Team Canada’s debut in the 2004 World Championships courted disaster Sunday, as the Canadians had to battle back in the third period, salvaging a 2-2 tie with a surprisingly successful Austrian team.
Canada which stumbled through the first two periods had to deal with an Austrian strategy of perpetual icing, a strategy that paid off dividends with two goals. Andre Lakos opened up the scoring for Austria with a deflected shot off of Willie Mitchell that eluded goaltender Roberto Luongo. The Canadians went to the dressing room outshot 10-4.
The confusion of the first held over into the second, as the Austrians took a two goal lead when Thomas Vanek scored three minutes into the period. The Canadians finally shook off their lethargy and began to take the game to the Austrian squad as the second period came to an end. Still they trailed by 2 goals but they were beginning to get more quality chances on Austrian Goaltender Reinhard Divis, who plays for St. Louis in the NHL.
With the thoughts of previous opening game miscues on their minds, the Canadians finally got on the scoreboard at 10:36 when Vancouver Canuck, Matt Cooke broke the shout out bid. Dany Heatley put in the equalizer at the fifteen minute mark. The Canadians continued to press and nearly took the lead as the game was winding down, Divis making a number of saves to secure the tie.
Canada has had its problems in the opening game of the World Championships in the past; last year featured the Danish surprise, when Denmark played Canada to a tie. In 2000 Team Canada lost to lightly regarded Norway.
To be fair to the Canadians they appeared to be just what they were, a team thrown together just starting to get to know each other. Many of the teams players are just arriving in Czechoslovakia after their NHL teams were eliminated from the playoffs. Team Canada also had the added distraction of having Head Coach Joel Quenneville hospitalized due to exhaustion. He has been put under sedation for the last two days, awaiting approval to travel back to North America for further treatment. His duties turned over to Mike Babcock who went from Assistant coach to Head coach in 24 hours.
Canada plays their next game on Tuesday when the take on France, wrapping up the preliminary round on Wednesday against the Swiss. That gives Babcock one day of practice to introduce everyone, rebuild the playbook and get settled in himself. While a tie against the Austrians might not be a welcome result, it could serve a purpose for the team. The first game should give the players something to focus on, the idea that every game is important and that all teams will be bringing their best efforts when they play Canada.
The chances of them remaining flat and disorganized will be reduced now that the uncertainties of the coach’s health have been resolved and the additional players have been added. For Canada the wake up call should be the only one required, the players know what the job at hand is all about. They just have to get themselves organized and go out and work in defence of their World Title, knowing full well that every country will be trying to knock off the champs.
Monday, April 26, 2004
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Lecavalier shines on La Soiree du Hockey
For the second game in a row Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier showed the folks back home how well he’s progressed since joining the pros. The native of Montreal scored two goals on the team from his hometown Sunday afternoon, leading his Lightning teammates to a 3-1 victory over the Canadiens. The win gives the Bolts a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series that returns to Montreal on Tuesday night.
For Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis it’s a chance to shine in front of the province that gave them their start. Playing for Tampa can result in a low profile as the two Quebecers toil in relative anonymity in the regular season, this playoff round against the Habs is a form of a coming out party for them. And Lecavalier is making the most of his featured time on Canadian television.
The Canadiens provided a much better effort than game one, but in the end they couldn’t control Lecavalier, nor could they beat Nickolai Khabibulan when they needed to. Lecavalier scored the opening goal of the game at the 2:35 mark of the first, a power play goal while Michael Ryder was serving a roughing penalty. Frederik Modin followed up with a goal six minutes later. Saku Koivu scored the Canadiens only goal in the first period, when he brought the Habs to within one goal of the Lightning at 16:40. Both teams traded off opportunities in the second with Lecavalier getting the insurance marker, on another power play goal with only 3 seconds to go in the period, it gave the Lighting a 3-1 lead which is how the game ended. Both teams played hard in the third, but Khabibulan and Theodore both held the offense off the board.
Montreal find themselves in a familiar position trailing a series 2 games to 0, setting up Game three as a very important match. A Tampa Bay win would give them the momentum to put the series to an end. The Bolts don’t look like a team that will be lose 4 games in a row. With Lecavalier and Martin finding their range in the playoffs and Khabibulan able to shut teams down, Tampa can feel confident heading into the next game. If Montreal can find a way to keep the folks at La Soiree from mentioning the name Lecavalier they should have a chance to claw back into the series. If you see Vince smiling at the end of game three, you’ll know that the Bolts are one step closer to the Stanley Cup finals.
For Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis it’s a chance to shine in front of the province that gave them their start. Playing for Tampa can result in a low profile as the two Quebecers toil in relative anonymity in the regular season, this playoff round against the Habs is a form of a coming out party for them. And Lecavalier is making the most of his featured time on Canadian television.
The Canadiens provided a much better effort than game one, but in the end they couldn’t control Lecavalier, nor could they beat Nickolai Khabibulan when they needed to. Lecavalier scored the opening goal of the game at the 2:35 mark of the first, a power play goal while Michael Ryder was serving a roughing penalty. Frederik Modin followed up with a goal six minutes later. Saku Koivu scored the Canadiens only goal in the first period, when he brought the Habs to within one goal of the Lightning at 16:40. Both teams traded off opportunities in the second with Lecavalier getting the insurance marker, on another power play goal with only 3 seconds to go in the period, it gave the Lighting a 3-1 lead which is how the game ended. Both teams played hard in the third, but Khabibulan and Theodore both held the offense off the board.
Montreal find themselves in a familiar position trailing a series 2 games to 0, setting up Game three as a very important match. A Tampa Bay win would give them the momentum to put the series to an end. The Bolts don’t look like a team that will be lose 4 games in a row. With Lecavalier and Martin finding their range in the playoffs and Khabibulan able to shut teams down, Tampa can feel confident heading into the next game. If Montreal can find a way to keep the folks at La Soiree from mentioning the name Lecavalier they should have a chance to claw back into the series. If you see Vince smiling at the end of game three, you’ll know that the Bolts are one step closer to the Stanley Cup finals.
Esche makes the save, makes the save, makes the save.....
Game two in the Philadelphia/Toronto playoff series was a rather entertaining affair, with both teams counting numerous chances to score, but in the end limiting output to three goals.
Goaltending once again was the dominating factor in the playoffs, as both Robert Esche and Ed Belfour played outstanding hockey in the nets. 26 saves were credited to Esche in the Flyers 2-1 victory on Sunday night, and every one of them seemed a hard earned save. He especially earned his paycheque in the second period as the Leafs turned on the pressure and outshot the Flyers 11-1, frustrated at every turn by the wall put up by Esche.
Fortunately for Esche, a motivational address by Ken Hitchcock must have taken root as the Flyers came out in the third period as if on a mission. Controlling the bulk of the play they peppered Leaf goaltender Ed Beflour with 15 of his 24 total shots, only one getting by Belfour a power play marker by Alexei Zhamnov who scored the winner at 8:25 of the final period.
Belfour did his best to keep the Leafs within one as the period wound down, but Esche refused to give up the tying goal, making save after save. The third period progressed at a rapid pace, with end to end rushes, and full tilt offense for the entire twenty minutes.
All three periods featured some heavy hits, with both teams playing the puck in the corners and lining up on the blue lines to deliver some crushing checks. Even the goal scoring seemed to be hard fought, Tie Domi continued his remarkable pace in the playoffs, taking the body, going to the corners and crashing the net, scoring the Leafs only goal in the second period. His goal followed one by Donald Brashear who scored in the first period by heading to the net, the Leafs arguing he was a little too close to the net, but to no avail.
Game three goes Wednesday night and with the Flyer’s holding a 2 game to none lead in the best of seven series, they can look to history for some confidence. The Flyers have never lost a best of seven series when they hold a 2-0 lead, going 16 and 0 when they won the first two games. The Leafs don’t need to study the history books, their priority should be the game films, they need to find out what they’re doing wrong and fix it quickly. While Esche has had a good series, many of the shots taken on him have been clear vision shots from a distance. For the Leafs to re-write Flyer history they have to get some people in front of the net and move the puck closer for a better opportunity.
Class resumes Wednesday night, Professor Quinn is hoping his students get the message.
Goaltending once again was the dominating factor in the playoffs, as both Robert Esche and Ed Belfour played outstanding hockey in the nets. 26 saves were credited to Esche in the Flyers 2-1 victory on Sunday night, and every one of them seemed a hard earned save. He especially earned his paycheque in the second period as the Leafs turned on the pressure and outshot the Flyers 11-1, frustrated at every turn by the wall put up by Esche.
Fortunately for Esche, a motivational address by Ken Hitchcock must have taken root as the Flyers came out in the third period as if on a mission. Controlling the bulk of the play they peppered Leaf goaltender Ed Beflour with 15 of his 24 total shots, only one getting by Belfour a power play marker by Alexei Zhamnov who scored the winner at 8:25 of the final period.
Belfour did his best to keep the Leafs within one as the period wound down, but Esche refused to give up the tying goal, making save after save. The third period progressed at a rapid pace, with end to end rushes, and full tilt offense for the entire twenty minutes.
All three periods featured some heavy hits, with both teams playing the puck in the corners and lining up on the blue lines to deliver some crushing checks. Even the goal scoring seemed to be hard fought, Tie Domi continued his remarkable pace in the playoffs, taking the body, going to the corners and crashing the net, scoring the Leafs only goal in the second period. His goal followed one by Donald Brashear who scored in the first period by heading to the net, the Leafs arguing he was a little too close to the net, but to no avail.
Game three goes Wednesday night and with the Flyer’s holding a 2 game to none lead in the best of seven series, they can look to history for some confidence. The Flyers have never lost a best of seven series when they hold a 2-0 lead, going 16 and 0 when they won the first two games. The Leafs don’t need to study the history books, their priority should be the game films, they need to find out what they’re doing wrong and fix it quickly. While Esche has had a good series, many of the shots taken on him have been clear vision shots from a distance. For the Leafs to re-write Flyer history they have to get some people in front of the net and move the puck closer for a better opportunity.
Class resumes Wednesday night, Professor Quinn is hoping his students get the message.
Friday, April 23, 2004
Tying the Can to Jacques
Nine years he served as a loyal soldier in the cause of hockey in the Capital. Taking a lost and dysfunctional group and turning them into one of the most offensive scoring machines in recent NHL History. Yet unable to take the next step in the progression, Jacques Martin bade farewell to his troops on Thursday as the Senators began the process of cleaning house and rebuilding the foundation for another run at the Stanley Cup.
Martin's parting gift from the bank account of Eugene Melnyk is a 750,000 dollar buyout, having just signed a two year extension in January. Whether he finds alternate work or not, (the smart betting is he does), he'll be able to take his time and consider just where the right spot in the NHL universe is for him.
General Manager John Muckler and team President Roy Mlakar came to the conclusion that Martin had "lost the dressing room" and that a change had to be made. Muckler explaining that you can't fire 29 players so someone has to go. Muckler went on to state that it was time for a new voice, new ideas. The goal is to find someone to take this team to the next level.
The Senators have been a conundrum for years now, every year they pile on the points in the regular season only to shut down in the playoffs, rarely making it to the second round and most times leaving after the first. Confounding their fans and hockey observers alike, there seems to be no answer to the failure of this team to succeed in the season that counts. Martin's fate was probably put in the danger zone after game five, when John Muckler went into the Sens dressing room and challenged his players to perform. If Muckler felt the need to step in and provide the incentive to win, he probably had already begun the process of dismissing his coach.
