2014-2015 NHL Season and 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

[Don Wassall]

The Penguins took it to the Rangers most of the game but still ended up losing 2-1 in OT. All four NY wins were by the same 2-1 score. Oh well, I have to find a secondary team to root for now for the rest of the playoffs because the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best test in sports. Last year it was the Kings but they didn't even make the playoffs this season. . .

It will be interesting to see how the Rangers do from here considering they were the best team during the regular season. The Rangers-Pens series was strangely devoid of animosity between the two teams, lots of good defense and goaltending. Evgeni Malkin was a total dud, no goals no assists, looked braindead on the ice, or maybe it was that notorious Russian brooding, whatever I'm pissed right now.

 

[Freethinker]

I'm happy "my" Rangers took care of business last night. I'll give full credit to the Penguins as they out played their #8 status and made every game a competitive nail-bitter. I said it before but I'll say it again, Fluery was outstanding all series. He made some huge saves again last night to keep the score 1-0 and give the Pens the chance to later tie. If he had played like that in past playoffs, the Pens could have won a Cup or 2.

As for the Rangers, King Henrik was at the top of his game and the Rangers defense was suffocating. I hope they can increase their scoring going forward but it was nice to see young guys like Hayes and Hagelin get timely goals. Takes some pressure off of Nash to carry the burden.

If the Rangers were to have lost, Dan Boyle would have been the goat. He missed an open net, one-timer in the 3rd.

 

[Matra2]

The Islanders won what might have been their last game at "the old barn", the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum to set up a game 7 clash with the Capitals. The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn next season. They've always had a kind of working class blue collar image so it'll be interesting to see what happens when they go to Brooklyn which, whether accurate or not, has a hipster reputation outside NYC.

 

[Freethinker]

The Islanders won what might have been their last game at "the old barn", the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum to set up a game 7 clash with the Capitals. The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn next season. They've always had a kind of working class blue collar image so it'll be interesting to see what happens when they go to Brooklyn which, whether accurate or not, has a hipster reputation outside NYC.

No, that's pretty accurate.

In addition to that exciting game, I also watched the Calgary vs Vancouver game with a good friend who is from Calgary. Great fun if you enjoy scoring and needless to say my buddy was happy. The Flames allowed 3 early goals and had to pull their goalie Hiller. After that they basically dominated play winning 7-4 (2 open net goals made it appear more lopsided at the end). The Flames youthful top line of Gaudreau, Monahan and Hudler were unstoppable and great fun to watch. As the "eighth best" team in the West it will be interesting to see how far this young team can go. I think they will be "my team" in the West this year.

 

[Fortitud3]

Capitals dominate game 7 win 2-1. Excellent right corner to left point pass from Ovechkin to Orpik who gets the shot on net through traffic results in Ward scoring the first Caps goal and Kuznetsov out waits the Islanders and scores the game winner in the 3rd.

Shots were 26-11, the Islanders forwards only had 3 of those 11 shots.

 

[Matra2]

That's it for the Islanders for another year as they lose 2-1 @ Washington. Joel Ward scored one of Washington's goals - he does seem to score clutch goals - and the Islanders went 0 for 14 in power plays throughout the series. Up next for the Caps the NY Rangers. It is a shame, not only because I'm an Islander fan, but a NYC series would've been great.

 

[Don Wassall]

Game 7s are always fun to watch. Kuznetsov's goal was quite the combination of skill and patience.

The Caps and Rangers are my two least favorite teams; think I'll adopt the Wild to root for, they came back from the dead early on in the regular season and are playing great now. Should be a helluva series against the Blackhawks.

 

[Ambrose]

That's it for the Islanders for another year as they lose 2-1 @ Washington. Joel Ward scored one of Washington's goals - he does seem to score clutch goals - and the Islanders went 0 for 14 in power plays throughout the series. Up next for the Caps the NY Rangers. It is a shame, not only because I'm an Islander fan, but a NYC series would've been great.

