Stanley Cup Playoffs - Second Round Review
Round one was so good it's hard to imagine how the second round could ramp up the intensity. Before we get started on the second round matchups we must say goodbye to eight teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, St Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and, like the inevitability of a Tim Peel intent to blow call we say goodbye to the true nearly men of the league, the San Jose Sharks.
 |
| San Jose Sharks |
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston and Montreal met in the Atlantic Division final. The teams 34th meeting in the playoffs, going back to the 1919-20 season. In the Metropolitan Division the top two seeds emerged from round one as Pittsburgh take on the New York Rangers.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Boston Bruins (A1) vs Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Game one ended in dramatic fashion. Montreal dominated the first two periods before the Bruins came back in the 3rd. Then late on, as the game looked to be heading toward a 3rd overtime period, P.K. Subban stuck a shot through a crowd and into the back of the Bruins net. The event was marred by the Boston crowd throwing debris on the ice, directed at Montreal players. Game two echoed back to last years playoffs, Boston down in the 3rd period against a division rival from north of the border. They rallied and won in front of an ecstatic TD Garden crowd. But cracks began to show before the comeback, the Canadiens were getting under the Bruins skin.
Back in Montreal for game three and the atmosphere of a cup final. The arena staff at the Bell Centre know exactly how to rouse a reaction, as if one was needed from the Montreal faithful. Montreal jumped out into a two goal lead after a pass from Thomas Vanek found Thomas Plekanec wide open. Subban and Weise scored on a couple of breakaways to put the Habs 3-0 up. Subban's coming as he just left the penalty box and was in behind the Bruins defenders. Overtime in the 4th game and a bad bounce off the boards made everyone but Matt Fraser lose sight of the puck and the Bruins tied the series at 2-2. Boston, with momentum from game four, came out flying in game five. Jumping to a 3-0 lead it was too much for Montreal to overcome.The Bell Centre crowd roused Montreal to a 4-0 win to force game seven in Boston.Thomas Vanek and Max Pacioretty scoring after being criticised for not playing well during games four and five.
Montreal started the seventh game with the explosiveness of game six with a goal just over two minutes into the game. Max Pacioretty again coming up big when needed made it 2-0 midway through the 2nd before the Bruins found hope in an Iginla power play goal, and looked to pile on the pressure late on. Johnny Boychuck was assessed a penalty for a crosscheck to Brandon Gallagher and Danny Briere sealed the victory on the resulting power play with just under three minutes remaining.
Game 1 - Boston Bruins 3-4 Montreal Canadiens (2OT) - GWG: P.K. Subban (04:17 2OT)
Game 2 - Boston Bruins 5-3 Montreal Canadiens - GWG: Reilly Smith (16:28 3rd)
Game 3 - Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Boston Bruins - GWG: Dale Weise (13:52 2nd)
Game 4 - Montreal Canadiens 0-1 Boston Bruins (OT) - GWG: Matt Fraser (01:19 OT)
Game 5 - Boston Bruins 4-2 Montreal Canadiens - GWG: Jarome Iginla (01:36 2nd)
Game 6 - Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Boston Bruins - GWG: Lars Eller (02:11 1st)
Game 7 - Boston Bruins 1-3 Montreal Canadiens - GWG: Max Pacioretty (10:22 2nd)
Canadiens win series 4-3
Pittsburgh Penguins (M1) vs New York Rangers (M2)
The flower was in bloom, or so we thought. Marc-Andre Fleury stood tall for Pittsburgh, the goalie who has had more than his fair share of playoff mishaps recorded two shutouts. First round top players Jussi Jokinen and Brendan Sutter were finally joined by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the dangermen for the Penguins. The Rangers looked dead and buried heading into game five at Consol Energy Center. Pre game it emerged in the news that the mother of Rangers forward Marty St Louis had suddenly passed away. In an elimination game in true Marty St Louis style the winger played on, less than 48 hours after the passing. He had one shot in 16:19 TOI in the Rangers 5-1. Game six fell on Mothers Day. St Louis went home to Montreal to be with family and returned to New York City with his father and sister in tow to battle out another potential elimination game. Stuff that only happens in sport, Marty St Louis scored the opening goal of the game on Mothers Day, just four days after his mother died. The Rangers won and forced game seven.
Game seven started cagey, like an FA Cup final. The nerves were settled and the game found it's flow after Brian Boyle fired the Rangers in front just five minutes in. Penguins playoff MVP Jussi Jokinen levelled but the tie was 1-1 only briefly as Brad Richards notched a power play goal to put New York 2-1 up with over half the game remaining. Marty St Louis recorded an assist on the game winner, and now has eight points in the Rangers fourteen playoff games. Struggling Rick Nash had a chance to break his duck with an empty net chance as Pittsburgh chased the equaliser but couldn't find the net.
