Down the Frozen River

Category: NHL

  • Chance to advance: Isles road victory in Game 5 means New York can win series on home ice

    Chance to advance: Isles road victory in Game 5 means New York can win series on home ice

    The New York Islanders failed to register a shot on goal after Brock Nelson scored in the third period as they outlasted an onslaught of offense and an attempted comeback in a, 5-4, victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 5 at TD Garden on Monday.

    Semyon Varlamov (3-3, 2.73 goals-against average, .925 save percentage in six games played) made 40 saves on 44 shots against in the win for the Islanders.

    Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask (6-3, 2.29 goals-against average, .925 save percentage in 10 games played) made 12 saves on 16 shots for no decision before he was replaced prior to the third period after 40:00 time on ice.

    Jeremy Swayman (0-1, 3.33 goals-against average, .667 save percentage in one game played) stopped two out of three shots faced in the loss for Boston in relief of Rask.

    The Bruins were without Kevan Miller (upper body) and Brandon Carlo (undisclosed) on Monday, though Miller continues to skate on his own and Carlo took part in morning skate prior to Game 5.

    Bruins head coach, Bruce Cassidy, would not comment one way or another whether or not Carlo will be ready for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

    Cassidy did not adjust his defensive pairings, but made one change to his forward group, replacing Jake DeBrusk with Karson Kuhlman on the right side of the third line.

    The long list of healthy scratches, taxi squad members and injured players for the B’s on Monday included Nick Wolff, Trent Frederic, Greg McKegg, Zach Senyshyn, Jack Studnicka, Carlo, Ondrej Kase, Jaroslav Halak, Steven Kampfer, Cameron Hughes, Jack Ahcan, Urho Vaakanainen, Oskar Steen, Jakub Zboril, Callum Booth, DeBrusk, Dan Vladar, Anton Blidh and Miller.

    David Pastrnak (6) rocketed a one-timer over Varlamov’s glove side with traffic in front from his usual spot at the top of the faceoff circle to give the Bruins the first lead of the night, 1-0, at 1:25 of the first period.

    Charlie McAvoy (8) and Brad Marchand (4) tallied the assists as Boston went ahead early and looked to be in complete control of the game flow for most of the opening frame.

    Once more, Varlamov allowed the game’s first goal for the fifth time in six starts this postseason, but his Islanders teammates have rendered that little fun fact mostly useless at this point.

    Late in the period, despite an earlier non-call of similar nature, Sean Kuraly just tapped Noah Dobson with an errant slash and was assessed a minor penalty at 18:17.

    New York’s resulting power play was rather efficient as the Isles won the faceoff, worked the puck back to the point, then across the ice to Mathew Barzal, whereby Barzal (3) skated forward ever so slightly before unloading a snap shot from the dot over Rask’s glove and under the bar to tie the game, 1-1.

    Dobson (5) and Jordan Eberle (5) had the assists on Barzal’s power-play goal at 18:49.

    Entering the first intermission, the Bruins and Islanders were tied, 1-1, on the scoreboard, while Boston led in shots on goal, 11-7.

    The B’s also held the advantage in takeaways (9-4), while New York led in blocked shots (5-3), giveaways (4-3), hits (19-17) and faceoff win percentage (65-35).

    The Islanders were 1/1 on the power play, while the Bruins had yet to see time on the skater advantage after one period of play.

    Matt Grzelcyk cross checked Leo Komarov early in the middle frame, presenting another power play to the Isles at 2:56 of the second period.

    Late in the resulting advantage, New York’s power play benefitted off of a lucky bounce off of Connor Clifton’s skate right to where Kyle Palmieri (6) was waiting to score from the doorstep– giving the Islanders their first lead of the night, 2-1, at 4:49.

    Josh Bailey (4) and Nick Leddy (4) tallied the assists on Palmieri’s power-play goal.

    Moments later, Marchand (6) entered the attacking zone with a nifty deke around Ryan Pulock before dragging the puck around Varlamov to tie the game, 2-2, at 7:27 of the second period.

    Pastrnak (7) and McAvoy (9) had the helpers on Marchand’s goal.

    Midway through the middle frame, Bailey (5) buried the rubber biscuit top-shelf from point blank over the blocker on a close range give-and-go play for the Islanders.

    New York jumped ahead, 3-2, as Jean-Gabriel Pageau (8) and Anthony Beauvillier (6) pocketed the assists on Bailey’s goal at 14:30.

    The hits just kept coming for Boston as Chris Wagner cut a rut to the sin bin for high sticking at 15:18, then the Isles notched another power-play goal at 16:38.

    This time, Eberle (3) tallied the power-play goal over the far glove side as New York made quick work of sending the puck around the attacking zone before hitting the twine.

    Barzal (6) and Dobson (6) had the assists on Eberle’s power-play goal as the Islanders extended their lead to two-goals, 4-2.

    For the first time Monday night, Boston went on the power play as Eberle caught Clifton with a quick slash at 18:50, but the B’s couldn’t capitalized on the skater advantage as it was split between the late second period and final frame of regulation.

    Through 40 minutes of action in Game 5, the Islanders led, 4-2, on the scoreboard, despite Boston being in command of shots on goal, 26-16, including a, 15-9, advantage in the second period alone.

    The Isles led in blocked shots (11-5) and hits (29-28), while the Bruins held the advantage in takeaways (12-8) and faceoff win% (53-47).

