2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 2

I guess Game 7 isn't automatically the most exciting thing in sports.  Or maybe the two iterations in the 2nd Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs just stunk.

Also, I picked the Stars to win, so I look like a boob again.  I did better on the whole, getting 3-of-4 teams right.

As expected, Dallas' goaltending "tandem" failed them miserably.  Neither of them showed up in Game 7 and the Stars got thumped as a result.  I'm surprised they actually made it to Game 7 given how weak the goaltending was, especially relative to the other teams.  So now St. Louis is moving on to the Western Conference finals.  Not exactly the development I was looking for; after they got out of the 1st round, I was hoping they'd be on the outs, given that Dallas was the #1 seed going in.

The other finalist out west is San Jose.  I'm not sure how this team is so much different from other Sharks teams of years past (much like with St. Louis). It would appear, though, that elevating Joe Pavelski to captain had tangible results.  It also didn't hurt that Nashville G Pekka Rinne fell apart in Game 7 (though he was definitely aided and abetted by the Predators' top defensive pairing).  Martin Jones, on the other hand, has looked very good through two series.  He doesn't seem prone to the meltdowns that the Dallas goalies suffer on a regular basis, for example.

In the east, we have what should have been the expected conference finals all along.  Before the playoffs started, everyone was on the Capitals' bandwagon. I thought that was stupid and short-sighted.  After all, just last year they got knocked out in the 2nd round by the Rangers in memorable fashion (well, memorable for the Rangers' part in it).  Yet thanks to winning the Presidents' Trophy, the Capitals were the chic pick to make the Stanley Cup Final.

So when Nick Bonino scored in OT in Game 6 to eliminate the Capitals, I was pretty pleased.  While I'm not crazy about the Penguins moving on, I figure anything is better than seeing the Capitals move on and have to deal with all the people kissing up to them.

Unsurprisingly, the Lightning are in the conference finals again.  Even though they are missing two key players, they still have Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman.  Hedman is getting most of the pub as he's a defenseman with a notable offensive skill set.  But to me, it's Kucherov that is the team's best player at present.  He's pretty much unstoppable and has shone brightest when it counts the most.  There seems to be a lot of gum-flapping about players being shut down as though it happens to pretty much everybody.  Kucherov, like Tyler Johnson last season, has shown up in the playoffs and done significant damage. So while some players do get shut down by the opposition in the playoffs, I don't think it's a matter of some esoteric "goal-scoring climate"; it's just that some guys show up when the moment is huge, like Kucherov and Johnson, and others don't...like, say, Ovechkin.

The 3rd round should be entertaining.  I'm picking the Sharks and Lightning, personally, but any match-up in the Stanley Cup Final would be an interesting one.

2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1

The first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs is over, with Game 7 of the last series occurring on the same night as Game 1 of the 2nd Round.  Odd, that.

Anyway, here were my first round picks:

Stars in 5, Blackhawks in 6, Ducks in 5, Kings in 6

Panthers in 6, Lightning in 7, Capitals in 5, Rangers in 6 

Here's what actually happened:

Stars in 6, Blues in 7, Predators in 7, Sharks in 5

Islanders in 6, Lightning in 5, Capitals in 6, Penguins in 5

That didn't go as expected.  With 3-of-8 matchups picked correctly, I was way off from what happened, and I stunk compared to last season.  What can I say, I was a year early on the Blues and Islanders.

We learned quite a bit from the 1st round.  In the West, there is complete and total anarchy, as the defending champions are out, as are the Kings.  It's hard to pick a favorite, because these teams all have glaring issues and share a sense of playoff futility as none of them have had sustained success in the playoffs in years.  For example, the Stars have no #1 goaltender.  Lehtonen and Niemi are both inconsistent.  The Stars can score a ton, which is helpful because they'll have to keep scoring when their goaltenders are as bad as they are. The Blues are in strange new territory, while the Predators have inexperience and a somewhat shaky goaltender in Rinne.  The Sharks have an excellent top line and a solid goaltender in Martin Jones, though their depth showed up in the 1st round it could be considered questionable as the other three forward lines got out-shot and outscored routinely in the regular season.

