And Then There Were 2: Three-peat Or A New Champ?

 

You knew it would happen, the Tampa Bay lightning would find a way back to the finals. The Lightning are only four wins away from winning their third straight Stanley Cup, a feat that hasn't happened since the New York Islanders won four straight cups from 1980-83. This time they'll have their hands full against the favoured, the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have been rested for over a week after sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference final. the Lightning took the slightly longer path to the finals by dropping their first two games against the New York Rangers before storming back to win four straight to take the series in six games. 

 There are many intriguing questions and match-ups to look for in the final. 

• How healthy is goalie, Darcy Kuemper? If he does play, how rusty will he be, since he hasn't played in few weeks and we know Tampa has the best goalie in the league and he has continued to be the best so far in the playoffs. 
• Will the Lightning's Brayden Point dress for game 1? He hasn't played since the Leafs series and if he is back in form, this could truly give the Lightning the edge.
  
• How about the match-up of Kucherov vs MacKinnon? Two of the best forwards in the league, not named McDavid or Draisaitl. Don't forget Stamkos and Landeskog! Is there a chance Nazem Kadri could play after hand surgery?
• Hedman vs Makar? Two best defensemen in the league? Makar has been amazing this season during the regular season and playoffs and Hedman does his best work in the playoffs.

This has the potential to be a good finals, as the Lightning will face a much tougher opponent than the last two years in the finals, the Montreal Canadians (in 5 games) and the Dallas Stars (in 6). Despite popular opinion, I wouldn't bet against the reining Stanley Cup champs. They've been the underdogs throughout this year's playoffs and I think they'll find a way to win it for the third time in three years. Plus, Corey Perry signed here to win a cup after being a finalist the last two years. Corey's due...ugh!!

Lighting in 6 games

 

Tampa Bay (A3) vs. Colorado (C1)
Wednesday, June 15: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
Saturday, June 18: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
Monday, June 20: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
Wednesday, June 22: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Friday, June 24: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Sunday, June 26: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Tuesday, June 28: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+, ABC, SN, CBC, TVA Sports

Down To The Final Four: Who Will Advance To the Final?

 We are now down to the final four teams left to compete for the 2022 Stanley Cup! The defending Cup champion, Tampa Bay Lightning will face-off against the New York Rangers in the Eastern final, while the Colorado Avalanche will battle Canada's last hope, the Edmonton Oilers in the West final.

 

• Lightning vs Rangers: Tampa Bay beat the Florida Panthers in a stunning sweep in 4 games. It seemed to be over before it started, as the top scoring team in the league crumbled and folded so easily the Lightning haven't played since May 23, over a week ago. They should be rested and ready for the Rangers, who just finished a 7 game series for the second time this playoffs. The players to watch in this series will be the Russians, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, Igor Shesterkin and Artemi Panarin. Vasilesvskiy and Shesterkin have been the best goalies so far in the playoffs! For the Rangers to have a chance, Shesterkin has to flawless, because the Rangers can't score a lot of goals. Kusherov is the top scorer in the East and has raised his game further with the loss of Point. So far, Panarin hasn't been a factor, so he has to elevate and contribute more offensively. He's not known as great playoff performer. Compared to the series in the West, this will be a low scoring series and don't be surprised if there are a few shutouts and overtimes.
  

Lightning in 6 games 

• Oilers vs Avalanche: This is billed as the McDavid/MacKinnon showdown, but in reality the key will be who's supporting cast will perform better. The Oiler's have no Russians so, Leon Draisaitl who is point-for-point with McD for the playoff scoring lead, will need to continue to be McDavids's wing-man. Evander Kane has 11 goals in 11 games and Zach Hyman surprisingly has 9 goals, so far in the playoffs. For the Avs, Cale Makar has 13 points in 10 games, while Rantanen and Landeskog each are over a point a game pace. Goaltending could be a factor because as usual, Mike Smith has been hot or cold (which he has shown game-to-game) and Darcy Kuemper might not be fully healed from the injury in sustained in the Nashville series. (Full disclosure: I did just watch the game one, 8-6 score-fest, so I'm writing this as if I wrote it before the game) Yes, Kuemper might be out for a while with his mystery ailment, so this could be an even bigger factor...or not? So far, the series has delivered on the promise of a lot of goals. This is the series to watch!
  

Avalanche in 7 games

 

Conference final schedule:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York Rangers (M2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A3)

Wednesday, June 1: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Friday, June 3: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Sunday, June 5: Rangers at Lightning, 3 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Tuesday, June 7: Rangers at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

*Thursday, June 9: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

*Saturday, June 11: Rangers at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

*Tuesday, June 14: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2)

Avalanche lead series, 1-0

Game 1: Avalanche 8, Oilers 6

Thursday, June 2: Oilers at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS

Saturday, June 4: Avalanche at Oilers, 8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS

Monday, June 6: Avalanche at Oilers, 8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS

*Wednesday, June 8: Oilers at Avalanche, TBD

*Friday, June 10: Avalanche at Oilers, TBD

*Sunday, June 12: Oilers at Avalanche, TBD

 

* -- if necessary

TBD -- to be determined

all time EST, add an hour for central time zone.

