Canada Outplays USA, Wins 1-0

When the Team USA roster was announced, there were criticisms that it didn't have enough offensive firepower. Those critics, sadly, were proven right as Canada shut out Team USA 1-0. Canada will now play for the gold against Sweden on Sunday, and the US will play Finland for bronze Saturday.

The argument defending USA's roster choices was that guys like Phil Kessel and Patrick Kane would do the scoring. The team lacked offensive depth, but had powerful offense at the top. Kessel had a good Olympics. Patrick Kane failed to score a goal. Team USA needed Kane in this game and he didn't deliver.

The US got 30 shots on goal, but only a handful truly challenged Carey Price. Most possessions were one and done. Most shots hit Price right in the maple leaf.

Give lots of credit to Canada's layered defense, a testament to assistant coach Claude Julien, whose layered defense has been a staple of the Boston Bruins' success for several years.

While Canada's layered defense remained strong, Team USA allowed a goal because of defensive mistakes. Ryan Callahan got careless and didn't cover his man (Jay Bouwmeester) on the point, and didn't cover his space in that part of the ice. An open Bouwmeester threatened to shoot, which Jonathan Quick had to respect, and an opportunistic Jamie Benn slipped into the space vacated by Callahan, and tipped Bouwmeester's shot-pass into an open net.

Phil Kessel's game was a microcosm of USA's game as a whole. He had a few chances on breakaways, using his speed. But after the initial shot there wasn't enough support to maintain pressure on Price. Kessel also had a number of giveaways and passes intercepted in the neutral zone. So did Ryan Suter. So did Kevin Shattenkirk. Too many USA possessions ended before they made it through the neutral zone.

Kessel's play in this game is exactly why I'm glad he's no longer a Bruin.

While Canada's defense reminded me of the Bruins, Team USA's power play also, unfortunately, reminded me of the Bruins. There wasn't any movement away from the puck, which put the onus of creating passing lanes on the puck carrier. So the puck carrier was forced to protect the puck AND move around enough to get his 4 teammates open. That's just not good.

The ice sheet is 100 feet wide, and Team USA only used the 10 feet along the boards when they had a power play. This was exactly what Canada wanted.

Canada won the battles behind the net, in front of the net, along the boards. It's not that the US didn't have enough talent to beat Canada. The US didn't have execution. Jonathan Quick played a great game, good enough to neutralize any talent edge Canada had. The US wasted 3 power play opportunities, didn't support the puck, didn't take care of the puck in the neutral zone.

Just a bad game. And I'm disappointed in this team. Had they played great and lost, I'd be content with a bronze. They didn't play great, most didn't play good.

Go Sweden.

USA vs. Canada Preview: Epic Fucking Hockey

One of the many things I love about Olympic hockey is that on the top teams, all these guys know each other. They've played against each other for years in the NHL, sometimes in the same division, sometimes with each other on the same teams. There's familiarity, and that breeds contempt. Then add the national rivalry and the high stakes with a chance for Olympic gold on the line, and the result is epic hockey. Not good hockey, not great hockey, epic fucking hockey.

For the US to win this game, they need goaltending. Jonathan Quick has been great during these Olympics, and they need that to continue. Quick can't let in any soft goals. And he's going to have to make at least one, but probably two or more brilliant, improvisational saves for the US to win. Goaltending is Team USA's biggest edge in this game. They need to press that advantage.

I also think Patrick Kane needs to score. In 4 games he has 4 assists and is +3, which would be good for a stretch of NHL games. However, when the US is playing Slovenia and Slovakia, and scoring 19 goals in 4 games, you'd expect more from production from a guy like Kane. We've seen how he can carry a team like he did the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup. He needs to carry some of the load for Team USA.

The US also can't take any stupid penalties. Canada will play physical, they'll try to get under Team USA's skin, they might even embellish a few hits trying to get a call. Guys like Brooks Orpik need to remember that there are rules, they will be enforced, and Canada's power play is not something you want to give bonus opportunities to.

There will be a lot of pressure on USA's defensemen. The US has a lot of young defensemen and they have to face guys like Sydney Crosby, who know how to take advantage of inexperienced defensemen. Mistakes will happen, but there's a limit. And Quick can/must cover for errors made by Team USA's blue-liners.

This game is going to be a 60 minute (or more) arm wrestling match for control. Control of the puck, control of which zone the puck is in, control of the boards, and control of the area near the nets. Team USA has easily dominated those dirty areas against their European competition but Canada will not let them do that. Team USA can win battles down there, but it won't be nearly as lopsided in USA's favor as it has been against the Europeans. Shea Weber is 6' 4" and 233 pounds and will not be dislodged with ease.