In the East, we have more familiar faces.  Though the Islanders made the 2nd round for the first time since 1993, the other three teams are more experienced.  The Lightning are down a couple of key players, yet thanks to Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, and Jonathan Drouin, aren't really missing the injured guys.  The Capitals took six games to beat the Flyers and thus look overrated, as if they weren't massively overrated coming in.  Washington is known for choking hard in the playoffs and I expect them to lose to Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Penguins, they looked a lot better against the Rangers this year than they did last year.  I guess having a full complement of defensemen is important.

How will the 2nd Round go?  Well, based on the 1st Round, I have no clue.  That said, here are my picks:

Stars in 6, Sharks in 6

Lightning in 6, Penguins in 5

No matter who wins, though, I expect a compelling 2nd Round.  So far, the Islanders put up four goals on Ben Bishop and won Game 1 5-3.  Given that Bishop is a finalist for the Vezina trophy, he'll play better.  Though, really, he can't get much worse.

Enjoy the 2nd Round, everyone!

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 48

It's been a long journey, and now we come to the end.

Game 5: NY Rangers vs. Los Angeles.

The 2013-2014 NHL season was the first that I followed intently.  I've probably talked about this before, but I think it bears mentioning again because of the way it ended.

Really, could it have ended any better?  After months of play, including an Olympic break, then over a month-and-a-half of playoffs, we finally have a champion.

The Los Angeles Kings won last night in double overtime, 3-2.

The game was tense throughout.  The Rangers gave up an early lead but stormed back in the second period to take a 2-1 lead.  Marian Gaborik, as usual, was in fine form and scored in the third to tie it up.

Those first three periods were just an appetizer to what has to be one of the greatest things in American sports: overtime playoff hockey.  There were many things that stood out in those two overtime periods.  Here are a couple:

How about Chris Kreider's breakaway at the end of the 1st OT?

There was the Rangers power play in the 2nd OT that looked like it might decide the game.

Rick Nash had a surefire winner but was deflected by Voynov's stick.

And of course, there's the game and Stanley Cup-clinching goal.  Alec Martinez skated into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 rush, passed the puck, and was in position to grab the rebound that bounced off of Lundqvist.  One shot later and it was all over.  I watched the play live and on replay, and just watched the highlight again as I wrote.  Honestly, it was an amazing play, and the finality of it just gave me the feeling of having my innards ripped out of my body.

I can't wait for next season to start.  This journey, especially the playoffs and all the entries that I wrote about them, was incredible and I'm ready and willing to do it all over again in October.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings.

Los Angeles wins the series 4-1.  They win the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 47

Elimination waits for another night.

Game 4: Los Angeles vs. NY Rangers.

The Rangers may not be out, but they're not in this series, either.

They won 2-1 last night but were out-shot 41-19.  That just counts shots on goal, not the ones that were blocked or missed.  Not that it matters much; LA would hold a huge advantage either way.

Quick and Lundqvist were both great, obviously.  In a low-scoring game like this, the goaltenders put in a solid effort.  Lundqvist was rewarded by being named the first star of the night.

Pouliot and St. Louis scored for the Rangers.  Kings' captain Dustin Brown had the goal for the other side.

So what does this mean, really?

Well, the Rangers won a game.  And they proved that they're not going away easily, which in this case just means they're not getting swept.

But do they have a chance to win the series?

I think that ship sailed when they lost Game 3 in about as convincing a win as you'll see in the playoffs.  The Rangers weren't in that game in any sense of the word, despite having a bunch of shots on goal.

Going down 3-0 is not something that is conducive to winning a series.  Sure, you can point to the Kings doing it earlier this postseason against the Sharks, but that's a fool's errand if I've ever seen one.  A team going up 3-0 and then giving up that lead is a rarity.  It doesn't happen in the NBA and it happens slightly more frequently in the NHL.

That's not to say the Rangers didn't play well last night.  They certainly did. I don't think they have the firepower to win the next three games, especially with Quick in the opposing net.

Then again, these are all elimination games now.  And Lundqvist has proven that in an elimination game, you want him in net.

Los Angeles leads 3-1.  Game 5 is Friday.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 46

So much for the series being even, in any sense.

Game 3: Los Angeles vs. NY Rangers.

Even with a 2-0 lead, I was certain that the Kings weren't clearly better than the Rangers.

Now the Kings are up 3-0 after a 3-0 win (not a coincidence, I'm sure).  And whatever I thought about this series has basically gone out the window.