The removal of Martin and his staff is probably just the start of some changes to the make up of this team. Young players such as Jason Spezza and Martin Havlat need some guidance to develop; a new coach will have to find the best way to put their talents to work. Goaltending was another concern, the usually reliable Patrick Lalime, had a horrid game seven effectively sealing his coach's fate, it remains to be seen if he has also put himself on the trading block. The Sens Defence which in the regular season was possibly the best starting four in the NHL, were not effective in the recent Leafs series. With the exception of Zdeno Chara who dominated his ice time, the rest of the defence gave up too much of the ice and couldn't shut down the Leaf attack. Considering that many people think of Martin as a defensive coach, it is a telling point that it was his defence that couldn't get the job done. Combine that with a total failure of the high octane offense put together for this run and something wasn't working. The Sens decided that it was the coaching.
For his part Martin handled the events with nothing but class, as is to be expected from the quiet scholarly like former head coach. In a press conference following the announcement of his dismissal, Martin expressed regret that he won't be there to share in a Stanley Cup win from the team he used to coach. Saying that he is convinced the current roster is capable of winning a Cup, he's disappointed that things haven't worked out to enable him to be a part of it.
And so the search begins, names already being bounced around include Joel Quenneville, Larry Robinson, Paul Maurice and of all people Mike Keenan (God Save us Sens fans!). The best fit might be Robinson, who hails from nearby Winchester, his success in New Jersey and Los Angeles; his days with the fabled Canadiens would give Sens fans a bit of hope for a dismal off season.
But regardless of who replaces Martin, Senator Fans should remember fondly the man who rebuilt a team that was a sad joke 9 years ago. 9 years of steadily improving play, a meshing of young raw talent into an NHL powerhouse all done on his watch. A fairer world would have given Martin a Stanley Cup ring this year; instead he becomes a trivia question for the future.
The final word on the Martin firing belongs to Pat Quinn, no stranger to corporate purges Quinn quickly came to the side of Martin. He was the first to offer his support and praise, he won't be the last. Martin did an excellent job in Ottawa, but just ran out of time to finish the project. It is sad he won't be there on that day the Sens finally hoist the Cup, for that his players can share in the blame. You may not be able to fire all 29, but you can certainly ask them some pretty pointed questions. Just because the coach is gone, doesn't mean the players should not be held accountable, Mr. Muckler should save some time in his day timer to address that concern as well.
Martin's parting gift from the bank account of Eugene Melnyk is a 750,000 dollar buyout, having just signed a two year extension in January. Whether he finds alternate work or not, (the smart betting is he does), he'll be able to take his time and consider just where the right spot in the NHL universe is for him.
General Manager John Muckler and team President Roy Mlakar came to the conclusion that Martin had "lost the dressing room" and that a change had to be made. Muckler explaining that you can't fire 29 players so someone has to go. Muckler went on to state that it was time for a new voice, new ideas. The goal is to find someone to take this team to the next level.
The Senators have been a conundrum for years now, every year they pile on the points in the regular season only to shut down in the playoffs, rarely making it to the second round and most times leaving after the first. Confounding their fans and hockey observers alike, there seems to be no answer to the failure of this team to succeed in the season that counts. Martin's fate was probably put in the danger zone after game five, when John Muckler went into the Sens dressing room and challenged his players to perform. If Muckler felt the need to step in and provide the incentive to win, he probably had already begun the process of dismissing his coach.
The removal of Martin and his staff is probably just the start of some changes to the make up of this team. Young players such as Jason Spezza and Martin Havlat need some guidance to develop; a new coach will have to find the best way to put their talents to work. Goaltending was another concern, the usually reliable Patrick Lalime, had a horrid game seven effectively sealing his coach's fate, it remains to be seen if he has also put himself on the trading block. The Sens Defence which in the regular season was possibly the best starting four in the NHL, were not effective in the recent Leafs series. With the exception of Zdeno Chara who dominated his ice time, the rest of the defence gave up too much of the ice and couldn't shut down the Leaf attack. Considering that many people think of Martin as a defensive coach, it is a telling point that it was his defence that couldn't get the job done. Combine that with a total failure of the high octane offense put together for this run and something wasn't working. The Sens decided that it was the coaching.
For his part Martin handled the events with nothing but class, as is to be expected from the quiet scholarly like former head coach. In a press conference following the announcement of his dismissal, Martin expressed regret that he won't be there to share in a Stanley Cup win from the team he used to coach. Saying that he is convinced the current roster is capable of winning a Cup, he's disappointed that things haven't worked out to enable him to be a part of it.
And so the search begins, names already being bounced around include Joel Quenneville, Larry Robinson, Paul Maurice and of all people Mike Keenan (God Save us Sens fans!). The best fit might be Robinson, who hails from nearby Winchester, his success in New Jersey and Los Angeles; his days with the fabled Canadiens would give Sens fans a bit of hope for a dismal off season.
But regardless of who replaces Martin, Senator Fans should remember fondly the man who rebuilt a team that was a sad joke 9 years ago. 9 years of steadily improving play, a meshing of young raw talent into an NHL powerhouse all done on his watch. A fairer world would have given Martin a Stanley Cup ring this year; instead he becomes a trivia question for the future.
The final word on the Martin firing belongs to Pat Quinn, no stranger to corporate purges Quinn quickly came to the side of Martin. He was the first to offer his support and praise, he won't be the last. Martin did an excellent job in Ottawa, but just ran out of time to finish the project. It is sad he won't be there on that day the Sens finally hoist the Cup, for that his players can share in the blame. You may not be able to fire all 29, but you can certainly ask them some pretty pointed questions. Just because the coach is gone, doesn't mean the players should not be held accountable, Mr. Muckler should save some time in his day timer to address that concern as well.
Struck by Lightning!
Three consecutive wins over an ancient rival must have exhausted the Montreal Canadiens both physically and mentally, for Friday night belonged to the Lightning. Game one was all Tampa Bay, from the net minding of Nickolai Khabibulan to the scoring machine of Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa was firing on all cylinders in an impressive 4-0 shutout of Montreal.
Nickolai Khabibulan played like the ghost of Georges Vezina in his fourth shut out this playoff season, 21 shots and no goals the story line for Khabibulan Friday night, needing only two periods to put in a good night. Tampa’s defensive play held Montreal to only five shots in period number three, as close to coasting as a goaltender can get.
At the other end of the rink, Jose Theodore must have felt like an abandoned puppy left in a field, Tampa rolled over the blue line time and time again, controlling the first eight minutes of the game not giving the Habs a chance to take a shot in anger. Theodore held the Lightning off the scoreboard through the first, but a horrible second period left the Habs 2 goals down heading into the third. Theodore made an untimely error fumbling for his stick on the Lightning first goal, as Ruslan Fedotenko took advantage of the mistake to put the puck in the back of the net. Vincent Lecavalier put in a deflection late in the second to put the Bolts up by two, and then scored again early in the third, with a bad goal through Theodore’s legs to add an insurance marker. Dimitry Afanasenkov scored with twelve minutes to go and that was it for Theodore. Mathieu Garon was put in to finish off the game, managing to hold off the Lightning for the remainder of the third. Theodore’s stats for the night 24 shots and 4 goals against, Garon 10 shots and 0 goals, though to be fair by the mid part of the third the Lightning were mailing in the rest of the game.
A terrible start to the second round, but many Habs were already thinking ahead to game two. Writing off the first game much as they did the first one of the Boston series, another game they were totally outplayed in. With two days now to review, it will be interesting to see how both teams come out on Sunday. Tampa will want to jump on the Habs quickly to recapture their domination of Friday. The Habs will be interested in getting back into the game, shaking off their shaky debut and taking the home ice advantage away with a win. For Montreal they need look no further back than two weeks, they’ll want to avoid going down 3-1 to this Lightning team, Khabibulan is not likely to lose three in a row. The Habs had best get busy gaining their wins early and often.
Nickolai Khabibulan played like the ghost of Georges Vezina in his fourth shut out this playoff season, 21 shots and no goals the story line for Khabibulan Friday night, needing only two periods to put in a good night. Tampa’s defensive play held Montreal to only five shots in period number three, as close to coasting as a goaltender can get.
At the other end of the rink, Jose Theodore must have felt like an abandoned puppy left in a field, Tampa rolled over the blue line time and time again, controlling the first eight minutes of the game not giving the Habs a chance to take a shot in anger. Theodore held the Lightning off the scoreboard through the first, but a horrible second period left the Habs 2 goals down heading into the third. Theodore made an untimely error fumbling for his stick on the Lightning first goal, as Ruslan Fedotenko took advantage of the mistake to put the puck in the back of the net. Vincent Lecavalier put in a deflection late in the second to put the Bolts up by two, and then scored again early in the third, with a bad goal through Theodore’s legs to add an insurance marker. Dimitry Afanasenkov scored with twelve minutes to go and that was it for Theodore. Mathieu Garon was put in to finish off the game, managing to hold off the Lightning for the remainder of the third. Theodore’s stats for the night 24 shots and 4 goals against, Garon 10 shots and 0 goals, though to be fair by the mid part of the third the Lightning were mailing in the rest of the game.
A terrible start to the second round, but many Habs were already thinking ahead to game two. Writing off the first game much as they did the first one of the Boston series, another game they were totally outplayed in. With two days now to review, it will be interesting to see how both teams come out on Sunday. Tampa will want to jump on the Habs quickly to recapture their domination of Friday. The Habs will be interested in getting back into the game, shaking off their shaky debut and taking the home ice advantage away with a win. For Montreal they need look no further back than two weeks, they’ll want to avoid going down 3-1 to this Lightning team, Khabibulan is not likely to lose three in a row. The Habs had best get busy gaining their wins early and often.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Hats Off for Marleau
David Aebischer was chased from the game in the second, Matthew Barnaby started yappin and flappin in the late third and throughout it all Patrick Marleau scored, once, twice make it three times as San Jose laid a bit of a whuppin’ on the Avalanche.
Marleau scored at the ten minute mark of the first to begin the Sharks scoring deluge, his goals followed by Vincent Damphouse and Scott Hannan all before the teams retired for their first intermission rest. With a 3-0 lead San Jose looked in complete control of game one of what is expected to be a high scoring series. Steve Konowalchuk got one goal back midway through the second, but it wasn’t too long before Marleau was back on the attack. The Shark captain scored two more goals within one and half minutes putting the Sharks up 5-1. Sending David Aebischer to the end of the Avalanche bench to watch Tommy Salo take over the net for the rest of the game.
With the big lead came the chippy play, everyone’s favourite agitator Matthew Barnaby started yapping at various Sharks through the rest of the second and into the third. Peter Forsberg took advantage of Jonathon Cheechoo’s penalty to score an early goal in the third making it 5-2 with nineteen minutes to go. But that would be it for the normally explosive Avalanche offense; the Sharks aided by outstanding goaltending from Evgeni Nabakov shut the Av attack down, frustrating their scoring lines throughout the third.
The ugliness boiled over as the last two minutes of play as Matthew Barnaby instigated one of three simulataneous fights to wind down the game. For his matchmaking skills Barnaby got tossed from the game, joining him on the way out were Chris Gratton, Ossi Vaananen and San Jose’s Curtis Brown. Just as things settled down, Bob Boughner decided to enforce a bit more Avalanche justice; he too got a ten second head start on the showers.