    Both teams had six giveaways each, while New York was 3/3 on the power play and Boston was 0/1.

    Cassidy switched out Rask for Swayman to start the third period, but Boston’s nightmare only continued early in the frame as Nelson (4) wired a puck from the slot under Swayman’s glove to give New York a, 5-2, lead at 1:59.

    Beauvillier (7) and Adam Pelech (1) notched the assists as the Islanders capitalized on another failed defensive zone exit for the Bruins.

    Less than a couple of minutes later, Pelech was penalized for hooking Pastrnak at 3:24.

    Boston didn’t waste time on the ensuing power play as Pastrnak (7) scored his second goal of the game on another one-timer.

    McAvoy (10) and Patrice Bergeron (5) were credited with the assists on Pastrnak’s power-play goal as the B’s trailed, 5-3, at 3:48 of the third period.

    Just as it looked like the Bruins might be able to get momentum going, they were hit with an automatic infraction as Bergeron sent an errant puck over the glass (minutes after the Islanders avoided a missed call for the same thing) at 7:41.

    Though the Bruins managed to kill off Bergeron’s minor, it set their inevitable comeback attempt back more than a few minutes.

    Finally, David Krejci (2) tapped in a rebound through Varlamov– just under the glove while the Isles netminder tried to desperately make a save as the puck trickled over the goal line.

    Craig Smith (3) and Mike Reilly (4) had the assists on Krejci’s goal as the Bruins pulled to within one– trailing, 5-4, at 14:43 of the third period.

    As a result of Krejci’s goal, Islanders head coach, Barry Trotz, used his timeout with 5:17 remaining to ease the nerves of New York’s skaters as the Bruins were outshooting the Isles, 16-3, at the time of Krejci’s tally.

    New York had not recorded a shot on goal since Nelson’s eventual game-winner.

    With 1:47 left on the clock, Swayman vacated the crease for an extra attacker.

    Less than a minute later, after a stoppage in play, Boston used their timeout to draw up one last masterplan with 1:06 remaining.

    Once more, Swayman sprinted for the bench with about 45 seconds left in the action, but the Bruins botched a play in the attacking zone, were forced to regroup with about 15 seconds left and barely got off one more attempt as the final horn sounded.

    The Islanders had won, 5-4, and stolen Game 5 on road ice– securing a 3-2 series lead as a result.

    Boston finished the night leading in shots on goal, 44-19, including an, 18-3, advantage in the third period alone, while New York led in blocked shots (15-6) and hits (38-37).

    The Bruins wrapped up Monday’s action leading in giveaways (9-7) and faceoff win% (51-49) and went 1/2 on the power play, while the Isles went 3/4 on the skater advantage.

    The Islanders take a 3-2 series lead heading back to New York for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

    Puck drop at Nassau Live at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and viewers in the United States can tune to NBCSN for coverage, while those in Canada can choose from CBC, SN or TVAS.

  • How Sweep It Is, Montreal Moves On To Semi-Finals After Defeating The Jets in OT

    How Sweep It Is, Montreal Moves On To Semi-Finals After Defeating The Jets in OT

    The Montreal Canadiens complete the sweep against the Winnipeg Jets. Cole Caulfield comes up big in overtime with an assist for Tyler Toffoli’s series winner. They are the first team to advance to the final four. This is the first time a Canadian team has advanced to the semi-finals since 2017. The Habs will play the winner of the Vegas and Colorado series. 

    Montreal outshot Winnipeg 42-16. Winnipeg would receive a consolation prize of two goals. The Jets’ offense stalled at the start of the series but gained some ground in the final two games. Unfortunately for them that would not be enough. 

    Similar to the last elimination game the Canadiens played, they opened the game with 2 goals. Erik Gustafson would put the team on the scoreboard with a powerplay goal. Artturi Lehkonen had a beautiful deflection from behind to put his team up by the end of the first period. 

    Logan Stanely scored both of Winnipeg’s goals in the second period. The Jets should get him a nice bottle of wine since it was his kind effort that sent them to overtime. 

    While the Jets are no strangers to playoff overtime, you have to wonder about momentum. A goalless third period and the brink of elimination. It’s all on the line. Can they capitalize? No. You know that because you either watched the game or you read the headline here. No one is burying a lead about playoff hockey. 

    Something about the Canadiens taking Toronto to 7 games and turning around to sweep the Jets makes you wonder. Are they really some juggernauts? We saw how 9 days off impacted the Jets and now we will see what happens to the Canadiens as they wait for their next opponent. 

    As we wait for the cards to fall into place, we can look forward to another exciting goaltending matchup. Carey Price will be matched up against either the legendary Marc-Andre Fleury ( 87-67-0, .912SV% ) or Jordan Binnington’s worst nightmare, Phillipp Grubauer. ( 19-8-1, .917SV%) As for injuries, Jeff Petry was out tonight for Montreal. A bit of a break in between the series could be beneficial for the blueliner who is dealing with an upper-body injury. It appears that his hand could be the issue after getting his hand stuck in a camera hole during game three. Jake Evans remains out indefinitely.  Mark Schiefele will serve the remaining one game of his suspension at the start of next season.
    The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are currently tied at 2. Watch game 5 on Tuesday to see takes the series lead.

  • Vegas cruises to a, 5-1, victory over Colorado in Game 4, series tied 2-2

    Vegas cruises to a, 5-1, victory over Colorado in Game 4, series tied 2-2

    Whether it was the glove side or sheer puck luck, everything went the right way for the Vegas Golden Knights in their, 5-1, win against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena in Game 4 on Sunday night.

