Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 1

The hits. The saves. The goals. There's just nothing like the Stanley Cup playoffs. Here's how night #1 went down:

DETROIT RED WINGS 4, PHOENIX COYOTES 2
Detroit leads series 1-0

Detroit's annual goal is to win the last game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They won the first thanks to goaltending and special teams. Jimmy Howard carried the Wings through the 1st period, and Phoenix was unable to capitalize on some early power play opportunities, including a 5-on-3. In the 2nd, Detroit scored a power play goal, and another goal just after a power play expired. Players like Datsyuk and Franzen were engineered for the playoffs.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 3, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 0
Pittsburgh leads series 1-0

M.A. Fleury was all over the place, stopping 32 shots for his 5th career playoff shutout. Kovalev and Arron Asham did the scoring, plus Chris Kunitz added an empty-netter. The power play reliant Lightning only had 1 power play opportunity. Stamkos was held to one shot, and met Mr. Brooks Orpik.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS 2, NEW YORK RANGERS 1 (OT)
Washington leads series 1-0

The Rangers were on their way to a 1-0 shutout over the Caps. Late in the 3rd, Lundqvist locks up a puck between his thighs, Ovechkin pokes at it, the ref is tardy with his whistle, the puck rolls across the line. Then after almost a full period of OT, fatigue catches up with Marc Staal who gives the puck away to Jason Arnott. Then Alexander Semin scores the winner. Without Ryan Callahan, the Rangers might be in serious trouble.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS 2, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 0
Vancouver leads series 1-0

Roberto Luongo was brilliant. 32 stunning saves. His 2nd career playoff shutout. Chicago held the Sedins scoreless, but weren't able to do much offensively themselves. This Blackhawks team is just completely different without Dustin Byfuglien driving the engine. Sharp, Kane, and Toews need to show up.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS 4, ANAHEIM DUCKS 1
Nashville leads series 1-0

Mike Fisher scored twice with an assist, Shea Weber had a few big hits and a power play goal, but the star of the game was Pekka Rinne, who made an unbelievable kick save to keep the game at 1-0. As you might expect from a blowout, there was some ugliness at the end. The Ducks collected 32 penalty minutes in the last 15 seconds.

Tonight's games:
7:00 PM - Canadiens @ Bruins - NESN (Versus nationally)
7:30 PM - Sabres @ Flyers
10:00 PM - Kings @ Sharks - Versus

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Playoffs: West Preview

We don't get to see the Western Conference teams very often in Boston. It's a shame that we play Florida and Atlanta far more often than Detroit, Chicago, Vancouver, or even San Jose.

#1 VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs. #8 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
The defending champion Hawks were victimized by the salary cap in the off-season, which I think will do the NHL more long-term harm than good, and that's why they barely made it in as an 8 seed. Vancouver have been electric all year. #1 in goals scored, goals against, power play, and #3 in penalty kill. The Sedin-Samuellson line totaled 78 goals. Then Ryan Kesler added 41 more from the 2nd line. Luongo had a brilliant year, and on paper, the Canucks have to be favorites to win it all. The Hawks also boast plenty of weapons, but their goaltending is untried, and their defense is suspect. Vancouver wins in 6 high scoring games.

#2 SAN JOSE SHARKS vs. #7 LOS ANGELES KINGS
The Pacific Division sent 4 teams to the postseason and these are two of them. They split the season series 3-3. And while San Jose has dangerous scorers like Marleau, Thornton, Pavelski, Heatley, and 22 year old Logan Couture (who scored 32 goals), I have my doubts. The Sharks are perennial postseason failures. Their offense depends a great deal on the power play, and LA has an excellent penalty kill. The Kings also have Jonathan Quick. I don't think LA has the offense to go very far, but they do have enough defense to stop San Jose. Kings in 7.