Marleau’s three goal performance was his second three goal display in the 2004 playoffs. His speed and puck sense make San Jose a very effective team coming out of their own end. Colorado will have to find a way to slow him down to keep the Goals Against low.
Game two is Saturday afternoon and it will be interesting to see which goaltender Tony Granato decides to go with. Aebischer got rattled early in this game and never seemed to bounce back. If Granato wants to shake things up a bit starting Tommy Salo might not be a bad ideas. But it really won’t matter unless the Avalanche can find the net. With 28 shots in Thursday’s game they couldn’t find the answer to Nabakov. Colorado on the other hand seemed to offer an open book test on Aebischer. Goaltending and goal scoring will make the difference in this series, if game one is any indication; the Sharks are well ahead in both categories.
Marleau scored at the ten minute mark of the first to begin the Sharks scoring deluge, his goals followed by Vincent Damphouse and Scott Hannan all before the teams retired for their first intermission rest. With a 3-0 lead San Jose looked in complete control of game one of what is expected to be a high scoring series. Steve Konowalchuk got one goal back midway through the second, but it wasn’t too long before Marleau was back on the attack. The Shark captain scored two more goals within one and half minutes putting the Sharks up 5-1. Sending David Aebischer to the end of the Avalanche bench to watch Tommy Salo take over the net for the rest of the game.
With the big lead came the chippy play, everyone’s favourite agitator Matthew Barnaby started yapping at various Sharks through the rest of the second and into the third. Peter Forsberg took advantage of Jonathon Cheechoo’s penalty to score an early goal in the third making it 5-2 with nineteen minutes to go. But that would be it for the normally explosive Avalanche offense; the Sharks aided by outstanding goaltending from Evgeni Nabakov shut the Av attack down, frustrating their scoring lines throughout the third.
The ugliness boiled over as the last two minutes of play as Matthew Barnaby instigated one of three simulataneous fights to wind down the game. For his matchmaking skills Barnaby got tossed from the game, joining him on the way out were Chris Gratton, Ossi Vaananen and San Jose’s Curtis Brown. Just as things settled down, Bob Boughner decided to enforce a bit more Avalanche justice; he too got a ten second head start on the showers.
Marleau’s three goal performance was his second three goal display in the 2004 playoffs. His speed and puck sense make San Jose a very effective team coming out of their own end. Colorado will have to find a way to slow him down to keep the Goals Against low.
Game two is Saturday afternoon and it will be interesting to see which goaltender Tony Granato decides to go with. Aebischer got rattled early in this game and never seemed to bounce back. If Granato wants to shake things up a bit starting Tommy Salo might not be a bad ideas. But it really won’t matter unless the Avalanche can find the net. With 28 shots in Thursday’s game they couldn’t find the answer to Nabakov. Colorado on the other hand seemed to offer an open book test on Aebischer. Goaltending and goal scoring will make the difference in this series, if game one is any indication; the Sharks are well ahead in both categories.
Marty to the Max!
Martin Gelinas was the hero of Game 7 against Vancouver, scoring the winning goal in Overtime to send the Flames on to the next stage of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So it should come as no surprise that when Game 1 of the Flames/Wings series went into OT, Gelinas would be on the ice for the big moment. Gelinas fought off three Red Wings behind the Red Wing net to get the puck over to Marcus Nilson, who fired a rocket of a shot into the top corner of the Red Wing net, giving the Flames a 2-1 victory and stealing a 1-0 lead in the series.
Once again the story of the game was Miikka Kiprusoff who faced 28 shots on the night, many of them in the first period when the Wings totally controlled the flow of play. The wings out shot the Flames 13-2 in the first frame and kept the Flames away from Curtis Joseph for the first ten minutes of the period. However, the longer the game went on the more the Flames got into their groove, slowly getting more shots on Cujo and by the third they were out battling the Wings for the puck for a good portion of the period.
With overtime came the scrambles in the Red Wing end and the will power of Gelinas to move the puck, something he did with great style. Popping the puck out to Nilson for the winner. Jarome Iginla was held off the score sheet, with only two shots on the night, as the Red Wing defence managing to slow him down and keep him under wraps. But as Iginla said after the game, the great thing about the season is that any night somebody different is winning a game for us. Tonight it was Nilson’s turn to shine.
Detroit got the scoring underway at 6:15 of the second on a goal from Robert Lang. Robyn Reghyr tied the game for the Flames with 2 minutes to go in the second. Cujo faced 16 shots in the loss as a suddenly silent Hockeytown crowd sat back stunned at the twist of fate for game one.
The key problem for the Wigs was once again the power play, which went 0-6. A carry over from the Nashville series where they went 2-29 against the Preds with a man advantage. Unless the Wings can solve that troublesome statistic they will continue to play with fire against a team that mucks and grinds their way to a victory.
It only takes one goal to win, you can outplay the Flames and out shoot them, but with Kiprusoff in the nets it’s getting harder and harder to outscore them. And as Marty Gelinas showed on Tuesday night and Marcus Nilson proved tonight, the Flames only need one clear shot to salt away another win.
Game two goes Saturday afternoon at the Joe, having already split the opening two games and gaining home ice advantage, the Flames will be aiming to burn the Wings again. If game two somehow ends up in overtime watch for Marty, when he has the puck good fortune follows.
Once again the story of the game was Miikka Kiprusoff who faced 28 shots on the night, many of them in the first period when the Wings totally controlled the flow of play. The wings out shot the Flames 13-2 in the first frame and kept the Flames away from Curtis Joseph for the first ten minutes of the period. However, the longer the game went on the more the Flames got into their groove, slowly getting more shots on Cujo and by the third they were out battling the Wings for the puck for a good portion of the period.
With overtime came the scrambles in the Red Wing end and the will power of Gelinas to move the puck, something he did with great style. Popping the puck out to Nilson for the winner. Jarome Iginla was held off the score sheet, with only two shots on the night, as the Red Wing defence managing to slow him down and keep him under wraps. But as Iginla said after the game, the great thing about the season is that any night somebody different is winning a game for us. Tonight it was Nilson’s turn to shine.
Detroit got the scoring underway at 6:15 of the second on a goal from Robert Lang. Robyn Reghyr tied the game for the Flames with 2 minutes to go in the second. Cujo faced 16 shots in the loss as a suddenly silent Hockeytown crowd sat back stunned at the twist of fate for game one.
The key problem for the Wigs was once again the power play, which went 0-6. A carry over from the Nashville series where they went 2-29 against the Preds with a man advantage. Unless the Wings can solve that troublesome statistic they will continue to play with fire against a team that mucks and grinds their way to a victory.
It only takes one goal to win, you can outplay the Flames and out shoot them, but with Kiprusoff in the nets it’s getting harder and harder to outscore them. And as Marty Gelinas showed on Tuesday night and Marcus Nilson proved tonight, the Flames only need one clear shot to salt away another win.
Game two goes Saturday afternoon at the Joe, having already split the opening two games and gaining home ice advantage, the Flames will be aiming to burn the Wings again. If game two somehow ends up in overtime watch for Marty, when he has the puck good fortune follows.
Flyers grab game one
Some sluggish hockey in the first followed by a bit more offense in the second and third periods that was the tempo of Game One between the Leafs and the Flyers. In a rather different display of hockey that what we are used to between the two there was more in the way of scoring attempts and less of the punishing physical nature that these two teams are famous for..
Tony Amonte opened up the game with a goal for Philly at 7:14; his score was answered by Alexander Mogilny at 14.28 of the first period. Both teams got their skating legs back into shape during the first. The Flyers who had a four day rest took a bit of time to shake out the rust, while the Leafs had to bounce back after clinching their series on Tuesday against Ottawa. As the second period got underway they started to pick up the pace and with the increase in the speed came a few more collisions.
Goaltending once again proved to be an important ingredient to the flow of the game, and for the first time in a long stretch Eddie Belfour just looked normal. Robert Esche our performing him on this debut game of the series. Esche faced 22 shots and performed a number of Leaf defying saves to secure the victory for the Flyers. Beflour had 23 shots on net to handle, allowing three to get by the usually secure wall he provides.
Marcus Ragnarsson scored the go ahead goal 5:13 into the second, bouncing a shot from Michal Handzus off of the leg of Leaf Nik Antropov. Simon Gagne put the game out of reach at the 15 minute mark of the third, marking the final goal of the game giving Pilly a 3-1 victory.
Toronto kept close for most of the second and third periods, unable to score on Esche. With little ill effects from their lengthy series against Ottawa, the Leafs can now rest up and hopefully get captain Mats Sundin back in the line up for game two. Which won’t take place until Sunday night; as in a sad indication of just how far hockey is falling in the rankings of US sports fans, the Flyers rink has been booked for Arena Football on Saturday. Yep that’s right Arena Football! So while the hunt for Stanley will take an extra days rest, Philadelphians will sit entranced with footballs bouncing off sideboards and roof high nets. Tis to make a hockey purist cry in his Labatt.
Tony Amonte opened up the game with a goal for Philly at 7:14; his score was answered by Alexander Mogilny at 14.28 of the first period. Both teams got their skating legs back into shape during the first. The Flyers who had a four day rest took a bit of time to shake out the rust, while the Leafs had to bounce back after clinching their series on Tuesday against Ottawa. As the second period got underway they started to pick up the pace and with the increase in the speed came a few more collisions.
Goaltending once again proved to be an important ingredient to the flow of the game, and for the first time in a long stretch Eddie Belfour just looked normal. Robert Esche our performing him on this debut game of the series. Esche faced 22 shots and performed a number of Leaf defying saves to secure the victory for the Flyers. Beflour had 23 shots on net to handle, allowing three to get by the usually secure wall he provides.
Marcus Ragnarsson scored the go ahead goal 5:13 into the second, bouncing a shot from Michal Handzus off of the leg of Leaf Nik Antropov. Simon Gagne put the game out of reach at the 15 minute mark of the third, marking the final goal of the game giving Pilly a 3-1 victory.
Toronto kept close for most of the second and third periods, unable to score on Esche. With little ill effects from their lengthy series against Ottawa, the Leafs can now rest up and hopefully get captain Mats Sundin back in the line up for game two. Which won’t take place until Sunday night; as in a sad indication of just how far hockey is falling in the rankings of US sports fans, the Flyers rink has been booked for Arena Football on Saturday. Yep that’s right Arena Football! So while the hunt for Stanley will take an extra days rest, Philadelphians will sit entranced with footballs bouncing off sideboards and roof high nets. Tis to make a hockey purist cry in his Labatt.
Cleaning out the Locker
The two teams that many hockey fans thought would be playing well into June are instead cleaning out their lockers this week. It was a sudden and disappointing end to a season that was supposed to lead to a championship.
Ottawa and Vancouver, young and fast, both with a solid line up of veterans and rookies. Teams that have raised the expectations of their fans the last three years, only to crash them to the ground by the time the playoffs arrive.
And as this season ends much like the last one, and the one before it. Questions are being asked and changes are being demanded. Both teams have been held up as the renaissance of how hockey should be played, a mix of European and North American hockey styles, smart teams that could load up the net as well as deliver the punishing body checks. They provided exciting, offensive oriented hockey, the antidote to the evil trap system that had taken over the game. Yet, when it came time to lift up the Stanley Cup, both teams were long gone from the chase.
