Saturday Preview

         Though there’s only one elimination game, all of the games today are very important. Both playoff series in the west are tied at 2, and each have a crucial game 5. Statistically speaking, teams that win game 5 when series are tied end up winning 76% of the time. The Pittsburgh vs. Washington series also has a crucial game 5 which the Capitals must win to avoid elimination. Teams that go up 3-1 in the series win 90% of the time, so it doesn’t look so good for Washington right now.

         However, I know Washington is capable of coming back in this series. I think the only way they do is if their superstars step up. Former NHL player and coach Craig Berube, who has taken the role of analyst, thinks that Backstrom and Kuznetzov should be the ones to power the Capitals comeback. It will certainly be a tough task for the Capitals to do so this series. Not only do their superstars need to make plays, they also need to beat rookie goalie Matt Murray, who has been tremendous so far. While it’s definitely possible for the Capitals to come back, it’s very unlikely.

         Game 5 of the Blues vs. Stars series is currently in progress, with St. Louis leading 3-1 in the 3^rd. If the Blues successfully close out this game, they’ll have a chance to win the series at home in game 6 on Monday. While the Stars have certainly been good, their main issue is their goalie carousel. Both Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have struggled at times, causing the Stars to constantly switch between them. While Lehtonen has been the better goalie of late, the Blues offence combined with the uncertainty in Dallas is making it look as if the Blues are on their way to winning this series.

         Lastly, either the Predators or Sharks will be up 3-2 after game 5 tonight. The highly contested series most recently featured a triple overtime thriller in Nashville. I give Nashville the advantage in this game because their confidence is high after winning their longest game in franchise history. While the SAP Center in San Jose can be a very intimidating place to play for opposing teams, the Sharks have struggled there all year. I would in no way count them out though, as they have a high powered offence with players like Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Brent Burns. With all that in mind, I would call this game a toss-up. However, I see the Predators barely squeaking out a win at the “Shark Tank”. 

Weekly Recap (May 6)

         Happy Friday! It’s once again time for the weekly recap. Here’s what’s been happening:

John Chayka Hired as Arizona GM

         Yesterday, the Arizona Coyotes hired 26-year-old John Chayka as their new general manager. He is the youngest GM in NHL history. Co-founder of an analytics firm, Chayka was hired as assistant GM before last season. Now, he will take the place of former GM Don Maloney who was fired in April. Confident in the “Moneypuck” mentality, the organization hired him based on his analytic abilities. The Coyotes also re-signed head coach Dave Tippet to a 5-year contract.

More Second Round Action

         Things have gotten pretty interesting in the second round of these playoffs. I’ve been most surprised by the Nashville Predators, who tied their series against the San Jose Sharks at 2 last night with a triple overtime goal from Mike Fisher. After losing the first 2 games in San Jose, the Predators came roaring back in Music City to even the series.

         Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars also tied their series at 2 when they beat the St. Louis Blues in overtime on a goal by Cody Eakin. This win will likely serve as a big confidence boost for Dallas, who was coming off a brutal 6-1 loss in game 3. The Stars now have a chance to take a 3-2 series lead in their building on Saturday afternoon.

         Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Islanders in Brooklyn. Game 3 was a barnburner of a game, with the Lightning tying the score late and winning 5-4 in OT on a goal by Brian Boyle. However, knowing what the Islanders are capable of, I feel this series is far from over. The Lightning are faced with the tough task of beating the Islanders for a 2^nd straight time at the very loud Barclays Center, where they have the unwavering support of their dedicated fanbase.

         All 4 second round matchups are coming off of overtime games. The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday to put them on the brink of elimination. This playoffs, the Capitals haven’t yet performed at the level they did in the regular season, but they may be due for a breakout game. It’s not too late for them. Unless their stars step up tomorrow in game 5, I don’t see the Capitals coming back to win this series.

Coach Carousel Moving Again

         With the firing of Flames head coach Bob Hartley on Tuesday, more questions sprang up of which coach will be hired where. Calgary, Anaheim, Minnesota, and Ottawa all have coaching vacancies. I’ve heard names floating around like Randy Carlyle and Marc Crawford. Both are experienced NHL coaches, which is why I think they’re the most likely candidates. The big question is where each of these guys will end up. If I had to take a guess, I would say Ottawa gets Boudreau, Minnesota get Hartley, Anaheim gets Carlyle (again), and Calgary gets Crawford.

My Thoughts (May 5)

          Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins managed to pull off a victory against the Washington Capitals at Consol Energy Center in game 4 of their best of 7 series, putting the Capitals on the brink of elimination. Even without their best defenseman Kris Letang, who was serving a suspension, the Penguins found a way to win.

            The Capitals got off to a quick start when Jay Beagle backhanded a shot into the top corner of the net off of a Tom Wilson shoot-in at 2:58. The Penguins evened the scoring when defenseman Trevor Daley’s shot somehow found its way into the net at 9:16. The 1^st period ended with a 1-1 tie, which was to be expected in this hard-fought series between the best teams in the east.

           

            Matt Cullen broke the tie when he snuck a shot under Holtby’s pad to give the Penguins the lead at 3:07 of the 2^nd period. However, as the period progressed, Washington started winning puck battles and spent most of their time in the Penguins zone. All their hard work finally paid off when John Carlson put a shot past Murray’s glove at 16:19 to even the game at 2. This was, I thought, the Capitals most productive shift, as they held the puck in the Penguins zone for over a minute.

            Though the 3^rd period was scoreless, both teams exchanged chances to take the lead, but the goaltending was solid, keeping the game tied. The stalemate would require overtime to determine a winner. Early in the overtime period, the Penguins got some puck luck when Patric Hornqvist scored five-hole on Holtby at 2:34 after a lucky bounce off of Capital defenseman Mike Weber’s stick.

            Though the Penguins now lead the series 3-1, the series has been evenly matched. I still believe this series has the potential to go 7 games. The main determining factor of who wins this series, I feel, is whether or not rookie goaltender Matt Murray will continue to play the way he has so far. And will the star players from both teams show up? That’s another question of mine. Only time will tell who the better team is. The series continues with game 5 at Verizon Center on Saturday.