This Couldn't Possibly Happen: Round 2 Schedule

Round two starts tonight for two of the series's, with the remaining two beginning on Wednesday night. We have some interesting match-ups, the battle of Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers and their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames. This is the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs since 1991. The sunshine-battle of Florida should also be a tight one, with the defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning facing off against the top team in the league during the regular season, the Florida Panthers. The remaining series's, Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers and will the St. Louis Blues be able to contain the high flying Colorado Avalanche?

Here are my picks and the schedule for the second round:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

 Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A3)

It wasn't that long ago when these two teams met in the playoffs, as the Lightning eliminated the Panthers in six games during the first round of the playoffs last season. The Lightning, of course went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in two years, while the Panthers took that experience and turned around to win the President's Trophy for the best record in the regular season. The Lightning barely made it past the Leafs during the first round and they'll rely heavily on Andrei Vasilevskiy to stop the league leading offense this season. The Panther's, Sergei Bobrovsky is no slouch either, so it should be a interesting battle between the two Russian netminders. This might come down to who can take a lead and hold it, something the Lightning had troubles with in the first round. As I said earlier, you can't count out the defending champs just yet.

Lightning in 7 games

Tuesday, May 17: Lightning at Panthers, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Thursday, May 19: Lightning at Panthers, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Sunday, May 22: Panthers at Lightning, 1:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS)

Monday, May 23: Panthers at Lightning, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

*Wednesday, May 25: Lightning at Panthers, TBD

*Friday, May 27: Panthers at Lightning, TBD

*Sunday, May 29: Lightning at Panthers, TBD

 

Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. New York Rangers (M2)

I think goaltending will be the biggest question marks for this series. Frederik Anderson remains out for the Hurricanes, so if he can stay healthy, Antti Raanta will take the responsiblity in goal. Igor Shesterkin played closer to his usual brilliance later in the first round and was at his best in the decisive game. Should be a good series, though I'm least interested in this match-up, hopefully the games are close and exciting. Hurricanes in 6 games

Wednesday, May 18: Rangers at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS)

Friday, May 20: Rangers at Hurricanes, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS)

Sunday, May 22: Hurricanes at Rangers, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, SN360, TVAS)

Tuesday, May 24: Hurricanes at Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS)

*Thursday, May 26: Rangers at Hurricanes, TBD

*Saturday, May 28: Hurricanes at Rangers, TBD

*Monday, May 30: Rangers at Hurricanes, TBD

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

 Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. St. Louis Blues (C3)

 

Colorado's highly potent offense probably won't be as dominant as the first round because I think St. Louis will defend better. The Blues can score more goals than the Predators as well, so it should be a more even series and the Avs won't sweep. The Avalanche should be physically challenged more from the Blues, which could help to slow down MacKinnon and Makar. The key will be special teams and staying out of the box. The Blues scored the most PP goals in the first round and the Av's power-play is always deadly.

Avalanche in 6 games

 

Tuesday, May 17: Blues at Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Thursday, May 19: Blues at Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Saturday, May 21: Avalanche at Blues, 8 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Monday, May 23: Avalanche at Blues, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS)

*Wednesday, May 25: Blues at Avalanche, TBD

*Friday, May 27: Avalanche at Blues, TBD

*Sunday, May 29: Blues at Avalanche, TBD

 

Calgary Flames (P1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2)

This highly anticipated battle of Alberta hopefully lives up to the hype with both teams surviving game 7's. The hatred between these teams was evident during the regular season, but both teams will have to stay in control because bad penalties will be a very bad idea. The Oilers power-play (aka: Leon and Connor) are their bread and butter, so Matthew Tkachuk better control himself. I think this will play out with a very physical start to game one, but will settle down into an offensive battle. The Flames didn't score a lot of goals in the first round, but they'll be facing Mike Smith who is either hot or cold, so they have to rattle him early. If the Flames can give less opportunities to the Oilers PP and McDavid and Draisaitl, they have a really good chance to advance. If the Oilers can get secondary scoring from Yamamoto, Kane and Hyman, they have a chance.   

Flames in 7 games

Wednesday, May 18: Oilers at Flames, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Friday, May 20: Oilers at Flames, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Sunday, May 22: Flames at Oilers, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Tuesday, May 24: Flames at Oilers, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS)

*Thursday, May 26: Oilers at Flames, TBD

*Saturday, May 28: Flames at Oilers, TBD

*Monday, May 30: Oilers at Flames, TBD

 * if necessary 

TBD -- to be determined

What Did We Learn From the First Round?

We learnt what eight teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a very interesting and at times very exciting first round. There weren't really many surprises, as there were no major upsets and the favourites to win the cup were still in contention. The top 2 teams from each division, with the exception of the Leafs and the Wild advanced to the next round. The Leafs only had 5 points more than the Lightning during the regular season, while the Wild only had a slim 4 point lead over the Blues, so the results from those series shouldn't come as a shock. 