Interestingly enough both teams have problems in some similar areas. Goaltending let both teams down during the regular season and at key moments in the playoffs. Will there be changes in the net. Ottawa most likely will have to look for a new goaltender, Patrick Lalime’s confidence seemingly shot in one period in game seven in Toronto. Vancouver’s situation is a little different, Dan Cloutier’s injury didn’t allow him to prove once and for all that he was the guy to lead them out of the wilderness. Entering a year where he can demand a much larger salary through arbitration if he wishes, the Canucks will have to decide whether he showed enough during the regular season to warrant an investment. Alex Auld most likely has confirmed his reservations with the Canucks for whenever the next season begins, Johan Hedberg is as gone as gone can be. The Canuck Management seems to have lost any confidence in his ability to get the job done.
The late season additions for the Canucks did not work out at all; Geoff Sanderson and Martin Rucinsky never quite seemed to fit into the mix that the Canucks were putting together. Their playoff performance negligible, it’s not expected that they’ll be in a Canuck uniform come the next training camp. And questions remain about how long the Sedin experiment should go on, the twins showing flashes of brilliance interrupted by long stretches of nothing. Vancouver fans are split on the twins, some feel they’re coming along fine, others figure they’ll never amount to anything of value. Markus Naslund watched as his seson turned sour at the end, never the same on the ice after the Steve Moore hit on him in Colorado, Naslund seemed to be distant through the stretch and playoffs. A point that Brian Burke highlighted in his end of season address to the media.
Of late Naslund has given the impression that he wouldn't be terribly disappointed if there were no hockey next year, effectively ending his time as an NHLer. He's said if the league were to suspend operations due to a labour dispute he might not return from Sweden in two years, instead keeping his family there and finishing his time in hockey out in the Swedish league. Perhaps it's just the diappointment of what could have been, but he looked like someone who was mentally tired of the pressure of hockey in Vancouver.
Over in Ottawa Peter Bondra didn’t have a stellar playoff, but his talent warrants a second look for a full season. Radenk Bonk the enigmatic centre will most likely be gone, disappearing completely in the playoffs he is far too hot and cold to be considered a dependable asset. His poor performance in the playoffs dragged down his talented line mates with him, to get the best out of Hossa and Varada you need to have somebody willing to feed them the puck. Scratch Bonk from your Sens depth charts.
The final question was answered Thursday morning in Ottawa. Jacques Martin had many chances to get the Sens to that next level of success. Excellent regular seasons wasted by a poor playoff performance. It seemed at times that Martin and GM John Muckler were working for two different teams; such was the feeling surrounding the handling of the talent on the ice and the motivational strategies off of it. With the Senators firing Martin they have started the sweeping motion, it will be interesting to see who else gets pushed out the door.
Marc Crawford Vancouver’s’ coach doesn’t have to worry about unemployment, Crawford having signed a multi year deal earlier in the season. And even though it appeared at times that the players had stopped listening, or were not prepared for the task at hand, his contract status and paycheck should buy him a little piece of mind.
His boss however may find that his parking space is given away shortly. The Brian Burke years have been a massive success off the ice, taking a team that was averaging 8,000-9,000 a game when he arrived and taking it to the point of every game being a sell out at GM Place. A completely dysfunctional squad in those years, reaching the lowest point with the reign of terror from Mike Keenan, has been transformed into a team that has been considered the next big wave. Burke should be allowed to rebuild this team to take it to the next level, his work thus far has made the team a success off the ice, he should be allowed to finish the job on it.
Yet today, Burke sits twisting in the wind, as John McCaw and Stan McCammon take stock of the situation. Burke insisted on contracts for Crawford and Todd Bertuzzi, at a monetary value that the bean counters may not have agreed on. With Bertuzzi having a rather dismal year on the ice by his standards and getting himself suspended with team on the hook for a large fine for his attack on Steve Moore, the Canucks may wish to hold Burke accountable. Add into the mix Burke’s combative nature with the Vancouver media and he’s got to be feeling a little unsure of his status.
The distraction of his contract status must have had some kind of effect on his team in the stretch; the team’s slump coincided with the daily reports of their GM on the verge of being fired. He stood up and refused to break up his core group of players, the loyalty not returned to him in the playoffs. He’ll have to move some of them now, salaries and non performance dictate change, the biggest decision for the Canucks is whether he will be the one to make those changes or whether he’ll be the biggest change made.
Two teams with similar styles and similar problems, the Senators have begun the road to new ideas and a new approach. The Canucks are still pondering their options; decisions could have an impact on them for years to come.
Ottawa and Vancouver, young and fast, both with a solid line up of veterans and rookies. Teams that have raised the expectations of their fans the last three years, only to crash them to the ground by the time the playoffs arrive.
And as this season ends much like the last one, and the one before it. Questions are being asked and changes are being demanded. Both teams have been held up as the renaissance of how hockey should be played, a mix of European and North American hockey styles, smart teams that could load up the net as well as deliver the punishing body checks. They provided exciting, offensive oriented hockey, the antidote to the evil trap system that had taken over the game. Yet, when it came time to lift up the Stanley Cup, both teams were long gone from the chase.
Interestingly enough both teams have problems in some similar areas. Goaltending let both teams down during the regular season and at key moments in the playoffs. Will there be changes in the net. Ottawa most likely will have to look for a new goaltender, Patrick Lalime’s confidence seemingly shot in one period in game seven in Toronto. Vancouver’s situation is a little different, Dan Cloutier’s injury didn’t allow him to prove once and for all that he was the guy to lead them out of the wilderness. Entering a year where he can demand a much larger salary through arbitration if he wishes, the Canucks will have to decide whether he showed enough during the regular season to warrant an investment. Alex Auld most likely has confirmed his reservations with the Canucks for whenever the next season begins, Johan Hedberg is as gone as gone can be. The Canuck Management seems to have lost any confidence in his ability to get the job done.
The late season additions for the Canucks did not work out at all; Geoff Sanderson and Martin Rucinsky never quite seemed to fit into the mix that the Canucks were putting together. Their playoff performance negligible, it’s not expected that they’ll be in a Canuck uniform come the next training camp. And questions remain about how long the Sedin experiment should go on, the twins showing flashes of brilliance interrupted by long stretches of nothing. Vancouver fans are split on the twins, some feel they’re coming along fine, others figure they’ll never amount to anything of value. Markus Naslund watched as his seson turned sour at the end, never the same on the ice after the Steve Moore hit on him in Colorado, Naslund seemed to be distant through the stretch and playoffs. A point that Brian Burke highlighted in his end of season address to the media.
Of late Naslund has given the impression that he wouldn't be terribly disappointed if there were no hockey next year, effectively ending his time as an NHLer. He's said if the league were to suspend operations due to a labour dispute he might not return from Sweden in two years, instead keeping his family there and finishing his time in hockey out in the Swedish league. Perhaps it's just the diappointment of what could have been, but he looked like someone who was mentally tired of the pressure of hockey in Vancouver.
Over in Ottawa Peter Bondra didn’t have a stellar playoff, but his talent warrants a second look for a full season. Radenk Bonk the enigmatic centre will most likely be gone, disappearing completely in the playoffs he is far too hot and cold to be considered a dependable asset. His poor performance in the playoffs dragged down his talented line mates with him, to get the best out of Hossa and Varada you need to have somebody willing to feed them the puck. Scratch Bonk from your Sens depth charts.
The final question was answered Thursday morning in Ottawa. Jacques Martin had many chances to get the Sens to that next level of success. Excellent regular seasons wasted by a poor playoff performance. It seemed at times that Martin and GM John Muckler were working for two different teams; such was the feeling surrounding the handling of the talent on the ice and the motivational strategies off of it. With the Senators firing Martin they have started the sweeping motion, it will be interesting to see who else gets pushed out the door.
Marc Crawford Vancouver’s’ coach doesn’t have to worry about unemployment, Crawford having signed a multi year deal earlier in the season. And even though it appeared at times that the players had stopped listening, or were not prepared for the task at hand, his contract status and paycheck should buy him a little piece of mind.
His boss however may find that his parking space is given away shortly. The Brian Burke years have been a massive success off the ice, taking a team that was averaging 8,000-9,000 a game when he arrived and taking it to the point of every game being a sell out at GM Place. A completely dysfunctional squad in those years, reaching the lowest point with the reign of terror from Mike Keenan, has been transformed into a team that has been considered the next big wave. Burke should be allowed to rebuild this team to take it to the next level, his work thus far has made the team a success off the ice, he should be allowed to finish the job on it.
Yet today, Burke sits twisting in the wind, as John McCaw and Stan McCammon take stock of the situation. Burke insisted on contracts for Crawford and Todd Bertuzzi, at a monetary value that the bean counters may not have agreed on. With Bertuzzi having a rather dismal year on the ice by his standards and getting himself suspended with team on the hook for a large fine for his attack on Steve Moore, the Canucks may wish to hold Burke accountable. Add into the mix Burke’s combative nature with the Vancouver media and he’s got to be feeling a little unsure of his status.
The distraction of his contract status must have had some kind of effect on his team in the stretch; the team’s slump coincided with the daily reports of their GM on the verge of being fired. He stood up and refused to break up his core group of players, the loyalty not returned to him in the playoffs. He’ll have to move some of them now, salaries and non performance dictate change, the biggest decision for the Canucks is whether he will be the one to make those changes or whether he’ll be the biggest change made.
Two teams with similar styles and similar problems, the Senators have begun the road to new ideas and a new approach. The Canucks are still pondering their options; decisions could have an impact on them for years to come.
A 50/50 Draw
HockeyNation sits at the .500 mark on prognostications after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 2004. Our brave predictions of a few short weeks ago, crushed like a first period collapse by a Senators goaltender.
For the record, in the East we had picked Ottawa to top the Leafs in 6 or 7, we were WRONG. Boo hoo, as Owen Nolan might say. We did hit the jackpot with Les Habitants as they topped the B’s in seven games as predicted. Tampa did not take as long as we thought to dispose of the Islanders but we did pick them to win regardless. And New Jersey disappointed us immensely with their quick exit from the Philly/Jersery battles. HockeyNation had bravely predicted the defending Stanley Cup Champs would defeat Bobby Clarke’s evil empire but it wasn’t meant to be.
Over in the West we watched in horror as the Vancouver Canucks exited the playoffs early once again, we predicted an exciting seven game series but backed the wrong horse. Go Flames Go. San Jose saved our reputation with the speed of their banishment of the Blues. Detroit took a little longer than we thought but they finally rid themselves of the pesky Preds, HockeyNation was a little nervous in game three and four as the Preds put a bit of a scare in the legions from Hockeytown. And Dallas proved to have been a bad decision as the Avalanche pretty well had their way with the Stars, getting rid of them without much of a sweat.
So it’s on to round number two, with a 50/50 chance of being right and if history is any example a 50/50 chance of my picks being considered part of the oracles of the puck. So here we go.
CALGARY and DETROIT, the Red Wings finally got fed up with dealing with the pesky Predators and got rid of them, only to land the Flames in the second round. If the Wings had problems with the Preds attack, things could get a little tense in the Joe this playoff season. Calgary is playing with a lot of confidence right now, having pulled together quite nicely as a team and all seem to performing as a unit, as designed on the playboard. With that we’ll pick our first upset special CALGARY in 7.
SAN JOSE AND COLORADO renew acquaintances with game one in San Jose on Thursday night. Both teams played well in their opening round. Colorado should have had the harder road to hoe, with a hungry Dallas Star team ready to bang them into the boards and take control. But that never happened; San Jose likewise did not have much trouble with the Blues. Either team has a pretty good shot at winning this series, but
we thing the SHARKS will bite the Avs and move on.
