The NHL finished off the last month of 2013 with style. Down the stretch there was some high quality hockey being played with many individuals stepping up.
Great month of hockey, weak month of 24/7. Oh well
It also looks like there will be some close playoff races down the road that should make up for some intense hockey down the line.
The second month of an NHL season can tell you a lot about where teams are headed. You can figure out which hot starts were flukes and which struggling teams got it together. It's a month where, though it's still early, playoff pictures start becoming clearer.
Well November was rather busy so let's get going.
STANDINGS These are strictly the standings through this month. The standings of the entire season so far can always be found here.
Records are as of 11/28/13
EAST
Atlantic
Boston Bruins- 8-3-2; 18 points
Tampa Bay Lightning- 8-4-1; 17 points
Detroit Red Wings- 5-3-5; 15 points
Montreal Canadiens- 6-4-2; 14 points
Ottawa Senators- 6-5-2; 14 points
Florida Panthers- 4-7-3; 11 points
Toronto Maple Leafs- 4-5-2; 10 points
Buffalo Sabres- 3-8-0; 6 points
Metropolitan
New York Rangers- 8-5-0; 16 points
Washington Capitals- 7-4-2; 16 points
Philadelphia Flyers- 7-4-2; 16 points
Pittsburgh Penguins- 7-5-1; 15 points
Carolina Hurricanes- 6-5-2; 14 points
New Jersey Devils- 6-6-1; 13 points
Columbus Blue Jackets- 4-7-3; 11 points
New York Islanders- 4-9-0; 8 points
Los Angeles Kings- 7-2-3; 17 points
Anaheim Ducks- 7-4-2; 16 points
San Jose Sharks- 6-2-3; 15 points
Phoenix Coyotes- 6-3-2; 14 points
Vancouver Canucks- 3-4-4; 10 points
Edmonton Oilers- 4-7-0; 8 points
Calgary Flames- 3-7-2; 8 points 2 SURPRISE GOOD TEAMS Some teams rose above expectations
ST. LOUIS BLUES
For years now, the St. Louis Blues have been one of the best defensive teams in the league. The usual issue with them was that their offense wasn't clicking. They would always be at the top of the league with the best Goals Against per game with their sterling goaltending combination and their fine defensive corps.
But this year, the St. Louis Blues are the second best team in terms of putting the puck in the net. Alexander Steen has broken out as a superstar, something Blues fans were literally waiting for. Him and the newly named SOB line (including Steen, TJ Oshie, and David Backes) have combined for 72 points so far this season. Their goaltending continues to be great and their defense has been excellent as well, including good play by veteran Jay Bouwmeester that may just earn him a spot on the Canadian Olympic roster.
The Blues have been getting stronger year by year, getting better along the way and gaining playoff experience. There were many people who felt that if it weren't for being matched up with the Los Angeles Kings last year, they would have gone on to win the Stanley Cup.
They fell in that physical series to the Kings, a team built for the playoffs.
But people once again feel the Blues have what it takes to finally win a Stanley Cup. And after a month like this, they have a good shot.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Yes, I know the Flyers barely went .500 this month and they're still technically out of playoff contention.
But 2 things: they play in the god-awful Metropolitan division and they started off the year 1-7.
You have to hand it to these guys who got it together and are relevant in playoff discussions early on. They strung together a bunch of wins and are now right in the mix in the Metro.
Claude Giroux has finally got things together and leads the team with 16 points. Brayden Schenn has stepped up and supplied the team with quality play. Goalie Steve Mason has quietly put together some solid statistics and there may finally be goalie consistency in Philadelphia.
So there's the question of what happened to this team that appeared to be destined to finish in the cellar of the league.
There are three things that occurred right around the time they started picking up their play.
One move is that they fired coach Peter Laviolette after just three games, and while the change to coach Craig Berube didn't cash in immediately, he should deserve some credit for turning this season around.
Another incident was the Philly-Washington fight night and I'll discuss this more in depth later on. It's not too likely to have sparked the turnaround but it showed that this team still had some fight in them.
And lastly, they traded Max Talbot to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Steve Downie. Before leaving Colorado, Downie was putting together a nice year and was on a pretty productive line for the Avs with Jamie McGinn and Paul Stastny. It was odd to see the Avalanche giving up on him so easily and ever since arriving in Philly, Downie has really played well in his third line role, specifically picking up Matt Read's play. It's not a transaction that completely transformed the team, but it's one of those deals that really benefited the team in several different ways.
There's no telling if this team will continue sticking around or if they'll go back to the bottom of the league but their play this month deserved some recognition.
