Bruins Tower Over Pens – Blackhawks Get Serious (plus a Game of Thrones Spoiler)
The outstanding game from the Conference semi-finals saw the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings decide a Game Seven. It was the fifth time this year (third in the West) that a time could not be decided in regular time, the winner of this particular game would however be matched up against the defending Champions Los Angeles Kings.
Considering they were 3-1 down in the series after winning the series opener it was an impressive fight back from Joel Quenniville’s men but it was not a foregone conclusion considering that, Detroit, the lowest seeded team left in the postseason had clinched their series against second seed Anaheim in a game seven on the road.
Alas the challenge was too great for Mike Babcock’s charges and an overtime winner from Brent Seabrooks’ shot which deflected off the skate of Niklas Kronwall.
It was anticipated by many that the Kings would be too strong and too disciplined to allow the Blackhawks now firing stars to get on top in this series but a 2-1 record this regular season amongst other stats showed they would be able to be more effective, as they were against the Wings in games five and six in particular, if they maintained their improved transition.
Both Chicago & LA had 84 shots on goal with the ‘hawks besting the Kings 12-9 in goals scored. Their powerplay, as it was versus Detroit was the concern though; 2-11 was okay but the way it faltered in Round Two would have brought that stat into sharper focus. Their PK of 2-11 was impressive as it had been throughout both stages of this year’s schedule though.
So to Game One and with Jonathan Quick quickly transforming his own name into a superlative for an outstanding playoff performance this was yet again a closely thought encounter for the Kings.
It was Justin Williams who opened the series scores with an unassisted goal (his fifth goal of the postseason) on 14:23 in the first. As mentioned in previous weeks Kings netminder Quick has been in outstanding form and it would have come as no surprise if Williams notch would have resulted in his third GWG of this year’s postseason. Thankfully for the President Trophy winners that was not the case and goals from Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa 12:29 & 16:22 into the second period clinched the opener.
Close losses like that do not deter the Los Angeles Kings however. With the system that they have adopted one goal reverses are to be expected from time to time. Though Game Two’s score line will be more of a concern.
Chicago’s Brent Seabrook, just 51 seconds before the first period’s conclusion scored to double his postseason tally and his team’s for the night after Andrew Shaw’s fourth goal of this year’s playoffs was wristed past Quick on 1:51. By the mid way point of the second they were four up thanks to their first PP goal of the series through neutral fans favourite Bryan Bickell and Slovakia’s Michal Handzus.
Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli scored late in the second and third to bring the arrears to two but chasing a game is not in the Kings’ make up. Their defence needs to do its job otherwise those pundits affirmations that the Kings system would neutralise the Blackhawks’ is not going to materialise.
I predicted the winner of the Blackhawks – Red Wings series would go on to become the Western Conference Champion and I have seen nothing so far to convince me I was wrong. I am inclined to go with Chicago Blackhawks in six.
Over in the East we have the other two teams whom make up the past four winners of Lord Stanley’s Cup. Many have used that stat to point out that the salary cap has failed to provide parity to the league and whilst that may be the case if taken on a literal basis, future seasons will probably dictate that this was more an anomaly than a recurring theme.
As the Blue Jackets demonstrated it is not the big names you have that always provide success (and by success I am talking relatively) but the sum of your parts. And whilst the regular season and to a lesser extent the first two rounds showed that Pittsburgh may have assembled a roster of well known parts to conclude their own sum, this Conference Final has seen Dan Bylsma and his men fail to provide a sufficient answer.
Midway through the regular season the Boston Bruins were being mooted as a tough match up for the Washington Capitals this postseason. The fact that that was all we should have expected from them is now, in hindsight, quite amusing. Not as amusing as Zdeno Chara bending down to talk to Sidney Crosby(below), but still amusing.
Many have seen that incident as a flashpoint to laugh at more than anything else but Crosby’s actions towards Rask – the underrated player of the postseason thus far – as well as his ill-advised tête-à-tête show that he is not concentrating on his own game. Unfortunately for Ray Shero et al when Crosby is distracted the team is. It does not matter how many Iginla’s, Morrow’s & Malkin’s they assemble; Crosby is the main man and everybody else has to either defer to or protect him.
His off the puck niggles and general demeanour did not befit a player of his ability but that is not to say he needs to be whiter than white; just that he is at his best when he plays the game and demonstrates his skill rather than involving himself in a todger-waving competition. Indeed the last time we saw that was in the series against the Flyers in 2012 and we all know how that series finished.
With that introduction it will be of no surprise that the Penguins assembled ‘All Stars’ fell to the Bruins, ( at home) 0-3 after Czech star David Krejci scored one in the first and third before Nathan Horton, he of +698 following up his assist on Krejci’s first with a goal of his own.
Game Two provided a shock much larger to the one the Kings had in their own identity crisis. As unfortunately for the Pens, whereas Los Angeles have home ice to try and negate some of the Blackhawks crowd influence at the very least, they have to play the next two on the road in Beantown.
The Bruins did lose their only home game versus the Pens this regular season after Kris Letang’s GWG to seal the decision 3-2 and that may give Pittsburgh and their vocal following some encouragement. Yet they also won the two regular season games in which they hosted the Bruins and that didn’t influence the first two games one iota.
All three games in the regular season were decided by one goal (3-2/2-1/3-2) yet the first game of the series was a 0-3 reverse for the joint favourites (Chicago being the other) and the second was an inexplicably easy 6-1 win for the Bruins.
They [Boston] headed to the dressing room at the first intermission 4-1 up thanks to goals from Brad Marchand (1st & 4th), Nathan Horton and David Krejci with the only goal of Pittsburgh’s bringing the game to 1-3 through Brandon Sutter. Marchand’s second came twenty five seconds after that Sutter snapshot enabling those Pens fans who had not seen Game of Thrones to feel the actual pain Robb Stark and his lovely,lovely wife did in episode nine.
The second period was goalless which enabled the third to possibly host the comeback of the postseason so far. It was possible with the stars the Pens have assembled but that scenario was put to bed fairly quickly when 27 seconds into the final period Patrice Bergeron beat Marc-Andre Fleury for a third time.
Bylsma had already played his cards by pulling Tomas Vokoun after conceding three in the first. I still cannot figure out why but the Pittsburgh press have been itching to get Fleury back in between the pipes since he reverted to type and was replaced by Vokoun on May 9th the campaign seemed to work.
Since replacing Fleury, Vokoun has won six, lost three and clinched two series victories. It will be interesting to see what happens to Fleury if he doesn’t open up with a .964 as Vokoun did in his first three or a .917 as he had in his last two games before being pulled after 16:31 last night.
The netminder is the most intrinsic part to any team’s success in the postseason and Bylsma has undermined both so far. Let’s hope for Pittsburgh’s sake Sidney Crosby starts playing hockey again otherwise this will be a Boston win in six.