The slight glimmer of hope that remains is that the Rangers out-shot the Kings in Game 3, 32-15.  How's it possible to have that kind of advantage in shots on goal (and likely possession as well) and come away with nothing?

Jonathan Quick.

I've called him overrated.  The media has said that he hasn't brought his best to any of the series the Kings have been in.

And yet, the Kings have a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final because Jonathan Quick refused to let anything past him, despite the 2-to-1 margin in shots on goal.

For Quick to have a shutout at this stage of the playoffs says a lot about him and a lot about the team in general.  Despite not being able to score goals for most of the regular season (something that only began to pick up with the acquisition of Marian Gaborik, but was really only felt after Game 3 of the first round), and not looking good in general, the Kings are on the precipice of their second Stanley Cup in three years.

This could very well be the beginning of something quite interesting on the West Coast.  Or maybe that was 2012, and 2014 is the continuation of that intriguing beginning.

But assuming Quick doesn't do something stupid like give up five goals in Game 4, this series is o-v-e-r.

Los Angeles leads 3-0.  Game 4 is Wednesday.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 45

Back to NYC we go.

Game 2: NY Rangers vs. Los Angeles.

I can't help but think that despite the hole the Rangers currently find themselves in, it's really not that bad.

I know, they're down 2-0 going back to MSG.  Lundqvist has given up eight goals.  The defense, especially Dan Girardi, is not up to snuff.

But come on.  This series is dead even in every aspect excepts wins and losses.

People can bang the gloom & doom drum all they want, but if they do they're obviously ignoring the fundamental fact of this series: both games so far went into overtime.  Game 2 went into double overtime.  Do the Kings really have an advantage other than the even more obvious 2-0 lead?

They sure as hell don't.

There may have been questionable calls in Game 2.  What I notice from watching the highlights is that the first and fourth Kings goals were awfully fluky.

Not only that, it's not like the Rangers packed up their tent when they led 4-2 in the second period.  They had bonafide chances in the 3rd and both overtime periods.  The puck just didn't go in the net.

This series so far has not been characterized by one team pummeling the other.  It's been even.  The Kings have made two plays, one in OT off a terrible turnover, and one fluke in double OT that just happened to go in.

It just so happens that those plays are the ones that determine that it's 2-0 for the Kings.

Of course, now it's incumbent on the Rangers to realize that, yes, they're still in the series.

I realize this is a bit of a swerve from a previous view in which I declared Montreal out of the series after going down 2-0.  But let's face it, that series between the Rangers and Canadiens was not like this one.

At any rate, the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final have been incredible. I just hope they can keep up the pace in Games 3 & 4.

Los Angeles leads 2-0.  Game 3 is Monday.

Another scheduling quirk: one day off between games when travel is involved, after a double OT game.  Yeah, I don't get it either.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 44

The Stanley Cup Final begins.  And what do you know, it didn't end 1-0!

Game 1: NY Rangers vs. Los Angeles.

Not only was there more than one goal scored, but the game went to overtime as well.

An exciting beginning to a series that looks like it'll be more than just the Kings dominating.

In fact, in an interesting turn of events, the Rangers were the ones who came out strong.  They had two goals in the first period and led 2-1 afterward.

Of course, that lead wasn't going to last.  Hell, they were up 2-0 in the first period and that lasted a few minutes at most.

Drew Doughty scored the equalizer in the second period.  The Rangers couldn't manage a response and Quick saved all the shots on goal after the first.

This obviously became a problem in the third; neither team scored and that took the game into overtime.

Around five minutes into the OT period, Justin Williams scored the game-winner.  I don't know how the Rangers allowed this.  In fact, when the goal was scored, I openly questioned how they could let him score, of all people. Surely they saw what he had done in the seventh game of the prior series LA had played.  They had to know that he's a big-game guy and was looking to make his mark once again.

Alas, it was not to be.  And while the Rangers lost and are down 1-0 in the series, they proved that it's not going to be a runaway.  Even if their offense gets shut down for long amounts of time, they still have a solid defense and one of the best goaltenders in the NHL behind it.

Los Angeles leads 1-0.  Game 2 is Saturday.

Yup, more unnecessary days off when there's no travel between games.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 43

Stanley Cup Final, here we come.