2 SURPRISE BAD TEAMS Some teams just weren't as good as we hoped
EDMONTON OILERS
The Edmonton Oilers struggled this month, just picking up- wait, what's that? I already used the Oilers in this section last month? Uch damnit. I really like bashing the Oilers here. At least they got Ilya Bryzgalov back in the NHL.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Remember last year when the Islanders made it to the playoffs and pushed the Penguins to six games and we all acted as if we KNEW this were inevitable and the Islanders would just continue growing stronger and better?
Me too.
They're in last place of the worst division in the NHL.
So what's going on with this team? A team where we claimed John Tavares was the best in the league and was going to lead them to the promise land. A team where they had an incredible amount of talented prospects and young players, just waiting to make it to the big leagues. A team that just traded for star Thomas Vanek, proving they were invested to win it this year.
What the hell is going on?
Well Tavares is playing very well, the supporting cast is doing alright, and Vanek is trying to get things going. I feel that losing Matt Moulson (who they traded for Vanek) really made a hole in this team and they're trying to get things going without him. Another big issue is goaltending. Evgeni Nabokov is not giving this team the reliable play he gave them last year when they made it to the post season. Kevin Poulin, who is projected to eventually be the Islander's backstop, hasn't shown too much either. This Islander team is one that simply needs dependable goaltending and they've just not received it.
The one bright spot for this club is that Frans Nielsen has finally realised that he needs people's attention if he wants to finally win the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward. He has 22 points and is once again amongst the league's favourites to win that trophy.
UMMMM. RIGHT...
So I can't really think of another "surprise bad" team. Glancing through this past month, the poor teams played poorly and the good teams played well. Because of that, I'm just going to throw in anothe surprise good team.
MINNESOTA WILD
This team was my third choice for a surprise good team so it's a good thing I couldn't think of a bad team, opening a spot for these guys.
The Wild have been one of the best feel-good stories this year. They have many hard working, likable players (yes, aside from Matt Cooke and Dany Heatley). Zach Parise has been playing well and oh my god Ryan Suter plays half of every game without slowing down. Homegrown talent Mikko Koivu is playing well and Mikael Granlund has looked good so far.
But what kind of Minnesota Wild love-fest would this be if I didn't bring up Josh Harding. After an injury to starting goalie Niklas Backstrom, inspiration and fan favourite Josh Harding took over and simply sparkled.
As everyone knows, Harding was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis last year and played a full season as Backstrom's backup and even started in the playoffs for the Wild after Backstrom went down. Harding won the Masterton Award for persevering and everyone was gushing over how inspiring he was. Puck Daddy had a good write up at the time.
Well this year Harding is third in the league in SV% and wins and 2nd in the league in GAA. Needless to say people continue to gush over him, and how can you not? Not only is the dude playing through a debilitating illness, he's thriving with it.
Harding went down with an injury during warmups and is now day-to-day with leg spasms.
It's no question Harding's story is fueling this team. They need him back in net soon to keep this magic going.
TOP 5 MOMENTS The moments that impressed, humoured, and enriched us 5) Anze Kopitar is a Magician
December 27, 2010 Anze Kopitar floated up a Hail Marry to Dustin Brown for an incredible goal. People were amazed at Kopitar's precision and style. Well, Koptiar was at it again earlier this month against the Devils.
Kopitar, from his own end, lofted the puck from his backhand and it went into the net. Not only did it go in, it was almost dead centre. That thing was perfect. It would have won the intermission contest at Devil games, it was so accurate.
4) Jaromir Jagr Historic Goal
This overtime goal against the Kings, not only put the Devils in a playoff spot for the first time all year, but it also had a lot of meaning for the guy who scored it, Jaromir Jagr.
This goal tied Jagr in ninth place for goals all time with former teammate Mario Lemieux at 690. It also tied him for the all time lead in game winning goals with Gordie Howe at 121.
This play just meant a lot to everyone.
3) The Moment You Saw the Buffalo Sabre's Third Jersey
*vomit*
When the Sabres released images of the new third jerseys, let's just say we all knew what was coming. They may have been the worst NHL jerseys ever. From the different-coloured front and backs to the odd grey on the armpit. To the random "Buffalo" above the logo..
Yikes.
These jerseys should be gone soon (hopefully). Just be happy that in the future, you'll remember where you were when you first saw it.
2) Nutty Goal in Columbus
Ya. You just saw that.
First there's Nikita Nikitin comically flopping on his shot attempt while not even making contact with the puck.
Then Artem Anisimov just chops at the puck and it, again, comically flutters up in the air.
As if that wasn't enough, Montreal forward Danny Briere deflects the stick way up in the air.