    The home team has not lost a game in the series thus far as the clubs are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven Second Round matchup, while Jonathan Marchessault recorded a hat trick in front of the home crowd.

    Marc-Andre Fleury (6-4, 1.79 goals-against average, .924 save percentage in 10 games played) made 17 saves on 18 shots against in the win for Vegas.

    Colorado netminder, Philipp Grubauer (6-2, 2.25 goals-against average, .929 save percentage in eight games played) stopped 30 out of 35 shots faced in the loss.

    Nazem Kadri remained out of the lineup for Colorado with two games remaining in his suspension after Game 4, while Ryan Reaves returned to Vegas’ lineup after completing his two-game suspension.

    Robin Lehner was also back for the Golden Knights as Fleury’s backup, relegating Logan Thompson back to the press box as a healthy scratch on Sunday night.

    Brandon Saad (6) kicked things off with a goal from the doorstep on a rebound to make it, 1-0, for the Avalanche at 1:50 of the first period.

    J.T. Compher (1) and Andre Burakovsky (3) tallied the assists as the Avs struck first, but would not strike again on the scoreboard on Sunday night.

    Less than a minute later, Patrik Nemeth cut a rut to the penalty box for holding and presented Vegas with the first power play of the night at 2:43 of the opening frame.

    The Golden Knights failed to convert on the ensuing skater advantage.

    Moments later, however, Vegas started to swing momentum in their favor as they were clearly dominating possession and generating more shots on goal than Colorado.

    One shot from Reilly Smith rang the crossbar behind Grubauer and bounced through the crease before William Karlsson let go of a followup shot that deflected off of Marchessault (3) and into the twine.

    Karlsson (4) notched the only assist on Marchessault’s first goal of the evening as the Golden Knights tied the game, 1-1, at 7:07.

    Late in the period, Marchessault was sent to the sin bin after he tripped up Joonas Donskoi at 18:02, but the first skater advantage for the Avs didn’t last long as Cale Makar interfered with Smith at 18:24 and cut Colorado’s power play short at 18:24.

    Neither team managed to score in the ensuing 4-on-4 action as the first period drew to a close with the Golden Knights and Avalanche tied, 1-1, on the scoreboard, despite Vegas outshooting Colorado, 15-9.

    The Avalanche were 0/1 and the Golden Knights were 0/2 on the power play heading into the middle frame.

    Shortly after both teams emerged from the first intermission, Max Pacioretty (3) received a pass on a rush and beat Grubauer clean from the faceoff circle over the far glove side to give the Golden Knights their first lead of the night, 2-1.

    Mark Stone (3) and Zach Whitecloud (2) tallied the assists as Vegas went ahead at 1:11 of the second period and never looked back.

    Midway through the middle frame, Burakovsky was penalized for holding as a scrum ensued, yielding matching minors for Alex Tuch and Compher– each for roughing– at 9:35.

    Late in the resulting power play, Vegas worked the puck to Marchessault (4) for a one-timer from the faceoff dot to the right of the Colorado goaltender.

    Once more, Grubauer was beaten on the far side– only this time Marchessault’s shot sailed under the glove of the Avs goalie.

    Alex Pietrangelo (5) and Karlsson (5) had the assists on Marchessault’s power-play goal as the Golden Knights extended their lead to, 3-1, at 11:28.

    Through 40 minutes of action at T-Mobile Arena, Vegas was dominating on the scoreboard, 3-1, and in shots on goal, 24-14, including a, 9-5, advantage in the second period alone.

    The Golden Knights held the lead in takeaways (10-4) and giveaways (9-7), while the Avalanche led in blocked shots (15-7) and hits (37-31). Both teams managed to split faceoff win percentage, 50-50.

    Colorado remained 0/1 on the power play, while Vegas went 1/3 on the skater advantage entering the second intermission.

    Early in the final frame, Whitecloud sent an errant puck out of play, resulting in an automatic infraction and a power play for the Avalance at 1:54 of the third period.

    The Avs did not convert on the ensuing skater advantage.

    Moments later, Marchessault (5) completed his hat trick with a one-timer setup by Smith through the crease as No. 81 for Vegas wrapped around the net and beat Grubauer from point blank after the Colorado goaltender had lost his stick.

    Smith (4) and Karlsson (6) recorded the primary and secondary assists, respectively, on Marchessault’s third goal of the game– his first career postseason hat trick and the second hat trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Golden Knights franchise history at 6:02 of the third period.

    Vegas had pulled ahead, 4-1, as a result.

    Midway through the third, some controversy emerged as Patrick Brown (2) managed to poke a loose puck through Grubauer’s five-hole, but the initial call on the ice was that there was no goal due to incidental goaltender interference.

    That was quickly overturned by an official review, which deemed that Brown had not done enough to merit an infraction and, thus, Vegas led, 5-1, with Reaves (1) and William Carrier (2) earning the assists at 13:13 of the third.

    But that wasn’t enough to convince Avs head coach, Jared Bednar, as the Colorado bench boss used a coach’s challenge on the grounds that he believed that Brown had, in fact, interfered with Grubauer’s momentum while making the initial save.

    Turns out, the refs didn’t agree as the call that was originally “no goal”, then overturned to a “good goal” remained a “good goal” as the new call was upheld.

