Sure Could Have Fooled Me

Brayden Hotby didn't have a single shutout in the regular season in 2017/18. I guess he was saving those for when his team, the Washington Capitals, needed them most.

It was, for all intents and purposes, an off-season by Brayden's standards. Making what happened in the postseason all the more remarkable.

For all of his accomplishments, Holtby was very normal in the regular season. For starters, he played just 54 games (Backup Philipp Grubauer got into 35), posted a GAA of a 2.99 and a S% of only .907. No shutouts of course.

Now let's pause to consider Grubauer's #'s from this past season: Not only did he get, THREE shutouts, but also had FAR better GAA and S%! Would Holtby lose his job?

Philipp went only 15-10-3 in 28 starts, but that doesn't tell the story how effective he was. His GAA was just 2.35, good enough for 6th in the league. How about his .923 S%? It was just outside the top 10. But, within .010 of Carter Hutton's league-leading .931.

But what about what happened in the playoffs?

Well, the Washington Captials DID go with Grubauer. For two games. He was up against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington to lose his first two starts at home, both in OT. But before he could even pick up a decision in game two, the Capitals went back to Holtby. And while he lost game two, he won his next four games as the Caps climbed off the canvas.

The second round series saw Washington face their nemesis Pittsburgh. Washington again had the home-ice advantage and this time, they had the Pens! After the smoke had cleared, the Capitals were heading to the conference finals with a six-game triumph over the two-time defending champions.

Well, Washington's luck seemed to have run out. Up against Tampa, Holtby slammed the door. 2 goals allowed in game 1. 2 goals allowed in game 2. And Washington was up 2-0 going home. Then, a groan as the Lighting proceeded to win the next three games.

Holtby made sure Washington didn't lose another game in the conference finals.

Picking a fine time to get his first shutout, it was Braden Holtby posting a 3-0 shutout in a do-or-die game six at home.



They still needed game seven on the road, of course. And Holtby picked up his second (straight) shutout of the postseason with a 4-0, series-clinching victory. Braden turned aside all 29 shots he faced.



So far in the Stanley Cup Finals, Holtby doesn't have a shutout. In fact, the Vegas Golden Knights got five past him in game one. Washington needed game two before returning home for the third and fourth contest. Again, no shutout. But a 3-2 win. Series tied. Back home, Holtby came close to a third shutout with a 3-1 win. I'm sure he's fine with that.


But who knows. The Stanley Cup is far from in the bag. Game five is in Las Vegas. But before that, there's the matter of game four, the crucial contest. I believe that Vegas will win game five, but if Washington can win game four at home it will put the Caps up 3-1.

The Capitals are still looking for that first Stanley Cup, having entered the NHL way back in 1974/75. The game two win in Vegas was the first game they'd ever won in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game three was the first game they've ever won at home in the Stanley Cup Finals. Twenty years ago, Washington was swept by Detroit in the finals. They've come a long way since with Alexander Ovechkin. If you can believe it, he's turning 33 in September.

No doubt, though, the key man is defending the crease for Washington. Will Holtby need a shutout in the finals? He very well could. The Capitals are, needless to say, in uncharted waters. Maybe they'll break down defensively. Maybe the offence will dry up. But, whose the guy that can "steal" you games, and not just in the playoffs? The goalie, of course. I'm sure Holtby won't mind getting a tough two more shutouts this postseason, knowing what that will me to him and the franchise!


References


“Official Site Of The National Hockey League.” NHL.com, National Hockey League. Web. 3 Jun. 2018, <www.nhl.com/>.

Sports Reference LLC.Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 03 Jun. 2018.

Youtube. Web. 03 Jun. 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/>.

Eastern Conference Teams That Can Dethrone The Pens In 2017!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are out for a second-straight Stanley Cup later this year, and their third overall in the Sidney Crosby-era. For good measure, the franchise is looking to make it five Stanley Cups overall, which would tie them (With Edmonton) for most Stanley Cups won by a team that joined the NHL from 1967 on.

But not so fast.

Are there teams out there that can beat Pittsburgh that play in their very conference? How about division? "Yes sir!" says I!

Now, a disclaimer: I think the Penguins are a great team! I watched last year's playoffs. They had depth, they had coaching, they had spectacular goaltending. And it continues on this season. But last year was 2015/16. This season is 2016/17, the 100th anniversary of the National Hockey League's inaugural campaign. A year makes a huge difference.

Okay, where to start?

How about Washington? The Pens have a history with them. Of beating them. All the time in the playoffs with the exception of 1994 (Yes, #68 was on that Pittsburgh team). The Caps, though, sure gave the Penguins all they could handle last year. They've got Braden Holtby, brilliant even in defeat in the 2016 playoffs. They've got a great coach in Barry Trotz. Oh, they've also got the latest member of the 1,000 point club, Alex Ovechkin. And he's hungry for a Stanley Cup. He'd love to leave Sidney Crosby behind on his way to one, for sure.