Game 7: Los Angeles vs. Chicago.

And it's Chicago who finishes in third place.  Or tied for third.  Whichever.

Either way, it's a disappointing result for a team that fought back from being down 3-1 against a team that probably should have won this series in five games.

Of course, what compounds the disappointment is the fact that the Blackhawks ran out to a 3-2 lead and then led 4-3 after two periods.  Had they been able to hold that lead, everything would have been fine.

Either that, or find a way to score a fifth goal in regulation.

Since neither of those things happened, Kings D Alex Martinez put his stamp on the series by ending it.

It's not all bad for the Blackhawks.  Patrick Sharp found his form after scuffling for a series or two.  Brandon Saad, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews are obviously great and should continue on that route.

But let's face it, this team was undone by Corey Crawford.  Or the defense who allowed shots to get past them and to Crawford.  I honestly don't know which is the more guilty party at this point.

I'm tempted to just stick it all on Crawford, 2013 performance be damned. Because you know what?  There wasn't an empty-netter in this game and the Blackhawks were ahead for pretty much all of it.

I guess I'm disappointed, mostly.  My hope was to see a rematch of Chicago and Boston in the Stanley Cup Final.  Neither team will be there.  Instead we get the fifth-best team in the East and the sixth-best team in the West.

I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that these teams are from the two biggest media markets in the entire country.

Nah, that couldn't have anything to do with it.

My enthusiasm for the Final dimmed, I shall continue on.

Los Angeles wins the series 4-3.  They move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

Later today...you're kidding, right?  The Stanley Cup Final starts on Wednesday.  Thankfully, only two days off before continuing.  But those dog days of summer are just getting closer.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 42

While the Rangers wait, the series in the West goes to Game 7.

Game 6: Chicago vs. Los Angeles.

For once, it's pretty easy to tell who won this game and why.

Patrick Kane was the best player in Game 6, without a doubt.  He scored two goals (including the game-winner) and had an incredible assist that helped Duncan Keith score the game-tying goal.

His impact was most strongly felt in the third period.

In watching the highlights, it seemed almost inevitable.

Of course, at the beginning, things were not so rosy.  And in the third period, they got a bit bleak.  Crawford, as usual, gave up a couple soft goals.  But then he righted the ship and once Kane scored the winner, it was over.

Yup, even with nearly four minutes left.

The Kings were quite strong in a game that could have propelled them to the Stanley Cup Final.  They took the lead in the first and third periods, and probably would have held it if Kane hadn't gone into clutch hero mode.

Now the series shifts back to Chicago.  I would say that the Blackhawks hold an advantage...but I'm not entirely sure that they do.  Despite giving up four goals last night, Jonathan Quick has been incredibly tough to beat in elimination games.  Crawford, on the other hand, has a tendency to give up goals.  He's been strong at times in these playoffs, but his inconsistency may be a problem.

The series is tied 3-3.  Game 7 is Sunday.

Later today...there are no games.  The Rangers get to wait a little longer to find out who they'll play in the Stanley Cup Final.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 41

One series ends, and that nagging light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter.

Game 6: Montreal vs. NY Rangers.

I guess the best thing about this game was how obvious its "three stars" were/are.

It was a 1-0 win for the Rangers, so obviously, the goal scorer and both goaltenders were going to be celebrated.

I'm not questioning this tack at all.  Dominic Moore, Henrik Lundqvist, and Dustin Tokarski were quite obviously the best players on the ice.  I'm sure some will argue for Ryan McDonagh, as he's on a tear and had an assist leading to the only goal, or Brian Boyle, who also had an assist.

Surely there are others as well.

While the main thrust of the conversation will center on the Rangers' chances against either team coming out of the West, I'd just like to point one thing out: Tokarski looks like the real deal.  And just like John Gibson in Anaheim, his time is probably sooner rather than later.

The two situations are a lot different.  Carey Price is the starter in Montreal, I'd wager, as soon as he's healthy.  In Anaheim, on the other hand, Jonas Hiller looks to be on his way out and Frederik Andersen was shaky before he got injured.  So I guess if I was doing "Oddsmakers" a la PTI, I'd give Gibson a higher chance of starting in goal for Anaheim in October.  Still, it'd only be about 40% or so.