Go Rangers. Washington is psycho town.

 

[jaxvid]

Red Wings playing an odd series with the Tampa Bay Lightening. Tampa was the leagues best home team and worst road team. Yet the Wings have won 2 in Tampa and Tampa has won 2 in Detroit. Game 7 in Tampa. Should be a good one. As a sidelight Steve Yzerman is the Tampa GM and of course is still beloved in Detroit. He'll probably be the GM in Detroit someday although the current guy Ken Holland is one of the best ever.

 

[Fortitud3]

Red Wings playing an odd series with the Tampa Bay Lightening. Tampa was the leagues best home team and worst road team. Yet the Wings have won 2 in Tampa and Tampa has won 2 in Detroit. Game 7 in Tampa. Should be a good one. As a sidelight Steve Yzerman is the Tampa GM and of course is still beloved in Detroit. He'll probably be the GM in Detroit someday although the current guy Ken Holland is one of the best ever.

Jarnkrok for Legwand and the Stephen Weiss signing would seem to indicate he is losing it.

 

[Average American]

Game 7 in Tampa. Should be a good one.

Lightning keeper Ben Bishop pitched a nice 31-stop shutout in Tampa's Game 7 win.

I think Caps-Rangers is the 2nd round match-up I'm lookin' forward to the most. Any thoughts/projections on it (?)

 

[jaxvid]

Lightning keeper Ben Bishop pitched a nice 31-stop shutout in Tampa's Game 7 win.

I think Caps-Rangers is the 2nd round match-up I'm lookin' forward to the most. Any thoughts/projections on it (?)

Man the Wings blew some open scoring chances that really cost them. It was a 1-0 game into the final minute (empty net goal). Bishop played poorly at times in the series and was really hot and cold, I don't see him carrying the team any farther. Stamkos was invisible and led the series in penalty minutes, if you can believe that. Anyway it's a win for Stevie over his old franchise but Hockeytown is pretty depressed right now.

 

[Freethinker]

I think Caps-Rangers is the 2nd round match-up I'm lookin' forward to the most. Any thoughts/projections on it (?)

Gotta go Rangers in 6. They are very balanced and usually do a good job containing / frustrating Ovie.

 

[Matra2]

Man the Wings blew some open scoring chances that really cost them. It was a 1-0 game into the final minute (empty net goal). Bishop played poorly at times in the series and was really hot and cold, I don't see him carrying the team any farther. Stamkos was invisible and led the series in penalty minutes, if you can believe that. Anyway it's a win for Stevie over his old franchise but Hockeytown is pretty depressed right now.

He also took a penalty - it looked retaliatory - that nullified what would've been a second Tampa goal.

Anaheim look pretty good in the West though their sweep of Winnipeg was deceptive as the first three could've gone either way. It would be funny if they beat Boudreau's old team, Washington, in the final. But I doubt Washington will get past the next round.

I wish I could cheer for Montreal in the east but a certain player makes that difficult.

 

[Matra2]

Unbelievable!

I mentioned earlier this week that the Caps black player Joel Ward often scores clutch goals in important matches. Well, it has happened again. He just scored the winning goal against the Rangers on the very last second. A buzzer beater.

That said, Ovechkin was the star. He set it up and scored the first goal.

 

[Fortitud3]

Better quality: http://gfycat.com/UnselfishShyGalapagoshawk

Also loving the "Big Bad Capitals," persona the Caps have taken on. All the other team can talk about after games is about how mean the Capitals were to them.

 

[Freethinker]

Right before the final goal by the Caps, Dan Boyle was checked in the back while he was up against the boards. It should have been a penalty. But whatever, it's playoff hockey and it's physical. The Rangers will be back strong game 2.

 

[Fortitud3]

Right before the final goal by the Caps, Dan Boyle was checked in the back while he was up against the boards. It should have been a penalty. But whatever, it's playoff hockey and it's physical. The Rangers will be back strong game 2.