I think this can definitly happen. Of all the scenarios I present, this has to be the most likely. Sure, they may not meet, but if they do, don't you think Washington is due? A win by the Capitals over the Penguins in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs would take the Ovie/Sid rivalry to new heights. Imagine, Crosby, losing to Ovechkin, and then Ovie winning the Stanley Cup later? The Stanley Cup counter would officially start with Alex having one to his name and Sid two himself. "Who will end up with more?" everyone will ask. This needs to be an annual playoff matchup. So much great history here, predating Sidney and Alexander.

How about Columbus?

The surprise team coached by John Tortorella? Well, he won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay (More on them, later) back in 2004, and is doing wonders this year with the Blue Jackets. That 16-game winning streak earlier? Just plain awesome! Did you know Columbus is third in the NHL in goals for with 135 (In 40 games)? They have some serious firepower. And they've got a good goalie named Sergei Bobrovsky. This team took Pittsburgh to six games back in 2014, and have matured much since. Experience is a bit against them as they've missed the playoffs the last two seasons, but they could very well surprise the Pens. This could all be smoke in mirrors as the saying goes. Columbus might be overachieving for all we know. The playoffs will tell.

The Rangers have twice beaten the Pens in the playoffs, and are 2-2 against them in the playoffs from 2007/08 on. They've got Henrik Lundqvist in goal, and it doesn't matter what his numbers are (Well, he's 18-9-1, 2.55, .912 in 29 games) he always on his game in the spring. He can get into the shooters' heads. Even Crosby. Look out for the Rangers, Pens!

Philadelphia is a bit of a long shot, but these teams had a memorable matchup back in 2012. Philly came out on top in six games in the first round, but the team doesn't appear to be dangerous to Pittsburgh, yet. The Flyers might peak when they see the Penguins in the playoffs.

So that's it for the Metropolitan division. How about the Atlantic? Montreal has injuries, but Carey Price isn't one of them. Doesn't he get in the shooters' heads? You bet. The Habs are 26-10-6 after 42 games this year, tops in the Atlantic division. They've been scoring a-plenty lately, but Price, he's sort of fallen off his previous seasons' performance, eh? That could be a concern if these two teams meet in the postseason. I'm not sure the Habs can match the Penguins in a high-scoring series. Price is 7-3-3 in his last 13 games, but his save percentage has been just .901 during that span, well below his .931 S% from 2013/14 through last season. Carey will be the deciding factor, and he needs to regain his form from earlier in the season and World Cup.

Ottawa has been a surprise this season, but not on the Columbus-scale. Their dealing with the loss of Craig Anderson, at least for now. He's a big-game goalie, and his save percentage in the playoffs is just a shade under Braden Holby's .938. Anderson is .933, and he can steal you a series in the postseason. Erik Karlsson is great, nothing more needs to be said. Clark McArthur is dealing with concussion issues. Ottawa is sort of doing things the hard way. Not much offence. They'll need some if they are going to beat Pittsburgh. But the Sens they've played just 39 games, and Mike Condon has done a good job filling in for Craig Anderson. He won't be the guy they turn to come playoff time. If this team can string together some wins, they could challenge Montreal for first in the Atlantic. They currently trail by 12 points, but have 3 games in hand. Boston is actually second but has played 44 games.

The Bruins hopes rest with goalie Tukka Rask. Patrice Bergeron (Who's having an off-year) and Patrice Bergeron are the two big gunners for Boston. They swept Pittsburgh four seasons ago in the playoffs, but that is ancient history in hockey time. They need to find others to pick up the scoring slack, although David Pastrnak has done an admirable job (31 points in 37 games). They aren't even distancing themselves from some of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference. The team has eight players 30 years or over. Their time may be running out.

I'm not sold on Toronto making the playoffs just yet, so there is no point in speculating how they might fair vs. Pittsburgh in April. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. The two Florida teams are interesting matchups for Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay gave 'em all they could handle last year, bowing out only 2-1 in game seven in the Conference Finals. This year, the injury bug (Most notably, Steven Stamkos) has hit them. But the Lighting are just six points back of the last wild card spot. If they get in and are healthy, they can beat Pittsburgh, and any team for that matter. This team went all the way to game six of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015, don't forget. Their goalie, Ben Bishop has been excellent the last two playoff years (21-13, 2.09, .927). Florida is three games over .500, but also currently out of the playoff picture. They can get in, but I'd like the Lightning's chances better than the Panthers' chances.

Carolina has been hot lately, beating Columbus, but it's too early to tell for them. Their backup goalie, Eddie Lack is out with a concussion, so the team is short a quality backup. The team sits with 45 points, 3 back of Philadelphia for the last wild card spot (The Hurricanes have two games in hand). But they are 12 points back of the New York Rangers for the first wild card spot (And fourth place in the Metropolitan). This team has some work to do.