Given the results, Tokarski was great.  His worst game (in terms of goals allowed) was Game 5, and they won that one.  There's probably some refinement that needs to take place, but for a guy who was literally tossed into the fire, he came out looking quite good.

The Rangers move on to face either Los Angeles or Chicago.  They'll have the dubious advantage of rest, but home-ice is still to be determined.  Lundqvist may not be "standing on his head", per se, but he's head-and-shoulders above the other goaltenders in this year's playoffs.  Even still, it might not matter much as the Kings and Blackhawks just look better overall.  Watching from the beginning of the season as I did, I just got the impression that the West is the stronger conference and that whoever won, while having to fight off a bunch of tough teams, would be holding the Stanley Cup over their heads at the end of it.

NY Rangers win the series 4-2.  They move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

Later today, Game 6 in Los Angeles.  With a win, the Kings move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 40

Facing elimination and succeeding in spite of it.

Game 5: Los Angeles vs. Chicago.

Anyone would assume that tension would be higher throughout an elimination game.  With the Kings leading the series 3-1 and perhaps on their way to a second Stanley Cup Final in three years, the tension was raised to another level that we haven't seen previously.

The result of that is a first period full of craziness.  Five goals were scored in the first and Chicago led 3-2 by the end of it.

It seems like most of Chicago's chances were coming off of rebounds.  Like they couldn't get their initial shots past Quick, but a rebound would occur and then someone would skate in and get a tip-in with little trouble.

Brandon Saad was certainly the beneficiary of one such play.  It was pretty ridiculous, actually.

Patrick Kane had four assists on the night.  No goals and four assists.  That's a hell of a line.

The Kings were up to the challenge, though, and played about as well as could be expected.  They put up two goals in the second period and even held a lead for a little while.

The third period was an uneasy stalemate that took the game to overtime.

And when that wasn't enough, there was a second overtime.  Early in double OT, Kane and Saad got the puck moving into the offensive zone; Handzus was the beneficiary this time as he took a pass and shot a nifty backhand over Quick's left shoulder.

And I thought the first period was nuts.

Los Angeles leads 3-2.  Game 6 is Friday.

Later today, Game 6 in NYC.  With a win, the Rangers move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 39

Here they come again, inconsistent to the end.

Game 5: NY Rangers vs. Montreal.

With a chance to close out the series in five games, what do the Rangers do?

It's hard to imagine the Canadiens scoring seven goals in a single game.  We already know the Rangers can do it, but the more playing time Tokarski gets, the more he looks like a guy who can take the starting job away from the overrated, non-"elite" Carey Price.

So the inconsistent Rangers are suddenly back, although this time they put up four goals in a valiant effort, through two periods, at least.  The third period was where it fell apart, but given the circumstances, I'm not terribly surprised about it.

I guess it's a little weird that they were failed by their goaltending.  Lundqvist gave up four on 19 shots and Cam Talbot wasn't much better, giving up two more on 8 shots.  What I don't like is that Talbot was saddled with the loss; even though he allowed the fifth and sixth goals (the seventh was an empty-netter), they wouldn't have been in that position had Lundqvist not allowed four and gotten pulled in the first place.  Not quite fair, but that's how it goes, I guess.

Chris Kreider tied it up at 4 with a pretty goal off of a great pass by Ryan McDonagh.  McDonagh in particular has been very good in the series, putting up points left and right.  Derek Stepan came back from his broken jaw wearing a mask to cover it and scored two goals with little problem.

Of course, the player of the game was Montreal's Rene Bourque.  He had a hat trick on four shots.  He also got into it with the Rangers' Derek Dorsett at the end of the game and was assessed a game misconduct penalty in addition to a major for cross checking.

Tokarski was the other bright spot for the Canadiens.  Once they went up 5-4, he held firm.  Giving up four goals isn't the best way to go out, but hey, he won the game and has been solid since Game 3.

NY Rangers lead 3-2.  Game 6 is Thursday.

Later today, Game 5 in Chicago.  With a win, Los Angeles moves on to the Stanley Cup Final.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 38

And just like that, both series are now 3-1.

Game 4: Chicago vs. Los Angeles.

I guess I got fooled by the fact that Chicago just won the Cup last season, that despite their rather mediocre 2013-2014 campaign, that they'd somehow "turn it on" and blast through the Western conference on their way to another appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

If this is going to happen, well, it'll be a whole lot more difficult than anybody thought it would.