Not even remotely close to being a penalty. He put himself in that position, he wanted to pin the puck to kill the rest of the time left in the period.

 

[Don Wassall]

Unbelievable!

I mentioned earlier this week that the Caps black player Joel Ward often scores clutch goals in important matches. Well, it has happened again. He just scored the winning goal against the Rangers on the very last second. A buzzer beater.

That said, Ovechkin was the star. He set it up and scored the first goal.

I just read this in the AP report on the game: "Ward drove to the net and tapped Alex Ovechkin's feed past Henrik Lundqvist. After the goal was confirmed by replay, Ovechkin kissed Ward on the cheek."

Bill Cowher kissed Kordell Stewart on the sideline about 15 years ago, the first time I had seen a male athlete or coach kiss another male athlete. Since then it has become much more commonplace, and almost always seems to be a White kissing a black. Given the way things are going in the US of Gay, in a few more years jocks engaging in open mouth kissing may be all the rage.

 

[Freethinker]

Not even remotely close to being a penalty. He put himself in that position, he wanted to pin the puck to kill the rest of the time left in the period.

So what. Is that against the rules? Checking in the back is.

43.1
Checking from Behind

– A check from behind is a check delivered
on a player who is not aware of the impending hit, therefore unable to
protect or defend himself, and contact is made on the back part of the
body. When a player intentionally turns his body to create contact with
his back, no penalty shall be assessed.

Boyle did not turn his body to create contact. His back was turned to the Caps player the entire time as his skated up to the board to coral the puck.

Clearly, that play was in the grey area where one referee might call it and another might let it slide. I'm fine with them letting it go, especially in the waning moments of a playoff game. I'm just saying it could have been called. The announcers on NBCSN sure thought so as well as the Rangers coaching staff. To say it was "not even remotely close" sounds like a homer remark.

 

[Matra2]

Not NHL but Team USA defeated Russia 4-2 (including empty netter) at the IIHF World Championships today. Likely future Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel played and the US goalie was Jack Campbell of the Windsor Spitfires! Evgeni Malkin was just as poor for Russia as he was for Pittsburgh in the playoffs. However his fellow Penguin, Sidney Crosby, has been better as Canada's captain.

 

[Fortitud3]

You can see why Barry Trotz has had only 2 playoff series wins in the NHL in his entire career.

He was getting lavished with praise for getting Ovechkin out against Boyle and Yandle in games 1 and 2, but at home in game 3 Ovechkin barely played against them even though Trotz has last change...

 

[Fortitud3]

Burakovsky scores 2 and Capitals take 3-1 lead back to MSG.

 

[Freethinker]

The Rangers offense has totally flatlined in the playoffs. Nash has disappeared again. Looks like they'll be exiting soon. I predict they'll win game 5 but lose game 6.

Holtby has played very well for the Caps. Seems like when he's on his game he's one of the elite goaltenders. I wonder why he doesn't always perform at a high level?

A Capitals vs Lightning Eastern Finals would be a series that not many people saw coming.

 

[Matra2]

The Rangers offense has totally flatlined in the playoffs. Nash has disappeared again. Looks like they'll be exiting soon. I predict they'll win game 5 but lose game 6.

Holtby has played very well for the Caps. Seems like when he's on his game he's one of the elite goaltenders. I wonder why he doesn't always perform at a high level?

A Capitals vs Lightning Eastern Finals would be a series that not many people saw coming.

The Rangers have had difficulty scoring throughout the playoffs. Actually, quite a few teams have thus all the tight low scoring games. I've seen three of the four in this series and I think the Caps defence has been the difference. In the Lightning Canadiens game the Lightning didn't have a shot on net in the 2nd period until about 6 minutes to go yet they still ended up winning with a terrific buzzer beater.

Sweet goal in overtime for Latvia against Switzerland yesterday - go to the 41 second mark:

[video=youtube;O9EfiX3ZJOE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9EfiX3ZJOE[/video]