In the East it should have been a rematch between the Flyers and the Sens, a series that would have made the hitting in the Toronto/Ottawa series look like no touch football game. But someone called Eddie got in the way, pulling his Leaf teammates into the 2nd round on will power alone. And he brings that intangible into this series, spirit. Look for the Leafs to answer to the challenge. TORONTO should move on, but it will take six or seven games.
Montreal launched an amazing comeback against the Bruins and learned a valuable lesson about themselves. Hard work will win out. And hard work is on the horizon again with a well rested Tampa Bay Lightning looking to take away their dreams of Stanley. Despite the rapid climb to the top the Lightning will be feeling the nerves in this series; Montreal will be ready to capitalize on any miscues on the ice. If the Habs can keep their self confidence heading into the first couple of games they should come out victorious. MONTREAL in 7.
With our one day off from the frantic action, we return to our televisions Thursday. Westerners will only hear rumors of the Leafs and Flyers as Hockey Night In Canada has spilt the nation in two for the first game of the second round. The Flames/ Wings opener knocking the Leafs and Flyers to those folks living east of the Lakehead. The puck drops in both locales at 4 pm, after the one day armistice the Guns of April open up on three fronts, we await our dispatches from the combat zones.
For the record, in the East we had picked Ottawa to top the Leafs in 6 or 7, we were WRONG. Boo hoo, as Owen Nolan might say. We did hit the jackpot with Les Habitants as they topped the B’s in seven games as predicted. Tampa did not take as long as we thought to dispose of the Islanders but we did pick them to win regardless. And New Jersey disappointed us immensely with their quick exit from the Philly/Jersery battles. HockeyNation had bravely predicted the defending Stanley Cup Champs would defeat Bobby Clarke’s evil empire but it wasn’t meant to be.
Over in the West we watched in horror as the Vancouver Canucks exited the playoffs early once again, we predicted an exciting seven game series but backed the wrong horse. Go Flames Go. San Jose saved our reputation with the speed of their banishment of the Blues. Detroit took a little longer than we thought but they finally rid themselves of the pesky Preds, HockeyNation was a little nervous in game three and four as the Preds put a bit of a scare in the legions from Hockeytown. And Dallas proved to have been a bad decision as the Avalanche pretty well had their way with the Stars, getting rid of them without much of a sweat.
So it’s on to round number two, with a 50/50 chance of being right and if history is any example a 50/50 chance of my picks being considered part of the oracles of the puck. So here we go.
CALGARY and DETROIT, the Red Wings finally got fed up with dealing with the pesky Predators and got rid of them, only to land the Flames in the second round. If the Wings had problems with the Preds attack, things could get a little tense in the Joe this playoff season. Calgary is playing with a lot of confidence right now, having pulled together quite nicely as a team and all seem to performing as a unit, as designed on the playboard. With that we’ll pick our first upset special CALGARY in 7.
SAN JOSE AND COLORADO renew acquaintances with game one in San Jose on Thursday night. Both teams played well in their opening round. Colorado should have had the harder road to hoe, with a hungry Dallas Star team ready to bang them into the boards and take control. But that never happened; San Jose likewise did not have much trouble with the Blues. Either team has a pretty good shot at winning this series, but
we thing the SHARKS will bite the Avs and move on.
In the East it should have been a rematch between the Flyers and the Sens, a series that would have made the hitting in the Toronto/Ottawa series look like no touch football game. But someone called Eddie got in the way, pulling his Leaf teammates into the 2nd round on will power alone. And he brings that intangible into this series, spirit. Look for the Leafs to answer to the challenge. TORONTO should move on, but it will take six or seven games.
Montreal launched an amazing comeback against the Bruins and learned a valuable lesson about themselves. Hard work will win out. And hard work is on the horizon again with a well rested Tampa Bay Lightning looking to take away their dreams of Stanley. Despite the rapid climb to the top the Lightning will be feeling the nerves in this series; Montreal will be ready to capitalize on any miscues on the ice. If the Habs can keep their self confidence heading into the first couple of games they should come out victorious. MONTREAL in 7.
With our one day off from the frantic action, we return to our televisions Thursday. Westerners will only hear rumors of the Leafs and Flyers as Hockey Night In Canada has spilt the nation in two for the first game of the second round. The Flames/ Wings opener knocking the Leafs and Flyers to those folks living east of the Lakehead. The puck drops in both locales at 4 pm, after the one day armistice the Guns of April open up on three fronts, we await our dispatches from the combat zones.
The envelope please
With the first round of the playoffs out of the way, the NHL has taken advantage of the one day lull in the action, to announce its season ending award nominations.
Leading the way as the nominees for the Most Valuable Player are Jarome Iginla from Calgary, Martin St. Louis out of Tampa Bay and New Jersey Goaltender Martin Brodeur. One of whom will carry off the Hart trophy in less than six weeks.
Brodeur also finds his name put forward in nomination for the Vezina trophy, the second year he has been nominated in both categories. His challengers for the Vezina include; Roberto Luongo of Florida and Miikka Kiprusoff of Calgary.
The Calder trophy nominees for Rookie of the year go to, Andrew Raycroft of Boston, Michael Ryder of Montreal and Trent Hunter of the Islanders.
As they prepare to hand out the Norris trophy, consideration goes to Zdeno Chara of the Senators, Chris Pronger of the Blues and Scott Niedermayer of the Devils.
The Frank Selke trophy nominees for the best defensive forward are: New Jersey’s John Madden, Detroit’s Kris Draper and San Jose’s Alyn McAuley.
The Jack Murphy trophy for the coach of the year will be claimed by either, Tampa Bay’s John Tortorella, Calgary’s Darryl Sutter or San Jose’s Ron Wilson.
The envelopes will be handed out and the winners announced on June 10th in Toronto. An event expected to be televised by the CBC.
Leading the way as the nominees for the Most Valuable Player are Jarome Iginla from Calgary, Martin St. Louis out of Tampa Bay and New Jersey Goaltender Martin Brodeur. One of whom will carry off the Hart trophy in less than six weeks.
Brodeur also finds his name put forward in nomination for the Vezina trophy, the second year he has been nominated in both categories. His challengers for the Vezina include; Roberto Luongo of Florida and Miikka Kiprusoff of Calgary.
The Calder trophy nominees for Rookie of the year go to, Andrew Raycroft of Boston, Michael Ryder of Montreal and Trent Hunter of the Islanders.
As they prepare to hand out the Norris trophy, consideration goes to Zdeno Chara of the Senators, Chris Pronger of the Blues and Scott Niedermayer of the Devils.
The Frank Selke trophy nominees for the best defensive forward are: New Jersey’s John Madden, Detroit’s Kris Draper and San Jose’s Alyn McAuley.
The Jack Murphy trophy for the coach of the year will be claimed by either, Tampa Bay’s John Tortorella, Calgary’s Darryl Sutter or San Jose’s Ron Wilson.
The envelopes will be handed out and the winners announced on June 10th in Toronto. An event expected to be televised by the CBC.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Giveaways and Goaltenders!
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Ottawa Senators playoff hopes have ended at the hands of the Leaf Nation. Tuesday nights loss a most dis-heartening display, defensive breakdowns, shaky goaltending and a guy named Belfour all combined to once again bring the Senators playoff season to an early end.
Patrick Lalime had a horrible first period, giving up three goals before the Zamboni made its first trip around the rink. For Ottawa it was poor play in their own end that spelled the end, giveaways at the blue line and an inability to beat the Leafs for the puck in their own end, gave Toronto scoring opportunities and they took advantage of them with a vengeance.
The Sens were off their game Tuesday, they got away from the pounding they had been giving the Leafs for most of the series. Instead, they were almost timid at times, afraid to take the play into the corners and come out with the puck. The Leafs first goal was courtesy of the hard work of Tie Domi, who pressured the Sens in their own end, taking the puck away and centering it to Chad Kilger who quickly found the net. A 1-0 lead for the Leafs and the folks at the ACC started to believe.
While the Sens continued to battle back in the first, once again Ed Belfour shut the door, the Leaf goaltender made save after save to keep the Sens off the board and the frustration level started to peak for the Sens. Joe Nieuwendyk picked up the slack for his team with two goals in the first that sent the Senators reeling towards the end of the period. His first goal was a 45 foot shot that somehow eluded Patrick Lalime and fluttered into the Sens net, the Leafs found themselves up by 2. Later in the first as time was winding down towards the first intermission, Nieuwendyk again found the mark, another soft goal that got by Lalime with only 20 seconds left in the first. Lalime seemed to wilt in the net as the throng in the Air Canada Centre saluted their heroes. As the catastrophe know as the first period ended, so did Patrick Lalime’s time in the Ottawa net.
As period two began Martin Prusek was in the Sens goal, and the strategy appeared to pay off at the start, Ottawa gaining a quick goal to pull within two of the Leafs. The rest of the game featured Ottawa getting their usual high amount of shots on net and the usual response of Belfour of save after save. Out shooting Toronto 37-26 in game seven they once again sat and shook their heads in amazement at the quality of the game Belfour brought to the series.
Once again the regular season stats go for nothing, the high expectations of September give way to the cold dark reality of April, and the Sens season is done.
Give full credit to a Toronto team that held on by the skin of its teeth for the early games in this series. Battered and missing key players such as Sundin and Nolan, the walking wounded of the Leafs kept the pace. Outplayed and out shot for the duration they found a way to win. Whether it was Tie Domi having a career series, Joe Nieuwendyk taking his battered old body down the ice for one more successful shift, or the spectacular performance of Belfour these Leafs just held on until they outlasted the Sens.
Whatever the hold they have over these Senators it’s a real tangible one, there is no shaking the feeling of disappointment that surrounds this Ottawa team now. Another off season of questions awaits, how a talented squad like this could go so flat when the time to step up came will be the grist for off ice debate for months. Expected by many to not only challenge for the Stanley Cup but strongly thought of as a favorite to win it, they instead must sit back and dwell on what should have been.
Toronto's reward for their grit and determination of game seven, is the chance to suit up and do it all again on Thursday night. They take Wednesday to rest their bones, celebrate a hard fought victory and begin to study how to approach another old nemesis the Philadelphia Flyers. With the will to win as shown in the first series, they face a Flyer team with its own ghosts to be exorcised. Nothing suits the Leafs better than facing a team desperate to prove its worth. They knocked off one in this series; don’t put a repeat performance beyond them for the next.
In another series that may come down to goaltending, the edge is most definitely with the Eagle. He may single-handedly will this team into the Stanley Cup finals, and if the first series is any indication a Vezina trophy is all but his for the taking. All hail Eddie, Master of all he surveys!
Patrick Lalime had a horrible first period, giving up three goals before the Zamboni made its first trip around the rink. For Ottawa it was poor play in their own end that spelled the end, giveaways at the blue line and an inability to beat the Leafs for the puck in their own end, gave Toronto scoring opportunities and they took advantage of them with a vengeance.
The Sens were off their game Tuesday, they got away from the pounding they had been giving the Leafs for most of the series. Instead, they were almost timid at times, afraid to take the play into the corners and come out with the puck. The Leafs first goal was courtesy of the hard work of Tie Domi, who pressured the Sens in their own end, taking the puck away and centering it to Chad Kilger who quickly found the net. A 1-0 lead for the Leafs and the folks at the ACC started to believe.