Stanley Cup Playoffs 2016: Lightning Should Be Happy!

All things considered, I'm not sure anyone should have expected the Tampa Bay Lightning to make it this far into the playoffs. Why, with the next two games at home, and the team only three wins away from their second consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, I'd tip my hat.

Personally, I wasn't about to bet the farm that Tampa made it through two rounds. There was the never-ending Steven Stamkos saga. Will he be back next year? Had he played his last game (In the regular season, no less) for the Lightning. Without him, the Lightning were the favourites still over the Red Wings in the first round. And due to their lack of experience, you would have picked the Islanders to lose to the Lightning in the Conference Semis. A tough long series each, though. Without Stamkos, there always seemed to be that feeling that they were upset prone.

Then we forgot about Ben Bishop. The tall goalie proved last year that he could get in shooters' heads in the playoffs. At least, that's what it appeared to me. You could just see Detroit, Montreal, New York (Rangers) and even Chicago in the finals get a little flustered by the tall goaltender. The question was, despite his strong regular season in 2015/16, "Was it all a fluke?" We soon found out.

He slammed the door shut on Detroit. Last year, it took Ben seven games to help Tampa win. This year, just five. But, the games were close. The upstart Islanders stole game one on the road, and looked poised to give the Lightning all they could handle the rest of was surely going to be a long series. But Tampa was clutch. The won both games three and four in overtime on enemy ice, then finished 'em off via a 4-0 Bishop shutout. In just ten games, they were back in the conference finals.

So, next came the Pittsburgh Penguins. In game one (On the road), Bishop was Bishop again, making many-a-rapier-style saves. The Pens had a five-minute man advantage, and Ben wasn't letting 'em in or letting up. But then, at 12:22 of the first, after extending his consecutive shots stoppped streak to 59 with 9 thwarts, it was the tall goalie going down in agony. Ben had to be stretchered off. Were the Bolts done? No way. In to the Tampa net came Andrei Vasilevskiy, and he picked up where Ben Bishop left off.

The Lightning seemed to be inspired by the new netminder, playing in just his sixth career postseason contest. He turned aside 25 of 26 shots (The only one that got past him was scored late in the second, by which time it was 3-0 Tampa), giving the Tampa Bay twosome a combined 34 saves on the night. And they stole one in enemy territory. Again.

Vas, the great #88, was awesome again in the second contest. He gave up a pair of early goals, and then stopped everything that came his way through sixty minutes. 38 of 40 shots. The team has line depth. Apparently, the Lightning also have depth in goal. Down 2-0, Tampa Bay tied the game before the first period was even over, and stayed with Pittsburgh all the way until forty seconds of overtime. There, Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the series (Amazingly enough, at the exact same time that the great Bobby Orr scored his famous OT winner against St. Louis way back in 1970). But really now, the Lightning got a split. Sure, 2-0 heading home is great, but does anyone here think Pittsburgh is taking both games on the road? The longer this series goes, the better Tampa's odds are if you ask me.

Bishop isn't playing in game three. The way Vasilevskiy has played, he might not have to play again this series. The Penguins are going with their third-string goalie named Matt Murray, who in my opinion has been outplayed in the last four games (Yes, even in the Washington series, he was the second best goalie the last two contest, although he played great in the clinching, sixth game). Yes, he too has risen to the occasion. But this series is destined for six or seven games (Maybe fewer if Tampa captures 'em both at home), and it could lead to the return of both Ben Bishop and Steven Stamkos. The Pens big guns of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren't playing up to their capabilities, and as long as that continues the Lighting have the edge. Jonathan Drouin had all sorts of problems with immaturity earlier this season, and appeared to be on his way off the Tampa Bay Lightning. All he's done since his return is collected 11 points in 12 games, doing just as well as Crosby and getting better with every game. Earlier this year, he acted a bit like a two-year old. Now, the 21-year old has contributed and carried the slack in Stamkos' absence, much the same as Vasilevskiy has in Bishop's time away. This Lightning team is appearing in their third Conference Finals this decade alone, having also lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games back in 2011 (The team won in 2004, although no player from that team is on the current roster). Those two have another partner in crime. Tyler Johnson had just 38 points in 69 games in the regular season. But here in the 2016 postseason, Johnson is tops on Tampa with 13 points in 12 games played. He's one of five players with 10 or more points on the Lightning.


References

"NHL Fights From May 13, 2016 Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh." Drop Your Gloves: Hockey Fights, Stats, Reviews And Trading. 13 May 2016. Web. 18 May 2016. <http://dropyourgloves.com/Fights/ GameEvents.aspx?Game=559057>.

"Official Site of the National Hockey League." NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 18 May 2016. <https://www.nhl.com>.

