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Five NHL Playoff Matchups We Want to See

Apr 2

Posted by Chris in Soap Box | 1 Comment

With the playoffs less than a week away, matchups are beginning to take shape on both sides of the coast. While some first round matchups seem all but set, for the most part the standings continue to change on a daily basis with several teams still fighting on a nightly basis for highly contested points to keep their playoff hopes alive. With the stage set and time running out for many clubs, here are five playoff matchups we want to see during the 2011-12 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:

5.) Florida Panthers vs Washington Capitals

It’s been widely speculated that the team who wins the Southeast Division will be the only one to make the playoffs thanks to the NHL’s bracket structure where the division winner automatically receives one of the top three seeds. As it stands right now, the Florida Panthers currently occupy the division lead – and the third spot overall in the Eastern Conference – while the Washington Capitals are barely clinging to the 8th and final spot in the East. Since these two have been fighting for the division lead for a good portion of the season, what better way to seek supremacy than in a head-to-head, seven game series to determine who the better team really is this season?

Both teams are fairly evenly matched with Washington averaging slightly more goals scored per game at 2.64 while Florida averages 2.38. However, the teams are closer in goals allowed per game with Washington allowing 2.78 per game while Florida allows 2.63 on average. Florida has a slightly better power play conversion rate while Washington has the better penalty kill percentage.

Will We See It? Probably not. Even if both teams make the playoffs, they won’t meet in the first round and the likelihood that either team makes it past the first round is slim.

4.) Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers

This is one of those playoff matchups that always seem to elicit excitement because, frankly, these two just don’t like each other. As cross-state rivals, both have had good success over the past several years and playoff matchup between the two usually makes for entertaining hockey. Plus, looking at the statistics for each team, this would be an incredibly even matchup with both teams sporting very similar stats.

The Penguins and Flyers currently lead the NHL in goals for per game, with both averaging over three goals a game, and both are incredibly close in goals allowed per game as well. The Flyers have a slightly higher success rate on the power play with a 20.2 conversion rate while the Penguins are at 19.3 percent, but Pittsburgh has a better penalty kill percentage at 88.2 percent compared to Philadelphia’s 82.2 percent. Looking at how close both teams are in stats, this could make for one of the most exciting playoff matchups of the season and could go a long way in determining who represents the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Will We See It? You betcha. If the playoffs started today, this would be your first round matchup. Although a week is left in the season, it appears as if neither team really has wiggle room to fall or move up the standings, meaning this should be a first round matchup next week.

3.) Los Angeles Kings vs San Jose Sharks

The Pacific Division might be one of the closest playoff races in the NHL with four of the five teams separated by two points. Los Angeles currently occupies the division lead and the third overall spot in the Western Conference with 90 points while San Jose is battling hard to break into the 8th spot in the West. Both teams feature a lot of star power, although both teams have underachieved in similar fashion this season despite high expectations coming into this year.

San Jose holds the edge on goals scored per game, averaging 2.60 goals per game to Los Angeles’ 2.26, but LA hold the edge in goals allowed with s.04 per game compared to San Jose at 2.51. San Jose has a much better power play, converting on slightly better than 20 percent of their opportunities compared to 15.4 percent for LA, but the Kings have a better penalty kill at 86.7 percent compared to San Jose’s 78.2 percent.

Will We See It? No. This matchup largely depends on San Jose even making the playoffs in the first place. Beyond that, both teams would face a very tough uphill climb to advance in the playoffs and, like I said before, neither of these teams has exactly performed to expectations this season.

2.) Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings

Over the past two years, The Canucks and Red Wings have consistently been two of the best teams in the Western Conference, along with the San Jose Sharks and occasionally the Chicago Blackhawks. While the Wings and Sharks have met in the playoffs the last two years, somehow these two teams have managed to avoid each other on the road to the Finals over the past few years.

However, during that time some bad blood has brewed between both clubs that only a playoff series could really push to the breaking point. Things escalated some this year when Vancouver forward Ryan Kesler was “Kronwalled” by Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall.  It was also the Canucks who ended Detroit’s record-breaking home winning streak when they defeated the Wings in the shootout several weeks ago and seemed to send the Wings on a bit of a downward spiral that they can’t seem to break out of.