Speed will be essential on the big ice surface. But both of these teams are very good at tightening up the game so all the meaningful battles and plays are made in confined space. There will be the occasional end to end, fast-paced stretches of play, but I think most of the game-changing plays will be made in close-quartered battles. Speed helps you enter those battles with momentum and an advantage. And speed helps you take advantage of pucks won in those areas.

I can talk and talk about this game forever. I'm literally fantasizing about it right now. You've got so many great players involved. All-Stars, Stanley Cup winners, 24 guys from the 2010 gold medal game.

You have 3 MVPs (Crosby, Corey Perry, Martin St. Louis), 2 Norris Trophy winners (P.K. Subban, Duncan Keith), 3 of the last 4 Conn Smythe winners (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Toews), and there are 4 Jack Adams coach of the year award winners behind the two benches.

This is going to be great. And the winner gets a chance to play for gold, the loser goes to the bronze medal game.

The game will be on NBC Sports, and WEEI in Boston will be broadcasting it over the radio.

USA Up 3-1 After 1st Period

The Czechs are not showing many signs of fatigue, despite playing back-to-back games. Perhaps they'll tire by the 3rd period, particularly older players like Jaromir Jagr.

Speaking of Jagr, he was the focus of Team USA's matchups. The Americans wanted Ryan Suter and Ryan McDonagh on the ice as the same time as him, along with the David Backes line. This matchup paid off 14:38 into the period when Backes checked Jagr and gained possession of the puck just past the Czech blue-line. A few passes later, drawing the attention of the Czech defenders to one side of the ice, and Backes found Dustin Brown on the opposite wing. Brown scored to give the US a 2-1 lead.

And with only 8 seconds left in the period, this line scored again. Ryan Suter's shot was deflected and went wide. David Backes collected the rebound off the lively boards and jammed the puck through goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

Most of the first period was played evenly between the two teams. James van Riemsdyk scored from the goal-line to put the US up 1-0. Then Alex Hemsky was credited with a goal after a puck deflected off Suter's skate and past a sprawling Jonathan Quick. The attacking play of Hemsky, David Krejci, and Milan Michalek forced the own goal.

Up 3-1, the US couldn't be in a better position. They're up 2 goals, they found a favorable matchup, the Czechs never beat Quick, and now the Czechs have to play from behind the day after playing a close game against Slovakia.

However, the US can't ease up off the gas and play a conservative game like the Finns do when they get a lead. That's not the US's style. The Americans need to continue to attack, keep the Czechs skating after them, and keep winning battles along the boards.

USA vs. Russia Demonstrates Why NHL Players Should Play in Olympics

I wanted to wake up for the 7:30am start of US vs. Russia Saturday morning. Just in case I didn't, I set my DVR to record the game. I'm glad I did because I slept through most of it. And when I woke up, Facebook and Twitter were ablaze with patriotism and the word "Oshie." There were 530,000+ tweets with the word "Oshie" in them on Saturday.

When was the last time that such a thing has ever happened for hockey? When was the last time that the entire country focused on a hockey game, the way a city focuses on a Stanley Cup game? The game was even featured on SportsCenter, on NBA All-Star weekend, and we know how rare it is for SportsCenter to feature hockey.

That's the power of Olympic hockey. You get the best players in the world, you put medals, prestige, and pride on the line, and then you play 60 minutes of great hockey. Or more.

And just a few words to Russian players like Alex Ovechkin complaining about their disallowed goal when the net got dislodged: It's your country, your Olympics, your rink, your net, your moorings. Either build stronger nets, or build stronger character and accept the result and move on with your life.

The NHL doesn't make any money off the Olympics. Not directly. The NHL teams stop playing, and NHL players risk injury only a few weeks before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL doesn't get a dime from ticket sales or TV advertising, even though everyone is watching the League's players play.

By the way, the injury risk argument is lame. The NHL plays 4,920 regular season games every 4 years, along with 60 playoff series. There are 30 Olympic hockey games every 4 years. You can't schedule 82 regular season games then argue that an athlete playing 6-7 more is an unacceptable risk.

The way the NHL should view Olympic hockey is like a really popular and convincing infomercial. It's free advertising. The NHL spends huge amounts of money trying to promote the game, particularly to kids. The Olympics do that for free. And do so with more success.

How many kids out there saw TJ Oshie on Saturday then wanted to develop shooting moves like him? How many young goalies out there saw Jonathan Quick in net and wanted to learn how to stop shots like him?

Before the Olympics only a handful of people knew who TJ Oshie was. The Olympics turned him into a star. And the NHL desperately lacks famous star player, particularly American star players.

The NHL needs to realize that hockey is a regional, niche sport. It has a cult following. Which is a polite way of saying that it doesn't have broad appeal but the relatively small number of fans it has are fanatics.