#3 DETROIT RED WINGS vs. #6 PHOENIX COYOTES
Detroit made the playoffs for the 18th straight season. They can score, but their defense and goaltending is shaky. Zetterberg's health is a question mark, but the Wings can deploy plenty of other weapons. Not to mention a roll call of strong, experienced forwards. Datsyuk, Franzen, Cleary, Bertuzzi, Draper. And it's the same on defense. Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Stuart. Phoenix doesn't have many recognizable skaters. Even goalie Ilya Bryzgalov had an off year. Phoenix are solid 5-on-5, but have an anemic power play and a gaping penalty kill. That will be their undoing. Detroit wins in 5.

#4 ANAHEIM DUCKS vs. #5 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
The Predators were 3rd in goals against, and 21st in attendance. The Ducks had the 3rd best power play, and were 26th in attendance. Two of the best players in the NHL will duel each other in this series. And they'll finally be able to do it in front of full houses. Anaheim's Corey Perry scored 50 goals, with 48 assists. Nashville's Pekka Rinne had a 2.12 GAA and a .930 SV%. The Ducks have some weapons beside Perry, including George Parros' bristling black mustache.

But Anaheim's offensive output depends too much on getting power play points. The Predators also have Shea Weber, a burly defenseman who also scored 16 times this year. I'm picking Rinne and the Preds in 6.

It's difficult to not pick Detroit to win the West. But they're old. They don't have the goaltending. I think this is finally the year for Vancouver to shine and go all the way to the finals.

Tonight's games:
7:00 PM - Red Wings @ Coyotes - Versus
7:00 PM - Lightning @ Penguins
7:30 PM - Rangers @ Capitals
10:00 PM - Blackhawks @ Canucks - Versus
10:30 PM - Predators @ Ducks

-The Commodore

Red Wings 10, Bruins 3

What have we learned about the Bruins the last few days? They're better than Montreal. They're good. But they're not great. They're only borderline very good when all their players are at their best. Against a high quality opponent, in a playoff-style game, they're likely to lose.

Friday's 6-1 loss to Detroit was a bit of an aberration. Rask let in a few soft ones, and maybe there was a hangover after the Canadiens game. Sunday's 4-2 loss looked much better. The Bruins weren't dominated, but they were outclassed.

Sunday was like a playoff game, especially in the 2nd period. It was high paced, it was close, it was physical. Not the fighting kind of physical we saw against Montreal, this was trench warfare in the corners and in front of the net.

Detroit won most of those battles in the trenches. And even when the Bruins won theirs, they didn't do much to capitalize.

A pair of mistakes by rookies allowed Detroit to score twice. Marchand's giveaway, and Seguin not covering Draper. Mistakes by 22 and 19 year olds are forgivable. Also, give credit to guys like Bertuzzi and Draper, who took advantage of those mistakes.

That's something that struck me. The Red Wings don't have an All-Star team. But they do deploy a ceaseless string of solid, well-rounded players. Eaves, Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, Hudler, Helm, Draper. These are the guys behind Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen, and Cleary.

That's nine forwards right there. All solid. All capable of multiple things. Compare them to these nine guys: Lucic, Bergeron, Ryder, Marchand, Horton, Recchi, Krejci, Wheeler, Seguin. Detroit's is clearly better. Guys like Ryder might have 16 goals, but I'd take Kris Draper over him in a heartbeat.

Detroit didn't dominate. In playoff-style games, nobody ever dominates. But they were clearly superior in execution. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Detroit's 2nd in the West, and one of the best franchises in the NHL. Though it's hard to imagine a deep playoff run if the Bruins are so easily outclassed in playoff-style hockey.

It might be time to start worrying, as well. The B's have dropped 3 of 4, and are 5-5 in their last 10. They have an opportunity to rack up some points, though, as they'll face the 5th, 3rd, and 2nd worst teams in the NHL this week. They'll start with the Maple Leafs Tuesday night.

But in a few months, when this team is up against a quality opponent in a 7 game series, I don't think they're good enough to pull it off. This is a Conference Semifinal team, and nothing more.