Starting out in a 3-0 hole is always bad.  Two of the three goals were scored on the power play, which indicates that penalties were taken, and that the Kings were ready to take advantage.

Of course, it also indicates that Corey Crawford was probably not on his game. He certainly wasn't showing the form that he did in 2013 when they were making that run.

Crawford gave up another one in the second period.  The Kings scored in the third on an empty-netter that capped it off and destroyed whatever comeback attempt Chicago had in the works.

Saad and Bickell scored for Chicago.  The main problem seems to be that their main offensive threats can't get going at the same time.  In Game 3, Toews was practically on fire, but nobody else put it in the net.  Last night, no one else was up to the task other than Saad and Bickell.

It's frustrating for me because I was hoping to see Chicago win the West and hopefully play Boston in the Final.  Obviously, that isn't happening, but it may be that neither team will be there.

My main problem with the idea of Chicago winning this series in seven? Jonathan Quick.  He hasn't been off his game since Game 4 of the first-round series against San Jose, practically.  And even if it gets to a Game 7...I dunno, I just don't see it happening this year.

Los Angeles leads 3-1.  Game 5 is Wednesday.

Later today, Game 5 in Montreal.  With a win, the NY Rangers move on to the Stanley Cup Final.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 37

The third round continues in the east.  People say it's a series thanks to the result of Game 3.  I wasn't so keen on that.

Game 4: Montreal vs. NY Rangers.

The Rangers had a couple of days to stew over the OT loss in Game 3 that had most people frothing at the mouth about how it was "a series" again.

As opposed to the beatdown that it had been before that.

Despite Montreal playing fairly well yesterday, I think we can once again dispel the flimsy notion that this is a series.  Since Carey Price went out, it's basically been a wait-and-see until the Rangers picked up their four wins and moved on.

That said, I still don't think Price would have made much of a difference.

At any rate, Game 4 was another exciting one that went to OT and also happened to go the Rangers' way (just as I had hoped).

Carl Hagelin had a goal in the first (a shorty, no less) and assisted on the OT winner.  He was the second star of the game for his effort.  The first, of course, was Martin St. Louis, who scored the game-winner.

Derick Brassard returned from injury in this game and had a beautiful goal in the second period.  Lundqvist played the puck in the trapezoid behind the goal out to Dan Girardi, who skated toward his own blue line before noticing that he had a man in open ice ready to do something.  That man was Brassard, and after Girardi rifled a very nice pass to him, Brassard rushed on net and buried a shot past Montreal's goaltender.

Words don't really capture it, though.  Click on "Boxscore" and watch for yourself!

NY Rangers lead 3-1.  Game 5 is Tuesday.

Later today, Game 4 in Los Angeles.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 36

One series may have taken a turn.  Maybe not for the better, either.

Game 3: Chicago vs. Los Angeles.

The 1st period was great for the Blackhawks.  Their captain, Jonathan Toews, put in a short-handed goal and another at even-strength.  It was 2-1 at the end and things were looking good.  Or great.  Either or.

And from then on, it just kinda flopped.

They didn't score again until there were five seconds remaining in the third period.  So basically, the game was over midway through the third.  At least, if it hadn't ended in the second.

After a troublesome third period in Game 2 in which Crawford and the defense had a bad time of it, Crawford's performance in Game 3 was not a whole lot better.  He saved 28-of-32, but four goals allowed won't win many games for you, especially when the offense is shut down for practically two-thirds of the game.

Also, other than Toews, nobody else really put their imprint on the game, including the returning Andrew Shaw.  Patrick Sharp had the third goal late in the third, which could be meaningful as the series moves on.

It probably bugs Chicago that they were taken out last night by guys who probably weren't expected to be producing.  Two of the goals were scored by defensemen, Voynov and Doughty.  Gaborik and Kopitar had seven shots combined, but no points.  Jeff Carter scored as well, coming off his hat trick in the previous game.

At this point I wonder if it was just a bad day, or something more.  I'm inclined to believe that they just couldn't get the chances they needed against Quick; they were close, but not quite there.  That's what the score tells me, but seeing so much time elapse between goals might signify something else.

The shots on goal were fairly even, so I don't think it's the "puck possession" that so many rave about that was the difference.