While the Sens continued to battle back in the first, once again Ed Belfour shut the door, the Leaf goaltender made save after save to keep the Sens off the board and the frustration level started to peak for the Sens. Joe Nieuwendyk picked up the slack for his team with two goals in the first that sent the Senators reeling towards the end of the period. His first goal was a 45 foot shot that somehow eluded Patrick Lalime and fluttered into the Sens net, the Leafs found themselves up by 2. Later in the first as time was winding down towards the first intermission, Nieuwendyk again found the mark, another soft goal that got by Lalime with only 20 seconds left in the first. Lalime seemed to wilt in the net as the throng in the Air Canada Centre saluted their heroes. As the catastrophe know as the first period ended, so did Patrick Lalime’s time in the Ottawa net.
As period two began Martin Prusek was in the Sens goal, and the strategy appeared to pay off at the start, Ottawa gaining a quick goal to pull within two of the Leafs. The rest of the game featured Ottawa getting their usual high amount of shots on net and the usual response of Belfour of save after save. Out shooting Toronto 37-26 in game seven they once again sat and shook their heads in amazement at the quality of the game Belfour brought to the series.
Once again the regular season stats go for nothing, the high expectations of September give way to the cold dark reality of April, and the Sens season is done.
Give full credit to a Toronto team that held on by the skin of its teeth for the early games in this series. Battered and missing key players such as Sundin and Nolan, the walking wounded of the Leafs kept the pace. Outplayed and out shot for the duration they found a way to win. Whether it was Tie Domi having a career series, Joe Nieuwendyk taking his battered old body down the ice for one more successful shift, or the spectacular performance of Belfour these Leafs just held on until they outlasted the Sens.
Whatever the hold they have over these Senators it’s a real tangible one, there is no shaking the feeling of disappointment that surrounds this Ottawa team now. Another off season of questions awaits, how a talented squad like this could go so flat when the time to step up came will be the grist for off ice debate for months. Expected by many to not only challenge for the Stanley Cup but strongly thought of as a favorite to win it, they instead must sit back and dwell on what should have been.
Toronto's reward for their grit and determination of game seven, is the chance to suit up and do it all again on Thursday night. They take Wednesday to rest their bones, celebrate a hard fought victory and begin to study how to approach another old nemesis the Philadelphia Flyers. With the will to win as shown in the first series, they face a Flyer team with its own ghosts to be exorcised. Nothing suits the Leafs better than facing a team desperate to prove its worth. They knocked off one in this series; don’t put a repeat performance beyond them for the next.
In another series that may come down to goaltending, the edge is most definitely with the Eagle. He may single-handedly will this team into the Stanley Cup finals, and if the first series is any indication a Vezina trophy is all but his for the taking. All hail Eddie, Master of all he surveys!
Monday, April 19, 2004
It's All About Jarome!
For Vancouver it was 30 seconds from disaster, six seconds to heaven, then a minute and twenty five seconds to finality.
For Calgary on Monday night it was all about Jarome Iginla, the Calgary captain stepped up to upper stardom with his one man show at GM Place, the term franchise player gets used an awful lot these days but in this instance if the skate fits, you have to admit.
Iginla was the story in the series and in Game 7, his playmaking ability, his hits, his shot and most of all his leadership. Lesser players would have sulked about a missed penalty call and a stumble at centre ice which turned into an opposition goal. Instead Iginila took his team into the dressing room and came out ready to roll in Overtime.
Iginla had the chance to put away the Vancouver Canucks in regulation time, with thirty seconds to go on Monday night, flying down the left wing Iginla fired a puck wide of the empty Canuck net, missing it by a couple of inches. Heading back to the Flame end, Iginla had his stick knocked from his hands, and then tripped at centre ice ending up out of the play. Markus Naslund took advantage of the missing player to take the puck behind the Flames net, pushing it out to the front where Matt Cooke knocked it in with six seconds to go sending game seven to Overtime.
A frantic finish to a low scoring tightly checked three periods of play. Iginla and Cooke traded off goals, as both scored twice in the highly entertaining 60 minutes of hockey. Neither team wanting to admit that the end might be near.
A rest and then came sudden death overtime, the point of hockey that every child has played out on his mind on a pond, a rink or a street. You’re the goaltender who has to make the big save, you’re the go to guy, with the pressure on it’s your shot that sends your team on to greater things.
Tonight Miikka Kiprusoff was the goaltender, Martin Gelinas the scorer, but Jarome Iginla the hero.
Both teams had players in the penalty box to start the overtime period, a carry over from the regulation time. The Flames had Ferrence in for twelve seconds, the Canucks Jovanovski for over a minute. The Canucks gave up the blue line and Iginla brought the puck into the Canuck end of the rink, from the left wing he fired a shot at the Canuck net, Alex Auld made two spectacular saves but couldn’t control that third rebound, Gelinas all alone at the side of the net punched it in sending the Flames off to Detroit with a 4-2 win.
The discipline of the Flames was the highlight of this series, knock them down they bounced right back. Beat them in triple overtime, they came right back. The determination of Calgary to keep at it shows just how much Darryl Sutter has brought to this team in his short tenure at the helm.
The ability to bring the best out of Iginla, to take a young team and have them play with the poise of a veteran squad, not fearing a mistake, sucking it up and going back out shift after shift and taking it back. A team that was battered, bruised and short of key players found a way to stay in a hard fought seven game series. Injuries to those players may not bode well for round two, but somehow you get the feeling that somebody in a Flame uniform is going to step up and fill in just fine thank you.
Seven years they’ve missed the playoffs, 15 years since they’ve won a series, that one a season that gave them a Cup. This is a team that will be reckoned with, maybe not this year, but the way they’re playing don’t put destiny past them. This team believes in itself right now, of the remaining teams left in the Stanley Cup Derby they are playing as a TEAM, a most important ingredient for success.
If Detroit thought that they had their hands full with Nashville, hold onto your helmets here come Jarome and the Flames. Dismiss their chances at your peril!
For Calgary on Monday night it was all about Jarome Iginla, the Calgary captain stepped up to upper stardom with his one man show at GM Place, the term franchise player gets used an awful lot these days but in this instance if the skate fits, you have to admit.
Iginla was the story in the series and in Game 7, his playmaking ability, his hits, his shot and most of all his leadership. Lesser players would have sulked about a missed penalty call and a stumble at centre ice which turned into an opposition goal. Instead Iginila took his team into the dressing room and came out ready to roll in Overtime.
Iginla had the chance to put away the Vancouver Canucks in regulation time, with thirty seconds to go on Monday night, flying down the left wing Iginla fired a puck wide of the empty Canuck net, missing it by a couple of inches. Heading back to the Flame end, Iginla had his stick knocked from his hands, and then tripped at centre ice ending up out of the play. Markus Naslund took advantage of the missing player to take the puck behind the Flames net, pushing it out to the front where Matt Cooke knocked it in with six seconds to go sending game seven to Overtime.
A frantic finish to a low scoring tightly checked three periods of play. Iginla and Cooke traded off goals, as both scored twice in the highly entertaining 60 minutes of hockey. Neither team wanting to admit that the end might be near.
A rest and then came sudden death overtime, the point of hockey that every child has played out on his mind on a pond, a rink or a street. You’re the goaltender who has to make the big save, you’re the go to guy, with the pressure on it’s your shot that sends your team on to greater things.
Tonight Miikka Kiprusoff was the goaltender, Martin Gelinas the scorer, but Jarome Iginla the hero.
Both teams had players in the penalty box to start the overtime period, a carry over from the regulation time. The Flames had Ferrence in for twelve seconds, the Canucks Jovanovski for over a minute. The Canucks gave up the blue line and Iginla brought the puck into the Canuck end of the rink, from the left wing he fired a shot at the Canuck net, Alex Auld made two spectacular saves but couldn’t control that third rebound, Gelinas all alone at the side of the net punched it in sending the Flames off to Detroit with a 4-2 win.
The discipline of the Flames was the highlight of this series, knock them down they bounced right back. Beat them in triple overtime, they came right back. The determination of Calgary to keep at it shows just how much Darryl Sutter has brought to this team in his short tenure at the helm.
The ability to bring the best out of Iginla, to take a young team and have them play with the poise of a veteran squad, not fearing a mistake, sucking it up and going back out shift after shift and taking it back. A team that was battered, bruised and short of key players found a way to stay in a hard fought seven game series. Injuries to those players may not bode well for round two, but somehow you get the feeling that somebody in a Flame uniform is going to step up and fill in just fine thank you.
Seven years they’ve missed the playoffs, 15 years since they’ve won a series, that one a season that gave them a Cup. This is a team that will be reckoned with, maybe not this year, but the way they’re playing don’t put destiny past them. This team believes in itself right now, of the remaining teams left in the Stanley Cup Derby they are playing as a TEAM, a most important ingredient for success.
If Detroit thought that they had their hands full with Nashville, hold onto your helmets here come Jarome and the Flames. Dismiss their chances at your peril!
They Hab it all!
The comeback is complete, with the Bruins vanquished; Montreal will continue to play on in April. Battling back from a 3-1 deficit and finally able to solve Andrew Raycroft, the Montreal Canadiens led by Richard Zednik, took a 4 games to 3 series victory at the suddenly very quiet Fleet Centre in Boston Monday night.
A rivalry that goes back to the original six has given hockey fans many great nights of hockey over the years, many exciting series and these last seven games were no exception. Goaltending was the key to the seven games, Games 1, 2 and 4 belonged to Andrew Raycroft, numbers 3, 5, 6 and 7 to Jose Theodore, as both kept their teams alive at key times throughout the seven games. Even in defeat Monday night, Raycroft held the line the only goal scored on him was beyond his scope, a neat little pass from Alexei Kovalev over to Zednik from behind the net, before he knew it the puck was in the net, the series on the verge of going to the Habs.
Boston battled back but couldn’t find the combination to score an equalizer on Montreal, injured captain Joe Thornton gave it his best shot, but was largely ineffective in the final game, held off the score sheet and unable to hit with the ferocity he’s known for. The Bruins had their chances taking 32 shots at Jose Theodore, but he was on his game and like two years ago, shut the Bruins down and took Montreal on to the next round.
An empty net goal by Zednik assisted again by Kovalev and Saku Koivu brought the game to its conclusion. Kovalev had a strong game with basically the use of just one hand, as he set up the two goals, made some timely back checks and stayed with the flow of the game for the entire three periods.
For Boston the disappointment must be unfathomable, a promising season, high octane offence and the goaltending story that was Raycroft all for naught, as Montreal managed to control the flow of the last three games, full value for their historical comeback. The Habs were 0 and 12 in those series that they trailed by 3-1, The Bruins 17-0 on the ones they led by that margin. Statistically speaking this should have been the Bruins game to take, and a series to win. But then, statistics are for those that have the time to read them.
The Bruins can hit the books; The Habs will be content with hitting the Lightning.
Game one is Friday night in Tampa, one of the oldest franchises against one of the newest. One steeped in tradition, the other trying to find its way to starting one. If ever the Lightning wanted to attract some interest, the time has come. They could be the only first place team to be considered an underdog going into a second round series. Such is the scope of the Montreal tradition. The first test is Friday; the exam comes anytime between games four or seven.
A rivalry that goes back to the original six has given hockey fans many great nights of hockey over the years, many exciting series and these last seven games were no exception. Goaltending was the key to the seven games, Games 1, 2 and 4 belonged to Andrew Raycroft, numbers 3, 5, 6 and 7 to Jose Theodore, as both kept their teams alive at key times throughout the seven games. Even in defeat Monday night, Raycroft held the line the only goal scored on him was beyond his scope, a neat little pass from Alexei Kovalev over to Zednik from behind the net, before he knew it the puck was in the net, the series on the verge of going to the Habs.