For the most part, I watched all the games involving the Canadian teams and I either watched the other games simultaneously on an alternative device (laptop) or switched channels between the games. I probably watched the least of the Florida/Washington series, while the rest of the series's I watched in spurts depending on the score, but there so many one-sided games (more on that later) it was tough to keep my interest.

First round takeaways:

• Bracket failure: I was a sad 50% for my predictions for the first round, as I lost 3 of the 5 series's that went to seven games, which didn't help. The Wild was disappointing and I blame choosing with my heart, instead of head because deep down I thought the Blues would win, but I was cheering for Fleury for the Wild who proved to be futile. He didn't even finish the series in goal. The blow is softened slightly for the Wild since they owe the Blackhawks a second, instead of first round pick for the Fleury trade. I was also had a hunch the Kings could upset the Oilers, but they came, oh so close.
  
• Blow-outs: The story early in the playoffs was the amount of one-sided blowout wins. Scores such as, 7-2, 7-3, 6-2, 5-1, 6-0, 8-2...you get the idea and it just wasn't one team in a series, there was blowout games by both teams. A sample from the Boston/Carolina series: 5-1 C win, 5-2 C, 4-2 B, 5-2 B, 5-1 C, 5-2 B...then OT for game 7. The scores were closer towards the end the rounds, but I heard somewhere that the games in this round had the highest goal differential in a long while.
• Game 7's: Five of the series went to 7 games! I don't have the stats handy, but I would think this is higher than usual. This made up for all the one-sided games, as all the game 7's ended in one goal victories. The excitement hit it's peak when both the final two games last night (Dallas/Calgary, New York/Pittsburgh) needed overtime to decide a winner. 

• Sweep: The only 4-game sweep of the first round was the Colorado vs Nashville series. Game two went to overtime, but otherwise the Avs didn't have to expel too much energy to dispose of the Preds. The Preds used their 3rd string goalie for most of the series with rookie, Connor Ingram and he almost pulled a miracle in game 2 facing 51 shots, but still lost. To try to even it up, the Avs used their backup too, after Kuemper got injured, but he should be back next round.
• Worst series: From a pure spectator standpoint the Blues/Wild series was a big letdown. Every game the margin of victory was 3 or 4 goals, there was no drama or tight close games. Weird series, the Blues dominated the first two (in Minnesota), then the Wild won the next two by wide margins, then they get blown out for the final two games. I thought this would be a much better series, not worth watching. Runner-up: Tie- a). Colorado/Nashville, the Avalanche completely over-matched the Predators, the close game really wasn't close, as Ingram kept the score close. Otherwise, boring...!! b). The Carolina/Boston series, the home team won every game by a lot of goals, though game 7 was close.
• Best series: Without question, the Calgary Flames vs Dallas Stars was very exciting! Every game was close and the goaltending on both teams was exceptional. The first two games were low scoring shutouts, but the lack of goals didn't make it less watchable since most of the fights took place during those games. Game 7 may have been the best game of the first round, with overtime and Stars goalie, Jake Oettinger making 64 saves in the loss. Interestingly, the Flames outscored the Stars 15-14 in the series, so close. Runner-up: The Rangers/Penguins and Oilers/Kings series had their moments, some great games and performances, The Leafs/Lightning series was the showdown of the reigning cup champs vs the underachieving, aspiring cup contenders the Leafs...was this the year? No, the Leafs lost in the first round, again! The Leafs have now lost in the decisive game of a first-round series five years in a row!

• Best player: The first round Conn Smythe winner, Jake Oettinger! He was the prime reason the Dallas Stars were even competitive against the much better Flames. The Stars (the team and their best players) didn't provide any offensive and were soundly out-shot every game, but Otter was outstanding with his cool, calm demeanor, he gave them a chance in every game. Think of it, they were one shot from advancing to the next round, it would have been a huge upset. 

Up next: Picks for round two!

Here's NOT What's Going To Happen In the First Round

 

The long road to the Stanley Cup begins with the match-ups set on Monday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 3 for game 1. I submitted my NHL playoff bracket yesterday, but I was informed the deadline to enter is Wednesday, just prior to game 2. That means you can second guess your choices after the first two nights. Anyways, here's my selections for round one, but I could change things up before Wednesday:

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals 

The Panther scored the most goals in the league and Washington's goaltending situation doesn't breed confidence for a possible upset. I don't like Washington or Ovie, so it's easy to guess who I'm picking.

Panthers in 6

M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 Boston Bruins

Most years I pick Boston to go far because I believe the Bruins can play a heavy-playoff-style of hockey from the start of the series. Rask is gone, but I have a feeling Caroline will be the team that frets about their goalies. I hear Anderson won't start game one, so advantage Boston. I think I picked the Hurricanes to win the cup last year and they sure didn't! I won't be fooled again!