Los Angeles leads 2-1.  Game 4 is Monday.

What, no unnecessary days off this time?  Apparently not.

Later today, Game 4 in NYC.  A Rangers win would give them a 3-1 lead and would calm down this nonsense that it's actually a series.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 35

Just when you think something's going the way you want it...yeesh.

Game 3: Montreal vs. NY Rangers.

Of course Game 3 went to overtime.  And of course, the Rangers lost after less than two minutes in OT.

The game was really a bit wacky.  Montreal's goaltender Tokarski was stopping pretty much everything in sight.  He had to, since the Rangers had a huge advantage in shots on goal.  Usually, that kind of advantage leads to a win.

Sorry, not last night.

Then the third period rolled around and things just got wackier.  Daniel Briere was credited for a goal he likely had nothing to do with.  And then the Rangers responded by shooting one in off of Alexei Emelin.

'Cause, y'know, fair's fair and whatnot.

Chris Kreider was given the credit for that one, but who knows if it actually went off his stick before hitting Emelin's skate?  Well, it sure looked that way on replay, but hell if I know.

There were also penalties galore.  Well, mostly on Carcillo, who apparently thought that pushing a linesman away is cool with the NHL.  It isn't, and he'll likely be suspended, although if you watch the video carefully it's...not exactly a violent motion on Carcillo's part.  Of course, it occurs multiple times.

One penalty that wasn't called involved a blatant and unnecessary hit by Brandon Prust on Derek Stepan.  It was kinda like Seabrook's hit on David Backes when Chicago played St. Louis in the first round, except this one was in open ice, so the boards weren't involved.

People will now say that it's a series.  Maybe it is.  Personally, I doubt it, especially if the Rangers sack up and win Game 4.  Which they ought to, since Tokarski can't stop everything.

Either that, or Tokarski can stop everything and this one's going seven.

I really hope that doesn't happen.

NY Rangers lead 2-1.  Game 4 is Sunday.

I love it when teams get two days off when no travel is involved whatsoever.

And then I imagine how the summer will be with no basketball and no hockey, and I just effing shudder.

Later today...you guessed it: no games, again.  Game 3 in Chicago is on Saturday.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 34

A resumption of action on Day 34 after a short break.

And here we go into some craziness.

Game 2: Los Angeles vs. Chicago.

Five goals in the third period.

That's what this game comes down to.  The second period ended with Chicago leading 2-1.  And then the Kings exploded in the third, putting up four on Crawford and an empty-netter to complete Jeff Carter's hat trick.

How does something like this happen?

Honestly, i have no clue.

Maybe part of it has to do with Crawford, who does seem prone to these sorts of breakdowns.  Or maybe it was the defense not being in the right position to stop some of these shots before they even got to the goaltender.

In any case, the result is this: a series that should have been 2-0 with Chicago in control is now 1-1 and it looks like it could go seven when it probably should have ended in five.

It's a huge turning point.  I just hope that Chicago can come back and acquit themselves better in Game 3, from beginning to end.

It's surprising to me that such an offensively limited team like the Kings can all of a sudden catch fire and put up such a large number.  Perhaps the most surprising part of it is that Kopitar wasn't involved in the scoring and Marian Gaborik had one assist and no goals.

If they're not leading the charge and Chicago is getting hammered, oh, boy, could that be problematic.

But then again, if Crawford returns to the form he's been showing lately, such an outburst likely won't be seen again and Chicago will move on comfortably.

Nah, it'll probably go to seven.

The series is tied 1-1.  Game 3 is Saturday.

Later today, Game 3 in NYC.  The Rangers are shooting for a commanding 3-0 lead.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 33

The third round continues in the east in Day 33.

Game 2: NY Rangers vs. Montreal.

After the beatdown in Game 1, I figured Montreal would be a bit feistier in Game 2.  Then the news came down that goaltender Carey Price would be out the rest of the series.

It didn't look like it was going to be that competitive anyway, but with Price out of the equation I don't think Montreal has a chance in hell.

Still, after giving up four goals in two periods, it's not like Price was playing like an "elite" goaltender in Game 1 anyway.  Alas, the media has rushed to judgment yet again, trying to anoint him merely because Boston choked away a 3-2 lead.