    Grubauer was already skating backwards and had too much momentum to keep the puck, if not himself alone, in front of the goal line.

    Confused? Don’t be.

    Vegas made it, 5-1, was the end result.

    Colorado was assessed a bench minor for delay of game– having lost the coach’s challenge at 13:13 of the third period, but the Golden Knights didn’t score on the resulting power play, while Kiefer Sherwood served the penalty in the box for the Avalanche.

    At the final horn, the Golden Knights had won, 5-1, and tied the series at 2-2 as a result.

    Vegas finished Game 4 leading in shots on goal, 35-18, including an, 11-4, advantage in the third period alone, while also leading in giveaways (11-9).

    Colorado wrapped up Sunday’s effort leading in hits (48-44) and faceoff win% (52-48), while both teams managed to amass 18 blocked shots each.

    The Avs finished the night 0/2 on the power play, while the Golden Knights went 1/4 on the skater advantage.

    Vegas outshot Colorado at home in Games 3 and 4 by a combined shot total of 78-38.

    Or for another fun stat…

    The Avalanche managed to last in Game 2 because of their first line. The Avs were stifled in Games 3 and 4 because of a lack of depth scoring and because the Golden Knights kept Colorado’s first line quiet– completely off the scoresheet– in the latter game.

    The series is tied 2-2 heading back to Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

    Puck drop is expected a little after 9 p.m. ET and viewers in the United States can tune to NBCSN for the action, while those in Canada can catch the game coverage on CBC, SN or TVAS.

  • Montreal Canadiens Ground The Jets Again

    Montreal Canadiens Ground The Jets Again

    The Montreal Canadiens are one win away from advancing to the semi-finals. They beat the Jets 5-1. You know the drill. Offense, solid goaltending from Price, and of course trips to the penalty box for both teams. How was tonight different for the Canadiens? 

    Corey Perry opened up the scoring tonight. Yes, you’re reading that right. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you and I promise this isn’t 2007. The forward continues to find success on Montreal’s fourth line. Artturi Llehkonen earned his first of the postseason followed by another goal from Joel Armia. Armia’s last multi point game came on May 27 against the Leafs. The Jets couldn’t get a hold of themselves or get one past Carey Price. That was until Adam Lowry snapped the drought. Winnipeg hadn’t scored a goal since Game one. 

    Cole Caufield had a beauty of a pass that Nick Suzuki buried to give the Canadiens a 4-1 over the Jets. There was a shift in the game come the third period. The Jets appeared to be frustrated and tempers began to flare. Paul Stastny took two penalties this evening. He was given a roughing penalty earlier in the game and earned his second trip to the box for high sticking. Pierre – Luc Dubios made his presence known by getting a little too up close and personal with a cross check to Brett Kulak. Andrew Copp punched his ticket to the sin bin with a cross check against Paul Byron. Montreal wouldn’t get away without getting caught though. Josh Anderson earned himself two minutes for slashing Connor Hellbuyck. Winnipeg couldn’t capitalize on the power play and would lose 5-1 after Armia scored an empty netter to close out the night. 

    We have to take a look at Connor Hellebuyck. Who would have thought that the Canadiens would be the team to break and expose the Vezina winner? The goaltender had an .875 SV% tonight. This would be the second time this series the goaltender dipped below .900%. On the other hand, you have Carey Price putting on a show. Price made 26 saves clocking in at a .963SV%. The major difference this series is that the offense is showing up for Price. It feels as if they are on the same page through sixty minutes might after night. 

    Jeff Petry left tonight’s game with an upper-body injury. As of now, there is no update on Petry. 

    There is not a world where any expert predicted this. The Jets swept Edmonton after a battle of overtime hockey while the Habs forced a game seven against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rule number one is to never underestimate your opponent.

  • Islanders breakthrough with, 4-1, win & tie series 2-2 heading back to Boston for Game 5

    Islanders breakthrough with, 4-1, win & tie series 2-2 heading back to Boston for Game 5

    The New York Islanders managed to pull ahead midway through the third period before adding a pair of empty net goals to defeat the Boston Bruins, 4-1, in Game 4 of their 2021 Second Round series at Nassau Live at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night.

    Semyon Varlamov (2-3, 2.48 goals-against average, .929 save percentage in five games played) made 28 saves on 29 shots against in the win for New York.

    Boston goaltender, Tuukka Rask (6-3, 2.04 goals-against average, .934 save percentage in nine games played) stopped 30 out of 32 shots faced in the loss.

    The Bruins were without Ondrej Kase (upper body), Kevan Miller (upper body), Brandon Carlo (undisclosed) and John Moore (hip) on Saturday.

    B’s head coach, Bruce Cassidy, informed reporters after Saturday’s morning skate that Miller continues to skate back in Boston and that Carlo is “feeling better” and rode the bike on Saturday, so he’s not yet ruled in or out of the lineup for Game 5.

    As a result of Carlo being out of the lineup for Game 4, Jarred Tinordi drew into Cassidy’s plans on the third pairing alongside Connor Clifton, while Jeremy Lauzon was promoted to the right side of Mike Reilly on the second defensive pair.

    Boston’s long list of healthy scratches, taxi squad members and injured players on Saturday included Nick Wolff, Trent Frederic, Greg McKegg, Zach Senyshyn, Jack Studnicka, Carlo, Kase, Jaroslav Halak, Steven Kampfer, Cameron Hughes, Jack Ahcan, Urho Vaakanainen, Oskar Steen, Jakub Zboril, Callum Booth, Dan Vladar, Anton Blidh, Karson Kuhlman and Miller.

