The two series about to get underway in the Stanley Cup playoffs couldn't look more different from the outside. In the West, the two teams that were supposed to make it this far did. Meanwhile, out East, the term "supposed to" didn't really come into play, as the two remaining teams defied the odds every opportunity to find themselves both one series away from the chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.
Eastern Conference Finals
The Eastern Conference is really a toss-up at this point. The two remaining teams split their season series against each other, and both have plenty of reasons why they weren't expected to still be around.
#7 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
This marks the first time under the current playoff format that the #7 and #8 teams have faced each other for the conference championships, and history has popped up for both Montreal and Philadelphia. The Flyers come to this series becoming only the third team in NHL history to win a game 7 after finding themselves down 3-0 in the series. They also overcame a 3-0 deficit within that game seven to pull off the 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Flyers have had some injured players return at the right moments, and the biggest question mark entering the post season, goaltending, suddenly is looking like one of their biggest strengths. Brian Boucher is out, but Michael Leighton has stepped up huge in net for the Flyers, and the return of Simon Gagne helped spur Philly on to their surprise series win.
Meanwhile, all the Montreal Canadiens have done is knock off the NHL's best regular-season record, followed by sending the current reigning Stanley Cup champions home. After surprising the Washington Capitals, Montreal took care of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same fashion.; opportunistic goal scoring and a strong defense shut down the Penguins stars. Meanwhile, the hottest player on the ice in these playoffs has worn a Montreal jersey, as Mike Cammalleri just keeps scoring. Will the Flyers have an answer for Jaroslav Halak, one that neither Pittsburgh or Washington could find? Either way, Cinderella's slipper will be moving on to the Stanley Cup Finals, and expect to see it remain on Montreal, as the Canadiens will advance in 7 games.
Western Conference Finals
If the Eastern Conference is about teams that surprised everyone by still being around in the playoffs, then the West is about the two teams that were expected to be fighting it out for the chance to take on the Eastern champion.
#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #2 Chicago Blackhawks
The San Jose Sharks have spent previous postseasons haunted by their own ineffectiveness. This time around, unheralded players stepped up in their first round victory, and, when faced with the Detroit Red Wings, the Sharks found one of their stars stepping to the front. San Jose is being powered by two players named Joe, with a little help from Evgeni Nabokov on the back end. The Sharks are trying to prove that their are more than a regular season powerhouse, and, if they can keep putting the same product on the ice that they did against Detroit, they should make an interesting series.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks have been getting plenty of help from their stars all postseason, and in their series against the Vancouver Canucks, some of their supporting cast stepped up in a huge way. Back-to-back road hat tricks helped power Chicago past their nemesis from last season's playoffs, in a similar fashion. The Blackhawks are a team that was built to fight for the Cup this year, and anything short of the championship will be a huge disappointment. That's largely because salary problems will rip apart this Chicago team for next season, and some of the important role players will find themselves on different teams. At the end of the series, though, Marian Hossa will miss the chance to play in his third Finals series in a row, after San Jose defeats the Blackhawks in 6.
Showing posts with label Montreal Canadiens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Montreal Canadiens. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
2009-10 Playoff Previews: Conference Semifinals
Part of what makes playoff hockey so exciting is the stories that end up coming out of the games. For proof, just watch a game and see one of the cycle of "history will happen" commercials being aired. They've served as a nice reminder of the unexpected taking place, or the expected being put on a grander stage. This year's playoffs will definitely have their own fair share of history, along with some unexpected results as the remaining eight teams move ahead to the second round.
Eastern Conference
Who would have expected that, after the first round, none of the division winners would still be playing? And yet, in the Eastern Conference, that's exactly what happened, with only Pittsburgh avoiding an upset, dispatching the #5 seeded Ottawa Senators. The shake-up in the East means that the early favorite to win it all is now out of the way, and it could make things more interesting.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
The Penguins did exactly what everyone expected they would do. True, Ottawa took a couple games away from them on their home ice, but the Penguins showed why they're the defending champs, and their star power shined brightly in the first round. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were huge on the ice for the Penguins, and Marc-Andre Fleury held his team in when he needed to. Ultimately, it was Pittsburgh's offense that drove them on to the second round, where they remain the highest seed remaining in the East.