Bruins in 7

 

A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Leafs haven't won a playoff series since...it's been awhile! Judging by stats and their 115 point season, this might be their best chance ever to win one. The Lightning have won the last 2 cups and if they can get past the Leafs, they could three-peat. I dislike the Leaf so much, I couldn't live with myself if I picked them, so...

Lightning in 7 

M2 New York Rangers vs. M3 Pittsburgh Penguins

I don't dislike either team and I don't really care who wins, I love the Breadman and Copp is a former Jet, but you can't count out Sid or Gene, especially at playoff time. I hope this doesn't come down to goaltending because the Rangers have the edge, but we know goalie stats during the regular season as soooo overrated! Same with home ice.

Penguins in 7

 

Western Conference

C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Nashville Predators

On paper, this series (along with Panthers/Caps) is the biggest mismatch as far as points differential. The Avs are built to win, speedy, physical and high level skill. MacKinnon and Makar in my mind are two of the best at their positions, so this could be short series. Honestly, I can't see the upset, but if the Preds can win the first or/and the second game, watch out.

Avalanche in 5
 

P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC1 Dallas Stars

A Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1993 and with the Leafs, Oilers and Flames competing this year I have faint hope. The Flames have played their best hockey in years with a rejuvenated Johnny Hockey, Keith's oldest son and a solid lineup top to bottom. A good match-up, Dallas has a better defense, the Flames the goaltending and both teams have high scoring top lines, but he Flames have more depth at forward. The Stars in their race to the final playoff spot stumbled, but the Knights stumbled more, they're not playing well. I picked the Flames to win the cup, so they better win this series!

Flames in 6
 

C2 Minnesota Wild vs. C3 St. Louis Blues

Two fierce Central Division rivals that could be the best series to watch, I don't think they like each other. The Wild were high flying most of the season and solidified their goalie "problem" with both Talbot and Fleury playing well in the stretch drive. The Blues are tough to play against during the regular season and especially the playoffs. Since Minneapolis/St. Paul is the closest other NHL city nearby, I always hope they do well. If they go deeper, I might drive in for a game, plus if they go deeper, the Blackhawks conditional draft pick for the Fleury deal will be upgraded to a first rounder. A Wild win would help the Hawks, go Wild!!

Wild in 7

 

P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Another team I don't want to see go far are the Oilers. The past couple years, the Oilers have exited quickly and it proves you can't win a playoff series with just two players, they can be beat. I hate the idea that Oiler's reliance on Draisaitl and McDavid could work with literally fill-in players and there's a reason they can't keep a coach. The Kings? Let's hope they make Connor and Leon's life miserable. Stop them, you win. The Jets and Hawks did it.

Kings in 7

The Matchups Have Been Set!: NHL 2022 Playoff Schedule

With the conclusion of the last regular season game of the NHL schedule between the Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken, all attention now turns to the beginning of the NHL playoffs. This has to be the first time the playoffs will begin in May which means the Stanley Cup winner will be crowned in the summer. To help you plan your TV watching schedule and coordinate the games you can watch each night, here's the TV schedule for the first round! All the series are a best of 7.

All times are EST, so add 1 hour for CST and add 2 hours in the west.

Don't forget to complete your NHL playoff bracket before 6:00 pm EST!

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2)

Tuesday, May 3: Capitals at Panthers, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, SN360, TVA Sports)

Thursday, May 5: Capitals at Panthers, 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS, SN360, TVA Sports)

Saturday, May 7: Panthers at Capitals, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports)

Monday, May 9: Panthers at Capitals, 7 p.m. ET (TBS, SN1, TVA Sports)

*Wednesday, May 11: Capitals at Panthers, TBD

*Friday, May 13: Panthers at Capitals, Friday, TBD

*Sunday, May 15: Capitals at Panthers, TBD

 

Toronto Maple Leafs (A2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A3)

Monday, May 2: Lightning at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)

Wednesday, May 4: Lightning at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)

Friday, May 6: Maple Leafs at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Sunday, May 8: Maple Leafs at Lightning, 7 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

*Tuesday, May 10: Lightning at Maple Leafs, TBD

*Thursday, May 12: Maple Leafs at Lightning, TBD

*Saturday, May 14: Lightning at Maple Leafs, TBD

 

Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. Boston Bruins (WC1)

Monday, May 2: Bruins at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)

Wednesday, May 4: Bruins at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)

Friday, May 6: Hurricanes at Bruins, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, SN360, TVA Sports)

Sunday, May 8: Hurricanes at Bruins, 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports)

*Tuesday, May 10: Bruins at Hurricanes, TBD

*Thursday, May 12: Hurricanes at Bruins, TBD

*Saturday, May 14: Bruins at Hurricanes, TBD

 

New York Rangers (M2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M3)

Tuesday, May 3: Penguins at Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Thursday, May 5: Penguins at Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Saturday, May 7: Rangers at Penguins, 7 p.m. ET (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Monday, May 9: Rangers at Penguins, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