Rosen, Dan. "Lightning Not Satisfied With Split To Open Series." Official Home Of The Tampa Bay Lightning. National Hockey League. 18 May 2016. Web. 18 May 2016. .

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 18 May 2016.

2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Story So Far

So, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning waiting. Ovie and Sid battlin' and going the distance in the West. The 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs have had it all. As always.

The initial concern was that, with no Canadian teams involved, there would not be much going on in the playoffs that could arouse the interest of followers of the nation's sports. That, of course, proved to be incorrect.

For starters, in the Western Conference, which has continued to prove it's superiority over over their Eastern counterparts in recent seasons, there some surprises. One of the first teams to lose was the very team that didn't lose in 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks. It was the St. Louis Blues pulling off the upset. And it took them seven games to do that, so it was one of the best series of the first round. The Anaheim Ducks were also upset in seven by the Nashville Predators. But the first team to go was the Los Angeles Kings. They were beaten in the first round of the Pacific semis by the San Jose Sharks. You may recall the Sharks' goalie, Martin Jones: Didn't this guy play for the Kings a few seasons back?

Another example of a former player coming back to haunt his old team.

Dallas, making sure not to waste their 50-win regular season, got by Minnesota in the first round, setting up a second round matchup with St. Louis. That series is awaiting the seventh game. As, too, is the San Jose / Nashville matchup.

Game four of that splendid Western Semis Finals between the Sharks and Predators had it all. Amazing goaltending. Scoring. A disallowed OT goal. Powerplays in overtime (You don't see much of that). It finally came to an end when Carrie Underwood's husband Mike Fisher scored the dramatic winner in the third overtime session. Another overtime win by the Preds in game six has sent the series to a winner-take-all game seven.

How about the Eastern Conference.

Well, for starters, it was Washington beating Philadelphia. But the Flyers, who barely made the playoffs, pushed back from 3-0 down when Michal Neuvirth took over in Philadelphia's crease. He even stole game five right there in Washington with a 44-save shutout performance. But it was Brandon Holtby, who has played amazing all playoff long, who ended the Flyers season in game six.

The Capitals now trail the Penguins 3-2 in their second round matchup. Pittsburgh got some revenge against the very team that ousted them the last two playoffs, the New York Rangers. The big story out of Pittsburgh has been their goaltedning. Marc-Andre Fleury, having played splendidly in the regular season (Finishing tenth in S%, .921), was looking forward, no doubt, to a playoff series against the New York Rangers and goalie Henrik Lundqvist. But Fleury was out with his second concussion of the 2015/16 season in March.

Pittsburgh was forced to use Jeff Zatkoff and Matt Murray in the series. While Zatkoff showed plenty of potential with a pretty good performance in game one, a loss in game two made the Pens make a move. A move to the less experienced Matt Murray. Murray had only 13 games of NHL experience (All this season) prior to stepping into the spotlight in game three on Broadway. All Matt did was take the ball and run with it. The Rangers were beaten in the next three games, and then the Capitals were pushed to the brink via some outstanding netminding from the kid. Can he continue? We will have to wait and see.

One person who had to wait and see for a long time was John Taveres. Having been in the league for seven years now (It seems like only yesterday that it was his rookie year), he watched as his New York Islanders lacked playoff success. Now in Brooklyn, the Islanders entered this playoffs as the underdogs against the first place (In the Atlantic Division) Florida Panthers. But all John did was go out and get nine points in the six-game battle. It looked like the Islanders were going to have to win it in Florida in game seven, but then Tavares became clutch. He tied game six with just 54 seconds to go, as the home crowd roared their approval. John wasn't through playing heroics. His goal at 10:41 of the second overtime sent the Islanders into the second round of the postseason for the first time in 23 years.

Once their, John and his teammates continued to battle. But they came up against a great Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning were thought to be beatable in the playoffs. They weren't going to be as good as they'd been last year. In the 2015 postseason, they needed seven game to beat the Detroit Red Wings, six to beat the Montreal Canadians, and another seven to beat the New York Rangers. They gave Chicago all they could handle in the Stanley Cup Finals before finally yielding in six games. But so far this postseason, sans Steven Stamkos (Rumours continue to swirl that he will land in Toronto or Montreal next season), the Lightning don't know what game six is. They have yet to play in one.

It was close in the first round against Detroit. But Tampa had no intentions of going seven like in '15. Or even six. However, the games themselves were close, as the biggest margin of victory was Tampa's 5-2 win in the second contest. The Red Wings then got a shutout at home in game three to keep the Lightning honest. Petr Mrazek, the Detroit goalie, continued to make life difficult for the opposition in games four and five, as the Wings threatened to extend this to six or maybe even seven. But Ben Bishop, his counterpart on Tampa, kept calm and cool in the Lightning net. Bishop and his team took game four, 3-2, then pitched a shutout of his own in game five.

