Stanley Cup Playoffs - Conference Finals Review

Stanley Cup Playoffs - Conference Finals Review

We entered the second round with many predicting a repeat final four of Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Two out of the four are heading home, for a holiday retreat or golf course. Chicago and Los Angeles are heading for the Conference finals again and if Chicago repeat as Western Conference champions they'll defend their Stanley Cup against a team whose last appearance in the cup final ending with them lifting the legendary trophy, Montreal in 1993, when they beat LA, and the New York Rangers in 1994, when they beat Vancouver.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

MONTREAL CANADIENS (A3) vs NEW YORK RANGERS (M2)

The Rangers, spurred on by the confidence of overcoming the Pittsburgh Penguins from a 3-1 hole and untimely death of Martin St Louis's mother France, dominated game one of the series. Chris Kreider scored what turned out to be the game winner. Fifteen minutes prior the winger lost his footing on a dash to the slot and slid into goaltender Carey Price. The Canadiens goalie and Kreider made contact knee-to-knee and Price's right skate jammed on the goalpost as his knee took all of Kreider's weight. He played on but wouldn't return after the 2nd period. He also would not return to the series. Montreal started game two brightly with a Max Pacioretty goal inside five minutes only to be replied with an equaliser 17 seconds later before Rick Nash and Marty St Louis put the Rangers 2-0 up in the series. To come back in this series the Canadiens had to add some fire, get under the Rangers skin. They did just that in New York for game three. Brandon Prust and P.K. Subban playing the pantomime villains to the home crowd at MSG. Ranger Dan Carcillo was ejected for hitting a referee after being assessed a borderline charging penalty on Prust. Prust also went at it with Dorsett, both incidents occuring after Prust laid out Derek Stepan with a late hit - it emerged the day after Stepan, unknowingly, played on with a broken jaw - and Dorsett received a few chips and digs from Subban. Danny Briere thought he'd won the game for Montreal before Chris Kreider levelled the score with 28 seconds left. The game winner came from a Lundqvist save rebounding off of Alex Galchenyuk. The day after game three Dan Carcillo and Brandon Prust were suspended for 10 and  games respectively.

The extra days break before game four seemed to ease the tension of the series. Carl Hagelin opened the scoring short handed on a breakaway served up by a stretch pass from Brian Boyle. Francis Bouillon levelled for Montreal but then found himself at fault for falling behind again as his ill-timed attempt at a line change left Derick Brassard all alone with just Dustin Tokarski to beat. The response was good. They levelled again through a P.K. Subban power play goal and had much of the better chances as the period ticked on towards the end of regulation. The winner came from New York gaining zone presence and not giving a tired defense pairing of Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin time to get off the ice for fresher legs. The puck tied up on the Rangers left wing in the Montreal zone found it's way to Hagelin who slid it to a wide open Martin St Louis, who received the pass on the right faceoff circle whilst the nearest defender was on the left faceoff circle. He calmly controlled the puck, took a few steps towards the net and fired a shot high over Tokarski's shoulder into the near top corner. The Rangers one win away from the Stanley Cup final. Game four was a crazy back and forth. Eleven goals scored and a 4-1 Habs lead pulled back to 4-4 with three Rangers goals in four and a half minutes. Montreal responded well to the set back with Rene Bourque putting the Canadiens into a winning lead 58 seconds after the equaliser. Bourque made it 6-4 in the 3rd period to complete a hat trick, as the Montreal crowd tossed hats onto the ice, nearly 2,500 miles west in his hometown Lac La Biche, Alberta, his parents had hats thrown on their front lawn. The Rangers bounced back big in game six. They had wave after wave of attack throwing pucks at the Montreal net and rookie Dustin Tokarski had a fantastic night making 32 saves. Unfortunately for him his attacking team mates didn't show to support the superb defensive effort. A breakdown in coverage started by Gallagher letting McDonagh slip passed him and some nice short passes left Moore all alone in front of net to score the games only goal and send the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final.