*Wednesday, May 11: Penguins at Rangers, TBD

*Friday, May 13: Rangers at Penguins, TBD

*Sunday, May 15: Penguins at Rangers, TBD

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC2)

Tuesday, May 3: Predators at Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SNE, SN360 (JIP), TVA Sports)

Thursday, May 5: Predators at Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, SNE, SN360 (JIP), TVA Sports)

Saturday, May 7: Avalanche at Predators, 4:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Sportsnet, TVA Sports)

Monday, May 9: Avalanche at Predators, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN1, TVA Sports)

*Wednesday, May 11: Predators at Avalanche, TBD

*Friday, May 13: Avalanche at Predators, TBD

*Sunday, May 15: Predators at Avalanche, TBD

 

Minnesota Wild (C2) vs. St. Louis Blues (C3)

Monday, May 2: Blues at Wild, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)

Wednesday, May 4: Blues at Wild, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)

Friday, May 6: Wild at Blues, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, SN360, TVA Sports)

Sunday, May 8: Wild at Blues, 4:30 p.m. ET (TBS, SN360, TVA Sports)

*Tuesday, May 10: Blues at Wild, TBD

*Thursday, May 12: Wild at Blues, TBD

*Saturday, May 14: Blues at Wild, TBD

 

Calgary Flames (P1) vs. Dallas Stars (WC1)

Tuesday, May 3: Stars at Flames, 10 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)

Thursday, May 5: Stars at Flames, 10 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, TBS)

Saturday, May 7: Flames at Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Monday, May 9: Flames at Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

*Wednesday, May 11: Stars at Flames, TBD

*Friday, May 13: Flames at Stars, TBD

*Sunday, May 15: Stars at Flames, TBD

 

Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (P3)

Monday, May 2: Kings at Oilers, 10 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)

Wednesday, May 4: Kings at Oilers, 10 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, ESPN2)

Friday, May 6: Oilers at Kings, 10 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

Sunday, May 8: Oilers at Kings, 10 p.m. ET (TBS, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)

*Tuesday, May 10: Kings at Oilers, TBD

*Thursday, May 12: Oilers at Kings, TBD

*Saturday, May 14: Kings at Oilers, TBD

 

* if necessary 

TBD - To Be Determined

All You Can Do Is Laugh: Hawks End It Like It Started

 

The Chicago Blackhawks closed out the regular season with appropriately, yet another loss, this time to the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are a team that has hit rock bottom and is on the rise with a bright future with 2 number one (overall) draft picks in the lineup on defense. The Hawks are close to hitting rock bottom and a rebuild will be in the works for the next couple of seasons. The Hawks habit of not protecting leads came into play as they had one goal leads twice in the game with the Sabres tying the game both times before scoring the overtime winner. A frustrating season for Hawks fans that has finally come to an end and hopefully their fortunes take an upward turn next season. Fingers crossed!

Takeaways:

• I missed watching the game on Friday, so I had to resort to watching the replay on Saturday afternoon, which is okay because where I live it's solidly rained all day. I don't know what's wrong with NHL Live, but the stream froze with 40 seconds left in the third and when I switched to the Sabres broadcast it stopped with the exact time left in the game. What the hell! If I was watching this live I would have been going crazy! I couldn't access the overtime so I had to resort to the highlights on the NHL website. Disappointing finish!
• For whatever reason, the Hawks wore their home red jerseys and as usual there was a lot of red in the crowd. Despite a losing season, it was a good crowd in Buffalo.
• Speaking of, "for whatever reason", Sabres goalie (and former Blackhawk), Malcolm Subban sang the American anthem. Smiles from both teams, Subban did a commendable job, though he had a little trouble with some of the high notes and some other notes...😄 Well done Malcolm!

• Goals: Dominik Kubalik opened the scored about midway through the second period with his 15th goal of the season from a sneaky feed from Alex Vlasic for his 2nd point of the season. Dom's had rough season, but he's shown good compete level for the past month or so, maybe he can carry that into next year. Dylan Strome broke a 1-1 tie with a nice deflection about midway through the third with his 22nd. A good bounce back second half of the season for Dylan who has been a good fit with Kane and the Cat. Unfortunately, the lead didn't hold up with Owen Power tying it up to force OT about five minutes later.

• Quick notes: The Hawks resigned Sam Lafferty to two more seasons. Good move by the Hawks, it's an affordable deal for a player that has shown what a lot of hard work and hustle can do. He is the polar opposite of Alex Nylander the player they traded to acquire Laffy. Interestingly, the player they traded to get Nylander from the Sabres, Henri Jokiharju, who was a top Hawks prospect a couple of years ago, is now a solid top-4 D for Buffalo. Collin Delia played a good game, though Power's goal was stoppable. The future of Delia is as uncertain as the whole goaltending situation with the Hawks. It will be an interesting off-season.
• Patrick Kane finished the season with 93 points, his third highest total. For such a losing season, this really reflects the importance and reliance of scoring placed on Kane who had 14 more points than Alex DeBrincat. To put in perspective how top heavy the scoring is with the top line, the points drop with the next highest scorer after Kane/Cat/Strome and Seth Jones to Jonathan Toews with 37 points. Hard to imagine if the rebuild includes dealing some or all of these players. I cringe to think about it.

