It’s
that time of week again! Here’s what’s been going on the past week:
Conference
Final Matchups Set
The San Jose Sharks capped off the
second round last night with a convincing 5-0 win over the Nashville Predators
in game 7. They will play the St. Louis Blues in the western conference finals.
San Jose has reached the conference finals for the first time since 2011. St.
Louis has reached the conference finals for the first time since 2001. San Jose
has never appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals. St. Louis has made 3 consecutive Stanley
Cup Final appearances (1968, 1969, and 1970), but they got swept all 3 times.
The Sharks went 2-1-0 against the Blues
during the regular season, winning both games on the road. Though the Sharks
won the season series, that doesn’t mean anything for the upcoming series.
Regular season stats are thrown out the window come playoff time. I think this
will be a very fast and physical series between 2 very large teams who can also
skate fast and score goals off the rush.
While the Sharks offence is faster than
the Blues, I’d say the Blues hold the structural and strategic advantage
offensively. I also think the Blues are better equipped defensively, with big, solid
players like Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Boumeester. I’d give the goaltending
advantage to St. Louis. Brian Elliot has been one of the most consistent
goalies these playoffs. Though we haven’t seen much of Jake Allen this
playoffs, he was solid during the regular season. I predict the Blues will win
this series because I think they’re slightly better defensively and between the
pipes.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated
the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the
eastern conference finals. The Lightning made the Stanley Cup Finals last year,
but were defeated by the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games. They hope to make the
Finals for the second consecutive season. The last time this happened was with the
Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and 2009. This is Pittsburgh’s first conference
finals appearance since 2013, when they were swept by the Boston Bruins.
The Lightning went 3-0-0 against the
Penguins during the regular season, outscoring them 15-9. Though these stats
suggest the Lightning will easily win this series, regular season stats don’t
matter in the playoffs. Both these teams are very fast and have a lot of
offensive depth, so it’s hard to predict who will win. The last time these 2
teams met in the playoffs was in the first round of 2011, when the Lightning
overcame a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Penguins in 7 games.
Offensively, these teams are very even.
Defensively, I think the Lightning possess slightly more size and experience,
though not by much. In the net, I’d say Vezina candidate Ben Bishop holds a
slight advantage over rookie Matt Murray. Murray, however, has been very solid
for the Penguins these playoffs. He outplayed both Henrik Lundqvist and Braden
Holtby in the first two rounds, so it’s possible he also outplays Bishop.
Because all categories are practically even, this series is a toss-up. However,
I have to say that I think the Penguins will win this series in either 6 or 7 hard
fought games.
Darryl
Sutter Extended by Kings
Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl
Sutter has agreed to the terms of a new contract with the team. It’s unknown
how long he’s been signed for, but some sources say he’ll make at least $3
million per year. Sutter has a very impressive coaching resume in his 5 seasons
with the Kings. He holds a 186-112 regular season record and a 42-27 playoff
record with 2 Stanley Cups. He has previously coached the Chicago Blackhawks,
San Jose Sharks, and Calgary Flames.
Travis
Hamonic Rescinds Trade Request
Before the 2015-16 season started,
Travis Hamonic requested Islanders general manager Garth Snow trade him. He
wanted to be closer to home in Winnipeg where a family member was experiencing health
issues. The situation apparently settled down enough for Hamonic to rescind his
request. He later said, “I love being an Islander more than anything. It’s one
of the best things I’ve done in my life.”
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