Detroit and Vancouver are ranked fifth and sixth respectively in goals scored per game and rank fourth and seventh respectively in goals allowed per game. Detroit is better five-on-five, but Vancouver has a big edge on special teams where they rank third on the power play and sixth on the penalty kill. A matchup between these two would likely be a fun, high-scoring affair to watch.

Will We See It? If the standings stay the same, the only way we’ll see this matchup is if they meet in the Western Conference Finals. That would be a heck of a series though.

1.) Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers

The Penguins and Rangers are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and a matchup between these two teams very well could determine the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions.

Offensively, the Penguins lead the league in goals scored per game while the Rangers sit 11th overall. Defensively, the rangers rank third in the league in goals allowed per game while the Penguins rank 17th. This is a series that could come down to goaltending. Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist has had a Vezina-caliber season with 38 wins, including eight shutouts, and a 1.92 goals against average along with a .932 save percentage. Lundqvist ranks in the top three in the league in all four of those categories. Marc-Andre Fleury, on the other hand, has 41 wins on the season with three shutouts and a 2.37 goals against average along with a .913 save percentage. Both goalies have started in over 60 games this season and their performance in a series between these two teams would be crucial to determining the potential winner.

Will We See It? There are two circumstances in which this matchup will happen – the top four seeds need to win each series in the East, setting up a first versus fourth seed matchup between the Penguins or Rangers, or else these two meet in the Conference Finals to determine who moves on to the Stanley Cup Finals. Personally, I’d prefer to see the latter happen to up the stakes and the intensity for both teams.

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NHL Photo of the Day

Apr 2

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | 1 Comment

REUTERS/Jason Cohn

No lack of energy and fight between the Pittsburgh Penguins and visiting Philadelphia Flyers. So much fight that it took to the fans as Flyers’ Scott Hartnell taunted a Hulk Hogan lookalike Penguins fan. Watching it live you can see the whole arm to ear motion taunting the fan. The two teams combined for 68 penalty minutes, mainly coming in the last 2 minutes of the third period. The Flyers ended up on top with a 6-4 final. Quite possible to be a first round playoff match-up, fans can only hope it to be as entertaining as this game.

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NHL Photo of the Day

Mar 19

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

The Philadelphia Flyers reminded the Pittsburgh Penguins that despite having star forward Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, that the team can still lose. Ending an 11-game winning streak by way of overtime goal, the Pens and Flyers are still in 4th and 5th seeds within the Eastern Conference. What a playoff matchup that would be.

Player of the game goes to Scott Hartnell who had the last laugh. After dropping the gloves with Penguins’ Chris Kunitz, which looked more like an MMA fight with Kunitz grinding his elbow into Hartnell’s face on the ice while the fight was over (weak sauce), Hartnell netted the overtime winner. As if one major face wash was not enough, Flyers teammates showed some love with a few more face washes to Hartnell in celebration.

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Claude Giroux shootout goal vs Maple Leafs

Mar 11

Posted by Chris in Media | 1 Comment

Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux is no stranger to scoring goals. He has 24 on the season – second most on the Flyers – and leads the team with 79 points. But Giroux put the icing on the cake last night when he scored a dazzling beauty against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the shootout to lead the Flyers to their fifth straight victory. Giroux was three-for-five in the shootout heading into the game against the Leafs last night with a 36 percent success rate throughout his career.

Giroux moves in on Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson with some speed and fakes a shot over Gustavsson’s catcher before tapping the brakes, heel dragging the puck back to the near side and roofing the puck into a virtually empty net. The move is reminiscent of Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk’s most infamous move against then Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco, and has since replicated a handful of times in the shootout over the years, but Giroux’s move speaks more to a similar deke that Ryan Getzlaf used a few years ago in the shootout as well. Giroux pulled off the move with ease and grace and poor Gustavsson totally took the bait on the shot fake and looked foolish when Giroux popped the puck into the open net.

The shootout goal, however, provided a setback for Toronto’s push for the playoffs. While the Leafs earned a point in overtime, the team currently sits 12th in the East with 68 points. The Carolina Hurricanes are right on their tail with 67 points while the Tampa Bay Lightning have one up on Toronto with 69 points. The Washington Capitals currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot in the East with 74 points.

The Flyers are now 7-3-0 over their last 10 and currently hold the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference. The team visits New Jersey tonight and then hosts the Devils on Tuesday. They will finish out the week with a visit to the Islanders on Thursday before heading to Boston on Saturday before coming home to host the Penguins on Sunday for the beginning of a five-game home stand. Nine of Philadelphia’s remaining 15 games will be at home.

