series finishing 0-for-14. With two minutes left and unable to get set up time, Capuano easily could’ve sent Halak to the bench and gone for a 6-on-4. He didn’t and waited too long finally pulling Halak with 1:16 left.

By that point, it was too late. The Caps weren’t allowing anything to get through. They played air tight D smothering the Isles. About the only gripe they had was an uncalled Ovechkin boarding on Hickey with the Great 8 hitting the prone defenseman from behind leaving MSG’s Howie Rose and Butch Goring speechless. But as Capuano pointed out afterwards, their power play didn’t score once. Only one power play goal was scored by the Caps.

On one last attempt, Okposo centered in front but the Caps cleared and that was it. They celebrated with Kuznetsov and Ovechkin raising their arms in salute to their fans while Tavares lied on the ice despondent. That’s the difference between winning and losing. It was a very entertaining and physical series with both teams giving everything. In the end, the Caps were better and now advance to face the Rangers.

There won’t be an epic Battle Of New York. That’ll have to wait another year. So too will the Islanders who now will relocate to Brooklyn. They played their final home game at Nassau Coliseum Saturday defeating the Caps in an emotional Game 6 3-1. At least it was a win. It’s hard to believe that was their final game in their barn after 43 years on Long Island.

A sad way for them to go out. Especially in what was a good season. The Islanders had the great start and led the Metropolitan Division and the East at one point. But the second half told a different tale. Okposo missed significant time due to a torn retina. Luckily, he returned but wasn’t as productive. Tavares carried them into the playoffs tying the Caps with 101 points. But home ice went to Washington and they made it count.

For the Caps, it was an important win. Especially given their track record. They had the reputation of a team that doesn’t close out series. Now, they move on and will be a formidable challenge for the Rangers who at the start will be without top right wing Mats Zuccarello. It should be a good series. It just won’t measure up to Islanders/Rangers.

Johnny Boychuk battles Joel Ward in front of Jaroslav Halak. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Johnny Boychuk battles Joel Ward in front of Jaroslav Halak.
AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Joel Ward, Caps (1st of playoffs, assist-so overlooked)

2nd Star-Jaroslav Halak, Isles (24 saves-splendid in defeat)

1st Star-Evgeny Kuznetsov, Caps (series winner with 7:18 left in regulation-3rd goal-future star)

Quotable

”We were hungry, we wanted to get after it, and I think people doubted us a little bit,” Ward said. ”So we wanted to prove something to ourselves and to our fans.”-goalscorer Joel Ward

”It’s just hard to believe it’s really over. It was intense. It was physical. It was draining.”-Islanders captain John Tavares

”That’s the best I’ve seen us play. Start to finish, that’s the game we’ve been trying to groom all year.”-Braden Holtby

”If you’ve never played hockey, you’ll never feel this.”-series hero Evgeny Kuznetsov

”We needed to shoot a little more. Obviously you’re not going to score if you don’t shoot.”-Jaroslav Halak

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Video Of Day: Price robs Turris with amazing stick shaft save

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Derek

Occasionally, you get one of those amazing saves from a great goalie that’s worth replaying. For the Canadiens, Carey Price was front and center making 43 saves to eliminate the Senators posting a 2-0 shutout in Game 6. His best save was the highlight above. With Montreal leading 1-0 in the first period, Price robbed Kyle Turris by just getting the shaft of his goal stick on a one-timer to keep his team ahead.

Price has had an incredible year and most certainly will become the first goalie to sweep the Vezina and Hart since you guessed it. Former Canadien Jose Theodore in ’01-02. Seriously. The Habs advanced to the Eastern Semifinals and await the winner between the Lightning and Red Wings.

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