-The Commodore

Red Wings @ Bruins Preview

The Bruins are going with the same lineup as last game, and why shouldn't they with the offensive explosion they had. Detriot is once again one of the best teams in the West.

Known for their offense the Red Wings have actually struggled of late to score. In their last 4 games they have only 4 goals. The Bruins meanwhile are usually known for their defense, but scored 8 goals last game and have looked better on offense since the calender turned 2011.

The biggest contributors were the Bruins first line forwards Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton, who combined for three goals and eight assists. The Bruins need these guys to continue their recent success, especially Horton and Krejci who have kind of been disappointments this year.

Some people would expect the Bruins to come back down to Earth after their last game, but I really think they are starting to get it going and I know they will play better defense tonight.

Bruins win 3-2
Player of the Game: Horton
Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 15

The Red Wings are the Red Wings. In a Game 7, even on road ice, it's hard to pick against the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom.

DETROIT 6, COYOTES 1 (Red Wings win series 4-3)

Datsyuk scored twice, plus an assist. Lidstrom had a monstrous game in all three zones. He scored twice as well. Zetterberg had 3 assists and was +3. From the drop of the puck, Ilya Bryzgalov was under siege. He sustained a 17 shot onslaught in the 1st (Phoenix only managed 6 shots that period). But the Wings broke through in the 2nd (22 shots, 4 goals). Detroit finished with 50 shots on goal.

The Red Wings have won 10 of their last 12 playoff series, and 30 of their last 40.



7pm tonight on Versus, Canadiens @ Capitals.

-The Commodore

Red Wings 2, Bruins 0

The Bruins have gone 133 minutes since they last scored. They haven't scored a power play goal in 5 games.

On the same night that Phil Kessel plays his first game for Toronto, it's hard not to think that losing him is a big part behind the Bruins' offensive woes. I don't think so. Losing Savard hurts more, particularly on the power play. Savard sets everything up, and not just in the offensive zone. He's a big part of the transition game, as well.

I'm glad Coach Julien finally brought Matt Hunwick back to the power play unit. And I'm tired of seeing Dennis Wideman give up unforced turnovers. Normally I don't care, because he atones for them elsewhere, but I'm losing patience with this team.

Zdeno Chara still has to make his presence known on the power play. So does Marco Sturm.

This 2-0 loss to Detroit, in and of itself, isn't the end of the world. Zetterberg's goal was a weird one. Patrice Bergeron actually won the faceoff, but inadvertently set-up Zetterberg perfectly.

And you have to give credit to Chris Osgood, who was simply stunning in the 1st period.

Bruins host the Canadiens on Thursday.

-The Commodore

Bruins @ Red Wings Preview

The Bruins and Red Wings were two of the NHL's top teams last season, but neither club has carried that level of play into 2009-10 season. The Red Wing are 5-4-3, while the Bruins are sitting at 6-6-1, still I think this is going to be an incredibly hard game to win for the Bruins.

Boston is still without Lucic and Savard, and have had a really hard time scoring of late (three goals in its last three games). That is a big problem when you are going against a team with so many offensive weapons. The one thing the Bruins have going in their favor is that they have a much better goalie then Detroit, so if Boston wants to win this game Thomas is going to have to have the game of his life.

Game starts at 7pm on NESN.

Chelios Wants To Play Next Year

"Chris Chelios won't be with the Detroit Red Wings next season. Wings general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press he met with the 47-year-old and Chelios wouldn't be offered another contract. The Associated Press left a message for Holland Monday evening seeking comment. Holland tells the News it was "kind of understood last summer" when Chelios signed a one-year deal that it would be his last. Holland says Chelios wants to play another season and believes the veteran player can still play (Sportsline)."

Chelios needs to give it up. He played in only 28 games last season, and didn't even record a single point. It is one thing if you are still a meaningful contributor to your team, but Chelios is all done. The Red Wings treated him well, and I think he should retire. He is a first ballot Hall Of Famer, but there is little reason for him to keep playing at the age of 47.