While the puck is airbourn, Douglas Murray knocks Jared Boll down in the crease, Goalie Peter Budaj falls to the ice all before the puck came crashing down, bounces in the crease twice and then mercifully entering the cage.
1) Helmet Pardy
When fans get involved in the action, let's just say that the fan doesn't suit to well. Just ask Rob Ray or Tie Domi.
But there was an incident with a fan in the Chicago Blackhawks-Winnipeg Jets game that was just kind of entertaining for everyone.
The inebriated Blackhawks fan rips the helmet off of forward Adam Pardy and puts it on. Then some girl next to him unloads her $7.50 beer on Pardy.
At the time, we all sort of laughed. Pardy didn't take exception and nobody got hurt so everything was fine.
But then the Winnipeg fans, aka the best fans in the league (see spot number 2 on this list), decided to go all out on this and decided to start a promotion for the next Chicago-Winnipeg game in Winnipeg- for all fans to wear helmets!
The Jets organization, however, caught wind of the humourous plans and decided to put a stop to it. TOP 5 OBSERVATIONS 5) New Leg Pad Rule = More Kick Saves
The NHL during the offseason made new restrictions on goalie leg pad sizes. The league felt goalies were relying too much on the size of their equipment so they cut down on the size, trying to create more offense and trying to create more goalies who make saves rather than just stop pucks.
Well they must be successful because this past month we've seen many unbelievable kick saves. Let's go through some of them.
We'll start with an incredible toe save by James Reimer against the Vancouver Canucks.
If the league didn't change around the equipment rule, would these saves still have been made?
Probably.
But the athleticism on these stops brings up the question if the previous leg pad size was restricting some of this movement and perhaps preventing us from seeing this type of work.
4) Cam Janssen Sparks the Devils
Until this season, Cam Janssen's stats went like this:
312 NHL games (across 8 NHL seasons), 3 goals, 8 assists, and 752 penalty minutes.
The New Jersey Devils were starting off slow so they figured they'd call up Cam to the lineup from the AHL to try to create a spark.
It took Cam 1 game to get on the scoresheet. It took him 2 games to get there again.
Yup, Cam Janssen's first three games resulted in 2 goals on 3 shots with just 13 minutes of total ice time combined. The Devils went 2-0-1 in those three games and sparked a nice groove that put the Devils back into playoff contention after the weak start.
It was nice to see the enforcer get some goals when his team needed him. I'm a big fan of keeping fighting in the league so whenever the tough guy gets a goal or two it strengthens our side that they deserve a spot in the league.
3) Semyon Varlamov is (Potentially) a Moron
Let me paint a picture for you. Semyon Varlamov started off as a solid young goalie for the Washington Capitals organization before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a hefty first and second rounder. At the time people considered it to be one of the most odd trades in hockey. Sending two high picks away for an unproven goalie.
Varlamov was solid the next couple of years but, at long last, began putting up great numbers this season.
The sky was the limit for Varlamov. He was leading the Avalanche to an unexpected hot start and people were giving Varly all the credit he deserved from his stellar play. The Avs were playing great hockey and people saw them reaching the playoffs and maybe more. He was also the early leader for the Vezina Trophy for the league's best goalie a year after fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky won it.
Varlamov was also playing his way towards a spot on the Russian Olympic team in a year that the games are being held in Russia.
Everything was great.
Until Semyon Varlamov was arrested for assault.
Ever since, it's just been hectic as Varlamov continues to travel, play, and excel with his team but people are just waiting for the hammer to come crashing down. Varlamov's actions can lend him up to two years in jail, thus taking away the Avs, the awards, the fame, and the Olympics.
His hearing for third degree assault is set for December 2nd. Varlamov's camp is still saying he's innocent but we'll see what the jury has to say.
But if Varlamov gets in any kind of trouble here, he can kiss his promising breakout year goodbye.
2) The End of the Shootout?
Last month the GM's held a meeting and one topic was what they were going to do with the shootout. Detroit GM, and noted shootout hater, Ken Holland proposed yet again to get rid of the sideshow by adding a 3 on 3 overtime after the 4 on 4 one. He said that he's starting to get more support and the shootout opponents (myself included) hope he continues his fight for the good of the league.
Well the idea of 3 on 3 hockey reared it's promising head less than a month later.
After 2 minors in overtime, the Devils and Kings had a full 2 minutes to show off the idea.
The play was pretty solid with teams being tentative with the puck at first before things really broke open. What it showed was that eventually there would be a goal. It's inevitable with this play for 5 straight minutes. Players get tired and players take advantage of mistakes (Jaromir Jagr scored almost immediately after coming out of the box).