Their reward? They get to face the Montreal Canadiens. That may not be much of a reward overall, though, as the Canadiens became the first #8 seed to win a series after being down 3-1 after four games. Montreal may not have done much in their 100th season, but they're looking to get the next hundred years off to a good start. They may have gotten the benefit of a couple calls, including a no-goal call in Game 7, but they simply shut down the top team in the NHL, starting with game five. Looking for a reason why Montreal moved on, look no further than Jaroslav Halak. Unremarkable in the beginning of the series, he was pulled in favor of Carey Price, returned in Game 5, and just closed the door on Washington the rest of the way. Halak was absolutely brilliant in net, including a 53-save performance in Game 6 before turning aside 40+ shots in Game 7. The Canadiens will be looking to their defense to stop the high-powered Penguins offense, but Pittsburgh comes in a little more rested. Cinderella's shoe might fit right now, but it will need a new home after Pittsburgh wins in 6 games.
#6 Boston Bruins vs #7 Philadelphia Flyers
Boston may have had some scary moments while facing the Buffalo Sabres, but, in the end, they did to Buffalo exactly what they did all season, and that's make the bigger plays when it counts. None may have been bigger than the plays made by Miroslav Satan, a former Sabre and a winner of the Stanley Cup last season with Pittsburgh. Satan was left floating as a free agent until January, when the Bruins snapped him up to fill in for some injured players. He's only turned around to be a consistent scoring threat. Boston is also about to get a boost when Marc Savard returns to play, having recovered from the concussion that kept him off the ice for the first round. Meanwhile, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara should be getting ready for a physical series, because the Bruins drew a classic battle for the second round.
That classic battle will be against the Philadelphia Flyers. The last team to make it into the playoffs, and only because of a last minute win, the Flyers became the first team to advance to the second round when they stunned Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers are a rough-and-tumble team, but they have offensive prowess. They also showed a sturdy penalty kill, which is good for Philadelphia, as they have a tendency to march to the penalty box. Brian Boucher needs to continue playing the great hockey he has, and the Flyers need Scott Hartnell to find his game. At the end of this rough series, though, the Bruins will be advancing, winning in 7 games.
Western Conference
Over in the West, it could be argued that there wasn't a single upset. True, the number four team didn't advance, but it's hard to call the Detroit Red Wings an underdog, especially with their success over the years and the way they played in the tail part of the season. Still, the West made its own history, and that should continue with an exciting second round.
#1 San Jose Sharks vs #5 Detroit Red Wings
In the beginning of their series against the Colorado Avalanche, it looked like the San Jose Sharks were on their way to another postseason collapse. After three games, they were staring down a 2-1 deficit, and had actually scored an own goal to dig themselves into that hole. All they did after that was rattle off three impressive wins, led by Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, and Ryan Clowe. Evgeni Nabokov also stood tall, putting together an amazing GAA despite a huge Colorado Game 2. The Sharks look to be serious contenders this year, but they desperately need their "Big Three" of Heatley, Thornton, and Marleau to step up their level of play.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings were taken to a seventh game by the upstart Phoenix Coyotes, but all Detroit did was allow their stars to take over. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg stepped up at the exact right times, and the Detroit defense was able to keep Phoenix from playing too much of their own style. In the final game of the series, the Red Wings punched their ticket to the second round with an exclamation point, decimating the Coyotes to the tune of 6-1. That should continue for the Red Wings, as Detroit will knock off San Jose in 7.
#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs #3 Vancouver Canucks
The Chicago Blackhawks survived a bit of a scare from the Nashville Predators, falling behind 2-1 after three games. Then Nashville gave away Game 5, and it was history. The Blackhawks survived a 5-minute major penalty in that game, and it was the player who spent time in the box, and who has come in second the last two years, who scored the game winner that ultimately put the series out of Nashville's reach. Will this be the year that Marian Hossa finally gets to lift the Cup himself? With help from Jonathon Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Antti Niemi, he's certainly hoping so.