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 58

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2, DETROIT RED WINGS 1
***Pittsburgh wins Stanley Cup 4-3***
It was a not a disappointing game, even though the result was disappointing for me. I personally despise the Penguins on levels beyond typical sports hatred. I hate them more than the Steelers, so it's not just a Pittsburgh thing.

I was wrong in my prediction of Detroit in 6. But I was right in predicting that if Pittsburgh won, Evgeni Malkin would be awarded the Conn Smythe. Malkin had an assist on the Penguins' first goal of the night, had 2 goals plus 5 assists in the series, and 14 goals plus 22 assists in the playoffs.

Cindy Crosby went from ghost to AWOL when a hard Franzen check benched him for the rest of the game. His mere 10 minutes of ice time was pretty solid evidence that he's simply not as amazing as people seem to think he is.



I'll give him credit for handing the Cup off to Wilbraham's Billy Guerin.

By the way, all the Detroit Red Wings shook hands with the Penguins after the game. I guess they're not that competitive.

But why the hell were Red Wings fans lingering in the arena, watching the Penguins celebrate? That's like catching your wife in bed with another man and sticking around for the money shot. Just leave the building. No need to watch a visiting team celebrate on your ice.

I'd feel bad for Marian Hossa if I were a much nicer person. But I find his situation hilarious. He takes less money to leave Pittsburgh and go to Detroit. Then for the 2nd year in a row, he loses in the Stanley Cup Finals. Shouldv'e gone for the money, Marian.



My God did Chris Osgood choke. On both goals he let in, he was caught out of position. When he's enshrined in Toronto someday, he'll become the most overrated Hall of Famer in North American sports.



It's hard to believe, but the 2009-2010 season is like 4 months away. Early prediction for the 2010 Stanley Cup: Boston Bruins over Detroit Red Wings in 5 games. And the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Champion: DEUTSCHLAND!!!



Marco Sturm will win a Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal in the same year.

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 55

I just want to take a moment to yell at the NHL for being stupid. When they made the schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals, did they even bother to consult with the NBA about when their finals would be? Probably not. And since they didn't, a very entertaining Game 6 went unnoticed, and was guaranteed 2nd billing on SportsCenter and on sports pages across the country. Oh, and having a pair of games on Versus is another brilliant decisions.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2, DETROIT RED WINGS 1
(Series tied 3-3)
Marc-Andre Fleury is actually having a very good series. Last night he stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced. But holding Detroit to 26 shots on goal is nothing short of miraculous.

Once again, Cindy Crosby was a ghost and guys like Tyler Kennedy were the heroes for Pittsburgh. Kennedy had a goal and an assists. Jordan Staal scored the Penguins' other goal. Detroit nearly came back, with Kris Draper scoring his first goal of the postseason in the 3rd, and Daniel Cleary's breakaway effort stopped by Fleury with 100 seconds to go.



The series shifts back to Detroit. Thankfully, it is Friday night, so it's not competing against the NBA Finals. The road team has yet to win a game in this series. The last time Detroit lost an elimination game on home ice was May 18, 1999.

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 52

DETROIT RED WINGS 5, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 0
(Detroit leads series 3-2)
Detroit's weapons of mass destruction came out to play last night, including MVP candidate Pavel Datsyuk, who had 2 assists. A 4 goal 2nd period, and a power play unit that was 3 for 9 combined to shove Pittsburgh to the edge of the proverbial cliff. Zetterberg and Rafalski each had a goal and an assist. Chris Osgood had another one of those Detroit playoff shutouts, stopping the mere 22 shots Pittsburgh managed to get on net. He too had an assist.

The series is still far from over. As we've seen multiple times this playoff season, eliminating a team is much harder than the 3 wins it took to bring them close to elimination. Also, Game 6 is in Pittsburgh, where both the Penguins and Red Wings looked like two different teams in Games 3 and 4.