Boston battled back but couldn’t find the combination to score an equalizer on Montreal, injured captain Joe Thornton gave it his best shot, but was largely ineffective in the final game, held off the score sheet and unable to hit with the ferocity he’s known for. The Bruins had their chances taking 32 shots at Jose Theodore, but he was on his game and like two years ago, shut the Bruins down and took Montreal on to the next round.
An empty net goal by Zednik assisted again by Kovalev and Saku Koivu brought the game to its conclusion. Kovalev had a strong game with basically the use of just one hand, as he set up the two goals, made some timely back checks and stayed with the flow of the game for the entire three periods.
For Boston the disappointment must be unfathomable, a promising season, high octane offence and the goaltending story that was Raycroft all for naught, as Montreal managed to control the flow of the last three games, full value for their historical comeback. The Habs were 0 and 12 in those series that they trailed by 3-1, The Bruins 17-0 on the ones they led by that margin. Statistically speaking this should have been the Bruins game to take, and a series to win. But then, statistics are for those that have the time to read them.
The Bruins can hit the books; The Habs will be content with hitting the Lightning.
Game one is Friday night in Tampa, one of the oldest franchises against one of the newest. One steeped in tradition, the other trying to find its way to starting one. If ever the Lightning wanted to attract some interest, the time has come. They could be the only first place team to be considered an underdog going into a second round series. Such is the scope of the Montreal tradition. The first test is Friday; the exam comes anytime between games four or seven.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
SENSational Sixth
You couldn’t ask for a better ending to game six than what the Sens and Leafs gave hockey fans on Sunday night. Well ok, if you’re a Sens fan, then having them score on the many opportunities in the second or third, would have been helpful in keeping the blood pressure in check, salting away the win before the end of third buzzer a much more sensible way to do things. If you’re a Leaf fan, you probably were wishing that Tie Domi was down the ice just a little bit further, Domi was in on many of the shots in the final period not to mention both overtimes, but never really fired a dangerous bullet at Patrick Lalime.
But if you’re just a fan of good hard hitting, action packed hockey then Double Overtime on a Sunday in mid April is just about as good as it gets. The Sens and Leafs put on a show at the Corel Center and the only sad thing about it is, that we’re one game closer to the end of the latest edition of the Battle of Ontario.
Penalties played their part at the start of game six, as the Sens quickly found themselves two men short after just two minutes, as both Peter Bondra and Greg de Vries sat in the box watching the Maple Leaf power play work the 5 on 3 advantage. And at 4:14 of the first the Maple Leafs were up 1-0 on the strength of a Brian McCabe goal that went in off the skate of Brian Pothier and into the Sens net. From then on it seemed like all Senators as wave after wave approached Ed Belfour only to be turned aside once again.
Game six began to take on the appearance of Games 2, 3 and 5, as Belfour made save after save after save. Posts were hit, shots whistled wide and through the crease but none went by the Toronto goaltender neither in the 1st nor in the 2nd. It took Zdeno Chara to change the scoreboard in the third as he jumped into the play and took the puck around the Leafs net firing a shot from a side angle which caught the short side of goal. The Sens tied things up at 4:14 of the third and the manic play would then grow even more desperate.
The Leafs were content to just dump the puck into the Ottawa end and go chase it, hoping to capitalize on a miscue, intercept an errant pass or just bang a body off the puck. A couple of times that strategy came dangerously close to working as Ottawa would have bursts of energy for four or five minutes and then collapse into shoddy play in their own, only to turn it back on a few minutes later. That scenario would continue through the end of the third and into all of the first overtime. Rested up to a fashion after the first extra frame, the Sens got the jump again in the second overtime, taking the play to the Leaf end right from the puck drop they crashed over the Leaf blue line. The winning goal coming at 1:47 of the second extra period as Antoine Vermette popped a pass through the goal crease, picked up by Mike Fisher and put into the back of the Leaf net good for the 2-1 win and good enough to book the trip to Toronto for a game seven showdown on Tuesday night.
Ottawa fans may not want to admit it but the Leafs were a gutsy bunch on this Sunday night. Despite injuries to a number of key players, they never seemed to let down. The Leafs had a number of chances in both overtimes and could have sent the Sens packing for the summer on any number of times, but it wasn't meant to be in game six. As Patrick Lalime rose to the occasion and stonewalled the Leafs through the regulation and extra periods. Lalime handled 28 Maple Leaf shots, making a few incredible saves to keep the Buds from getting more than a point ahead during the game.
But again it was Belfour who made the difference the Sens fired 46 shots at the Eagle through the four and a bit periods of play, Belfour once again was outstanding in the Leaf’s net, single handedly keeping them in the game until the very end. The Senators win ruined his bid to become the NHL record holder for shutouts in one series, heading into Sunday’s game Beflour had recorded three shut outs, one away from the record books.
He has one more chance to state his case on Tuesday, but don’t look for the Sens to be helpful, coming out fast and hitting the Leafs in their own end, will no doubt be the recipe for the deciding game. If Ottawa can continue the incredible pace they have developed in the first six games, then Eddie won’t be in the record books this year. But if he gets a little help from his defence and the front lines then anything is possible, it will just be part of the background to a Game 7 that should be a dandy.
But if you’re just a fan of good hard hitting, action packed hockey then Double Overtime on a Sunday in mid April is just about as good as it gets. The Sens and Leafs put on a show at the Corel Center and the only sad thing about it is, that we’re one game closer to the end of the latest edition of the Battle of Ontario.
Penalties played their part at the start of game six, as the Sens quickly found themselves two men short after just two minutes, as both Peter Bondra and Greg de Vries sat in the box watching the Maple Leaf power play work the 5 on 3 advantage. And at 4:14 of the first the Maple Leafs were up 1-0 on the strength of a Brian McCabe goal that went in off the skate of Brian Pothier and into the Sens net. From then on it seemed like all Senators as wave after wave approached Ed Belfour only to be turned aside once again.
Game six began to take on the appearance of Games 2, 3 and 5, as Belfour made save after save after save. Posts were hit, shots whistled wide and through the crease but none went by the Toronto goaltender neither in the 1st nor in the 2nd. It took Zdeno Chara to change the scoreboard in the third as he jumped into the play and took the puck around the Leafs net firing a shot from a side angle which caught the short side of goal. The Sens tied things up at 4:14 of the third and the manic play would then grow even more desperate.
The Leafs were content to just dump the puck into the Ottawa end and go chase it, hoping to capitalize on a miscue, intercept an errant pass or just bang a body off the puck. A couple of times that strategy came dangerously close to working as Ottawa would have bursts of energy for four or five minutes and then collapse into shoddy play in their own, only to turn it back on a few minutes later. That scenario would continue through the end of the third and into all of the first overtime. Rested up to a fashion after the first extra frame, the Sens got the jump again in the second overtime, taking the play to the Leaf end right from the puck drop they crashed over the Leaf blue line. The winning goal coming at 1:47 of the second extra period as Antoine Vermette popped a pass through the goal crease, picked up by Mike Fisher and put into the back of the Leaf net good for the 2-1 win and good enough to book the trip to Toronto for a game seven showdown on Tuesday night.
Ottawa fans may not want to admit it but the Leafs were a gutsy bunch on this Sunday night. Despite injuries to a number of key players, they never seemed to let down. The Leafs had a number of chances in both overtimes and could have sent the Sens packing for the summer on any number of times, but it wasn't meant to be in game six. As Patrick Lalime rose to the occasion and stonewalled the Leafs through the regulation and extra periods. Lalime handled 28 Maple Leaf shots, making a few incredible saves to keep the Buds from getting more than a point ahead during the game.
But again it was Belfour who made the difference the Sens fired 46 shots at the Eagle through the four and a bit periods of play, Belfour once again was outstanding in the Leaf’s net, single handedly keeping them in the game until the very end. The Senators win ruined his bid to become the NHL record holder for shutouts in one series, heading into Sunday’s game Beflour had recorded three shut outs, one away from the record books.
He has one more chance to state his case on Tuesday, but don’t look for the Sens to be helpful, coming out fast and hitting the Leafs in their own end, will no doubt be the recipe for the deciding game. If Ottawa can continue the incredible pace they have developed in the first six games, then Eddie won’t be in the record books this year. But if he gets a little help from his defence and the front lines then anything is possible, it will just be part of the background to a Game 7 that should be a dandy.
Canucks dodge bullet in Cowtown
By rights this game should never have turned into the Overtime Classic that it became. The Canucks were cooled off and in the showers by the end of the second period as they had a two goal lead heading into the third period. The only problem was nobody told the Flames that the game was over. Calgary launched one of the greatest comebacks seen in the NHL in a long time, as they capitalized on sloppy defensive work in the Vancouver end of the rink, and got a few breaks on deflections to claw their way back into a four all tie at the end of regulation time.
With no particular rhyme or reason to the Canuck play in the first ten minutes of the third, the Flames were allowed to get back into the game. It would prove to be a mistake, which came dangerously close to eliminating the Canucks from further playoff action this year. Unable to clear the front of the Canuck net, Alex Auld was left to fend for himself on far too many occasions in regulation time as Martin Gelinas amongst others had ample opportunity to send the Saddledome crowd into rapture. But the Canucks finally settled down again and began to take back some of the play. But make no doubt about it, the third period had them on their knees hoping against hope that a stray shot or pass didn’t make it behind Auld.
As the first overtime period began it was a carry over of much of the play of the last five games, heavy hits, long leading passes just missing and fast paced end to end rushes. In a game that featured 1 goal in the first period, 5 goals in the second and 2 goals in the third, none would be scored in the first or the second overtime period.
The winning marker came at the 112th minute of play as Brendan Morrison protected the puck from one side of the boards to the other and then to the front of the net, putting the winning marker behind Miikka Kirprusoff sending both teams back to Vancouver for game seven on Monday night.
Saturday night’s game was the longest OT game in Canuck history, and the result was what they needed to keep alive their plans for a challenge for the Stanley Cup. The Flames who never seem to say die, will have to regroup after a heartbreaking loss such as this, they had a number of chances in the two OT periods to score, but couldn’t’ seem to get the puck past Auld who after that shaky finish to the third, managed to settle down and close the door the rest of the way. His counterpart in the Calgary net Kiprusoff equal to the task, holding wave after wave of Canuck shooters to bad angles and low risk shots.
While this series never needed any hype, Monday’s game is anticipated as yet another classic in the waiting. The Flames determined ability to never give up, against the Canucks fighting for their playoff lives. Monday should be the biggest ratings bonanza for the CBC this year so far, with Montreal/Boston as the opening act, the Flames and Canucks should provide an amazing grande finale to the CBC twin bill on Monday.
Hockey fans can only hope they get the same kind of action that periods 4, 5 and the start of six provided on Saturday night.
With no particular rhyme or reason to the Canuck play in the first ten minutes of the third, the Flames were allowed to get back into the game. It would prove to be a mistake, which came dangerously close to eliminating the Canucks from further playoff action this year. Unable to clear the front of the Canuck net, Alex Auld was left to fend for himself on far too many occasions in regulation time as Martin Gelinas amongst others had ample opportunity to send the Saddledome crowd into rapture. But the Canucks finally settled down again and began to take back some of the play. But make no doubt about it, the third period had them on their knees hoping against hope that a stray shot or pass didn’t make it behind Auld.