It's a better way to decide games than the shootout is and if this doesn't get the NHL thinking, I don't know what will.
1) We All Miss Steven Stamkos
If you're a hockey fan, that's tough to watch. Arguably the best player in the NHL, Steven Stamkos, goes down hard and breaks his tibia.
Let's think of how this is bad.
-Stamkos and the Lightning were at the top of the division when this occurred. True, one person does not make a team but you can't argue that Lightning will keep up their incredible play without one of the top players in the league. This injury hurts the Tampa Bay Lightning.
-Stamkos was in the lead for the Scoring Tittle when this occurred. Stamkos, since joining the NHL has been a goal scoring machine. He puts up numbers with his speed, hockey sense, and incredible shot. With Stamkos out for a considerable amount of time, there's no way he'll keep up with the scoring race. This injury hurts the scoring title race.
-Steven Stamkos is perhaps the most exciting player in the NHL to watch. He has the speed, shot, likability, and talent that people love. Year after year he produces and now that he's injured, the NHL misses out on this incredible asset. He plays the game the way it's meant to be played; notice how his injury came when he was rushing back to his own zone, a good defensive play. That's the type of player Stamkos is. People love watching him play the game. Now they'll have to go on without seeing him. This injury hurts the NHL.
-Steven Stamkos is Canadian.
This injury hurts the Canadian Olympic team.
Anyway, I had this whole thing planned out where I was going to write how bad it was for the league and hockey fans everywhere that Stamkos, was out long term with a terrible leg injury that required surgery.
But then he was seen walking. Without a cast. Without a boot. Without crutches. As Puck Daddy reported.
Is this guy even human?!?
He vows to be back at some point this season and many think he can work his way back in time for the Olympics in January.
That would be simply unbelievable.
BIGGEST STORY OF THE MONTH The one occurrence that shook the hockey world.
Let's just say that Semyon Varlamov shouldn't be the only NHL goalie that gets charged with assault this month...
One evening in the beginning of November the Philadelphia Flyers decided that enough was enough and jumped the Washington Capitals while trailing 7 goals in the third period because that's what the Flyers do.
Included in that scrum was a goalie fight assault between goalie AND NOTED F'ING BOXER Ray Emery and Braden Holtby. Watch as it unfolds.
Ray Emery decided to skate down the ice in the middle of the line brawl just to get some punches in on the unwilling combatant in Holtby.
Holtby kind of has the reputation of being able to be a hot head but Ray Emery's the most experienced goalie fighter EVER. And to the surprise of nobody, once Emery arrived, he had his way with the Capitals netminder.
Now I love fights (and especially goalie fights) as much as the next guy. But this was different. This one just didn't sit right with me. Emery forced Holtby into the situation and took advantage.
Again, this wasn't a fight. It was an assault.
A couple of notes on the fight, though.
First it's that the referee Francois St. Laurent, after trying to pry Emery away, just stood to watch, even after Holtby was taken down and in danger. As Holtby's on the ice, getting hit by rights, you see St. Laurent waiving off Capital players from getting involved to stop the melee. So the fight goes on with all the players on the ice watching and the Capital players trying to get in the middle.
You know what it took to stop the fight?
The two linesmen rushing in to stop it.
Do you know what occurred after three of the four officials were standing next to the goalie fight?
All hell breaking loose.
Once 3 quarters of the officiating staff was used to stop the goalie fight, all the other players threw down the gloves and the rest was history.
Fans wanted Emery suspended. It wasn't going to happen. The rule book technically protected him from that.
So it's understandable that people were a little heated about this.
But what did it for me was that Ray Emery was named the 2nd star of the game.
A game in which he was a goalie in a 7-0 loss.
Obviously, this was overlooked because nobody pays attention to the three stars as it is. But this was pretty absurd. The three stars are either meant to give the home fans a reason to cheer (like giving a home team player with the team's lone goal in a loss the third star) or for recognition (giving Saku Koivu third star in his last game in Montreal earlier this year).
It's not meant to celebrate unwanted behavior on the ice.
Puck Daddy interviewed Flyers reporter Frank Seravalli about this incident and it's worth the listen.
This is a new segment, dedicated to announcer Bob Cole where I give you the top 3 nicest plays of the month.
3) Clarke McCarthur Sweet Pass
Such a nice set up by McCarthur, knowing that the passing lane was blocked so he had to improvise. Good stuff all around.
2) Reto Berra Bicycle Kick Save
Great athleticism and awareness. Might go down as the save of the year.
1) Sidney Crosby and Penguins Powerplay
In a big game, you really need everyone to show up and play well. The Penguins powerplay just needed one to put the game away late in the second and they came up with this beautiful tic-tac-toe play with the sick finish by Sidney Crosby.