    Tensions boiled midway through the opening frame as Taylor Hall and Scott Mayfield exchanged fisticuffs at 7:28 of the first period.

    Each player received a fighting major, while it was just the second fight ever for Hall (and his first postseason fight), who last fought Derek Dorsett– then of the Columbus Blue Jackets– back in the days when Hall was on the Edmonton Oilers on March 3, 2011.

    It was also the first fight of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs for Boston.

    About a couple minutes later, Tinordi and Matt Martin dropped the gloves and exchanged punches before Tinordi wrestled Martin to the ice after a scrum ensued following Mathew Barzal’s cross check on Curtis Lazar at 9:23 of the opening period.

    Barzal was assessed a minor infraction, while Tinordi and Martin went to the box with five-minute majors for fighting.

    The Bruins weren’t able to convert on the ensuing power play.

    With about three minutes left in the first period, David Pastrnak sent a one-timer off the iron behind Varlamov, whereby the puck bounced off the post and struck the Isles netminder’s skate before Varlamov fell back onto the loose puck.

    Pastrnak’s missed shot on net came back to haunt Boston on the scoreboard as the two teams entered the first intermission still tied, 0-0, despite the Bruins leading in shots on goal (so, excluding Pastrnak’s shot off the post), 11-7.

    The B’s also led in takeaways (1-0), giveaways (3-1) and hits (17-12), while the two clubs each recorded eight blocked shots and went, 50-50, in faceoff win percentage in the first 20 minutes of action.

    New York had yet to see time on the power play, while Boston was 0/1 on the skater advantage heading into the middle frame.

    Martin went to the box for holding at 2:46 of the second period as the action resumed after the first intermission.

    The Bruins didn’t waste too much time on the resulting power play as David Krejci (1) buried a loose puck for the game’s first goal as Brad Marchand (3) picked up the primary assist– surpassing Phil Esposito for sole possession of the fourth-most postseason points as a Bruin in franchise history in the process– while Pastrnak (6) was charged with the secondary helper.

    Krejci’s power-play goal gave Boston a, 1-0, lead at 3:57 of the second period.

    It would be the first and last time that the Bruins led all night and it didn’t last long, despite Islanders head coach, Barry Trotz, challenging the call on the ice on the grounds that he believed there had been incidental goaltender interference that would otherwise negate the goal.

    Upon review, however, the call on the ice was upheld– Krejci’s goal would count, while New York’s bench was assessed a minor for delay of game, served by Jordan Eberle at 3:57 of the second period.

    Upon leaving the box Eberle had a couple of quick chances denied by Rask, but within the vulnerable minute after special teams action, the Bruins were caught lagging as Barzal worked a quick pass to Kyle Palmieri (5) for the one-timer goal from point blank.

    Both Boston defenders were below the goal line, while Charlie Coyle shattered his stick while trying to disrupt Palmieri’s reach in front of the crease (instead of just going for a stick lift or, you know, shoving Palmieri out of the way).

    Barzal (5) and Eberle (4) tallied the assists on Palmieri’s goal as the Isles tied the game, 1-1, at 6:38 of the second period.

    Moments later, Barzal delivered a few cross checks on Krejci, leading to No. 46 in black and gold retaliating with a swift spear, later determined to be a slash to Barzal.

    The ref at the other end of the rink with full sight of all of the events that transpired leading to the outcome determined that only the retaliation was worthy enough of a penalty– at first handing out a five-minute major, only to be reviewed and downgraded to a minor.

    Not only was it not the on-ice official closest to the play making the call, but the one at the other end with a clear line of sight for the multitude of infractions committed and yet… …at least there wasn’t another traumatic brain injury on full display.

    Anyway, Krejci went to the box at 11:16 and the Bruins killed off the minor penalty.

    Late in the middle frame, Charlie McAvoy caught Anthony Beauvillier with a high stick and was sent to the box at 19:06, yielding a power play to the Islanders that would extend into the final frame.

    Through 40 minutes of action, the score was tied, 1-1, and shots on goal were even, 21-21, despite New York leading in shots on goal in the second period alone, 14-10.

    Boston led in blocked shots (14-10), takeaways (2-1) and giveaways (8-5), while the Islanders lead in faceoff win% (55-45).

    Both teams managed to amass 20 hits apiece, while the Isles were 0/2 and the B’s were 1/3 on the power play heading into the second intermission.

    Barzal (2) batted a loose puck out of mid-air on an odd bounce past Rask to give the Islanders a, 2-1, lead at 13:03 of the third period and New York never looked back from that moment on.

    Mayfield (4) and Noah Dobson (4) had the assists on Barzal’s eventual game-winning goal.

    No penalties were called in the third period as the Bruins pulled Rask for an extra attacker with about 1:11 remaining in the game.

    A forced turnover led to a chance for Casey Cizikas (2) to put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal to make it, 3-1, Isles with an assist for Cal Clutterbuck (1) at 18:57.

    Rask vacated the crease once more as the Bruins were desperate to score a pair of goals in the final 63 seconds, but couldn’t muster anything as once more New York hit the back of the empty net– this time from Jean-Gabriel Pageau (3) with an assist by Leo Komarov (3) to make it, 4-1, for the Islanders at 19:57.