Standing in Chicago's way is the team that they faced last year at this same time, and a team that they ushered out the door in six games. The Vancouver Canucks aren't much different from the team that lost to Chicago last season, but they are an improved team. The Sedin twins are playing big-time hockey now, shaking off criticisms that they couldn't bring their talent into the playoffs with them. Meanwhile, Mikael Samuelsson helped add offense to a Vancouver team that already had plenty. The big concerns for the Canucks will have to be on the penalty kill, as they were awful at slowing down the Los Angeles Kings power play, and whether or not Roberto Luongo can shake the demons of past performances. If Luongo can be the stud goaltender that the Canucks are hoping he can be, they can look to playing in the conference finals. Ultimately, though, this year's result won't be any different from last year, as the Blackhawks advance in 6 games.
Eastern Conference
Who would have expected that, after the first round, none of the division winners would still be playing? And yet, in the Eastern Conference, that's exactly what happened, with only Pittsburgh avoiding an upset, dispatching the #5 seeded Ottawa Senators. The shake-up in the East means that the early favorite to win it all is now out of the way, and it could make things more interesting.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
The Penguins did exactly what everyone expected they would do. True, Ottawa took a couple games away from them on their home ice, but the Penguins showed why they're the defending champs, and their star power shined brightly in the first round. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were huge on the ice for the Penguins, and Marc-Andre Fleury held his team in when he needed to. Ultimately, it was Pittsburgh's offense that drove them on to the second round, where they remain the highest seed remaining in the East.
Their reward? They get to face the Montreal Canadiens. That may not be much of a reward overall, though, as the Canadiens became the first #8 seed to win a series after being down 3-1 after four games. Montreal may not have done much in their 100th season, but they're looking to get the next hundred years off to a good start. They may have gotten the benefit of a couple calls, including a no-goal call in Game 7, but they simply shut down the top team in the NHL, starting with game five. Looking for a reason why Montreal moved on, look no further than Jaroslav Halak. Unremarkable in the beginning of the series, he was pulled in favor of Carey Price, returned in Game 5, and just closed the door on Washington the rest of the way. Halak was absolutely brilliant in net, including a 53-save performance in Game 6 before turning aside 40+ shots in Game 7. The Canadiens will be looking to their defense to stop the high-powered Penguins offense, but Pittsburgh comes in a little more rested. Cinderella's shoe might fit right now, but it will need a new home after Pittsburgh wins in 6 games.
#6 Boston Bruins vs #7 Philadelphia Flyers
Boston may have had some scary moments while facing the Buffalo Sabres, but, in the end, they did to Buffalo exactly what they did all season, and that's make the bigger plays when it counts. None may have been bigger than the plays made by Miroslav Satan, a former Sabre and a winner of the Stanley Cup last season with Pittsburgh. Satan was left floating as a free agent until January, when the Bruins snapped him up to fill in for some injured players. He's only turned around to be a consistent scoring threat. Boston is also about to get a boost when Marc Savard returns to play, having recovered from the concussion that kept him off the ice for the first round. Meanwhile, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara should be getting ready for a physical series, because the Bruins drew a classic battle for the second round.
That classic battle will be against the Philadelphia Flyers. The last team to make it into the playoffs, and only because of a last minute win, the Flyers became the first team to advance to the second round when they stunned Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers are a rough-and-tumble team, but they have offensive prowess. They also showed a sturdy penalty kill, which is good for Philadelphia, as they have a tendency to march to the penalty box. Brian Boucher needs to continue playing the great hockey he has, and the Flyers need Scott Hartnell to find his game. At the end of this rough series, though, the Bruins will be advancing, winning in 7 games.
Western Conference
Over in the West, it could be argued that there wasn't a single upset. True, the number four team didn't advance, but it's hard to call the Detroit Red Wings an underdog, especially with their success over the years and the way they played in the tail part of the season. Still, the West made its own history, and that should continue with an exciting second round.
#1 San Jose Sharks vs #5 Detroit Red Wings
In the beginning of their series against the Colorado Avalanche, it looked like the San Jose Sharks were on their way to another postseason collapse. After three games, they were staring down a 2-1 deficit, and had actually scored an own goal to dig themselves into that hole. All they did after that was rattle off three impressive wins, led by Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, and Ryan Clowe. Evgeni Nabokov also stood tall, putting together an amazing GAA despite a huge Colorado Game 2. The Sharks look to be serious contenders this year, but they desperately need their "Big Three" of Heatley, Thornton, and Marleau to step up their level of play.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings were taken to a seventh game by the upstart Phoenix Coyotes, but all Detroit did was allow their stars to take over. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg stepped up at the exact right times, and the Detroit defense was able to keep Phoenix from playing too much of their own style. In the final game of the series, the Red Wings punched their ticket to the second round with an exclamation point, decimating the Coyotes to the tune of 6-1. That should continue for the Red Wings, as Detroit will knock off San Jose in 7.