Tuesday night, 8 PM, on NBC.



-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 50

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4, DETROIT RED WINGS 2
(Series tied 2-2)
If Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals is played, but it's on Versus, and up against Game 1 of the NBA Finals, does it make a sound?

What did make a sound was the netting behind Chris Osgood, as the overrated goalie allowed 4 of the 31 shots he faced to get past him. Cindy Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins. Datsyuk was once again sidelined with his foot injury. Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Franzen, and Hossa were all pretty quiet for Detroit.

I only watched the 1st period of this one, and my goodness was Pittsburgh living on the edge when it came to penalties. But that happens in the playoffs. The window of opportunity to hit someone after they don't have the puck gets longer, tripping and hooking have to be more blatant, and roughing calls almost disappear completely.

Detroit had 4 power plays, they easily could have had 6 or 7, one being a 5-on-3. But they got 4 anyway, and didn't score on any of them.

The series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5, Saturday night, back on NBC at 8.



-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 48

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4, DETROIT RED WINGS 2
(Detroit leads series 2-1)
Still no sign of Cindy Crosby, yet somehow the Penguins still won. Why? Because Maxime Talbot scored 2 goals, Evgeni Malkin had 3 assists, and Sergei Gonchar netted the game winner halfway through the 3rd. Also, Chris Osgood is overrated, only stopping 17 of the 20 shots he faced.

The series just got really interesting. This was a must-win, and the game was tied going into the 3rd. The Wings are still missing Datsyuk, and without him, the upcoming games are almost toss ups.

Massive Game 5 Thursday night. Which is up against Game 1 of the NBA finals, AND it's on Versus. So 2 people will watch it.



-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 46

DETROIT RED WINGS 3, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 1
(Detroit leads series 2-0)
You're not going to beat Detroit 1-0. It's not going to happen. Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh late in the 1st, but if that's all you put up, you will lose.

More unlikely heroes for the Wings, as they netted a trio of opportunistic scores. Jonathan Ericsson, Valtteri Filppula, and Justin Abdelkader scored. Marian Hossa had a pair of assists against his former teammates. Former Bruin Hal Gill was -2 for the Penguins, and is -4 for the series.

Things shift to Pittsburgh now. Game 3 is a must win for the Penguins. It's Tuesday night at 8 PM on Versus.



-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 45

DETROIT RED WINGS 3, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 1
(Detroit leads series 1-0)
No Pavel Datsyuk, no problem. Surprise scorers Brad Stuart and Justin Abdelkader netted goals for Detroit. Johan Franzen also scored his 11th in the 2nd period. Chris Osgood was also solid in net, stopping 31 of 32 shots faced.

I used to hate Alex Ovechkin more than Sidney Crosby, until last night. Crosby is portrayed as the NHL's Golden Boy, an old school classy and quiet player from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. He's not, and this is further proof of that.



I still hate Ovechkin, but now I hate Crosby the most. Just get off the ice and take the loss like a man.

Should be interesting tonight, with a rare back-to-back in the Stanley Cup Finals. Tonight, 8 PM, NBC. Fuck Pittsburgh, and fuck the Penguins.





-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Final Preview

Red Wings vs. Penguins.

Again.

Kind of not interested, but at least it isn't Tampa Bay vs. Anaheim or something anti-hockey like that. Both these teams boast good history, and good performances lately. Think about Pittsburgh, they've won 6 of their last 7 playoff series.

That being said, Detroit has won their last 7 straight playoff series, and 9 of their last 10.

One wild card is the injury situation. Potential MVP Pavel Datsyuk missed the end of Detroit's victory over Chicago. He'll miss at least Game 1. Detroit's greatest strength is their depth at forward, but Datsyuk is the tip of the arrowhead. Remove him, and that depth doesn't mean so much.



