Bruins Leave St. Louis with a Point

The Bruins played a better game, but the Blues made better plays. And the B's could have and maybe should have won.

Leaving St. Louis with a point is an achievement. Especially after being down 2-0 in the 3rd period. St. Louis was 17-4-2 against Eastern Conference opponents coming into this game. And the Bruins were without captain Zdeno Chara, who's in Sochi to carry Slovakia's flag for the Olympic opening ceremonies. That's got to be a pretty special moment in the life of an athlete.

Alexander Steen scored the Blues' first goal, and it was legit, and a good demonstration of why he's scored 28 this season. However the Bruins should have been on the power play after Loui Eriksson's teeth were "pushed in" (as Claude Julien described after the game) by a high stick. There was a lot of blood, but no penalty. The Bruins should have been given a 5-on-3 power play for about half a minute (the non-call occurred when the Bruins were already on a power play). Instead play continued and the next stoppage was Steen's goal.

And those are all the blues I'm going to sing about that non-call.

The Bruins showed strong determination throughout the game. That's why they were able to score twice in the 3rd period. They stuck to the way they'd been playing in the 2 prior periods. David Krejci scored his 13th, Brad Marchand his 18th. In his last 25 games, Marchand has scored 14 goals. He scored 4 goals in the first 31 games of the season. I think he's moved on from the loss of Tyler Seguin, on and off the ice.

In overtime Jarome Iginla nearly won the game. He showed a Hall of Fame scorer's patience. He was in the crease with an open net in front of him, Jaroslav Halak on the far post. Iginla had to handle a pass with his skate to settle it, and showed great instincts by not kicking it in. He knew he had plenty of time to receive the pass, settle the puck, and tap it in with the blade of his stick, and that Halak didn't have enough time to move from post to post to stop him. However, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo had enough time to skate over and extend the blade of his stick between the puck and the net, and broke the play up. Give credit to Pietrangelo for the game-saving play.

That play didn't make SportsCenter. None of the plays did because this game wasn't good enough for SportsCenter.

One more game until the Olympic break. The Senators play the B's Saturday afternoon at the Garden. The B's will go into the break with a nice lead in the division, the second best record in the conference, and a near win against the third best team in the West. Not bad. Most of the roster will rest, Chara (Slovakia), Krejci (Czech Republic), Rask (Finland), Bergeron (Canada), Eriksson (Sweden), and Julien (Canada) will work. That means key players like Lucic, Iginla, Marchand, and Boychuk can recharge their batteries for the stretch run.

Photo Credit:
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 21*

LA is already in the Conference Finals, and up in the NHL offices in Toronto, they're sacrificing live animals to get New York to the Stanley Cup Finals to face them.

COYOTES 1, PREDATORS 0 - (Coyotes lead series 3-1)

Mike Smith is the second best goalie in the playoffs so far. The skaters in front of him are doing the little things, executing along the boards, not making mistakes. Nashville can still win, but they need their skaters to all do their job, each and every shift. Phoenix isn't making it easy for them to win.

Game 5 tonight in Arizona.

CAPITALS 3, RANGERS 2 - (Series tied 2-2)

A Mike Green power play goal was the difference in these game. Each team has scored only twice with a man advantage in the series. Whoever can get their power play to score more often could win the series.

Game 5 tonight in New York.

KINGS 3, BLUES 1 - (Kings win series 4-0)

It's not very unusual for an 8 seed to do well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But it is unusual for an 8 seed to eliminate a 1 seed, then a 2 seed, and to do so in only 9 games. Dustin Brown has 6 goals in those 9 games. But the main reason LA is waiting for their next victim is the play of UMass alum Jonathan Quick. Only 14 goals allowed in those 9 games, a 1.55 GAA, and a .949 SV%. He's the best goalie in the playoffs right now.

DEVILS 4, FLYERS 2 - (Devils lead series 3-1)

Philly blew a 2-0 lead. The Flyers have a lot of talent, but they're inconsistent. They also depend heavily on Danny Briere scoring. Briere didn't even get a shot on goal in this game. The Flyers only got 20 pucks on Brodeur.

Game 5 Tuesday night in Philly.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Capitals @ Rangers - NBC Sports - Series tied 2-2
10:00pm - Predators @ Coyotes - NBC Sports - Coyotes lead 3-1

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 15*

One team tied a series, another team took a commanding 2-0 lead.

CAPITALS 3, RANGERS 2 - (Series tied 1-1)

Ovechkin scored the game-winner in the 3rd period. Both teams managed a Power Play goal. This was similar to what the Caps did to Boston: Split on the road then hope to at least extend the series at home. I'll give Washington credit for hanging around and being tough to eliminate. And for being able to win games on the road. This is their 4th road win of the playoffs.

Game 3 Wednesday night in DC.