#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs #3 Vancouver Canucks
The Chicago Blackhawks survived a bit of a scare from the Nashville Predators, falling behind 2-1 after three games. Then Nashville gave away Game 5, and it was history. The Blackhawks survived a 5-minute major penalty in that game, and it was the player who spent time in the box, and who has come in second the last two years, who scored the game winner that ultimately put the series out of Nashville's reach. Will this be the year that Marian Hossa finally gets to lift the Cup himself? With help from Jonathon Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Antti Niemi, he's certainly hoping so.
Standing in Chicago's way is the team that they faced last year at this same time, and a team that they ushered out the door in six games. The Vancouver Canucks aren't much different from the team that lost to Chicago last season, but they are an improved team. The Sedin twins are playing big-time hockey now, shaking off criticisms that they couldn't bring their talent into the playoffs with them. Meanwhile, Mikael Samuelsson helped add offense to a Vancouver team that already had plenty. The big concerns for the Canucks will have to be on the penalty kill, as they were awful at slowing down the Los Angeles Kings power play, and whether or not Roberto Luongo can shake the demons of past performances. If Luongo can be the stud goaltender that the Canucks are hoping he can be, they can look to playing in the conference finals. Ultimately, though, this year's result won't be any different from last year, as the Blackhawks advance in 6 games.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
2009-10 Playoff Previews: Eastern Quarterfinals
For hockey fans, the most wonderful time of the year is just a day away. The NHL's "second season" is about to kick off, and the 16 remaining teams have a pile of hockey ahead of them on their way to Lord Stanley's hardware. Today will feature a quick spin through predictions for the first round in the East. Tomorrow, the West will get it's chance to shine.
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Top seeds can lose in the first round. Just ask last year's San Jose Sharks team. However, when the top seed features one of the best players the league has right now, and a stellar supporting cast, the odds of them getting bumped out right away are pretty slim. Especially when you factor in an opponent who can be less-than-consistent night after night.
The Capitals are a high-flying team. They have far from the best goaltending and defense in the playoffs, but they'll survive the same way they did all season; the scoring that they put on the ice is just sick at times. Even once you move beyond Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the Caps are a deep offensive team, and their moves at the trade deadline helped shore up some of the role positions that could have lead to question marks.
Meanwhile, Montreal is a team that almost didn't find itself in the post-season, and they have a lot of ground to make up. Jaroslav Halak will be relied on to make incredible saves, and Michael Cammalleri is the biggest offensive threat for the Canadiens. However, they'll be playing back on their heels all series long, as the Caps will come gunning, looking to enter the second round with momentum. Washington should send Montreal home in 5.
#2 New Jersey Devils vs #7 Philadelphia Flyers
The New Jersey Devils have the best goaltender ever to play the game in Martin Brodeur, and they've got skilled players in every corner of the ice. Whether it's Zach Parise on the offense, Jamie Langenbrunner on defense, or a wicked slap shot from Brian Rolston, the Devils have assembled a tough team to play against. Add Stanley Cup winning coach Jacques Lemaire back into the mix, and New Jersey could be a viable contender for the Eastern Conference crown.
The Flyers, on the other hand, are a team that's been scrambling for the last month or so, hoping to solidify a playoff spot, which they did (barely), by beating the New York Rangers in their final game of the season. The Flyers are a team that's willing to get dirty and play the physical side of the sport, while still seeing contributions from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The biggest problem for Philadelphia? They don't have a legitimate goaltender. The Devils will slap the Flyers around, taking the series in 5 games.
#3 Buffalo Sabres vs #6 Boston Bruins
Buffalo should be concerned. While they've got a fantastic goaltender in Ryan Miller, the rest of the team has stayed pretty much under the radar. Not many people outside of Buffalo may know who plays for the team, aside from Miller, but they've still gone about their business, taking their division with relative ease.