A lot can go on in a month of hockey. This post will give a detailed look back at the past month of games, stories, and statistics.
The month of October in the NHL is dying down and it was a busy one. After a shortened season, this month gave us a beautiful streak of hockey where we didn't have to be concerned about falling behind in a quick 48 game schedule. While each game still means a lot, having your team lose 3 straight games this year means a lot less than it did last year, when those three games counted for 6% of the schedule.
Anyway, this month featured a lot of great moments and stories so let's dive in.
In a remarkable turn of events that highlights a potential lack-of-parity that's beginning to arise, the four remaining teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup Finals are the same four teams that lifted the Stanley Cup each in the last four seasons.
(a bit of trivia: this is the first time this has happened since 1984 when the Islanders were in the conference finals (the Islanders had won the Stanley Cup the previous four years!))
But I'll save the lack-of-parity discussion for some other time because right now we have 2 incredible series to break down.
One thing that we were sure of going into this season was that we'd see some sloppy hockey. With a shorter season, late start, and a condensed schedule it was guaranteed that the players were not going to be ready for the physical demands that were necessary.
Especially for a team who stresses an all out style of play.
This 2012-2013 campaign should have been a free ride for several coaches in the NHL. John Tortorella being one of them.
Now Ranger fans were starting to call for Tortorella's head at the beginning of the Washington series after they went down 2 games. But Tortorella got the team going again and came back to win the series in 7. Torts got 0 credit for the comeback.
Then the Rangers were completely flat for five games with Boston and that was that.
Let's look at some statistics, shall we?
In the twelve years under GM Glen Sather, the Rangers have just five playoff victories. Does anyone have any guesses who has the majority of those?
That's right, John Tortorella. With 3 series victories in the last two years. Nobody else has brought even close to the amount of success as Torts has.
Not to mention, his team finished atop the entire Eastern Conference last season.
so long
So what changed in just one year? The Ranger fans went from loving the brutally honest coach to hating him in just one season.
The Rangers still made the playoffs and advanced to the next round after a very solid season. Sure, they underperformed considering the expectations, but then again, the expectations were Stanley Cup or bust this year. How can you blame Tortorella for Richards completely disappearing in the postseason or for Nash to not play like what he is worth.
You see, this season was torture for a Rangers team who have to go all out every game. Their style of hockey DEMANDS great conditioning and practice, two things the Rangers admittedly were missing. Brian Boyle said so himself after they got eliminated that there were guys on the Rangers who were out of shape for much of the year. John Tortorella cannot coach the way he wants with a team like that.
So do the Rangers just can a guy for one year not panning out the way they planned, even if it wasn't a disaster of a season?
I kind of assume that the Rangers just wanted a new guy. Right now there are some available coachs that any team wouldn't mind taking. Alain Vigneault, former Vancouver coach, is a hot commodity being sought after by several teams, as is Lindy Ruff. Dave Tippet may also be available for some teams.
So I hate to say the Rangers are making a mistake here. As a Devils fan, I hate John Tortorella. As a hockey fan, I think he might be one of the best options for the Rangers. And you can ask any 2012 Ranger fan to back me up.
The EA Sports NHL series has been regarded as not only the best sports games on the market but one of the best games around. The yearly game is constantly improving software, graphics, and gameplay to make the games more realistic and more enjoyable for the gamer.
The game has also done a fine job in selecting the cover athlete over the years. They select a player who is regarded as one of the best and most exciting in the game. They take this player and put a great action shot of him on the cover, concisely displaying what the game holds.
Last year, they began a new way to pick the cover athlete. They let the fans decide.
They had voting online in a bracket format and they let the fans pick who advanced.
And that gave us this cover for NHL 13:
The fans pulled through and the voting system was deemed a success, seeing how Giroux was regarded as one of the best players in the league.
So they tried it again this year with a special feature "Twitter Vote Thursdays" and they put the fans to it again.
The finalists:
Yes, that is Martin Brodeur and Sergei Bobrovsky, duking it out for the honour of being the NHL 14 Cover athlete.
Brodeur beat Anze Kopitar, James van Riemsdyk, and Pavel Datsyuk and Bobrovsky defeated Patrick Sharp, Taylor Hall, and John Tavares.
So they both started out against an underrated superstar who gets overshadowed by his surroundings/where he plays (Kopitar/Sharp), went up against a player who plays in Canada who got a ton of votes from the home fans (JVR/Hall), and finally pulled the upset against that one player who's REALLY good and that everyone loves (Datsyuk/Tavares).
