The Icing On The Week: NHL Round One Wrap-up

Beginning with the Eastern Conference, Adam Eckersley looks over the first round of the Playoffs on the ice this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins v New York Islanders

This was a 4-0 sweep, it must definitely have been a 4-0 sweep…

It wasn’t and that shows quite how much some people (me included) underrated the Isles irrespective of their impressive regular season performances.

The series was never in the Islanders’ favour with regards to the series lead but momentum swayed back and forth throughout. Marc-Andre Fleury, after starting off strongly, reverted to type and the Coliseum took full advantage of the situation chanting “Fleury, Fleury” at any opportunity.

Whilst they would have been delighted when the pressure finally told and Fleury was pulled they probably wished he was back in when Tomas Vokoun came in and dominated the Isles offense.
In the end the series had the outcome many predicted but it was a lot closer than many expected and Tavares, Moulson et al will be delighted irrespective of their failure to progress to Round Two.

The NYI franchise is one going places and with the new arena in the foreseeable future should only improve. The Pens meanwhile are still on their march to the latter stages if not the final of the Playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens v Ottawa Senators

This series was at 1-1 and then the Sens ran away with it. The seeding indicated the Habs should have had the upper hand but that was never likely to be the case. Even more so upon their implosion after losing Lars Eller to Eric Gryba’s hit and rather than use the situation as a motivation to best the Sens they seemed to use it to channel their inner-child (Prust I’m looking at you).

The series got away from Montreal after game two with them losing their next three and going out before the Maple Leafs, I can’t figure out which would have hurt most.

The reward for the Sens is a second round match up with the Pens which I feel Pittsburgh should be winning in six.

Washington Capitals v New York Rangers

The annual Caps-Blueshirts match-up went the distance before seeing a rather unsatisfying conclusion in the final game.

Ovi, Greene and Co. blew a 2-0 series lead before failing to win their fourth game three times. That ultimately led to a 5-0 reverse in their own barn to an efficient rather than mesmerising Rangers performance. But there was one guy who was at that level; Henrik Lundqvist.

The last two games of the series saw the Swede shutout Washington (1-0 & 5-0) to take the series and underline his credentials as the best stopper in the league, particularly post-season, irrespective of Jonathan Quick doing his thing again.

Boston Bruins v Toronto Maple Leafs

The Rangers will be up against the Bruins in round two after what was one of the best games of recent years never mind recent days. Toronto took the series to Game seven after being 3-1 down. They then took a 4-1 lead going into the last eleven minutes of the series.

This is the Leafs though and rather than close the game out they suddenly found themselves in Overtime. Then out after Patrice Bergeron netted his second of the game to secure a next round match-up against New York. One of two Original Six series in this round.

The Rangers-B’s series could go either way but I’ll stick to my Playoff Bracket prediction and say New York in seven.

West

The Western Conference had, as usual, the perfect mix of gritty match-ups and serial bottlers. That may be weakened next year upon the re alignment coming into play but let’s enjoy it for one more season. We’ll still have bottlers because Vancouver aren’t going anywhere but more on them later.

Chicago Blackhawks v Minnesota Wild

Much like the Pens-Isles series this was supposed to be a blowout irrespective of the money thrown about by Minnesota but, although the series was won by the President Trophy winning ‘hawks 4-1, it was much closer than that outcome indicated.

Games one and three went to OT but game four saw a 3-0 shutout which seemed to break the Wild. Next year’s cap reduction will see the Wild broken up somewhat next year and they will feel their slip to eighth before this post-season was a huge slip.

Anaheim Ducks v Detroit Red Wings

Detroit have gone from an average age of 328 yrs & 2 months to a roster of 11.5 year olds supplemented with Zetterberg, Kronwall and Datzyuk if you read any sort of media hysteria.

Whilst that may not be the case (obviously) they are a franchise rebuilding on-the-fly and doing so pretty successfully. The Ducks are a strong team with a potent forecheck and terrific leadership but were bested by a Red Wings team with the leadership of the Ducks but, ultimately, a little more guile.

The series went to seven and was clinched in California by Mike Babcock’s men who will be partaking in the other Original Six series of the second round. Neither team, in nine post season series has gone on to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Blackhawks should proceed but will have to stop a run that sees Joel Quenneville never besting the Red Wings in a playoff series with Detroit also only failing to win the Cup after beating him (2009 v Pittsburgh).

Vancouver Canucks v San Jose Sharks

Vancouver went out in four instead of San Jose going out in four. San Jose may be the real deal because they won a series. They may also go out in four in the next round. Vancouver are rebuilding again. That’s because Alan Vigneault has been sacked.

St Louis Blues v Los Angeles Kings

This series last year saw the Kings sweep the Blues 4-0 in the Conference semi-final and early on in the series that looked to be happening again upon the Blues racing to a 2-0 lead after taking their home games but that did not happen.

Instead, the Kings won the next four to continue their defence of the Cup in an impressively controlled manner. Jonathan Quick has been in imperious form again in the extra games this year and he will need to be against the Sharks who have a potent attacking unit.

Break that and the Kings should be okay to at least be able to attempt to defend their Conference championship. The niggle that will inevitably be present throughout the series will need to be controlled by both benches too irrespective of the fact a ‘Battle of California’ sounds as terrifying as a Canucks playoff push does to the opposition.