Their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins, on the other hand, have some players you can't miss, but their goaltending isn't where they're most noted. Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara provide a physical side to the game, and Marc Savard, David Kreci, and Patrice Bergeron should provide an offensive kick. The question remains, however, if the Bruins have enough left in the tank to advance to the second round. They overcame the distractions of Phil Kessel's situation to start the season, and will overcome the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Ottawa Senators
The Stanley Cup champions, with Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of their cast, are looking ahead to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their first obstacle is the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins have a ton of offensive firepower, and it's no secret that the league itself wants to push them to the elite status, even despite potential burn-out from people getting tired of hearing about Crosby.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators had their own problems to deal with this season, but the loss of Dany Heatley may actually prove to be a gain. The Senators have a solid four lines of hockey, and they may have found their goaltender for the future. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, it won't be quite enough, and the Senators will get bounced by the Penguins in 6 games.
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Top seeds can lose in the first round. Just ask last year's San Jose Sharks team. However, when the top seed features one of the best players the league has right now, and a stellar supporting cast, the odds of them getting bumped out right away are pretty slim. Especially when you factor in an opponent who can be less-than-consistent night after night.
The Capitals are a high-flying team. They have far from the best goaltending and defense in the playoffs, but they'll survive the same way they did all season; the scoring that they put on the ice is just sick at times. Even once you move beyond Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the Caps are a deep offensive team, and their moves at the trade deadline helped shore up some of the role positions that could have lead to question marks.
Meanwhile, Montreal is a team that almost didn't find itself in the post-season, and they have a lot of ground to make up. Jaroslav Halak will be relied on to make incredible saves, and Michael Cammalleri is the biggest offensive threat for the Canadiens. However, they'll be playing back on their heels all series long, as the Caps will come gunning, looking to enter the second round with momentum. Washington should send Montreal home in 5.
#2 New Jersey Devils vs #7 Philadelphia Flyers
The New Jersey Devils have the best goaltender ever to play the game in Martin Brodeur, and they've got skilled players in every corner of the ice. Whether it's Zach Parise on the offense, Jamie Langenbrunner on defense, or a wicked slap shot from Brian Rolston, the Devils have assembled a tough team to play against. Add Stanley Cup winning coach Jacques Lemaire back into the mix, and New Jersey could be a viable contender for the Eastern Conference crown.
The Flyers, on the other hand, are a team that's been scrambling for the last month or so, hoping to solidify a playoff spot, which they did (barely), by beating the New York Rangers in their final game of the season. The Flyers are a team that's willing to get dirty and play the physical side of the sport, while still seeing contributions from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The biggest problem for Philadelphia? They don't have a legitimate goaltender. The Devils will slap the Flyers around, taking the series in 5 games.
#3 Buffalo Sabres vs #6 Boston Bruins
Buffalo should be concerned. While they've got a fantastic goaltender in Ryan Miller, the rest of the team has stayed pretty much under the radar. Not many people outside of Buffalo may know who plays for the team, aside from Miller, but they've still gone about their business, taking their division with relative ease.
Their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins, on the other hand, have some players you can't miss, but their goaltending isn't where they're most noted. Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara provide a physical side to the game, and Marc Savard, David Kreci, and Patrice Bergeron should provide an offensive kick. The question remains, however, if the Bruins have enough left in the tank to advance to the second round. They overcame the distractions of Phil Kessel's situation to start the season, and will overcome the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Ottawa Senators
The Stanley Cup champions, with Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of their cast, are looking ahead to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their first obstacle is the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins have a ton of offensive firepower, and it's no secret that the league itself wants to push them to the elite status, even despite potential burn-out from people getting tired of hearing about Crosby.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators had their own problems to deal with this season, but the loss of Dany Heatley may actually prove to be a gain. The Senators have a solid four lines of hockey, and they may have found their goaltender for the future. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, it won't be quite enough, and the Senators will get bounced by the Penguins in 6 games.
Friday, December 18, 2009
2009-10 Game Thirty-Four: Wild 3, Canadiens 1
The last two games for the Minnesota Wild have looked eerily similar. A strong first period. A fast pace. Very few penalties. A complete collapse once the second period starts, only to have the goaltender make the big saves needed. And, at the end of it all, a Minnesota Wild win. It's pretty obvious watching the team that their recent schedule is starting to get to them. After all, they've been all over the continent recently, barely having time to rest before jetting off to the next location. They'll get to return home for the holidays, and it might be the best gift that they could ever receive.