Both are 4 seeds.
Both are goalies who missed the playoffs.
The difference here is, do we go with the young goalie who struggled in the past but was great this year or do we go with the veteran who's wonderful career is coming to an end.
Bobs was sick this year and almost got into the postseason which would have been huge for Columbus and the fans. Brodeur missed a lot of the season and, although the team stunk while he was out, wasn't good enough at the end to push them in.
Here's where it gets interesting though.
Sergei Bobrovsky is a free agent this summer and, although he might stay in Columbus, a lot of teams are going after. As far as I know, there has not been an NHL cover athlete who was on a different team when the game came out. I recall the craziness when Brett Favre was on the cover of Madden as a Packers quarterback even though he was acquired by the Jets during the offseason.
But it gets weirder because, as Puck Daddy noted, SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL is going after Bobs also. Imagine having a cover athlete with that player not in the league anymore. How can he possibly represent the NHL while playing in the KHL?
It'll definitely be interesting to see.
And in case anyone is wondering about the cover curse, the last goalie who was on the cover (John Vanbiesbrouck of the Florida Panthers in 1997) posted great numbers. 27-19-10 with a 2.29 GAA and a .919 SV% and received the most votes out of any Eastern Conference player for the All Star game.
Personally, I think Marty will got the nod. His career numbers are incredible, he's liked by 29 NHL teams, and his social media has been gathering votes every second.
On the other hand, there's something inside me that wants Bobrovsky to win. He'll finally be "On the Case"
I hate the New York Rangers with all my might. I enjoy seeing them lose. I enjoy seeing their fans upset. I enjoyed beating them last year (I had to put that in here)
That makes what I'm about to do very difficult for me.
Last year, the Devils were down 3 games to none in the Stanley Cup Finals against the unstoppable, and eventual Stanley Cup champions, Los Angeles Kings.
The Devils did not make it all the way to game 7, but the fight they displayed was definitely something we all can learn from.
It's a difficult mountain to climb. Only 3 teams have done it. The '42 Maple Leafs, the '75 Islanders, and the '10 Flyers were the only ones to accomplish the feat, and there's a reason for that. It's just not expected.
At the time, I was typing away, foolishly filling myself with hope. After their game 4 win, the idea was already strong in my head. And that continued especially after winning game 5.
The Rangers just won game 4 and it's already easy to recognise the similarities of the 2 series.
The Devils first 3 losses consisted of 2 overtime games and one game they got blown out.
The Rangers had 2 one goal losses (one of them in OT) and one game they got blown out.
Game 4 for each was an intense battle of nerves where the rookie who has a knack for playoff hockey shows up again to save the day. Henrique with the game winner with 4 minutes to go in the third and Chris Kreider with the overtime winner.
Same. Exact. Storyline. (aside from home ice advantage. We'll get to that later)
So, as a fan who went through this emotional roller coaster, I will give you some tips.
First, I'll give you the small things the Rangers must do to keep it going.
Then I'll give you advice on how to not go criminally insane during this stretch.
So appreciate this, because honest to god, I hope the Bruins win game 5.
But here's what the Rangers gotta do.
It has come to my attention that the NHL is continuously growing and, thus, gaining new viewers.
I'm the first one to admit that it must be hard to adapt to a new and exciting sport so I'm gonna try to help the newbies out with a list of things to do and not to do during the NHL playoffs, y'know, to make things easier.
Do's:
Do mute Pierre McGuire every time he opens his mouth
Trust me on this one. It'll give you less headaches. Do watch games in your favourite team's jersey for good luck
Sometimes a good superstition can spring a long playoff run. Do cry whenever you see a CBC intro
How can you not?Best vids around.
Do follow @DownGoesBrown on Twitter
For the best tweets around during the postseason. Except for after the Leafs loss. That was pretty awkward. Do feel bad for the goalies going against the Penguins powerplay
32.3%. 32.3 freakin' percent. Doget lost in Henrik Lundqvist's eyes
Again. How can you not?
Do wonder who thought Pierre McGuire was a good man for an announcing job
Also why he's on for the playoffs... Don'ts:
Don't be surprised if forward Raffi Torres gets suspended for a hit to the head
It's essentially an annual event.
Don't watch the NBA playoffs
I promise you the Heat will win.
Don't make the whole world hate you
This tip would have helped this Toronto fan.
Don't yell shoot on when your team is on the powerplay
They're professional NHL players who practice the powerplay everyday. Also, they probably don't have a shooting angle anyway.
*Exception: Ranger fans. They have every right to.