    At the final horn, the Isles had won, 4-1, and finished the night leading in shots on goal, 34-29, including a, 13-8, advantage in the thrid period alone.

    New York wrapped up Saturday night’s effort leading in giveaways (11-9) and hits (30-27), while Boston led in blocked shots (20-13). The two teams split faceoff win%, 50-50, while the Isles went 0/2 and the Bruins went 1/3 on the power play.

    The series is tied 2-2 as a result of the Islanders’ victory in Game 4 on Saturday, which means there will be a Game 6 after Game 5 on Monday in Boston.

    Puck drop at TD Garden is scheduled to be at 6:30 p.m. ET and viewers in the United States can tune to NBCSN for the action, while those in Canada can choose between SN1 and TVAS.

  • Lightning Strike With 4 Unanswered Goals

    Lightning Strike With 4 Unanswered Goals

    The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from advancing after they beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 Saturday afternoon.

    Tempers were flaring before the puck even dropped. Warren Foegle and Blake Coleman were given unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Both knew better and should have said no to avoid 4v4 hockey. You could see the disappointment in Carolina’s head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s face. Tampa Bay went 0 for 2 on the power play through the first frame. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise as Carolina’s penalty kill was among the most successful. However, we’d see that PK expose themselves come the second period.

       Tampa Bay led after 20 with a goal from Brayden Point. There wasn’t much to write home about after the first frame. Though it would not stay that way for long. 

    Period two was nothing shy of a battle. The teams went back and forth for the entire twenty minutes. Truro Teravainen was the first Hurricane on the score sheet. Jesper Fast would follow suit, giving the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead. Game 2 was the first time the Canes had a lead in five games. The inability to take the lead proved to be detrimental. The lead would not last long as Stamkos tied it up at 2 a piece. Dougie Hamilton turned one of his seven shots on goal into a go ahead goal for the Canes. The Hurricanes were able to keep the Lightning off their radar for a little while longer with Jaccob Slavin scoring their fourth goal of the evening. Tampa Bay were in their Reputation Era if you will, when they fell behind 4-2. It was time for them to be methodical and strike back. They would do just that with three unanswered goals to secure a 5-4 lead at the end of the period. Steven Stamkos fought through the eye of the storm’s penalty kill with two power play goals. Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson had a helping hand in the 8 goal period. 

    Tampa would hold off the storm while Nikita Kucherov scored his fifth postseason goal, securing a 6-4 win over the Canes. The Lightning now hold a 3-1 series lead. With the Canes on the brink of elimination from the second round, there is one thing they must do and that is play a more disciplined game. 

    Andrei Svechnikov made.the penalty box his home this afternoon, racking up a total of six minutes. The discourse surrounding Svech is a bit troubling. He is 21 years old and while he plays a somewhat undisciplined game, there is room to grow and learn. I know trouble when I see it but I don’t think you have to worry about this being a long term problem. He is 21 years old. He will grow out of his undisciplined penalty phase. Wanting to trade a guy who has 59 regular season goals in his first three years is laughable. This isn’t Zac Rinaldo we’re talking about here. He isn’t this big liability that will weigh the team down every time he enters the line up. It would make sense for him to tighten up his game as he grows into the league. Sorry but I think there is a bit of an overreaction coming from people. Just play a better game as a team and worry about the rest later.

  • Carey Price Earns 8th Postseason Shutout in Victory Over Winnipeg Jets.

    Carey Price Earns 8th Postseason Shutout in Victory Over Winnipeg Jets.

    The Montreal Canadiens are on a five game win streak for the first time since 2017. They have not trailed a single time in those five games. These are the same Montreal Canadiens who were struggling to hold on to the fourth seed toward the end of the regular season. From juggernauts to underdogs, the Canadiens are here to prove people wrong. 

    Tyler Toffoli did what Toffoli did best and that’s scoring the only goal of the evening. The 29 year old signed with Montreal last offseason, after he and Vancouver decided to part ways. It appears to have been a wise move on Toffoli’s part as he scored 28 goals, just shy of his career high 31 with the Los Angeles Kings.

    Having Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck at either end of the ice is scary enough. Going up against playoff Price is another challenge in itself. His postseason save percentage is a .919% with a goals against average of 2.39. While seen as an inconsistent goalie through the regular season, postseason Price is locked in and makes it all look easy. He has saved 275 of 294 shots. The MVP of the Canadiens’ postseason thus far. 

    Mark Schiefele is suspended for another three games due to the hit on Josh Evans in game one. Schiefele’s absence was noticeable in last year’s postseason but will it be the same story this year? Schiefele has come out and shown a bit of remorse but people are saying it’s too little too late. If he does return to the lineup this series, will we see a spark for the Jets or will they keep themselves from another success? 

    Heading into the series, many people assumed it would be a four game sweep for the Winnipeg Jets. They ran through the Edmonton Oilers and had a mini vacation before moving on to the second round. Game three is set for Sunday night at 6:00pm.

  • Mangiapane’s Success at Worlds Solidifies Future Top Six Role

    Mangiapane’s Success at Worlds Solidifies Future Top Six Role

    The Flames finished the season in fifth place of the North Division. While expectations were high, the reality is that the team did not have what it takes to make it in the playoffs. One issue being the team’s health and the offensive struggles and inconsistency. The Flames are playing middle of the road hockey but with a few tweaks and tune ups, they could be a playoff team. 