Still, even though they're obviously fatigued, and even though they obviously haven't been playing their best hockey of the season, the Wild keep finding ways to win, and they did it again by knocking around the Montreal Canadiens. The boos that filled the arena at the start of the game were directed at Guillaume Latendresse, playing in his first game since being traded from Montreal to Minnesota. By the end of the game, the boos were directed at the Canadiens themselves, for trailing 3-1. Not that Montreal should be faulted for effort. They just couldn't put the puck into the net, even though they spent the majority of the final forty minutes in the Wild's zone. Thankfully for Minnesota, physical play and some timely saves helped propel the team to yet another win, keeping them as the hottest team in the west (10-1-2 in their last thirteen games).
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck played exactly the kind of game you expect, and he appears to be one of the few Wild players with a lot of energy left in their legs. Not only did he notch ten hits against the Canadiens, but he also put in the back-breaking third goal for Minnesota.
- Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom practically had to stand on his head to make some of the saves that he did, but he just went about his business shutting Montreal down. The one goal that snuck past him was from such a sharp angle that it certainly seemed like there was no chance for the puck to even get in front of the net, let alone into it.
- Robbie Earl. All Earl does is score goals. Well, that's not entirely true, but he came through with a huge goal in the first period. Not only did he score by threading the puck through an incredibly small opening, but he created the chance with some strong play at the Montreal blue line.
Game minuses:
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was once again a liability in the face-off circle, and he put extra life into Montreal with a foolish delay of game penalty, after the Canadiens had already pulled their goaltender.
- Fatigue. It's clear that the Wild are worn down, but the recent schedule can do that. Still, they need to find a way to keep themselves going once the second period starts, instead of retreating into a shell and just trying to hang on.
- Clearing the zone. In the first period, the Wild didn't have a lot of problems in their own end. Once the second period started, it became a different story, as they couldn't get a handle on the puck, and ended up icing it more than is comfortable just to give themselves a breather. If it hadn't been for Backstrom's amazing performance, the Wild would have easily been toppled.
Next up: One more game on the road before a little stretch of time at home, which should help put some energy back into a team that's criss-crossed the continent while maintaining an amazing streak. The Wild stays in the Eastern Conference, and in Canada, as they take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Still, even though they're obviously fatigued, and even though they obviously haven't been playing their best hockey of the season, the Wild keep finding ways to win, and they did it again by knocking around the Montreal Canadiens. The boos that filled the arena at the start of the game were directed at Guillaume Latendresse, playing in his first game since being traded from Montreal to Minnesota. By the end of the game, the boos were directed at the Canadiens themselves, for trailing 3-1. Not that Montreal should be faulted for effort. They just couldn't put the puck into the net, even though they spent the majority of the final forty minutes in the Wild's zone. Thankfully for Minnesota, physical play and some timely saves helped propel the team to yet another win, keeping them as the hottest team in the west (10-1-2 in their last thirteen games).
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck played exactly the kind of game you expect, and he appears to be one of the few Wild players with a lot of energy left in their legs. Not only did he notch ten hits against the Canadiens, but he also put in the back-breaking third goal for Minnesota.
- Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom practically had to stand on his head to make some of the saves that he did, but he just went about his business shutting Montreal down. The one goal that snuck past him was from such a sharp angle that it certainly seemed like there was no chance for the puck to even get in front of the net, let alone into it.
- Robbie Earl. All Earl does is score goals. Well, that's not entirely true, but he came through with a huge goal in the first period. Not only did he score by threading the puck through an incredibly small opening, but he created the chance with some strong play at the Montreal blue line.
Game minuses:
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was once again a liability in the face-off circle, and he put extra life into Montreal with a foolish delay of game penalty, after the Canadiens had already pulled their goaltender.
- Fatigue. It's clear that the Wild are worn down, but the recent schedule can do that. Still, they need to find a way to keep themselves going once the second period starts, instead of retreating into a shell and just trying to hang on.
- Clearing the zone. In the first period, the Wild didn't have a lot of problems in their own end. Once the second period started, it became a different story, as they couldn't get a handle on the puck, and ended up icing it more than is comfortable just to give themselves a breather. If it hadn't been for Backstrom's amazing performance, the Wild would have easily been toppled.