Up next: Well, the regular season is over for the Blackhawks and it'll be a time now to evaluate what went wrong. As a fan of the team I can only hope this "rebuild" will be quick and less painful than this season. We need some optimism and I really hope the team's management and ownership is in the right hands. What do I know, I don't even live in Chicago. The same could be said for my hometown, Winnipeg Jets who also are wrapping up a disappointing season. Unlike the Hawks, they have a solid core of players that just need a fine tune and add a couple key positions. The Hawks may have to tear it down!

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Hawks Win 4-3!

The Chicago Blackhawks played their last home game of the season and rewarded their fans with a shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Tyler Johnson scored the only goal in the seven-round shootout, while Kevin Lankinen blanked all the Golden Knight shooters. The loss by Vegas officially eliminated the Knights from post-season action for the first time in their history. To rub it in further, the Dallas Stars did get the point they needed in their OT loss to Arizona, when they incredibly blew a 3-goal third period lead. The Hawks win sealed Vegas' fate anyways. Hey, the Hawks have won two in a row!

Takeaways:

• The Hawks got two goals from Taylor Raddysh, the second one with 2 seconds left in the first period, to take a 2-1 lead. It was Raddysh's 10th and 11th goals of the season and his first multiple goal game in his career. After the Knights tied it, Caleb Jones moved in from the point and fired a top corner shot from the slot to take the lead 3-2. It was the younger Jones's fifth goal of the season to equal brother, Seth. Vegas tied it again on a re-direction from Max Pacioretty. There was no scoring in the third or overtime periods.

• Kevin Lankinen played well, shutting the door in the shootout and OT, but he'll want back the second Vegas goal when he was beaten by a wrist shot from the point by Alec Martinez with no traffic in front of the net. It was a clean faceoff win directly to Martinez whose shot Lankinen should have had. The third goal was similar, a faceoff win, point shot, but it was deflected, so Lankinen little chance.
• Disappointing season for the Blackhawks, but it wasn't unexpected. We pretty much suspected they would miss the playoffs as early as November after their terrible start, so we had half the season to face the reality that this team will be going through a re-build. There was high expectations for the Vegas Golden Knights who many thought could challenge for the top of the Pacific or even the Western Conference, but a series of mis-steps, mis-calculations and key injuries did the Knights in. After making up ground on the Stars with a string of wins and an opportunity to close the gap, they lost some key games against the Oilers and Devils and lost valuable points in three shootout loses in a row this week. Wow, what a mess! (and this is coming from a Hawks fan!)

• Once again, the underrated, Sam Laffery had a strong game. He has been a bright spot since the Hawks acquired him from Pittsburgh for the underachieving, Alex Nylander. He set up both of Raddysh's goals and he's shown he can contribute with some offensive. It's his relentless fore-checking, using his speed and dogged determination that makes him stand out. The combination of Laffery and Raddysh are a good replacement for the skills of Brandon Hagel. Potentially another good trade by Kyle Davidson. You have to feel good for Tyler Johnson for scoring the shootout goal. His season has been mainly a write-off with his multiple injuries and inconsistent play, but the last month or so, he has played much more to his potential. He's playing with more confidence and it's positive that he's finishing the season strong. If he can stay healthy, he could be a valuable contributor next season.

Sam Laffery's "hockey smile" is attributed to those 3 teeth he lost inside the red circle, in a previous against the B's.

 

Up next: the final regular season game of the year for the Hawks on Friday night at 6:00 pm in Buffalo. Unfortunately, I have another engagement that night, so for the first time in a while I won't be watching the game live (in real time). I know it's no be deal, but I will watch it later that night or the next day, then we can discuss the playoffs, which sadly won't include the Blackhawks or the Winnipeg Jets...😞

It Still Feels Nice To Win, Once In A While!

The Chicago Blackhawks began the final week of their season with a win against another non-playoff team, the Philadelphia Flyers. Coming into the game the Flyers were feeling pretty good riding a two game winning streak and hoped to extend it to tie a season high of three in a row. They left the United Center probably feeling pretty crappy after losing to a team that has only won twice in the last 15 games, to Arizona and San Jose, both in extra time. Most of the scoring occurred in the first eight minutes of the game with the Hawks leading 2-1, finally the Cat extended the lead to 3-1 about halfway through the third period. Nothing very eventful happened during the scoreless second period, despite the Hawks continued inability to clear their zone. Fortunately, the Flyers were inept at taking advantage. Yes, the Hawks hung on and won their first game in regulation time in over a month. Yay!