Don't make facebook posts after every goal
Either all your friends are watching or nobody cares. I don't need 30 posts telling me that Ryan Callahan scored. Don't ask a Maple Leafs fan why they aren't in the playoffs anymore Too soon.
Don't resort to crack if your team loses
Especially if you're a Mayor
Don't sarcastically chant the opposing goaltenders name when they're shutting you out
After a goal, I understand. But in the third period when he's stopped 40 out of 41 shots, you're in no position to do so. Don't do school work
I don't even have to write this one out. No time to do it anyway.
Don't blame a loss on a league's conspiracy against your team
We've all heard it before. What makes you so special?
So that's more or less all you need to know about watching playoff hockey.
So empty your DVR, crack open a beer or two, and enjoy the next few weeks.
After a crazy first round, the teams don't exactly have much time to regroup as the second round starts literally the next night. So teams need to regroup as quickly as possible. For some teams it just means resting up. For others it means working up a new game plan. Let's take a look at the matchups.
In a do or die game 7, the rule is to expect the unexpected. The Maple Leafs had years of shame and frustration they had to shake off while the Bruins were trying desperately not to blow a 3-1 series lead.
Who woulda thought, however, that in front of a packed house in the TD Garden, it would be Toronto to go ahead 4-1 and controlling the play.
Yes, with 2 goals by defenseman Cody Franson and helpers by Kessel from Kadri and vice versa, it seemed Toronto was finally going to break out of their slump and cruise to a game 7 victory against their much heated rivals. Even after a Nathan Horton goal cut the lead to 2, things looked pretty grim for the Boston faithful.
In the final few minutes, Bruin fans were parading out of the arena, expecting the Bruins to crumble.
They didn't.
With no more than a minute and a half left, Milan Lucic tipped the puck in as the extra attacker to make it a one goal game (something he also did about 24 hours earlier).
At that point, things started to turn. You sensed the nervous feeling at one end of the ice with the spark of hope going on at the other.
The next play happened pretty quickly. Bruins got the puck deep. Rask went back to the bench. Then the Bruins got the puck and set up. And that's when you knew what was going to happen next.
And because I like talking about them, I figured the Hockey Gods had a hand in this one.
We were either going to see the Maple Leafs win this in overtime, making this win ever so sweet, not only giving the Bruins hope and taking it away, but showing resiliency.
Or
We were going to see the Bruins finish the comeback, continuing the emotional train ride Boston has been in the past few weeks.
And it was all in the Hockey God's hands.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the look of disappointment
A little over five minutes into the extra frame, the Bruins put the game to bed, once and for all.
A couple of shots, a mad scramble, a rebound off of a Maple Leafs' stick, and Patrice Bergeron buries the biscuit into the back of the net, sending the Bruins fans (who stayed) home happy and the many up in Toronto into a state of shock.
So there you have it. One of the best games you will see for another few years, at least.
But this brings up the question.
Was this the Maple Leafs choking on the biggest stage after finally making it to the playoffs or is this the experienced Bruins playing until the final buzzer, never giving up hope. Did James Reimer forget how to stop a puck or did the Bruins' sticks finally find some twine.
And if you think it's the former, I think you're crazy.
Take a step back and ask yourself this.
At the beginning of the season, did you see the Maple Leafs making the playoffs? Did you think they could possibly string together a fine season and get into the postseason for the first time since 2004, let alone the 5 seed in the east?
Now go back a couple of weeks. Toronto's matched up with Boston in the first round. Did you honestly think the young Leafs' team can beat, or even contend with the Bruins in a playoff round? I sure as hell didn't.
Well the Leafs quieted us all with their magical, short-lived playoff run. Not many teams can keep up with the Bruins for 7 games.
And the only thing that stopped the Leafs from actually winning this thing was 10:42 and Patrice Bergeron.
This year's first round was a classic. Every night there seemed to be a slew of great games. We saw big hits, flashy moves, and fast paced, back and forth hockey. There was blood spilled and teeth pulled. But with two game 7's still left to be played, it seems like the hecticness of the first round is coming to an end. So let's take a look at some of the things that made this round special.
In a season where literally anything was possible, hockey
fans were given the unfathomable. It was a season where teams sprung up out of
nowhere to make the playoffs and a season where sure-fire playoff teams had
struggling points. We saw an unimaginable points streak by the Blackhawks and
saw an incredible turnaround by the Washington Capitals. We saw the Red Wings
almost miss the playoffs in the first time in 22 years as the Blue Jackets
threatened to steal a playoff spot in the West. And, of course, we saw the
Islanders and Maple Leafs, two cursed franchises, make the playoffs.
The storylines for this shortened season were endless and in the last couple of
months, we have 16 teams who will battle for the ultimate prize.