The Olympics don't convert millions of new fans, just like the World Cup doesn't create armies of new soccer fans when the US does well. However, the Olympics do recruit a number new followers to the cult. More kids will want to play, will ask their parents to take them to a game, will watch highlights online. They'll want a TJ Oshie shirt for their birthday. And guess what, NHL, you get money from that. And when more people play hockey, more people watch hockey. You make money from that too, NHL.

So instead of focusing on the short term buck, and the immediate revenue you don't make from the Olympics, think of them as free advertising/recruiting for your game/cult.

Look at it like this. If NBC Sports had said to the NHL "We're going to promote the game of hockey for hours and hours in the next few weeks. We'll use NBC, NBC Sports, CNBC, MSNBC, USA. We'll put the women's finals on NBC. We'll put USA on NBC Sports and Canada on USA. We'll show Sweden and Finland and the Czech Republic and Switzerland and Russia and Slovakia. We'll promote the game of hockey for free, we'll get countries riled up, we'll stir national pride, we'll make everyone wake up at 7:30am on a Saturday just to watch hockey, and all we want in return is 6-7 games from NHL players...

The NHL would be dumb not to take that deal.

The NHL will be dumb not to take that deal.

Photo Credit:
Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Kings Win the Cup

The LA Kings lost as many games in this series (2) as they'd lost in their entire playoff run leading up to the Finals. The 8th seeded Kings finished the playoffs 16-4 in one of the most astounding and impressive Stanley Cup Championship runs in recent memory.

The Kings winning is good for the NHL. It's a big market, it's a first time Champion, and American goalie Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe. That's back-to-back Conn Smythe wins for Americans (first time that's ever happened). It was also good for the NHL that the Devils made things interesting by winning a pair of games. And it was good that the Kings wrapped up the series before the NBA Finals started and garnered most of the country's attention.

This game turned on a reckless boarding penalty. Which is ironic, considering how significant a concern head injuries have been to the NHL recently.

Steve Bernier was given a 5 minute major for boarding Rob Scuderi. Bernier made no attempt to play the puck, Scuderi was in a vulnerable position with his body facing the boards. Bernier went in full-speed and drove Scuderi's skull into the glass. It was a correct call. Bernier got a 5 minute major and was kicked out the game. On the ensuing 5 minute power play, the Kings scored 3 times.

The Devils were upset because an earlier check from behind wasn't called against the Kings. But that hit was different from Bernier's boarding of Scuderi. Very different.

The Devils made this series interesting because of their physical play. But they went beyond the rules in Game 6, and it cost them. Brodeur was repeatedly beaten glove-side high, and Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Drew Doughty made the Devils pay.

In the last three years, the Stanley Cup has been won by Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. It's not a bad thing that big market teams are doing well in the playoffs. It's a good thing. Although a Canadian team winning wouldn't be so bad either. So long as it's not Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver.

Congratulations to the Kings.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

The Kings Make it Reign*

What the LA Kings are doing is nothing short of amazing. They are 15-2 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They're 10-0 on the road. And all as an 8 seed. Simply unreal.

Those two words also describe the performance of Jonathan Quick. He's allowed 24 goals in 17 games this postseason. He has a 1.36 GAA after last night's 4-0 shutout over New Jersey (Quick's 3rd of the playoffs). His SV% in the postseason is .950. Only one out of twenty shots on goal are getting past him. In the Finals, he has a GAA of 0.59, and a SV% of .972.

Last night the Kings killed 6 New Jersey power plays, including a 5-on-3. Quick stopped 22 shots. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist. Jeff Carter scored a PP goal. One of the assists on that goal was from Mike Richards. Sorry, Philadelphia. Dustin Brown had an assist. As did Drew Doughty.

The Kings have won mostly because of Quick. But they've got a roster full of solid guys who can score, who can play smart, who can play physical, and who can keep themselves from getting in bad positions.

They've also been able to keep their key players healthy. That's a reward for winning their previous series so easily. They only needed 14 games to get to the Finals. The Devils needed 18. Five of which went to OT. The Kings only played two overtime games.

Ilya Kovalchuk is obviously hurting, and without him, the Devils' offense is considerably less potent. Kovalchuk has only managed 5 shots on goal in the Finals. He had been averaging over 3 per game in previous rounds, and over 4 per game in the regular season. The Devils are 7-2 in the playoffs when he manages to get more than 3 shots on goal, 5-7 when he doesn't. The Devils are 6-1 when he scores, 6-8 when he doesn't.

It's possible that the Devils can turn this into a series, but hard to imagine. Quick, Brown, Doughty, Carter, Kopitar, they're all playing very well right now. And the Devils' best forward is not physically at 100%. The one detraction I'll make on this amazing run of theirs is that these series are getting a tad boring.

The Kings winning is good for hockey. It's a big market, obviously. So that's good for TV contracts and drawing fans. It's a warm weather city that has shown an interest in the game (the Kings had 100% attendance and were 15th in total attendance). But the team itself also play the game the right way. They have some American stars (Quick is from Milford, CT, Dustin Brown is from Ithaca, NY), and some likable players. Not to mention a funny, well-run, engaging Twitter feed.

Game 4 Wednesday night in LA.

Can Anyone Beat the LA Kings?

The Kings are 11-1 in the playoffs after beating Phoenix 2-1 last night. That'd be a remarkable run for any team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's an even more astounding achievement for an 8 seed.

This is, however, no ordinary 8 seed.

The Kings allowed the 2nd fewest goals in the NHL. But unlike the team that allowed the fewest goals (St. Louis), the Kings did so using primarily one goalie. Jonathan Quick. Quick is the top Conn Smythe candidate by a significant margin. We all saw last year what a great goalie can do for a team on a Stanley Cup run.

The Kings don't score many goals. They scored the second fewest in the NHL, and were one of only two teams to score fewer than 200 goals. Only three Kings scored 20+, none scored more than 25, and only five scored 10+. They don't have marquee names, but they have some tough playoff style players. Dustin Brown, for instance. He has 15 points in these playoffs. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have contributed. Dwight King, a 22 year old from Saskatchewan has scored 5 times in the playoffs. That matches his career regular season total (in 33 games).

The Kings have the formula. Epic goaltending, mistake-free defense, physical play, strong penalty killing, don't do anything to lose, timely scoring.

How do you beat them? So long as Quick, Brown, and Drew Doughty continue to play as well as they're playing, I don't think anyone can.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

Stanley Cup Preview: Blues vs. Kings*

Both these teams took care of business in the first round in 5 games. The Blues disposed of the Sharks. The Kings eliminated the Canucks. So the Blues and Kings knocked out a pair of perennial playoff chokers. What's the big deal?

Well both teams have outstanding goaltending. Jonathan Quick had a .953 SV% against Vancouver. The Blues have Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. Halak's ankle is still hurt, so Elliott will start in net for St. Louis. Both teams also have lines capable of shutting down an opponents' top line.

So yeah, there probably won't be much scoring in this series.

So where will the difference be? Maybe the Power Play. The Blues did well against San Jose in this department. While LA struggled against the Canucks. LA has the ability to prevent goals. But they aren't explosive enough to pull ahead in 2-1 or 3-2 games. The Blues are. And I think the Blues are just slightly tougher and will gut out a tough series.

Blues in 8 (because there will be 7 games plus a few OTs).

Series schedule:
1: Saturday 4/28 - 7:30pm - LAK @ STL - NBC Sports
2: Monday 4/30 - 9:00pm - LAK @ STL - CNBC
3: Thursday 5/3 - 10:00pm - STL @ LAK - NBC Sports
4: Sunday 5/6 - 3:00pm - STL @ LAK - NBC
5: Tuesday 5/8 - tba - LAK @ STL - CNBC
6: Thursday 5/10 - tba - STL @ LAK - tba
7: Saturday 5/12 - tba - LAK @ STL - tba

Stanley Cup Preview: Kings vs. Canucks*

Congratulations to the Vancouver Canucks on yet another President's Trophy. We're all very impressed here in Boston.

Anyway, the Canucks bring their same old show to the 2012 Playoffs. Outstanding Power Play, high-flying offense, and goaltending that is good but always a meltdown away from massive controversy.

The Kings will try to keep these games low scoring. Their offense is one of the least potent in the NHL. They do have Vezina candidate and Milford, CT native Jonathan Quick. If Quick can steal a game or two, then the Kings could make this 1vs. 8 matchup very interesting.

In net for Vancouver is Roberto Luongo. For now. Cory Schneider is waiting in the wings. Schneider played in 33 games for the Canucks, including 5 relief appearances. His GAA was 1.97.

This goaltending controversy is actually bad news for the Kings. Because if Luongo melts down, Schneider will be there to pick up the pieces.

The Canucks might be without Daniel Sedin, which is a major blow to their chances. But the Kings might be without Jeff Carter. And the Kings are the team that's in desperate need of offensive production.

LA will make it a tough series, but they won't be able to score that pivotal 3rd goal in tight games, at least not enough to win the series.

Canucks in 6.

Series schedule:
1: Wednesday 4/11 - 10:30pm - LAK @ VAN - NHL Network
2: Friday 4/13 - 10:00pm - LAK @ VAN - NBC Sports
3: Sunday 4/15 - 10:30pm - VAN @ LAK - NBC Sports
4: Wednesday 4/18 - 10:00pm - VAN @ LAK - NBC Sports
5: Sunday 4/22 - tba - LAK @ VAN - tba
6: Tuesday 4/24 - tba - VAN @ LAK - tba
7: Thursday 4/26 - tba - LAK @ VAN - tba