Quick Notes:

• Goals: Another fast start for the Hawks with Erik Gustafsson scoring 1:44 into the game from a feed from Jonathan Toews, then the captain added one of his own less than 5 minutes later. Alex DeBrincat's goal in the third was from the all-too-familiar Kane to Cat one-timer. Timely for sure, because the Flyers were hanging around and this very easily could have gone the other way. 

• Almost a Goal: With just over a minute left in the third, the goalie pulled and on a Flyers power-play, they came dangerously close to making it 3-2. A shot went past Lankinen, hit the post, the puck bounced in the crease behind Lankinen, Riley Stillman saved a goal by clearing it from going into the net, then a pile of players landed in the crease with the puck loose. The puck eventually went between Stillman's legs who was sprawled on his back, and rested underneath him. It needed a video review to determine it did not in fact cross the line. Yay!

• Power-play? Once again the power-play didn't yield a goal. During one stretch, late in the second to mid-third, the Hawks had four consecutive man advantages. They moved the puck around really well and had some quality chances, but the Flyers 3rd or 4th string goalie, Felix Sandstrom made some great stops. On the fourth PP, they gave up more shorthanded shots than the PP. They finished 0/5 on the PP. Interesting fact (they mentioned during the ESPN+ broadcast), the Blackhawks are the only team in the league without a goal from a defensemen on the power-play. Yikes!
• A good game from Toews who was named first star of the game, which would be even better news if the Hawks were entering the playoffs, as he's beginning to regain his form. A tough year for Tazor and hopefully he'll return next season. Overall, the D was fine with both rookies, Vlasic and Regula playing strong games. As far as forwards, Sam Laffery continues to impress, as he set up the breakaway goal for Toews when he got out of the penalty box (heads up play!) and he got into a wrestling match late in the game after getting cross checked into the end boards, then cross checked in the back of the head from Joel Farabee. Tyler Johnson and Philip Kurachev played well and the Strome line had most of the scoring chances thanks to the PPs.

Apparently, the captain was in a giving mood tonight.

While Sam Lafferty was in more of a receiving, then giving mood!

 

Up next: Last Chicago home game on Wednesday at 7:30 against Vegas. If The Golden Knights can beat the Dallas Stars tonight, the Hawks game will be a meaningful for the Knights. If they lose, they miss the playoffs and might not bother flying to Chicago.

Wake Me Up When It's Over: Zzzzzzz....Looooose!

Despite out-shooting the San Jose Sharks 28-19, the Blackhawks mainly shot blanks, while the Sharks capitalized on their chances. It took both teams six minutes into the opening period to register the first shot and it was the Sharks that took the first, then scored on the rebound. It got worse from there as the Sharks scored two more before the Hawks scored late in the second period. The Sharks added another in the third on the PP, but for the most part the period was filled with pointless penalties and boring "action". Yes, there were periods of time in the second and third I felt drowsy and it wasn't from the half beer I was nursing. Another uneventful and uninspired effort from the Hawks that generated some harmless chances and when it was 3-1 early in the third, I was thinking, "if they can get the next goal, we have a hockey game (I love hockey cliches!)", but on cue the Sharks scored the fourth...oh well, one week left.

Highlights?

• To be honest, from a Hawks standpoint there wasn't much highlights. Let's see...Tyler Johnson scored his 3rd of the season and you know this team has trouble scoring goals when the "2nd" line has scored a majority of goals recently. The Strome/Cat/Kane line had the most opportunities and definitely were the biggest threat, but there are times you can feel that Kane just wants this season to end soon.

• Lankinen was so-so in the game with his rebound control still an issue. The first goal was a perfect example. He did make a couple highlight reel-type saves, as he has his last couple starts, but his defense didn't help with giveaways-a-plenty.

• If it wasn't obvious already, Henrik Borgstrom doesn't get much love from his coach, Derek King. Going from a frequent healthy-scratch to playing barely over 5 minutes (5:39), you have to wonder if he'll be back next season. Believe it or not he has more than twice as many penalty minutes (20) than points (7) this season and for a supposedly young skilled player that isn't physical, this won't help his playing time. I truly think he has some untapped potential, but his confidence level couldn't be very high right now.
  

Up next: The Blackhawks final week of the regular season begins on Monday back at home against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7:00 pm. A nice little three game winning streak to end the season would be a nice way to close out a horrible season. Unlikely, but not impossible...😏

Playing Out The String: Winning Streak Ends

I guess we shouldn't be surprised, not that the Blackhawks lost again, but the fact it'll get increasingly painful to watch this team for the rest of the season. It's a team that has absolutely nothing to play for the season so why bother trying, tight?. It's one thing if they wanted to play spoilers and want to end the season on a high note, but judging by the lack of intensity or pushing to gain zone time is reflected in their lack of actual chances to score. There have been moments when the team is playing the right way and there are some players that have something to prove (perhaps to get re-signed?) and it is an opportunity for players such as Vlasic and Regula to gain more pro-level experience. On the positive side there is only one more week to the regular season, so hang in there Hawks fans.