These first round matchups should give us some good hockey
so let's jump in.
In a season where literally anything was possible, hockey fans were given the unfathomable. It was a season where teams sprung up out of nowhere to make the playoffs and a season where sure-fire playoff teams had struggling points. We saw an unimaginable points streak by the Blackhawks and saw an incredible turnaround by the Washington Capitals. We saw the Red Wings almost miss the playoffs in the first time in 22 years as the Blue Jackets threatened to steal a playoff spot in the West. And, of course, we saw the Islanders and Maple Leafs, two cursed franchises, make the playoffs.
The storylines for this shortened season were endless and in the last couple of months, we have 16 teams who will battle for the ultimate prize.
These first round matchups should give us some good hockey so let's jump in.
Let me take you back in time to January 1, 2008 to the first Winter Classic taken place in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Bufallo.
The whole game was just a crazy spectacle as the hockey world watched, mouth agape, as two teams battled it out on the slushy ice. And of course who could forget the way it ended, a moment so incredible, even a Philadelphia fan gets goosebumps from it.
This moment was essentially the epitome of what the Winter Classic represented. One game where we can all watch and appreciate where hockey came from and the continuously growing league that we have. The NHL's premiere star, Sidney Crosby, was the centre of attention at the biggest moment. Although it was just the beginning, Sidney Crosby would have many more memories of outdoor games to come (or...maybe he might have some trouble remembering them)
The Winter Classics in the following years showcased different cool matchups and nice storylines. The games continued to give us cool venues for a hockey game and created a lot of buzz for hockey every year around New Years time. It was a time when hockey was as close to the centre of attention as it would be every year.
Last year was the first year where the views dropped down a bit. I broke it down here but essentially contributed it to the fact that it could be getting old. With a Winter Classic every year, now with the Heritage Classic also, we had a cool rivalry but the game lacked a cool storyline or good gameplay.
Well everyone, it's time to purchase a new winter coat and invest in some new ski caps. The NHL just announced there will be 6 outdoor games this coming year.
And I hate them for it.
Jack Edwards is known to be one of the most colourful play-by-play guys in the NHL for NESN up in Boston. He is as big a homer as it gets and clearly cheers for his team during games. Not everyone likes this (especially people in Montreal).
Over the past few years he's come up with memorable lines that have definitely rattled the cage. Personally, I've had mixed feelings on the man.
One night he'd have me in stitches with his jokes and one-liners.
Other nights he'd have me screaming at my TV, cursing his name.
The past few seasons, there have been several biting incidences that have done nothing but aggravated NHL players and fans. They all start the same way and they all end the same way (pretty much)
The way it usually starts is with some sort of post-whistle scrum.
Hockey fans are always finding something to complain about. Whether it's about a potential suspendable hit or a missed offsides call, you can always tune in to ESPN NHL Network and hear a current controversial issue.
The newest argument is over a celebration done by rookie sensation Nail Yakupov. The first overall pick by Edmonton in last years draft was standing right next to the net down a goal in a game against the defending champions, the Los Angeles Kings. A shot ricocheted off of Jonathan Quick's leg pad and Yakupov batted the puck in out of mid air, tying the game and putting the Rexall Place in a frenzy with 4 seconds left on the game clock.
Hockey at long last.
We waited through endless negotiations and we can finally sit back and watch our sport. It's been a grueling and seemingly unnecessary process but at least we got to where we are.
Although there was much excitement surrounding the first week of games, it was evident that something was wrong.
This was a wonderful weekend for the NHL.
However, it was NOT a great weekend for hockey.
In 16 hours you can watch the entire Rocky movie series one and a half times.
In 16 hours you can watch James Cameron's Titanic five times.
And in 16 hours you can put to rest the 113 day NHL lockout.
I went to bed last night while the NHL and the NHLPA were pounding away with their meetings. I left my phone on vibrate on the slim chance that something gets settled. Sure enough at 5 AM, a good 16 hours after their meeting started (12:43 PM the day before), my phone exploded with 40 texts in a minute. And that's how I started my day.
That's the number of NHL lockouts under commissioner Gary Bettman.
Gary Bettman's tenure as commissioner is a controversial one. Most people just hate Bettman for the sake of hating him. Canadians hate him for bringing hockey to the south. American hockey fans hate him for lockouts and other things. And every other non-hockey fan just uses him as the target of all their jokes, how he's ruining a sport that nobody cares about.
The jury is still out with regard to whether or not this is deserved hate (Puck Daddy wrote an excellent article debating this very topic on Bettman's 20th year anniversary) but however you look at it, there will always be hate for this man.