At any rate, the Rangers didn't play quite as well yesterday, and yet they still had a comfortable win in which they weren't seriously challenged.

Lundqvist had another banner night, giving up one goal on 41 shots.  I'm not sure how he does it, but it's obvious that he's the "elite" goaltender in this matchup.

Ryan McDonagh continued putting points up, collecting a goal and an assist on the night.  Derek Stepan was another big contributor with two assists.

Both teams scored early in the first.  Once the Rangers went up 2-1, and definitely when they went up 3-1, it seemed like the game was sewn up.

NY Rangers lead 2-0.  Game 3 is Thursday.

Later today...there are no games, again!

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 32

The third round began in the (mid?) west yesterday.  So let's get to it!

Game 1: Los Angeles vs. Chicago.

The conference final got off to a roaring start, though the result and the way it got there might be a bit unexpected.

Before the series started, I thought it could turn on the battle between Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford.  I think the best of those two will see their team to victory.

Since it was 3-1 and no empty-netters were scored, it's obvious that Crawford got the better of the first matchup.

Of course, the Kings didn't make it easy on Crawford.  In the second period alone, Crawford faced 17 shots.  He stopped 16 of them.

Duncan Keith scored in the second period as well.  That goal gave the Blackhawks a lead they did not relinquish.

Part of the problem for the Kings in the third period was that they didn't generate many good chances.  They only had four shots on goal and failed to make anything of the power play that they started the period with or the one they got about three minutes in.

Tyler Toffoli, who scored in the second, had an excellent chance on a breakaway, but the puck went off the post.  And that was that, pretty much.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews received a pass from Johnny Oduya late in the third and put it home for the 3-1 lead.  It was a masterful play led by Hossa, who streaked toward the left circle before dropping the puck to Oduya, who made an excellent pass.

I fully expect Quick and the Kings' defense to be tougher next time out.  That said, it's not like the Blackhawks had it too easy; shots on goal and good chances weren't exactly easy to come by.  It was a breakdown in Chicago's end that allowed the third goal.

At any rate, both teams now get a couple of days off.  Adjustments are sure to be made.

Chicago leads 1-0.  Game 2 is Wednesday.

Later today, Game 2 in Montreal.  Should be tougher this time out, right?

Either that, or the Rangers will put up 9.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 31

The third round began in earnest yesterday in the east.  Surprisingly, it was a beatdown.  Certainly not the result I expected.

Game 1: NY Rangers vs. Montreal.

Another surprising fact about this series?  Montreal has home-ice.  I should have known that since I've been following the NHL all season.

And yet, here we are.

The Rangers put up seven goals in an offensive explosion.  The first four were scored on Carey Price, who was pulled for Peter Budaj.  Another surprise? Budaj didn't fare much better than Price.  In fact, considering that he only saved five of eight shots on goal, he may well have been worse.

Over the last couple of days, it has been made mention again how Price is an "elite" goaltender, or some such.  The fact is that he continues to be overrated and a game like this reveals the truth quite harshly.

Hell, I barely even need to say anything.  Four goals and pulled?  That pretty much says it all.

Henrik Lundqvist, on the other hand, continues to be spectacular.  Two goals given up and another 20 saves for what has to be the best remaining goaltender in the playoffs.  Some may argue for Quick and his record in elimination games, especially in 2014.  It's worthy either way, but I'll go with Lundqvist.

Ryan McDonagh was the star for the Rangers, putting up a goal and three assists.  Martin St. Louis put up a goal, as did Rick Nash.  It's important for all three to continue to play well.

One problem might be if Derick Brassard misses time.  He left the game early and his status for Game 2 is yet to be determined.  Considering how much he, Pouliot, and Zuccarello were owning the Pens in Games 5-7, it's probably important to the Rangers to keep that line intact if at all possible.

Obviously, the result of this one pleases me greatly.  However, I don't expect this to be a cakewalk.  I'm sure Montreal will come out stronger in the next game; they might have lost home-ice already, but they sure as hell don't want to go down 0-2, especially if the Rangers' offense is clicking.

Given that seven different guys scored for the Rangers, it seems likely that their offense is on track.  But hey, who knows what could happen in Game 2, even?

NY Rangers lead 1-0.  Game 2 is Monday.

Later today, the third round begins in Chicago.  Another afternoon game.