As the first overtime period began it was a carry over of much of the play of the last five games, heavy hits, long leading passes just missing and fast paced end to end rushes. In a game that featured 1 goal in the first period, 5 goals in the second and 2 goals in the third, none would be scored in the first or the second overtime period.
The winning marker came at the 112th minute of play as Brendan Morrison protected the puck from one side of the boards to the other and then to the front of the net, putting the winning marker behind Miikka Kirprusoff sending both teams back to Vancouver for game seven on Monday night.
Saturday night’s game was the longest OT game in Canuck history, and the result was what they needed to keep alive their plans for a challenge for the Stanley Cup. The Flames who never seem to say die, will have to regroup after a heartbreaking loss such as this, they had a number of chances in the two OT periods to score, but couldn’t’ seem to get the puck past Auld who after that shaky finish to the third, managed to settle down and close the door the rest of the way. His counterpart in the Calgary net Kiprusoff equal to the task, holding wave after wave of Canuck shooters to bad angles and low risk shots.
While this series never needed any hype, Monday’s game is anticipated as yet another classic in the waiting. The Flames determined ability to never give up, against the Canucks fighting for their playoff lives. Monday should be the biggest ratings bonanza for the CBC this year so far, with Montreal/Boston as the opening act, the Flames and Canucks should provide an amazing grande finale to the CBC twin bill on Monday.
Hockey fans can only hope they get the same kind of action that periods 4, 5 and the start of six provided on Saturday night.
Stars disapear into black hole of playoff results
They looked old, confused and incapable of stopping a relentless Avalanche attack, and now they don’t have to worry about it. The Dallas Stars were eliminated Saturday afternoon after a 5-2 loos, as Colorado rebounded from a horrible end to the regular season with a dominating performance in the first playoff round.
The Stars began the game fine with Chris Therien coring the opening goal at the five minute mark, they held their own until the last two minutes of period number one when D’arby Hendrickson scored his first playoff goal this year, after that the Avs controlled the game, taking advantage of the Dallas miscues and setting the pace of the game to one they could control.
Dallas never seemed to get the game plan straight as the Av’s controlled all facets of play in this series including the goaltending, the one area that most observers had given the nod to the Stars on. Marty Turco was nowhere near the level he had shown in the regular season when his GAA was a measly 1.98. Twice in this series Turco had five goals scored on him and in each game he gave up at least three goals. Without his usually reliable performance the Stars could not launch a come back and handed the Avs the four games with a minimum of effort.
If there is one team that is going to see some wholesale changes in the off season (if there is hockey next year) it will be the Stars. This is one team that needs to be re-assembled and pointed in a new direction.
The Avs on the other hand have turned around their late March downward spiral and managed to get everyone on the same page again. David Aebischer continued to play a strong game in the Av’s net, stopping 62 of 65 shots in the last two games, he holds a stingy 1.83 Goals against record heading into the second round. Colorado’s scoring machine has also fired up the boilers, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic are a couple of the Avalanche veterans who have regained their scoring touch as the first round progressed. Rookie Marek Svatos picked up six points in the series, fitting in nicely with the Avalanche lineup after only appearing in four regular season games.
As they wait for the winner of the Flames/Canucks series to be revealed they can only rest up and try to keep sharp. They could end up playing the Sharks or the Canucks next week, either team will have its hands full with a rejuvenated Avalanche team, with confidence building in their game they could be a tough opponent for the second round.
The Stars began the game fine with Chris Therien coring the opening goal at the five minute mark, they held their own until the last two minutes of period number one when D’arby Hendrickson scored his first playoff goal this year, after that the Avs controlled the game, taking advantage of the Dallas miscues and setting the pace of the game to one they could control.
Dallas never seemed to get the game plan straight as the Av’s controlled all facets of play in this series including the goaltending, the one area that most observers had given the nod to the Stars on. Marty Turco was nowhere near the level he had shown in the regular season when his GAA was a measly 1.98. Twice in this series Turco had five goals scored on him and in each game he gave up at least three goals. Without his usually reliable performance the Stars could not launch a come back and handed the Avs the four games with a minimum of effort.
If there is one team that is going to see some wholesale changes in the off season (if there is hockey next year) it will be the Stars. This is one team that needs to be re-assembled and pointed in a new direction.
The Avs on the other hand have turned around their late March downward spiral and managed to get everyone on the same page again. David Aebischer continued to play a strong game in the Av’s net, stopping 62 of 65 shots in the last two games, he holds a stingy 1.83 Goals against record heading into the second round. Colorado’s scoring machine has also fired up the boilers, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic are a couple of the Avalanche veterans who have regained their scoring touch as the first round progressed. Rookie Marek Svatos picked up six points in the series, fitting in nicely with the Avalanche lineup after only appearing in four regular season games.
As they wait for the winner of the Flames/Canucks series to be revealed they can only rest up and try to keep sharp. They could end up playing the Sharks or the Canucks next week, either team will have its hands full with a rejuvenated Avalanche team, with confidence building in their game they could be a tough opponent for the second round.
Making a HABit of coming back
The Montreal Canadiens have set the stage for a game seven showdown in Boston on Monday night. The goat of game four got the fourth goal of game six; as Alexei Kovalev converted a Saku Koivu pass into an empty net to salt away the Canadiens 5-2 victory over the Bruins. His goal was followed up by Jan Bulis’ empty net goal that finished off the victory. The Habs have now battled back from a 1-3 deficit to tie the series at 3 a piece going into the game 7 showdown.
The Canadiens have been able to out hit and out play the Bruins over the last three games, as they finally solved the Raycroft riddle in the Boston nets. No longer intimidated by the Bruins net minder, more of the Habs shots are finding eyes and slipping in behind him. Raycroft has found it hard to win that clinching game, unable to shut down the Habs for that all important fourth win. If anyone’s confidence is going to be affected in a game seven it might be his.
The fast pace and heavy hitting dominant through this series continued in game six, Joe Thornton was on the receiving end of a number of crushing hits, the Canadiens holding him off the scoring sheet for the sixth game in a row.
Jose Theodore made the key saves once again that the Habs have been used to in the past, making the task of controlling the play in the Boston end that much easier for his team mates. The folks in Deer Lake, Newfoundland were doubly happy Saturday night, not only did local hero Darren Langford pick up his first career playoff goal, but it was a round on the house at the local bar. Langdon is owner of a bar in the Newfoundland town; his policy is a round on the house for every goal he scores. Fortunately for his bottom line he’s not known as a goal scorer, but if it helps the cause, why not load up the bar and load up the net.
The Canadiens can rest up their injuries and focus in on the idea of a game seven showdown. The way this series has gone, the Bruins must be feeling a little uneasy; Montreal has been coming on and seems to have the momentum factor in their favour. Expect an intense, fast paced game Monday from Boston.
The Canadiens have been able to out hit and out play the Bruins over the last three games, as they finally solved the Raycroft riddle in the Boston nets. No longer intimidated by the Bruins net minder, more of the Habs shots are finding eyes and slipping in behind him. Raycroft has found it hard to win that clinching game, unable to shut down the Habs for that all important fourth win. If anyone’s confidence is going to be affected in a game seven it might be his.
The fast pace and heavy hitting dominant through this series continued in game six, Joe Thornton was on the receiving end of a number of crushing hits, the Canadiens holding him off the scoring sheet for the sixth game in a row.
Jose Theodore made the key saves once again that the Habs have been used to in the past, making the task of controlling the play in the Boston end that much easier for his team mates. The folks in Deer Lake, Newfoundland were doubly happy Saturday night, not only did local hero Darren Langford pick up his first career playoff goal, but it was a round on the house at the local bar. Langdon is owner of a bar in the Newfoundland town; his policy is a round on the house for every goal he scores. Fortunately for his bottom line he’s not known as a goal scorer, but if it helps the cause, why not load up the bar and load up the net.
The Canadiens can rest up their injuries and focus in on the idea of a game seven showdown. The way this series has gone, the Bruins must be feeling a little uneasy; Montreal has been coming on and seems to have the momentum factor in their favour. Expect an intense, fast paced game Monday from Boston.
Pesky Predators meet with extinction
Eventually experience won out over youthful exuberance. The wily old veterans of the Detroit Red Wings putting an end to any thoughts of the Nashville Predators pulling yet another April surprise on Hockeytown’s Heroes. Ray Whitney and Steve Yzerman got the first two and only goals in the first two minutes of the first period, sending a message to their fans that all is well, the playoffs will continue.
Curtis Joseph was solid if under worked in the Red Wing net, facing only fifteen shots on Saturday, the Predators failing to capitalize on 5 power play opportunities. The largest crowd in Predator history made lots of noise, but could not will their team on to another victory, the Red Wings were able to use their two goal advantage by shutting down the Predator attack, keeping them off the puck and out of the Detroit end.
Tomas Vokoun could only watch as his team mates failed to launch a comeback, leaving him on his own to face 26 Red Wing shots. Yzerman’s goal put him into the Red Wing history books as he jumped ahead of Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe for most goals in Red Wing history with 68. With the Wings alive for the next series, he has a chance to add to that history book.
Curtis Joseph was solid if under worked in the Red Wing net, facing only fifteen shots on Saturday, the Predators failing to capitalize on 5 power play opportunities. The largest crowd in Predator history made lots of noise, but could not will their team on to another victory, the Red Wings were able to use their two goal advantage by shutting down the Predator attack, keeping them off the puck and out of the Detroit end.
Tomas Vokoun could only watch as his team mates failed to launch a comeback, leaving him on his own to face 26 Red Wing shots. Yzerman’s goal put him into the Red Wing history books as he jumped ahead of Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe for most goals in Red Wing history with 68. With the Wings alive for the next series, he has a chance to add to that history book.
Flyers exorcise Devils, advance to second round
The Devils won’t have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup this year, the defending Cup champions made an exit after five games, as Philadelphia defeated New Jersey 3-1 to advance in the Stanley Cup play downs.
Robert Esche once again outplayed Martin Brodeur in the net as he faced 32 shots in the game five clincher. Brodeur had 40 shots directed at him Saturday, an indication of how the Devil defence had fallen off their game in this series.
Zahmnov, Markov and Kapnenan scored for the Flyers, Niedermayer with the only reply for Jersey. Brodeur while not to blame completely for the Devils disappearing act, certainly let in a few suspect goals over the five games. His counterpart at the Flyer end Esche, would make game winning saves time and time again, giving his fellow Flyers a bit of confidence in the back end as they rest up for the second round.
They will have to wait for the results from the Ottawa/Toronto and Montreal/Boston series before they know who they match up with next week. The Devil’s have no such concerns, all they need to know is what tee times are available for Sunday.
Robert Esche once again outplayed Martin Brodeur in the net as he faced 32 shots in the game five clincher. Brodeur had 40 shots directed at him Saturday, an indication of how the Devil defence had fallen off their game in this series.
Zahmnov, Markov and Kapnenan scored for the Flyers, Niedermayer with the only reply for Jersey. Brodeur while not to blame completely for the Devils disappearing act, certainly let in a few suspect goals over the five games. His counterpart at the Flyer end Esche, would make game winning saves time and time again, giving his fellow Flyers a bit of confidence in the back end as they rest up for the second round.
They will have to wait for the results from the Ottawa/Toronto and Montreal/Boston series before they know who they match up with next week. The Devil’s have no such concerns, all they need to know is what tee times are available for Sunday.
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