Check out a video of Claude Giroux’s shootout goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs below:

 

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Kronwall destroys Voracek with nasty hit

Mar 6

Posted by Chris in Media | 5 Comments

Niklas Kronwall is known for his devastating hits, and he was the subject of much debate earlier this season after a questionable hit to Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kessler, but Kronwall could finally face the music from NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan after this bone-jarring check on Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek.

Kronwall caught Voracek corralling the puck in the defensive zone with his head down and stepped up with a check that left Voracek looking for the license plate number of the semi that just ran over him. Voracek made an attempt to skate to the bench, but ultimately stayed down on his knees until the next whistle allowed him to get assistance to the bench.

While Kronwall didn’t leave his feet for the hit, as he’s been accused of in the past, nor did he lead with his elbow, the initial point of contact for the check was Voracek’s head, which could and probably should warrant a suspension from Shanahan, although it’s tough to distinguish any intent to injure or target Voracek’s head on Kronwall’s part.

Flyers center Brayden Schenn initially stepped up and tried to engage Kronwall after the hit, but Kronwall stayed in the play and actually missed a solid scoring opportunity right after leveling Voracek. No penalties were immediately assessed on the play and Kronwall remained in the game.

What do you think? Should Kronwall be suspended for his hit on Jakub Voracek? Watch the video below and then weigh in with your opinion!

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Phoenix Coyotes Playoff Outlook

Mar 4

Posted by EB in Soap Box | No Comments

The Phoenix Coyotes, most notably known in the media for their continuously pending franchise ownership/move, will start to generate buzz about the team’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup. Bolstering a well balanced team, offensively, defensively and in net, the Coyotes should be a team to fear come playoffs.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Currently in 3rd spot within the Western Conference with 75 points, the Coyotes have won 7 of their last 10 games. The run, definitely good, looks even better when compared to Pacific Division competitors the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks, who have 73 points and 7th spot, are in a slump going 2-7-1 in their last 10. On a bright note for Sharks fans, San Jose has a game in hand. But will the Coyotes depth prevail to keep them on top the Pacific Division?

Offensively, the Coyotes are top heavy in points with Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata, but still have scoring potential through the lines with Captain Shane Doan, Martin Hanzel, Lauri Korpikoski and veteran Dayond Langkow. Whiteny, definitely more of a set-up man, leads the team in points with 59. The 39 year old won a Stanley Cup in the 2005-2006 season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Vrbata on the other hand is the team’s goal leader with 30 goals and 54 points. Vrbata’s career high came in 2007-2008 with the Coyotes as he tallied 56 points; this should be easily beaten this year. Both players have a plus minus rating of positive 23 and 21. Doan, Hanzel, Korpikoski and Langkow combine for 50 goals; that is 29.4 percent of the team’s total goals scored to date.

Defensively, Phoenix bolsters a respectable defensive line lead by Keith Yandle and young Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Yandle had a career high 11 goals and 48 assists for 59 points last season. This year he is on pace to end more around the high 40 point mark, but has 8 goals to date, only 3 less than last year, all of which have not been on the powerplay. Ekman-Larsson is in his second NHL season, and as fans know, defenseman take a longer time to develop. His point total seems like it will decline from last year’s performance, but the focus for most defenseman is keeping the puck out of the net; Ekman-Larsson has a negative one rating to date. Logging an average of 21 minutes and 28 seconds a game, it is a difficult to stay positive. Their ability to set-up plays and put the puck in occasionally creates havoc for their opponents.

Lastly, the Phoenix Coyotes netminder Mike Smith has been solid throughout the season. Smith signed as an unrestricted free agent in the off-season after a rather poor performance with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Most Coyote fans were nervous as longtime goalie Ilya Bryzaglov was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for a player and some picks. To date, Smith has a 29-16-7 record while Bryzgalov posts a 23-13-6 record. Phoenix had the better end of the deal, especially with Smith won all 11 of his games started in February, increasing his save percentage to .930 and lowering goals against average to 2.29.

The Coyotes are making it known they are not only a competitor for the Pacific Division lead, but also a contender for the Stanley Cup. As with all teams, if they stay healthy, the Coyotes could be a dark horse to win. Coyotes fans just hope they don’t get put up against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, that of which doesn’t look likely.