Next up: One more game on the road before a little stretch of time at home, which should help put some energy back into a team that's criss-crossed the continent while maintaining an amazing streak. The Wild stays in the Eastern Conference, and in Canada, as they take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
2009-10 Game Thirty-Three: Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1
The Minnesota Wild made a brief stop at home Tuesday night, and faced their sister team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams are sitting around the same place in the standings right now, thanks to Columbus treading water while losing, and the Wild finding ways to put together points from most of their recent games. That trend continued, as both teams seemed ready to head into overtime until the Wild found their offense again, with under a minute remaining in the period.
In fact, the Wild offense started the game strong, but then started to fade as the periods wore on. The first period was played in a mere twenty-seven minutes from start to finish, but neither team could keep up that pace. This was troubling, as Minnesota also had jumped out to an early lead in shots on goal, but couldn't get things moving until Columbus had given themselves the one-goal advantage. Still, the Wild were able to do what they've done so many times this season, and they came from behind to get two points in the standings, putting them a mere four out of the top eight.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse came to Minnesota in a trade with Montreal, and the Wild couldn't be happier, definitely getting the immediate advantage in effectiveness. Latendresse played a strong game, and took a Martin Havlat feed for the tying goal.
- Martin Havlat. Speaking of Martin Havlat, the guy may not be proclaiming himself as being "back" yet, but it's hard to argue with six points on the last seven Wild goals.
- Mikko Koivu. The Wild's captain did what he does best, and he had an assist both on Latendresse's goal, but also on Marek Zidlicky's game winner with under a minute remaining.
Game minuses:
- Playing from behind. Conventional wisdom says that giving up the first goal is a horrible thing, and yet this season's Wild team just seems to defy that, winning 11 of their 16 after trailing. Still, it would be nice to see the team play with a lead a little more frequently.
- Energy. Sure, the Wild has been on the road a lot so far this season, and that takes a toll. However, the way that Minnesota started the game should have lead to a huge lead that they could carry. Instead, they couldn't get clean shots on net, and couldn't keep the energy up once the second period started.
- Jason Chimera. Obviously still upset over a preseason hit from Eric Belanger, Chimera spent the third period taking runs at the Wild center, and jabbing him with his stick. Something needs to be done in the league when this kind of activity is allowed to occur unchecked (and no, the Wild aren't the only team it happens to).
Next up: Latendresse and the rest of the Wild head to Montreal to play the Canadiens Thursday night.
In fact, the Wild offense started the game strong, but then started to fade as the periods wore on. The first period was played in a mere twenty-seven minutes from start to finish, but neither team could keep up that pace. This was troubling, as Minnesota also had jumped out to an early lead in shots on goal, but couldn't get things moving until Columbus had given themselves the one-goal advantage. Still, the Wild were able to do what they've done so many times this season, and they came from behind to get two points in the standings, putting them a mere four out of the top eight.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse came to Minnesota in a trade with Montreal, and the Wild couldn't be happier, definitely getting the immediate advantage in effectiveness. Latendresse played a strong game, and took a Martin Havlat feed for the tying goal.
- Martin Havlat. Speaking of Martin Havlat, the guy may not be proclaiming himself as being "back" yet, but it's hard to argue with six points on the last seven Wild goals.
- Mikko Koivu. The Wild's captain did what he does best, and he had an assist both on Latendresse's goal, but also on Marek Zidlicky's game winner with under a minute remaining.
Game minuses:
- Playing from behind. Conventional wisdom says that giving up the first goal is a horrible thing, and yet this season's Wild team just seems to defy that, winning 11 of their 16 after trailing. Still, it would be nice to see the team play with a lead a little more frequently.
- Energy. Sure, the Wild has been on the road a lot so far this season, and that takes a toll. However, the way that Minnesota started the game should have lead to a huge lead that they could carry. Instead, they couldn't get clean shots on net, and couldn't keep the energy up once the second period started.
- Jason Chimera. Obviously still upset over a preseason hit from Eric Belanger, Chimera spent the third period taking runs at the Wild center, and jabbing him with his stick. Something needs to be done in the league when this kind of activity is allowed to occur unchecked (and no, the Wild aren't the only team it happens to).
Next up: Latendresse and the rest of the Wild head to Montreal to play the Canadiens Thursday night.
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