The TV situation favors Pittsburgh due to Detroit's injuries. Game 1 is tonight, Game 2 is tomorrow night. NBC didn't want a potential overtime game to interrupt Conan O'Brien's debut on the Tonight Show this week. But hey, at least the games aren't on Versus. Until Games 3 and 4, of course.

Neither goalie impresses me, but Chris Osgood is much more solid than Marc-Andre Fleury. Neither goalie will steal a game, but Fleury might give one away. He overcommitts to the side of the crease, and Detroit's unparalleled passing game will exploit this weakness.



Sidney Crosby is getting all the publicity for Pittsburgh, but Evgeni Malkin has fueled Pittsburgh's playoff run. If the Penguins win the series, Malkin will (or should) win the Conn Smythe.



Despite the injuries, I think Detroit wins this one in 6. Cup #12 for the Wings.



Game schedule:
Game 1: PIT @ DET - Sat 5/30 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 2: PIT @ DET - Sun 5/31 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 3: DET @ PIT - Tue 6/2 - 8:00 PM - Vs
Game 4: DET @ PIT - Thu 6/4 - 8:00 PM - Vs
Game 5: PIT @ DET - Sat 6/6 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 6: DET @ PIT - Tue 6/9 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 7: PIT @ DET - Fri 6/12 - 8:oo PM - NBC

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 42

Well after the previous round saw three series go the full 7, this round wrapped up fairly quickly. The Penguins swept the Hurricanes. And the Red Wings made short work of Chicago.

DETROIT RED WINGS 2, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 1 (OT)
***Detroit wins series 4-1***
The Blackhawks had to replace the Bulin Wall in net with Cristobal Huet, who split time in net this season. Huet was amazing last night, but like Pedro Martinez in 2001, he got no offensive support. Huet stopped 44 of 46 shots. Meanwhile, Chicago had 0 shots in the 4 minutes of overtime that was played.

The Wings went after Martin Havlat in this series, and they hit him enough to literally knock him out. Without Havlat, Chicago's offense lost its teeth, and Detroit only needed 2 or 3 goals a night to close out the series.

To be fair, the Wings won this without Lidstrom, without Datsyuk, and without Draper. Not too shabby.



The Stanley Cup finals start Saturday night.

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 37

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 4, DETROIT RED WINGS 3 (OT)
(Detroit leads series 2-1)
Patrick Sharp scored the first goal of this game, and the last one. The Blackhawks nearly blew this one. After taking a 3-0 lead, they let up a bit, and Detroit stormed back with 3 goals in less than 5 minutes. Sharp's goal was bigger than almost all of Chicago's goals this season combined. If they lose in OT (and going against Detroit in OT is almost a guaranteed loss after 5 minutes of playing), the series is over. But now they've got some momentum, and confidence. This could turn into an entertaining series.



Saturday night's game:
7:30 PM - Penguins @ Hurricanes (Penguins lead series 2-0) - Vs

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 34

DETROIT RED WINGS 3, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT)
(Detroit leads series 2-0)
Detroit took a commanding lead in this series, by escaping with a win. Jonathan Toews scored twice for Chicago, including a tying goal with 7:40 left in the 3rd, which eventually forced the overtime. But stopping Detroit in sudden death OT is next to impossible. They can roll 4 quality lines, and as you're gasping for air, they're relaxed and fresh. Mikael Samuelsson scored the winner.



Thursday night's game:
7:30 PM - Hurricanes @ Penguins (Penguins lead series 1-0) - Vs

-The Commodore

Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 32

DETROIT RED WINGS 5, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 2
(Detroit leads series 1-0)
Not quite as dominating as the score suggests, the game was tied until 7:31 into the 3rd. That's when Detroit exploded. Daniel Cleary scored two goals, and Johan Franzen had a goal and 2 assists. Detroit can score, and unless Chicago can get 4 goals a game or more, this series will be short and sweet.



Monday's game:
7:30 PM - Whoricanes vs. Penises - 7:30 PM - Vs

-The Commodore