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Top 5 NHL Eastern Conference Jerseys to Buy

Mar 3

Posted by EB in Gear, Soap Box | No Comments

Nothing fancy, but a little history and opinion on what jerseys I think are the top 5 within the Eastern Conference to add to your wardrobe.

 

Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

Philadelphia Flyers Premier Home Jersey – The Flyers joined the league in 1967 and have won 2 Stanley Cups in their day. Today, the Flyers are in 4th place sitting snug for a playoff spot. Donning the orange with white and black accents, you cannot help but like the jersey. Perhaps a little reminder of Halloween, or the black cuffs that add a little edge, the jerseys winged “P” represent speed.

 

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Lightning Premier Road Jersey – The Lightning are slowly climbing back into a playoff spot, a spot most fans thought would come with ease. Only 6 points out of 8th seed, the Lightning’s road jersey has flare with their blue accents with a primary white jersey. The logo is a lightning bolt, tweaked a bit over the years, today looking much like the movie Incredibles. Maybe it’s the combination of blue hockey pants and a white lightning bolt down the side with the jersey, but the jersey has a superhero feel that any grown-up can relate to from as a child.

 

Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

New York Rangers Premier Third Jersey – One of the Original Six teams, the Rangers did it right when creating their third jerseys. An updated cut with a classic look, with “NEW YORK” written across the chest. The focus of this jersey is the inscription on the inside of the collar that reads “Established 1926,” and all retired numbers appear in numerical order on the inside of the jersey on the rear below the stripe.

 

Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images

Winnipeg Jets Premier Road Jersey – So the new owners gave into trying to replicate the previous Winnipeg Jet’s colors and logo but still making it new. I think they have done a great job with paying respect to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), particularly Winnipeg’s 17 Wing. The logo is a silhouette of a McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet on top of a Maple Leaf. Side note, the team had to receive permission from the Toronto Maple Leafs before using the leaf design. Some commented it looked like a target, perhaps a curling house, regardless, the jersey is a good combination of old and new.

 

Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

Boston Bruins Premier Third Jersey – The leagues third oldest team within the United States, the Bruins third jersey provides a little bit of the new style but not following the “circle” crowd. The jersey is primarily black and flip-flopped the primary logo with the shoulder patch. The bruin, now the main logo, is closely based off of Bruins jerseys used up until 1932. The team also used black socks with the third jersey, a first for the franchise. Dark, intimidating, all that of what makes up the the Big Bad Bruins.

There’s my Eastern Conference list; what jersey do you think should have been on it, from yesteryear to today?

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Controversial Hit Avoids Judge Shanahan

Feb 29

Posted by Eddie in Behind the Bench | No Comments

In a year where Judge Brendan Shanahan has done a great job explaining illegal hits to the head and why he dished out a suspension, he has some explaining to do on this hit in last nights Flyers-Sharks game where Zac Rinaldo of the Flyers laid what appeared to be a hit to the head on T.J. Galiardi of the Sharks.

There was no penalty called on the ice, and that’s important because it would have allowed Shanahan a little discretion to let what was called in the ice stand or issue supplemental disciplinary action. From my eyes as an official, it appeared that Rinaldo stuck his shoulder or elbow outward as he was cutting across the ice towards Galiardi. It also appeared the principal point of contact was the head area. If it was his chest area (which is legal), Galiardi would not have helicoptered through the air and continued to go so while on the ice. Fortunately, he was able to get right up and continue playing. Even San Jose assistant coach Matt Shaw seen it the same way as I did and was anticipating the league would review the video and do something about it.

The league reviewed the video and both Shaw would have to agree to disagree with their decision. The league has determined no fine or suspension would be handed down according to a tweet this afternoon by John Shannon of Sportsnet. He reported the league determined the principal point of contact was the chest.

Watch the video below and look at the chest and the head area of Galiardi. If you see something different than Shaw or myself please leave a comment below.

 

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NHL Trade Deadline 2012 Wrap-Up

Feb 27

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Rick Nash remained with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alexander Semin will lace up with the Washington Capitals for the rest of the season and Zach Parise will continue with the New Jersey Devils as well. After all was said and done and the smoke cleared shortly after 3 pm EST this afternoon, this year’s trade deadline produced 15 transactions with 31 players on the move along with 11 draft picks.