The Lightning didn't stop their. But if they had any thoughts that the Islanders would be a pushover, it all evaporated in the first game in Tampa. New York won, 5-3, Tavares getting a goal and an assist. But here's where Bishop, who really made a name for himself in the 2015 playoffs, took over. He stopped all but one shot in game two, winning a narrow 2-1 decision. The series shifted to Brooklyn's Barclay's Center for game three and four. And let me assure you, the home team played great.

However, it was not enough for a win in either contest. The Islander scored the first goal of the third game, but it was the Lightning that refused to get behind the eight ball. The game see-sawed back and fourth, and reached it's peak of competitiveness when Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov tied it with only 39 seconds to go. Ovetime lasted less than four minutes, as the galvanized Lightning won it on Brian Boyle's dramatic goal.

New York again got off on the right foot in the next game. They tallied the game's first goal as Kyle Okposo got one less than five minutes in. The lead lasted until the third period, as Tampa's Nikita Kucherov again tied it. There was still over twelve minutes of play to go in the third, but Bishop and New York's Thomas Greiss held the fort for both squads, ensuring another overtime. Greiss hadn't had smooth sailing despite only allowing one goal, however. Although he stopped 20 of the first 21 shots to face him, he developed a skate problem in the second period. Jean-Francois Berube (Not related to ex-tough guy Craig Berube) took over for 4:47, making his NHL playoff debut under the most unusual of circumstances. He stopped the only two shots he'd face. During the regular season, Berube had played in just seven games. Berube had no previous NHL experience before 2015/16.

But overtime was again very short. At 1:48, it was Tampa defencemen Jason Garrison picking a fine time to score his first playoff goal. The Lightning had weathered a storm thrown at them on the road.
Finally, the Islanders were demoralized, and it was the Lighting riding a 4-0 shutout from Bishop in game five to send stubborn New York to the golf course. But we have not heard the last from Tavares and company, believe me.


References

"Official Site of the National Hockey League." NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 10 May 2016. <https://www.nhl.com/>

"Penguins Goaltender Fleury Still Dealing With Concussion." The Big Story. Associated Press, 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 10 May 2016. <http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5a94c51526f64f279d410bf8cb16996a/ penguins-goaltender-fleury-still-dealing-concussion>.

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 10 May, 2016.

2016 Playoff Predictions

Atlantic Division Finals

Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. New York Islanders (WC1)

The Story So Far: Tampa Bay beat Detroit for the second straight year, this time in just five games. However, it was no cakewalk, as a break or two and this series might still be playing. The Islanders pulled off an upset as they needed six games to finish off the Florida Panthers. However that, too, could have gone seven.

The Lightning Will Win If: They continue to get superb goaltending from Ben Bishop. Slowly but surely, Ben is building up a strong playoff reputation. So far these playoffs, he's 4-1, 1.61 and .950. Combine that with taking the Lightning to within two games of the Stanley Cup last year, and he could be on his way to a terrific career in the playoffs. Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killborn have picked up the slack from Steven Stamkos' absence. If they keep this up, watch out on the island.

The Islanders Will Win If: Jonathan Tavares keeps up what he's doing. So far, he's tops in the 16-team tournament in goals with five (Not to mention his nine points!). And Thomas Greiss is playing some amazing goal in Jaroslav Halak's absence. He's just back of Bishop with a 4-2 record, 1.79 GAA, and a save percentage of .944. He'll need to match Bishop save-for-save in this series. The Islanders got a nice performance from Kyle Okposo. Look for him to make a contribution in this second round matchup. And they'll need to.

My Pick: Lightning in six games!


References

Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <https://www.nhl.com>.

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Stanley Cup Finals 2015: Some "Other" Players To Watch

So it's down to the final twosome in the quest for Lord Stanley's Mug. The Tampa Bay Lighting have beaten three straight original six teams, and now face a fourth. The Chicago Blackhawks. For the record, no team in NHL history has ever beaten four Original Six teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tampa will have to do that if they want to win. This is also the first time since 1964 that both teams won the semi-finals on the road.

So who to keep an eye out for in the finals. Well, we all know about Stamkos, Toews, Kutcherov and Kane. But how about some of the others?

Zack Johnson is a small guy, who gets better every year. And this year, he's been doing it from the get-go of the regular season and continuing it through the first three playoff rounds. Small in stature, 5'9, but quick on the ice, he's in only his third year in the league, yet is leading the playoffs in scoring with 21 points. Look for that to continue in the finals.

Another player impressing me for Tampa Bay in the playoffs has been Nikita Kucherov. Although only 5'11 himself, and also in his sophomore season in the NHL, he had 65 points from the right wing position in the regular season, and 19 more so far in the playoffs. He also lead the NHL in +/- in the regular season, as that probably comes as a surprise to many. Nikita finished at +35. He's a +7 so far in the postseason.