Game 1 - Montreal 2-7 New York - GWG: Chris Kreider (18:59 2nd)

Game 2 - Montreal 1-3 New York - GWG: Rick Nash (18:58 1st)

Game 3 - New York 2-3 Montreal (OT) - GWG: Alex Galchenyuk (01:12 OT)

Game 4 - New York 3-2 Montreal (OT) - GWG: Martin St Louis (06:02 OT)

Game 5 - Montreal 7-4 New York - GWG: Rene Bourque (15:10 2nd)

Game 6 - New York 1-0 Montreal - GWG: Dominic Moore (18:07 2nd)

Rangers win series 4-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (C3) vs LOS ANGELES KINGS (P3)

The last two champions went at it in the West Final. Chicago came in undefeated on home ice in this years playoffs and have won 12 out of 12 series with home ice since moving into the United Center in 1995. Chicago, as they do, came out the gates flying in games one & two. Brandon Saad opened the scoring in game one on a power play earned by a Brandon Bollig embellishment. Kings unsung playoff hero Tyler Toffoli levelled before Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews sealed the win, their seventh in a row at home in the playoffs and 11th including the regular season. Game two looked as if normal service would resume with Chicago jumping to a 2-0 lead through goals by Nick Leddy and Ben Smith. Late on in the 2nd period Justin Williams ensured the Kings only trailed by one heading into the 3rd period. Chicago started the 3rd on the back foot and were quickly behind. Jeff Carter tied the game on a power play from a Bradon Bollig intereference call before Jake Muzzin made it 3-2 on another Kings power play for too many men on the ice. LA then scored three more times unanswered through Toffoli and then Carter twice to complete a hat trick.

Back in SoCal for games three and four. Chicago jumped out to a lead twice heading into the 1st intermission up 2-1. The Kings then stoned the Blackhawks and, roared on by the Staples Centre crowd, scored three unanswered goals to lead 4-2. The game two heroes Carter and Toffoli scoring the equaliser and Kings 3rd. Conn Smythe candidate Drew Doughty put the tie to bed before a Patrick Sharp consolation goal with five seconds remaining. LA made easy work of game four, leading 4-0 through goals by Jake Muzzin, league leading playoff goal scorer Marian Gaborik, Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. The Muzzin and Brown goals coming on power plays. Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell scored as the defending champs tried to stage a comeback but with goalie Corey Crawford pulled in favour of an extra attacker the Kings sealed the win and a 3-1 series lead with a Tanner Pearson empty netter.

Chicago needed to put some magic on the ice if they were to get back in the series and that's just what they did. They were leading 3-1 midway through the 1st period but the lead collapsed and they were trailing 4-3 heading into the final period. Ben Smith, having a career breakout run, levelled the tie but neither side could force a winner in regulation or the 1st overtime. Some sloppy play in centre ice led to Kane passing the puck to Saad in the LA zone, he then centred it to Michael Handzus who deked right and lifted a backhand shot passed Jonathan Quick. Chicago survive for another day, but needed to draw as much momentum from that win as possible as game six was in LA. Despite falling behind the Blackhawks entered period three with a 2-1 lead. Once again that disappeared with goals from Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez. The defending champions pushed on and with 08:26 remaining it was tied at 3-3. Then late on Patrick Kane circled around the slot and blue line before finding an angle to fire what would be the winner into the net. Heading into game seven, the Kings third of these playoffs, and Chicago had all the momentum. They then had a 2-0 lead after only nine minutes, but for the third game in a row the Kings fought back and the lead was gone. This time though Chicago managed to get back in front before trailing through a Patrick Sharp goal. Toffoli levelled for LA before another Sharp goal. Then LA tied it once again with league leading playoff goalscorer Marian Gaborik scoring his 12th of the post season, expertly controlling the puck as shot saved by Crawford bounced into Gaborik's chest and he neatly backhanded it out of the air around ankle height, midway through the 3rd to send it to overtime. After some good zone time and pressure on the Chicago net, Justin Williams dumped it in from the right side, followed it in, found the puck amongst team mate Jarrett Stoll and Marcus Kruger on the back check, came out to the left and laid it to Alec Martinez who fired a shot from the blue line and deflected on passed Crawford to send the Kings back to the cup final after winning it all on 2012.

Game 1 - Chicago 3-1 Los Angeles - GWG: Duncan Keith (11:54 2nd)

Game 2 - Chicago 2-6 Los Angeles - GWG: Jake Muzzin (04:04 3rd)

Game 3 - Los Angeles 4-3 Chicago - GWG: Drew Doughty (11:57 3rd)

Game 4 - Los Angeles 5-2 Chicago - GWG: Dustin Brown (15:56 1st)

Game 5 - Chicago 5-4 Los Angeles (Double OT) - GWG: Michael Handzus (02:04 OT2)

Game 6 - Los Angeles 3-4 Chicago - GWG: Patrick Kane (16:15 3rd)

Game 7 - Chicago 4-5 Los Angeles (OT) - GWG: Alec Martinez (05:47 OT)

LA win series 4-3

STANLEY CUP FINAL - Game #1 - June 4th: Staples Center, LA

Eastern Conference Champion - New York Rangers (96pts)

VS

Western Conference Champion - Los Angeles Kings (100pts)