But none of the big names that were speculated to be in play at this year’s trade deadline ended up getting moved. Nash stayed with the Blue Jackets despite some serious solicitation from the New York Rangers. Ales Hemsky and Tuomo Ruutu were both nullified as trade candidates after signing extensions with their respective clubs before the deadline hit. And players like Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro, who were thought to maybe be on the way out, ended up staying with the Dallas Stars.

Welcome to league-wide parity.

A quick look at the standings shows us why so few big names were moved – teams think they still have a shot at the playoffs. In the West, the 13th place Anaheim Ducks are only six points out of the 8th seed playoff spot. It’s the same in the East where the 12th place Buffalo Sabres find themselves six points out of a playoff spot as well. And teams like Edmonton, who are well out of the playoff picture, aren’t willing to part with their future superstars. Simply put, in a league where every team is so close in the standings, there are very few teams willing to throw in the towel.

The Nashville Predators were an active party at the deadline, kicking off trade deadline day by acquiring Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens. This move will reunite the Kostitsyn brothers, who last played together in 2010 in Montreal before Sergei was traded to Nashville that same season. The Predators also acquired defenseman Hal Gill from the Canadiens earlier this month. The Predators finished their deadline spree with the addition of Paul Gaustad from the Buffalo Sabres, one of the best faceoff specialists in the NHL with a winning percentage of 56.8 percent.

Also busy at the deadline were the Vancouver Canucks, who added depth and grit on both offense and defense. The team picked up Zach Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani from Buffalo for Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer, and also acquired Sami Pahlsson from Columbus for Taylor Ellington and two fourth round draft picks in 2012. The Canucks also nabbed Andrew Gordon from Anaheim for Sebastien Erixon.

The San Jose Sharks also added depth to their roster by acquiring TJ Galiardi and Daniel Winnik from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jamie McGinn and two prospects. Both players give San Jose more depth and Winnik should help on the penalty kill where he averages three minutes of ice time her page.

The Bruins made some moves as well by acquiring Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau from the Islanders and defenseman Greg Zanon from the Minnestota Wild in exchange for defenseman Steven Kampfer.

The Chicago Blackhawks made a good defensive move by adding Johnny Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a second round draft pick and a third round draft pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Oduya has two goals and 11 assists on the season along with 98 blocked shots.

Other top clubs were also silent on trade deadline day. The Rangers made a small move for defenseman John Scott from Chicago in exchange for a fifth round draft pick while Detroit sent defenseman Mike Commodore to Tampa Bay in exchange for a conditional seventh round draft pick. After picking up defenseman Kyle Quincey late last week from Tampa Bay, Detroit had a log jam on defense, allowing them to trade Commodore to Tampa.

Some teams also opted to make their moves before the deadline, with Los Angeles likely making the biggest splash in the days leading up to the deadline by acquiring forward Jeff Carter from Columbus. The Philadelphia Flyers also added defensive depth by acquiring Nicklas Grossman from Dallas and Pavel Kubina from Tampa Bay.

Reports came out after the deadline had passed that Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash did ask management for a trade, but the price was steep, however, and nobody was willing to pull the trigger. For the time being, Nash will remain with the Jackets and this scenario will likely be revisited once again at the draft this summer.

Overall, the Predators probably made the biggest splash to show how serious they are to contend for the Stanley Cup this season. Vancouver also addressed their need to get grittier by adding several pieces like Kassian and Pahlsson, while the Bruins did solid work to add depth to their lineup as they look to repeat as the Stanley Cup Champions this year.

Who do you think faired the best and worst at this year’s trade deadline? Or was the best trade the decision not to make any at all? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment or keep the discussion going with Chris on Twitter @HWBChris!

 

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NHL Photo of the Day

Feb 24

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

So, the party animals reunite just on a bigger stage. Jeff Carter will rejoin former Philadelphia Flyer teammate Mike Richards for the Los Angeles Kings. Carter was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Jack Johnson.

Carter never really fit into Columbus who had much higher hopes for him (25 pts in 35 games, -11 rating). The team is struggling though, as rumors about trading their franchise player Rick Nash has been circulating. Could, however, this be a similar situation as in Philly? Is Carter a bad guy to have in the locker-room? Time will tell if Los Angeles begins to separate as a team or if they regain their scoring touch. From a fantasy perspective, it’s looking good for Carter owners, so ride it out or trade up quickly before his play determines his worth.

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