Game 1 - Pittsburgh Penguins 2-3 New York Rangers (OT) - GWG: Derick Brassard (03:06 OT)
Game 2 - Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 New York Rangers - GWG: Kris Letang (10:26 2nd)
Game 3 - New York Rangers 0-2 Pittsburgh Penguins - GWG: Sidney Crosby (02:34 2nd)
Game 4 - New York Rangers 2-4 Pittsburgh Penguins - GWG: Jussi Jokinen (07:02 3rd)
Game 5 - Pittsburgh Penguins 1-5 New York Rangers - GWG: Derick Brassard 15:23 1st)
Game 6 - New York Rangers 3-1 Pittsburgh Penguins - GWG: Carl Hagelin (06:25 1st)
Game 7 - Pittsburgh Penguins 1-2 New York Rangers - GWG: Brad Richards (07:56 2nd)
Rangers win series 4-3
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The wild west lived up to it's reputation. The Chicago Blackhawks came through a tough, hard hitting series with the Blues. The Minnesota Wild shocked the Colorado Avalanche. The Ducks overcame a plucky Dallas team. LA became the 4th team in the history of the NHL to recover from a 0-3 series deficit to comeback and win 4-3.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago Blackhawks (C3) vs Minnesota Wild (WC1)
With the Wild down 2-0 after the opening of the series in Chicago many thought that the end was nigh for the 2013-14 Wild. Then Minnesota did what they'd done to the Avalanche in round one. Dominated every moment at the Xcel Centre. In six home playoff games Minnesota had a 5-1 record, scoring seventeen times, and allowing only seven. Once again they pulled themselves out of a 2-0 hole but unlike the first round the Wild couldn't preserve their perfect home form and bow out to the defendin champs, having won one more game in a series with Chicago than last years first round matchup.
At the risk of repeating myself from the first round review, in last months magazine, the Blackhawks were led to a series win by the attacking play of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, and Marian Hossa. Coupled with the defensive knowhow of Duncan Keith, Nicklas Hjarm, Johnny Oduya, & Brent Seabrook and you have a recipe for a winner. If insanity is doing the same thing over and over than the Blackhawks are the right kind of insane.
Game 1 - Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 Minnesota Wild - GWG: Patrick Kane (08:22 3rd)
Game 2 - Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 Minnesota Wild - GWG: Brandon Saad (19:04 2nd)
Game 3 - Minnesota Wild 4-0 Chicago Blackhawks - GWG: Erik Haula (01:41 3rd)
Game 4 - Minnesota Wild 4-2 Chicago Blackhawks - GWG: Nino Niederreiter (07:12 2nd)
Game 5 - Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 Minnesota Wild - GWG: Jonathan Toews (04:33 3rd)
Game 6 - Minnesota Wild 1-2 Chicago Blackhawks (OT) - GWG: Patrick Kane (09:42 OT)
Blackhawks win series 4-2
PACIFIC DIVISION
Anaheim Ducks (P1) vs Los Angeles Kings (P3)
The Los Angeles Kings, led by Marian Gaborik's series leading goals and points totals, looked to be heading back to the Western Conference Final for the 3rd consecutive year on a fast track route after winning games 1 & 2 in Anaheim. Much like the First Round's Battle of California this one saw the team who jumped to a multiple game lead get that lead erased. The Ducks thought they were on course for a return to the conference final after a seven year absence. Led by the duo of Perry and Getzlaf, old man Teemu Selanne, and an injection of youth from goaltender John Gibson, defensemen Sami Vatanen & Hampus Lindholm, and forwards Devante Smith-Pelley, Nick Bonino & Andrew Cogliano.
If they handed out a series MVP award it would hands down go to Marian Gaborik for his six goals and four assists. Only Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams come close to challenging.
As the series came to and end it's another season of disappointment for a team coached by Bruce Boudreau. Often the cream of their conference in the regular season the playoffs never quite go to plan for a man who has won everything as a player and everything but the Stanley Cup as a coach.
Game 1 - Anaheim Ducks 2-3 Los Angeles Kings (OT) - GWG: Marian Gaborik (12:07 OT)
Game 2 - Anaheim Ducks 1-3 Los Angeles Kings - GWG: Alec Martinez (12:07 1st)
Game 3 - Los Angeles Kings 2-3 Anaheim Ducks - GWG: Ben Lovejoy (17:05 3rd)
Game 4 - Los Angeles Kings 0-2 Anaheim Ducks - GWG: Devante Smith-Pelley (18:45 1st)
Game 5 - Anaheim Ducks 4-3 Los Angeles Kings - GWG: Jacob Silfverberg (08:23 2nd)
Game 6 - Los Angeles Kings 2-1 Anaheim Ducks - GWG: Trevor Lewis (14:04 2nd)
Game 7 - Anaheim Ducks 2-6 Los Angeles Kings - GWG: Mike Richards (15:12 1st)
Kings win series 4-3
CONFERENCE FINAL MATCHUPS
Eastern Conference - Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs New York Rangers (M2)
Western Conference - Chicago Blackhawks (C3) vs Los Angeles Kings (P3)
No comments:
Post a Comment