But put all those players and some more aside, and it's gotta be Ben Bishop that stands out. Actually, he stands 6'7 in net. A player that Johnson and Kucherov look up to in more ways then one. Funny, coming into this postseason, he'd never actually played a single NHL playoff game. And now, it's as if he's been there a while. Big Ben has the poise, confidence, and even skills of a veteran of many-a-playoff game. At least that's what it looks like on television. He leads the playoffs in wins (And sadly, losses, too), shutouts and games played. All of this experience will benefit him and the Lightning down the road.

Meanwhile, Chicago has got some faces at work in this postseason. Jonathan Toews is actually second on the team in scoring with 18 points in 17 games. But it's Patrick Kane with the team lead with 20 points. But here's where someone else is having the postseason of his life. Duncan Keith, the defenseman, is 31 years old and averaging better then a point-a-game this postseason! He's been in Chicago since way back in 2005/06, along with Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp. Back in the dark days of the Hawks.

Due in part to some injuries, Sharp had a bit of an offseason this year in terms of point production. But in the playoffs, he's back to his usual self with 12 points in 17 games. Look for him, Marian Hossa (Playing in his fifth(!) Stanley Cup Finals in the last eight years), and Sharp to provide the experience necessary in the finals. He's also gotten six points in his last eight games and provided some clutch scoring in recent do-or-die games.

How about Chicago goaltending?

For now, smooth sailing. It did, however, seem like Corey Crawford was overmatched and overwhelmed against Nashville and Anaheim. Against the Predators, he was swept under the rug in favour of  Scott Darling, who played well. However, when Darling faltered in game six, Crawford came in and got the win in relief. The job has been his ever since.

Even so, it's Bishop with the better SV%, .920 to Crawford's .919. Not much of a difference. But I've seen Bishop make so many unreal saves, it's hard to look past him. Especially with his height. This finals has the potential of being a great goalie duel!

I look forward to it!


References

http://www.nhl.com

http://www.hockey-reference.com/

http://www.hockeydb.com/

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/how-marian-hossa-is-an-ageless-wonder-for-chicago-blackhawks--trending-topics-132740319.html

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/02/sharp-deflects-dynasty-talk-but-acknowledges-hawks-group-is-something-special/

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/star-spotlight-corey-crawford-vs-ben-bishop/

Bishop And Andersen: Making A Big Splash In Uncharted Waters

So, as the Stanley Cup dwindles down to the "Final Four", there are two goalies that were there (or further) from last season, and two more keepers who haven't been there at all. Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop and Anaheim's Fredrik Andersen.

Andersen, from Denmark, is playing in his second NHL season, and his second NHL playoffs. He's gotten much experience from the past two seasons, though. He (And Jonas Hiller) helped Anaheim get to the second round in 2014 before eventually he got hurt and Los Angeles prevailed in seven games. John Gibson took over in net for him after the injury and performed admirably. This season, Gibson played 23 games and went 13-8-0 while Andersen went 35-12-5. Both posted a S% of .914, but the job is clearly Andersen's. And the way he's playing the playoffs so far, it's his to lose.

All he's done is help the Ducks get by Winnipeg in four, then beat Calgary, needing just one more game to do that. A win in game one of the Conference finals vs. Chicago and his playoff record is 9-1 (He was 3-2 last season). The Ducks needed three goalies last year to get to game seven of the second round, but Andersen beat Jonas Hiller and the Flames this year, which must have added an exclamation mark to his status as the go-to goalie. He's also taken great strides in his game. His S% of .930 is sixth best right now.

Tampa Bay finished a strong third in the Eastern Conference, behind Montreal and New York. The looked like they were going to be out early against Detroit in the first round. They kept falling behind. However, they also kept coming back. The Red Wings took game one right there in Tampa. After losing game two, Detroit took game three then led by two goals in a pivotal game four. Tampa came back to win, only to drop game five, which was also pivotal. Now down 3-2, they needed to pull it off in Detroit to send it to seven.

Ben Bishop. Tall. Talented. Imposing. But never having won a playoff series...

Game six in enemy territory was a do-or-die affair, not only for the Lightning, but also for Bishop. He needed this game and would need to be great in game seven. Tampa took a 3-0 lead late into the second period. But they nearly lost it. Detroit scored late in that period and very early in the third. While Tampa scored twice more, this thing was in doubt until the very end, trust me. Bishop turned in a 31-save performance in a game seven shutout. With that, he had won his first ever playoff series. But this series was also his very first postseason experience at NHL level. Not a bad way to win it, eh?

Against Montreal, there were doubters. The Canadians had swept Tampa last season (But Bishop had missed all four games due to injury). The Lightning had swept the season series, but Montreal had Carey Price, who's probably going to be MVP.

Bishop matched him save for save in game one in Montreal. The Lighting took it, 2-1 in overtime. A 6-2 win by Tampa in game two gave Bishop even more confidence. Game three in Tampa went the way of the home team on a last-second goal by Zack Johnson. Montreal was not done and took the next two games, before bowing out 4-1 in game six. Anderson had been brillant all series long sans game five.