Quick takeaways:

• Need shots! The Hawks finished the game out-shot by LA 36-16, which is flattering considering at the halfway point of the game it was 23-6. The score was flattering as well as, Collin Delia kept the Hawks in the game especially in the first period when it seemed like the puck was in the Hawks end most of the period (which it was). Despite the lack of chances, the Hawks hung in there and were within a goal until around the 12 minute mark of the third. The Kings scored two goals in 15 seconds to take a 4-1 lead and it was game over. How many times this season have they given up goals in quick succession?

• Goal?: The Hawks only goal almost didn't happen. Patrick Kane's goal was challenged by the Kings for offside, as Kane was trying to tag up to the blue line before DeBrincat entered the zone (Kane had to get his skate to the blue line from inside the zone, before the Cat could fully cross the blue line into the zone). The replay angles revealed it was too close to call and fortunately the call on the ice was a good goal. This made it 2-1, plus the Hawks went on the PP, which went nowhere and they were lucky to get out of the period down by one. Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik were stuck on the ice for the final 3 1/3 minutes of the second period. Toews was a little...well, a lot frustrated after the period (see photo above).
  

• After the the Kings 4th goal, Collin Delia left the game after laying on the ice in pain following the goal. He stretched across side to side and I suspect he must of pulled something. It's too bad because he played well and if not for the two quick goals, he almost stole one from the Kings.

Up next: The road trip concludes in San Jose on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Another meaningless match between two non-playoff teams. I'll watch anyways, of course.

It Shouldn't Have To Be This Hard: Hawks Win!

Playing the worst team in the league - check!

Score a goal in the first minute- check!

Take a 3-1 lead into the third period- check!

Did I mention they are playing the WORST team in the league...sounds like an easy win right?

Nothing has come easy this season for the Blackhawks and when they had a chance to expand the lead, instead they almost blew it and took the long way to the win. Fear not, the Hawks did win the game and did settle it with 37 seconds left in overtime, but not before blowing a two goal lead in the third period to allow the Coyotes to tie it at 3-3.

 

Quick notes:

• Horrible team: The Coyotes came into the game losing 7 in a row (8 now) and were outscored 43-10 during those games. Statistically they are the worst team in pretty much any category, yet they had beaten the Hawks already this season, which is sad because Arizona has only won 22 games all season. On paper, the Hawks have at least a half a dozen players that would be Arizona's best player.
  
• Goals: Jake McCabe scored 42 seconds into the first period, which is the fastest Hawks goal this season at the start of a game. Dominik Kubalik scored his 13th of the season and second in three games after being a healthy scratch for a few games. He's playing with a lot more urgency since returning. The third Hawks goal was from Alex Vlasic for his first career goal. It was eerily similar to Alec Regula's goal the other night, a long shot from the point, except Vlasic's went off of Nick Schmaltz's skate. The OT winner was from (who else!) Alex DeBrincat notching his 40th of the year. It was a sweet set up from Patrick Kane on a tap-in.
  

Kaner retrieving the souvenir puck for Vlasic's first goal.

• Rookie D: A positive from a future standpoint is the play of rookie defensemen, Alex Vlasic and Alec Regula. Both have shown confidence in the past few games and led several offensive rushes. Both are big and quite mobile, which is great news going forward.
• Father/son: Riley Stillman's dad is an assistant coach on the Coyotes. No doubt there will be some home cooking for Riley!

• Power-play?? It was one of those games where the Hawks could have expanded their lead, but were failed by their powerplay. In the third period when the Hawks were up 3-1, they had a power-play that should have made 4-1 (did I mention the Coyotes are the worse penalty killers in the league?), but instead the Yotes made it 3-2 right after. Tied 3-3, the Hawks had a man advantage with 3:45 left in the third and once again failed to capitalize. How often do you get that opportunity in a tie game that late in the game? Chicago finished the game 0/5 on the power-play! Terrible!
• Silver Stick: On a happier note, Arizona's Andrew Ladd played in his 1,000th game of his career! The two-time Stanley Cup champion has had a wonderful career and I know him well from his time as the first ever captain of the Winnipeg Jets (2.0) and of course, the cup win in Chicago in 2010. It's been a tough couple years for Laddy, so it's good to see him reach that milestone and it's cool it was against the Hawks. Not sure if they presented Ladd with the silver stick, the Hawks broadcast omitted any pre-game ceremony, if there was one.
  
• New arena, you say?: So, I hear the Coyotes are moving to a new arena next season at the Arizona State University with a capacity of 5,000 fans and the Coyotes owner, Xavier Gutierrez says, "It's going to be packed!"...hahahaha, you sure about that? Currently, the team is lucky to have that many actual fans in the building and last night's numbers were inflated by the huge amount of Hawks fans in the building. There seemed to be a lot of red, Hawks jerseys and empty seats.

Up next: another late one in L.A. tonight. Win streak perhaps?