    Andrew Mangiapane is emerging as one of the Flames best players. He bounced between the middle six and earned himself a new career high 18 goals. His regular season performance was a launching pad into his success with Team Canada. Number 88 has 7 goals in 6 games. He is making quite the case for a top six spot in the Calgary Flames lineup and it’s time to utilize that talent. 

    There’s no denying that the middle six of the Flames lineup needs some tweaking. We’re going to assume that Sean Monahan stays and Johnny Gaudreau bounces between the top line. Although, a case has been made for why he needs to be separated from Monahan but alas, that’s a conversation for another day. So, Mangiapane is one of your most effective forwards. He was fourth in points with 32 and second in goals with 18. Had it been a regular 82 game season, Mangiapane was on pace for 26 goals. 

    That second line needs some sort of elevation. Considering Monahan’s injury history, it appears that he hasn’t fully healed from hip and groin surgery. Just as a reminder, being cleared to play does not mean you are fully healed. The problem with the second line is that the right wing slot is a revolving door. It could be Dillion Dube, Brett Ritchie, or if they want to win, it will be Mangiapane.  There needs to be some sort of consistency on the right wing. The Brett Ritchie experiment is more than likely done. With that, I would like to call all attempts to rejuvenate forth liners or washed up AHLers. It’s time to use your talent in an effective manner. That means shuffling the lines and making sure your lines are set up for success. As we saw in the last push of the season, moving Gadreau to a line with a consistent center and strong winger created a situation where scoring with a regular occurrence. Matthew Tkachuk, who had 11 goals heading into the last 5 games, ended the season with 16 after seeing an increase in production in the last five games with five goals. 

    Making Mangiapane a permanent member of the second line would ensure offensive success. You would be giving Sean Monahan another talented and capable winger to work with. Johnny Gaudreau wouldn’t be held back by someone who is older and a bit slower. You have youth on your side when you add Mangiapane to the line. I do believe it would be worthwhile to look into. It doesn’t make sense to have a revolving door or right wingers when the talent is right there.

    The twenty four year old has made strides in the last year and people are already fully worried he will be given a Milan Lucic like contract. There is a stark difference between the two but we will start at the age difference and one is on the rise while the other is at the tailend of their career. The concerns shouldn’t be about paying Mangiapane. It should be making sure the team utilizes him in a way that is successful and beneficial. 

    There is a lot of theorizing one could do this offseason about the 2021-22 Flames line up, but one thing should be for certain and that is putting Andrew Mangiapane on a line where he can succeed and assist the Flames to more wins. Out of all the youth on the team, looking to take that next step in their career, he has earned a right to make the second line his home. The team could benefit from a 20+ goal scorer and you’re not going to get that if he is buried as a bottom six player. Blowing up the team doesn’t have to be the route management takes as long as they are willing to acknowledge and build around the talent shining through.

  • Golden Knights rally late for Game 3 victory in front of capacity crowd

    Golden Knights rally late for Game 3 victory in front of capacity crowd

    A pair of goals in 45 seconds were enough to tie the game and take the lead in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, in front of a full capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Game 3 of their 2021 Second Round series on Friday.

    17,504 fans were in attendance in the first full capacity crowd since the ongoing pandemic was declared in March 2020, as the Golden Knights cut Colorado’s series lead to 2-1.

    Marc-Andre Fleury (5-4, 1.88 goals-against average, .922 save percentage in nine games played) made 18 saves on 20 shots against in the win for Vegas.

    Avalanche goaltender, Philipp Grubauer (6-1, 1.86 goals-against average, .941 save percentage in seven games played), stopped 40 out of 43 shots faced in the loss.

    Once more, Logan Thompson served as Fleury’s backup in Game 3 as he did for Game 2 with Robin Lehner (undisclosed) out of the lineup.

    Nazem Kadri and Ryan Reaves continued to serve their own individual suspensions on Friday– with Reaves completing his two-game suspension in Game 3 (so he’ll be back for the Golden Knights in Game 4).

    Kadri has three games remaining in his suspension for a blindside hit on St. Louis Blues defender, Justin Faulk, in Game 2 of the First Round.

    Neither team managed to score a goal in the opening frame as Colorado presented Vegas with the first two power plays of the night.

    First, Gabriel Landeskog cut a rut to the penalty box for hooking Max Pacioretty at 7:13 of the first period, then late in the opening frame, Patrik Nemeth was penalized for interference at 17:54.

    The Golden Knights were unsuccessful on the power play in each case.

    Entering the first intermission, the score still read, 0-0, despite Vegas outshooting the Avalanche, 14-3.

    The Golden Knights also held the advantage in takeaways (4-3), giveaways (4-3) and faceoff win percentage (67-33), while the Avs led in blocked shots (8-5) and hits (21-19).

    Vegas was 0/2 on the power play, while Colorado had yet to see any action on the skater advantage.

    William Karlsson (3) pounced on a rebound with a backhand tap-in around Grubauer’s pad to give the Golden Knights a, 1-0, lead at 4:38 of the second period.

    Alex Pietrangelo (4) and Alec Martinez (1) tallied the assists on the game’s first goal early in the middle frame, but Vegas didn’t hold onto the lead for long.

    Almost 90 seconds after Karlsson put his team on the scoreboard first, Carl Soderberg (1) buried a rebound off of Fleury’s glove and into the twine– tying the game, 1-1, in the process.

    Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (2) had the initial shot and recorded the primary assist, while Kiefer Sherwood (1) was credited with the secondary helper as Soderberg’s goal evened things up at 6:07 of the second period.

    Late in the period, Shea Theodore sent the puck over the glass and out of play for an automatic delay of game infraction at 14:41.

    The Avs were not successful on the ensuing skater advantage.

    With about 1:50 remaining in the second period, Pacioretty had a breakaway that Grubauer denied– keeping the game even at, 1-1, as the second intermission got underway shortly thereafter.

    Through 40 minutes of action at T-Mobile Arena, the Golden Knights and Avalanche were tied, 1-1, on the scoreboard despite Vegas leading in shots on goal, 24-12, including a, 10-9, advantage in the second period alone.

    Colorado held the advantage in blocked shots (16-12) and hits (38-37), while Vegas led in giveaways (8-6) and faceoff win% (65-35). Both teams had nine takeaways each heading into the final frame.

    The Avs were 0/1 and the Golden Knights were 0/2 on the power play after two periods.

    Nicolas Roy hooked Sherwood early at 4:56 of the third period and the Avalanche made quick work of the ensuing power play.

    Colorado won the ensuing attacking zone faceoff and worked the puck around the zone before Mikko Rantanen (4) blasted a one-timer off of Fleury’s glove and into the back of the net while Joonas Donskoi served as a screen in front of the crease.

    Cale Makar (7) and Landeskog (8) had the assists on Rantanen’s power-play goal as the Avs took their first lead of the night, 2-1, at 5:04 of the third period.

    Rantanen’s goal extended his postseason point streak to 17 games dating back to the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

    Less than a minute later, Zach Whitecloud lost his own footing– perhaps with the ever so slight nudge or push from Landeskog– and crashed hard in the corner, clutching his right arm as he skated off the ice on his own power.

    Late in the third, Jonathan Marchessault (2) stuck with a broken play, following up on his own mishandling before banking the puck off of Grubauer and into the net from behind the goal line.

    Reilly Smith (3) and Nicolas Hague (1) notched the assists on Marchessault’s goal as the Golden Knights tied the game, 2-2, at 14:42.

    Less than a minute later, Vegas capitalized on the momentum swing with their second goal in 45 seconds as Nick Holden sent a shot from the point that Pacioretty (2) deflected under Grubauer to put the Golden Knights back into the lead, 3-2, at 15:27 of the third period.

    Holden (5) and Mark Stone (2) had the assists on Pacioretty’s deflection goal, which wound up becoming the game-winning goal as neither team could add to the scoreboard total as time winded down to the final horn.

    Colorado couldn’t tie the game with Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker with 1:53 remaining, nor could they draw up the right plan to force overtime when Avalanche head coach, Jared Bednar, used his timeout with 44.1 seconds left on the clock.

    At the final horn, Vegas had won, 3-2, and cut into Colorado’s series lead.

    The Golden Knights wrapped up Friday’s effort leading in shots on goal, 43-20, including a, 19-8, advantage in the third period alone.

    Vegas also led in givewaways (14-7), while Colorado finished the game leading in blocked shots (22-19).

    The two clubs split hits, 50-50, and faceoff win%, 50-50, as well, while the Avs went 1/2 on the power play and the Golden Knights finished 0/2 on the skater advantage in Game 3.

    The Avalanche lead the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 in Vegas on Sunday. Puck drop at T-Mobile Arena is scheduled for a little after 8:30 p.m. ET and viewers in the United States can tune to NBCSN for game coverage, while fans in Canada can choose from SN or TVAS.

  • Don’t Count Carolina Hurricanes Out, Staal Wins it in Overtime

    Don’t Count Carolina Hurricanes Out, Staal Wins it in Overtime

    The tides have turned as the Carolina Hurricanes win their first of the series over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex Nedeljkovic had the night off and Petr Mrazek held down the fort for Carolina. Tampa kept the formula the same, hoping for some more success. The game was like a sandwich. There was really nothing exciting on the outside but in the middle, it was exciting and bursting with goodness. Yes, I just compared a hockey game to a sandwich. The overtime is a side of your choice. If you’re a Canes fan it’s  more than likely chips but for Tampa fans it may be coleslaw. 

    Before the game, the Carolina Hurricanes hadn’t had a lead in a game since game 4 against Nashville. Jackie Redmond reported that they had gone a total of 296:04 TOI without a lead. That would end in game three. Brett Pesce opened it up in the second period giving the Canes a much needed lead to build off of. Sebastian Aho would follow suit, extending their lead to two. Tampa Bay wasn’t going to take the easy way out. Brayden Point and Alex Killorn each earned this sixth goal of the postseason on power plays, tying it up as they headed into the final twenty. 

    Tampa Bay out shot the Canes 37-27. Neither team’s penalty kill could quite get it done tonight. Carolina scored on 1 of 2 power plays and Tampa capitalized 2 out of 3 times with the man advantage. While the reigning Stanley Cup champions are a powerhouse of a team, the Carolina Hurricanes have them beat when it comes to special teams. During the regular season, the Canes had a 25.61% on the power play. Their penalty kill was at a whopping 85.23% The Bolts had a 22.35% on the power play when the league average was just under 20% at 19.79%. Their PK was 84.15%. It is fair to say that Carolina had a better special teams unit assembled. 

    Sebastian Aho set up the beautiful overtime winner from Jordan Staal.  The Canes now trail 2-1 in the series.