New York is obviously a big challenge for Bishop. They finished in first place overall. And to prove that, they handed Bishop and Tampa 2-1 in game one of the Conference Finals. But no one is saying this thing is over. Not with Bishop playing so well.

Bishop has been intimidating shooters, staring them down and daring them to try to hit the corner of the net. Any of the four corners. Against Montreal, they hit the post what seems like a hundred times. Big Ben is a tough goalie to score against. And for good reason: At 6'7, he's the tallest goalie in NHL history!

And right now, he's on the cusp of greatness.


References

Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://www.nhl.com>

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 17 May 2015

Brodeur: Where Will He Fit, Where Should He Go?

So Marty Brodeur is the NHL's all-time leader in games played (1259), wins (688), losses (394), shutouts (124), you-name-it-he's-got it. He's also an free agent July 1st.

Now what about the teams he could go to? It's been narrowed down to about five or six teams by insiders. Can Marty go to any of them? Where will he fit best? Where would it not work?

Boston has recently joined in the fray. Following their loss to Montreal, my guess is the Bruins feel that Brodeur could spell Tuuka Rask for some short or long stretches. Hey, wait a minute! Didn't Tuuk just win the Vezina? Sure bet Rask took 'er home. So why would the Bruins want an aged veteran? Well, they did sign Niklas Svedberg to a one-year deal, but they lost Chad Johnson, who looked like one fine backup! Rask was not the reason the Bruins lost to the Habs last season, but he needs better insurance behind him. Read this one.

Svedberg played just one game for Boston and isn't ready to step-in. Brodeur could sure provide a step-in. Plus, Rask wouldn't have to feel any pressure if first place or game seven is around the corner. Brodeur is still a winner, you know: (19-14-6)

And the system Boston plays could make things a lot like they were in New Jersey for Marty. He could find the situation helpful. And with the Bruins a likely contender next season, Marty could go out in style. It would be a good fit, and Brodeur could see a lot of playing time to let Rask get some well-deserved rest.

Pittsburgh lost to the Rangers, and it wasn't their goalie's fault. Actually, I thought Marc-Andre Fleury played quite well. Two shutouts against New York! Why that's more blankings than Crosby had goals! Fleury doesn't have the ready backup yet. Jeff Zatkoff did look strong at times. He gave a credible performance, but I'm not sold yet, are you? The Pens always treat Fleury as the fall guy when the team losses. It's amazing how many times Pittsburgh just forgets about the play in their own end and poor Marc has to takes the heat. Brodeur coming in can sure be a help, as Marty could be a great mentor to Marc and young Jeff, but I'm not sure he'd want to play in a place where the defence is undisciplined.

Not that Marty couldn't help. Much like he could spell Rask for stretches, he could for Fleury. Fleury's confidence sometimes dips, but playing beside Brodeur could give him an inspiration. Who knows, maybe Sid and his mates will see The Higher Power in net and play better defence for him, and then do the same for Fleury? That would help this franchise!

Toronto has a good starter in Jonathan Bernier, but James Reimer is on the trading block and I don't think Drew MacIntyre is quite NHL-ready yet. So there is an opening. If Brodeur comes to TO and gets the Leafs back to the playoffs, why he'd be a hero! Not that it's going to be easy. One thing is for sure, the Leafs are the team he'd see the most action with if he signs. The Leafs have the Pens same problem but are also minus some offence as well. Marty would see a lot of 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4 games in the Leaf net. Can he still win them? Being out-shot, ala Bernier and Reimer all last season? Perhaps.

I'm not sure Toronto would want a goalie for one year, because regardless of how Marty does, where are the Buds a year from now? Back to square one (or maybe square zero) in the backup role. The Leafs need a long term answer there, not a short-term one.

Chicago is certainly an interesting fit for Marty. Just look at the legends that have played there. Gardner, Hall, Esposito, Belfour. Why not add another legend? Sounds good to me. But in reality, Corey Crawford has the number one job down and Antti Raanta is there in the second spot in the pipes. Where would that leave Marty? Really, no place for him to play. The Hawks challenge is going to be staying under the cap and staying younger. Could they sign Marty for little? Or fork out the dough and not play him? Seems like a waste of time to me. I mean, he could go there and help, no doubt.

But the Hawks don't seem like a good fit. And the fan in me doesn't want to see Brodeur spend all the time riding the pine. The Hawks, for those not old enough, played Tony-O a grand total of 18 games his last season (1983/84), which was an insult. You gotta let the Proud Old Man get his way, no matter what happens. Same thing with Brodeur. Gotta play him, use him, and make him part of the team. Looking at the Hawks right now, that's not going to happen.