KINGS 5, BLUES 2 - (Kings lead series 2-0)

I have to give credit to the Kings. They've completely shut down St. Louis' Power Play (0 for 9 in this game) which was a big reason the Blues beat the Sharks. The Kings took a 4-0 lead in the 1st and never looked back. They didn't do much to add to the lead, though. Only 5 shots on goal in the 2nd and 3rd periods combined. The Blues didn't pepper Jonathan Quick with shots like they wanted to. This game got nasty at the end, and maybe that's what St. Louis needs to wake up.

Game 3 Thursday night in LA.

Tonight's game:
7:30pm - Devils @ Flyers - NBC Sports - Flyers lead series 1-0

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 14*

The second round is underway. The NHL is probably pleased with the mix of big market teams (New York, New Jersey, Philly, Los Angeles) and southern teams (Nashville, Washington, St. Louis, Phoenix).

RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1 - (Rangers lead series 1-0)

BC alum Chris Kreider, who hasn't even played in a regular season game, scored a goal and added an assist. Braden Holtby only made 11 saves. And Lundqvist only saw 18 shots. Yup, those numbers are correct. Brad Richards also scored his 3rd of the playoffs. Unlike the Bruins, the Rangers' best forwards are producing goals.

Game 2 tonight at MSG.

KINGS 3, BLUES 1 - (Kings lead series 1-0)

Vezina nominee Jonathan Quick stopped 28 of 29 shots. LA's Matt Greene scored a shorthanded goal that turned out to be the game-winner. The Blues were also 0 for 3 on the Power Play, which was a major weapon for them against San Jose. Now that Power Play is at -1. Jonathan Quick might be able to carry this LA team very far.

Game 2 tonight in St. Louis.

FLYERS 4, DEVILS 3 (OT) - (Flyers lead series 1-0)

Danny Briere might be one of the best postseason performers in Stanley Cup history. He scored twice (has 7 already this postseason) in this game. In his 105 playoff games, he has 49 goals and 57 assists (106 points). He has an absurd 20.2% shooting percentage in the playoffs. Giroux also scored his 7th of the playoffs, on the Power Play. The Devils' relied heavily on their PK in the regular season. They've already allowed 10 PP goals in the postseason.

Game 2 Tuesday night in Philly.

COYOTES 5, PREDATORS 3 - (Coyotes lead series 2-0)

With Mike Smith facing Pekka Rinne, everyone thought this would be a low scoring series. That was 15 goals ago. Mike Smith was solid in this game, but Shane Doan was outstanding. This is his first taste of the 2nd round and he's making the most of it. He had a goal and an assist in this game. The Coyotes are simply making the plays, big and small, and Nashville needs to turn things around at home.

Game 3 Wednesday night in Tennessee.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Capitals @ Rangers - NBC Sports - NYR lead series 1-0
9:00pm - Kings @ Blues - CNBC - LAK lead series 1-0

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 Playoffs: Day 12*

Some series came to an end, others were extended. The violence has subsided a bit, so now we can enjoy actual hockey.

PANTHERS 3, DEVILS 0 - (Panthers lead series 3-2)

Jose Theodore is back in net for Florida, and it worked out pretty well for the Panthers. He stopped all 30 shots he faced. The Panthers are on the verge of making everyone who was clamoring for changes in the playoff system look like fools.

Game 6 Tuesday night in Jersey.

SENATORS 2, RANGERS 0 - (Senators lead series 3-2)
Jason Spezza is the latest Senator to pick up the slack left by the absence of Daniel Alfredsson. He scored his first and second goals of the series in this game. Oh, and Craig Anderson stopped 41 shots. The Rangers were a favorite to win The Cup, and now they're facing elimination.

Game 6 tonight in Ottawa.

BLUES 3, SHARKS 1 - (Blues win series 4-1)

The Sharks were a sexy upset pick by the experts. The experts forgot that they have Joe Thornton along with goaltending issues. The Blues scored three goals in the 3rd and fully demonstrated how and why they finished the regular season with 109 points.

BLACKHAWKS 2, COYOTES 1 (OT) - (Coyotes lead series 3-2)

All five games in this series have gone into Overtime. That's ridiculous.

Game 6 tonight in Chicago.

FLYERS 5, PENGUINS 1 - (Flyers win series 4-2)

Thank God Pittsburgh is eliminated. The craniums of the remaining playoff teams are much safer thanks to their elimination. And thank God I can stop rooting for the Flyers. Danny Briere and Claude Giroux ran this series. Briere scored 5 times, Giroux scored 6 times. Sidney "Canada's Golden Boy" Crosby had 8 points in this series. And was -3 in this game. Fuck off, Penguins.

KINGS 2, CANUCKS 1 (OT) - (Kings win series 4-2)

Give Vancouver another excuse to tear apart their own city. The Canucks once again choked in the playoffs. This is a common theme with them. They can't just blame their goalie anymore, as Schneider did pretty well for himself. Maybe having a first line consisting of soft Swedes that fold faster than Ikea furniture is the problem. Maybe having guys like Burrows and Lapierre is the problem. Maybe defensemen should play defense. I don't know. I don't care. Goodbye, Vancouver.