Montreal would welcome the hometown kid with open arms. Only now, the kid is 42. But the Habs have some serious things to do first. With an unexpected great performance from Dustin Tokarski (one of the best postseason stories last year), this could be it for Peter Budaj, who was good as the backup to Carey Price. But I don't know if the Habs want to get older in nets, give up on two guys (not to mention kill their confidence by being sent down) and let Price know that they need a legend to back him up. Hey, didn't the guy just win a gold medal and play better than Brodeur ever did in the Olympics? Well, actually, Marty posted a .981 S% in 2002 and Price's was .972 in 2014. A pair of gold medallist, but Marty got another in 2010 for good measure.

No, that's not going to create a rift. But Carey needs to ride the way of his confidence into next year. Don't forget, this guy played in 72 games back in 2010/11 and led the NHL with 38 wins that year. And he's been with the Canadians since 2007/08 and won the Calder Cup in the AHL with the Bulldogs. I'm not sure Brodeur would see much playing time. And again, is Montreal just going to shove Tokarski to the minors after all that playoff fun? No, that kid deserves a 20-30 game look-see this upcoming season. Good old shot-in-the-arm. There would be no place for Brodeur for that to happen!

Anywhere else? I've seem Tampa Bay mentioned. But Ben Bishop is proving to be one goalie that the Ottawa Senators should have kept. Anders Lindback is set to be a free agent, however. Marty might see a lot of playing time there, as Bishop is not quite a goalie that logs a lot of time and still has much to prove, at least come playoffs. Vancouver could be a good fit, with Luongo gone. But the Canucks are taking a look at a starter first, then perhaps a backup. Plus they have Eddie Lack there, and he was pretty good last year behind Luongo until Roberto's trade to Florida. Speaking of which, how about a nice time in the sun a little further south for Marty. Hmmm? You thinking?

References

"Official Site of the National Hockey League” | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 30 Jun. 2014. <https://www.nhl.com>

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 30 Jun. 2014.

Emery And Lindback: Why No One Should Take Them Lightly!

So, I figure Montreal and New York are getting that feeling. The home-free feeling.

Steve Mason is out for the Philadelphia Flyers and Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning (all 6'7 of him) is also on the sidelines. For how long? No one knows for sure. But fans of the Montreal Canadians (Tampa Bay's opponent) and the New York Rangers (Philadelphia's opponent) must be thinking about round two already.

Before you get there, you must get past your first round opponent.

And, neither team has ruled out the possibility of Bishop and Mason returning. What about Ray Emery and Anders Lindback? Are they easy pickings?

On the surface, Lindback should be no problem for the Habs: 8-12-2, 2.90, .891 this season. Not the second coming of Ken Dryden 1971, says I. But it's often, "What have you done for me lately" in hockey that matters the most.

Linback has actually been quite hot recently, if you take a closer look. Last 5 games? Okay, we have a loss to Buffalo where he didn't play good. His next game was a loss to Pittsburgh in overtime, allowing four goals. But only one of them was scored even strength, and it was against the Pens. So...

And then he came in relief against Toronto and slammed the door shut in a shared shutout with Big Ben. That happened to be the game that put Bishop on the shelf. But Anders stopped all 25 shots against. Against Philadelphia on April 10th, he stopped 34 of 36 shots for his second straight win. Then, he blanked Alexander Ovechkin and his mates for a 3-1-1 finish. Yeah, he's playing well right now. Add to that the Lightning home-ice advantage, and Montreal better think twice before looking too far ahead to round two.

Emery has been there before, unlike Lindback (Anders has played just 13 minutes of a game back in 2011). He took Ottawa to the finals in 2007. After an off-season the next year, he joined the Flyers. While an injury cut his season short, it was Philly that made it all the way to the finals in 2010. From there on in, he came back from that injury and has posted some impressive winning numbers. Last year, in 21 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ray won 17, lost only 1 and posted a .922 S%. The Hawks won it all.

So that's three times he's been a part of a team that made it through at least three rounds. He did not play at all in the playoffs last season, but got a much deserved ring. Razor came down to earth this year, going just 9-12-4, 2.96, .903

The thing about Ray is, he's a great character. Ever seen one of his goalie fights? The stuff of legend! And character is the thing that is on trial in the Stanley Cup playoffs, more than anything. Ray Emery also brings experience to this situation. More than the Flyers would have with a healthy Steve Mason. Mason has little playoff experience. His last playoff was for Columbus back in 2009. And all it produced was 0-4, 4.27, .878! Is five years of zero playoff experience going to make him ready for the playoffs. Yes, that 33-18-7, 2.50, .917 looks good. But this is the playoffs, a whole new ballgame! And it's against the Rangers, who are no pushovers! So in a situation like this, I'd still want to use Emery, at least in some games. Even a healthy Mason, you tell me: Is he going to have his hands full?


References

“Official Site of the National Hockey League” | NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <https://www.nhl.com>.

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. Web. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.