A #8 seed beats a #1 seed in 5 games.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Rangers @ Senators - NBC Sports - Senators lead 3-2
9:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Coyotes lead series 3-2

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 6*

Tempers are flaring in just about every series. These games are close, physical, and every inch is being fought for. Best time of the year.

RANGERS 1, SENATORS 0 - (Rangers lead series 2-1)
Henrik Lundqvist was a wall, stopping all 39 shots he faced. With no Alfredsson, the Senators have no offense. And no chance of winning this series. The NHL suspended Carl Hagelin 3 games for the hit that concussed Alfredsson, but Hagelin may have won the series with that hit. Alfredsson is listed as day-to-day but if he doesn't come back, the Senator's won't either.

Game 4 Wednesday night in Ottawa.

BRUINS 4, CAPITALS 3 - (Bruins lead series 2-1)

Speaking of suspensions, it'll be interesting to see if Nicklas Backstrom gets one for cross-checking Rich Peverley's face at the end of last night's game. Backstrom was issued a 10 minute match penalty for "deliberate injury" and given the timing and nature of the penalty, I think at least a 1 game ban is in order.

Game 4 Thursday night in D.C.

BLUES 4, SHARKS 3 - (Blues lead series 2-1)

This game wasn't as close as the score might suggest. St. Louis entered the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead and made it 4-1 in less than a minute. Joe Thornton got 2 of his 3 assists on late goals and was awarded #2 star of the game in a token gesture of homerism. The Blues scored 3 of their 4 goals on the Power Play. They've scored 5 PP goals in the series, and limited the Sharks to just 2.

Game 4 Thursday night in San Jose.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Panthers @ Devils - NHL Network - Series tied 1-1
7:30pm - Predators @ Red Wings - NBC Sports - Predators lead 2-1
9:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Series tied 1-1

Stanley Cup Preview: Sharks vs. Blues*

This is a new role for both teams. The Sharks are the 7th seed underdogs and the Blues have the 2nd best record in the NHL.

People think this is the recipe for an upset. The Sharks have no pressure on them, they have some considerable playoff experience, and nobody really knows much about the St. Louis Blues.

The Blues have an excellent tandem of goalies in Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. They're the two biggest reasons the Blues allowed a mere 165 goals this season (2.01 per game). The next best were the LA Kings at 179 (2.18 per game).

The Blues are also one of two NHL teams with 30+ home wins. The other being the Red Wings, who had a losing road record. The Sharks were a .500 team on the road. It'll be tough for them to win games in Missouri.

And even though the Sharks have won a few series the past few seasons, any team with Joe Thornton carries that expectation of disappointment.

Furthermore, Antti Niemi has struggled to recapture his Cup winning form.

One thing that gives me doubts about St. Louis is that they don't have one true goalie. Two goalies works well in the regular season, but in the playoffs you have to stick to one guy. If I were a betting man, I'd stay away from this series, or even place a few bucks on the Sharks as an underdog.

Blues in 7.

Series schedule:
1: Thursday 4/12 - 7:30pm - SJ @ StL - CNBC
2: Saturday 4/14 - 7:30pm - SJ @ StL - CNBC
3: Monday 4/16 - 10:00pm - StL @ SJ - NBC Sports
4: Thursday 4/19 - 10:30pm - StL @ SJ - NBC Sports
5: Saturday 4/21 - 7:30pm - SJ @ StL - CNBC
6: Monday 4/23 - tba - StL @ SJ - tba
7: Wednesday 4/25 - tba - SJ @ StL tba

Black+Gold>Blues

The St. Louis Blues hadn't lost a home game in regulation since December 3rd. This was a Step-Up game for the B's. Their key players all needed to Step-Up. Krejci had to play on the wing, Chara had to be a shutdown defenseman, and Thomas had to play well in net. Someone needed to score, too.

All that happened last night. And Marchand stepped-up to be the scorer. But his goals, like so many that these Bruins score, were products of solid play by his teammates. Chara's neutral zone presence, then Bergeron forcing a turnover gave Marchand his first opportunity. And it was Bergeron and Seguin who did likewise for his second.

This team based, decentralized scoring is why the Bruins are so streaky. When Bergeron is playing well, Marchand gets hot. When Bergeron is slumping, Marchand fails to produce. The same goes for Krejci and Lucic, and the rest of the forwards. Entire lines are either red hot or ice cold. There's no middle-ground when one forward slumps but the other two on a line are playing well. The whole line slumps.

Krejci played an uncharacteristically physical game as a winger. He needed a good night on the ice before we should expect to see some good stat nights. He was still +2 with 2 shots on goal and 2 hits.

Chara played defense the way he should. All the Bruins defensemen have to do on any given night is do their job. It's simple to say, sometimes difficult to do.

Thomas was very good. The second goal he allowed saw him slightly out of position. I'm unaccustomed to seeing him over-commit as he seemed to do, leaving 1/3 of the net open. But he atoned for it with the 30 saves he made.

The Bruins are in Buffalo Friday night. It would be nice to remind the Sabres that they are a 12th place team.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo