Ponds and Pucks

7-0
Grumble.
7-0

I am an Islanders fan.  As such, I have certain duties and responsibilities.  One of them is despising the Rangers, which I think I do quite nicely.  And after last night’s debacle, I am in a sour mood.  I have no choice but to be.

I don’t know what Atlanta was thinking last night, but you can’t play like they did.  It’s the playoffs, every game counts, yadda yadda yadda.  Here’s the important truth — you CANNOT hand a game over.  If you lose, you need to stay competitive.  Game four of the series is tonight, and the Rangers will be playing with an incredible high when they skate tonight on home ice.  What does Atlanta need to overcome it?  They need to score early and often — they need 2 goals in the first ten minutes and they need to keep the Rangers off the board over the same time period.  All grumbles aside, the Rangers are a formidable team, and you can’t roll over and die for one game without expecting it to cost you in the future.

Anaheim couldn’t close the deal last night, and now they will have to wait until Thursday before they can end the series.  But here’s the thing about the game — the Wild won 4-1.  This was the first game in the series that was won by more than a single goal.  Does that mean anything for the fate of the series?  We’ll have to wait until Thursday to find out.

The rest of last night’s games:
Ottawa 2, Pittsburgh 1  (Ottawa leads the series 3-1)
Vancouver 2, Dallas 1 (Vancouver leads the series 3-1)
Calgary 3, Detroit 2 (Detroit leads the series 2-1)

Technorati Tags: Hockey, NHL, Stanley Cup, Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings

Eastern Conference:
Buffalo leads the Islanders 2-1
Tampa Bay leads New Jersey 2-1
Rangers lead Atlanta 2-0
Ottawa leads Pittsburgh 2-1

Western Conference
Detroit leads Calgary 2-0
Anaheim leads Minnesota 3-0
Vancouver leads Dallas 2-1
San Jose leads Nashville 2-1

Anaheim could sweep the series tonight, but I doubt it.

So here is my newest feature, the Overtime Count.
To date, there have been 7 overtime periods, and all have been in the Western Conference.

As we start looking at the end of the North American hockey seasons; last night, the AIHL started up their 2007 season with Melbourne dominating Adelaide 6-1. Canberra was also victorious, taking the win from the Brisbane Blue Toungues 5-2.

Finally, a mea culpa. Many thanks to Lyndsey who pointed out that it was Buffalo, not Detroit who won the President’s Cup, despite what I wrote in my previous posting. I have no good excuse except that I had a very long day including hitting two Napa Valley vineyards for wine tastings and a 2 hour drive. I will be more studious in the future and make sure to error-check myself.

The NHL has a nice little list of the longest playoff games. If you scroll down to June 10, 1996, they list the only OT goal to ever win the Stanley Cup. That right there is a game that I’d love to relive. I wonder if anyone has video of it that they could post online? I also noticed the high amount of 1-0 games. My fiance, who I have gotten into hockey, hates games like that. She likes high-scoring games. I, on the other hand, love a good defensive battle. So here’s my discussion for the weekend:
Which do you prefer? Defensive low-scoring games or high-scoring shootouts?

Recapping the game one’s from last night:
Tampa Bay 3, New Jersey 5
Atlanta 3, Rangers 4
I caught a decent part of this game and the last minute and a half showed how good Lunqvist can be. He held up when the Rangers were down 2 skaters and were blasting at the net.
Detroit 4, Calgary 1
This one wasn’t a game.
Buffalo 4, Islanders 1
I’m calling shenanigens on this game, and predicting a comeback for my Isles in game 2. Why? Just ‘cuz

Last night, the first games of the first round were played — and that makes for my favorite time of the year.  Playoff hockey is special, as shown by the Canucks-Stars game.  Henrick Sedin scored the game-winner with less than 2 minutes remaining in the 4th overtime period.  For those keeping time, that means that the game lasted almost 140 minutes; but it’s still only the 6th longest game in NHL history.  Roberto Luongo made his first playoff start one he’ll never forget and what I saw of the game (I will admit, I didn’t make it through the whole game) he was amazing (although giving up 4 goals is a point of concern.  He will need to get more consistent in the rest of this series or Dallas will own him).

In other OT games, San Jose overcame Nashville 5-4 in the second OT.  This is another series that looks like it will have a lot of offense, but also looks like it will be entertaining.

Ottawa routed Pittsburgh 6-3.  Don’t let this score fool you, it was never close, with Ottawa up 4-1 when I turned it off.  I also heard a most disturbing fact yesterday — the Penguins have 2 players under 20.  Which means they are making a whole lot more than I am.

Final game of the night was Minnesota at Anaheim, with Minnesota losing by 1 (2-1).  I saw none of this game, I will admit (and by the by, Versus, can you shift around a bit more to show highlights and live snippets from the other game).  This one remained pretty much tied until the 5 minute mark when Penner put the final goal of the game in the net.

Looking at all of these games, it seems clear that the West will be an exciting bracket this year.  Tonight, 3 Eastern Conference series kick off, and let’s see what kind of excitement they bring us.

One final note about tonight, Devils, Isles and Rangers all kick off series tonight.  This year is the first year that all three of those teams have been in the playoffs and had three different opening round opponents.

Technorati Tags: NHL, Hockey, Stanley Cup, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks

The NHL playoffs start tomorrow evening with 4 matchups (3 on in the Western Conference).  So today, we break down the 4 Eastern Conference matchups.

1) Buffalo vs 8) Islanders
Season Series:  Sabres win 3-1
Buffalo has had a miracle season, coming in with one of their highest point totals ever.  They have played their best hockey this season, setting a club record for wins.  Meanwhile, the Islanders - who have been running hot and cold all season - are coming off a season-ending win streak and are looking forward to the return of Rick DiPietro for this opening round matchup.  The Isles have a chance, albeit a slim one, to move forward if they can get some strong defense and keep Buffalo off the board.  The Sabres led the league in goals during the regular season, ending with 308 goals (20 more than the next highest team and significantly higher than the league average of 241 goals).  The Sabres, for their part, just need to keep playing the way they have all season if they want to walk into the next round.
My pick: Sabres in 5

2) Devils vs 7) Lightning
Season Series: Lightning win 3-1 (1 overtime win)
On paper, the Devils should win this one pretty easily.  The Southeastern conference is one of the weakest in the entire league and the Lightning are not a team that everyone is picking to go very far.  But here’s the thing with Tampa Bay: they have two of the best offensive players in the league with St. Louis and Lecavalier.  The Devils are a one-dimensional team this year, so if Tampa can light up Brodeur, they might actually have a chance.  I’ll pick them for the upset, just to make things interesting.
My pick: Lightning in 6

3) Thrashers vs 6) Rangers
Season Series: Atlanta wins 3-1
See above; the Southeastern Division is weak.  Atlanta and Tampa fought each other and no one else to get here.  The Rangers have a team that can get very hot and perform well.  They have quite a few future Hall-of-Famers on the team and they are playing like they want to go all the way.  But the team is old and streaky.  This will be their only playoff win this year.
My pick: Rangers in 6

4) Senators vs 5) Penguins
Season Series: Ottawa won 3-1 (2 Shootouts)
This is the series that EVERYONE is looking forward to.  Ignore the season series results, Ottawa is nowhere near as dominant as it would appear.  Sidney Crosby is one of the best hockey players ever and the team is well-prepared for a long series with a young team that can skate rings around everyone else.  As for Ottawa, Dany Heatley has come into his own since the fatal accident in Atlanta.  Everyone said that moving away from Atlanta would be good for him and they have been right.  Add him to Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, players who have been the backbone to a dominant Senators team and they might be unbeatable.
I need to pick someone but this is a hard series to nail down.
My pick: Senators in 7

Technorati Tags: NHL, Stanley Cup, Playoffs, Hockey, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins

The regular season ended last night, and the Islanders made sure it was an interesting end.  To recap the game, the Isles (who needed a win to make the playoffs) took a 2-0 lead.  They held it until the last 5 minutes when they gave up 1 goal and then with less than 1 second left, they gave up the game-tying goal.  That bit of sloppiness was what Islanders fans have seen most of the season.  They never seemed able to put what they needed together in order to maintain a lead.  They won in a shootout but they should never have let it get that far.  It was a disgrace and the way they finished the game is pathetic.  Here’s my observation on the Devils though.  Without Brodeur in goal, they don’t perform.  The team is very one-dimensional this year and that could lead to problems after the first round.

How did I do to finish off the regular season?  10-4 on Saturday, and 1-4 on Sunday to end at 18-16.

I was wrong about the NCAA Frozen Four as MSU beat BC 3-1.  I had wondered if goaltending would beat out offense and it clearly did.  Congratulations to the Spartans.

First round of the playoffs start on Wednesday, so tomorrow, I will break down the Eastern Division match-ups and on Wednesday, I will go through the West.

Pittsburgh, who was (until very recently) considering leaving town, is in the playoffs and looking at possibly unseating the Devils and winning the East.  No matter who you are, this is a great story and one that you have to root for.

Pittsburgh hasn’t had a good season in a while.  I still remember when Mario Lemieux was given the team because the ownership at the time didn’t have the money to pay him what he was owed.  This is a team with one of the greatest turnarounds in a long time.

Here are their point totals for the past 4 seasons (from the Internet Hockey Database):
2000-2001: 96
2001-2002: 69
2002-2003: 65
2003-2004: 58
2005-2006: 58

So far this year, they have 101 points, and can get up to 105 (the final two games are at Ottawa and vs. the Rangers.  Let’s call it a split and give them 103 for their final total).  The last time they broke 100 was 1995-96.

The 2 seed gets them a matchup against Tampa Bay, the 4/5 against Ottawa.  In order to get there, they need to win both of their final games and they need the Devils to lose both of theirs in regulation (at Philadelphia and vs. the Islanders).

But no matter what happens, they should be proud of how much progress the team has made this year.  This is by far one of the best turnarounds in a long time.

Last night’s scores
Washington 3, Atlanta 2
San Jose 3, Anaheim 2

Tonight’s games
Boston @ Buffalo (My pick: Buffalo)
Buffalo is running for the President’s Cup.
Montreal @ Rangers (My pick: Rangers (it hurts to do it though))
The Rangers need 1 more point to clinch their playoff berth.
New Jersey @ Philadelphia (My pick: NJ)
New Jersey has everything to gain, Philadelphia has nothing to play for.
Dallas @ Columbus (My pick: Dallas)
Toronto @ Islanders (My pick: Isles)
The battle of lucky socks, Mark’s vs. mine.  If the Isles lose they are eliminated from the playoffs.
Pittsburgh @ Ottawa (My pick: Ottawa)
This could be a preview of the first round.
St. Louis @ Nashville (My pick: St. Louis)
Edmonton @ Minnesota (My pick: Minnesota)
Detroit @ Chicago (My pick: Detroit)
Colorado @ Vancouver (My pick: Colorado)
Los Angeles @ Phoenix (My pick: LA)
Calgary @ San Jose (My pick: Calgary)

Technorati Tags: NHL, Hockey, Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks

I’ll admit my bias, but Wade Dubiewicz had the save of the night last night.  In the shootout, Jaromir Jagr came in and it took an amazing effort to keep that puck out of the net, but he did it.  The Islanders took the game and the season series.  However, it is looking like they will be out of the playoffs again this year.  That’s fairly disappointing as they seemed to have a strong season, but they just collapsed at the end of it.  There will be a lot of examination of the team this off-season.

In other news, Martin Brodeur tied a single-season record with his 47th win last night.  I will admit, I am surprised that the record is that low.  I would have assumed it was higher (at least in the 50s).

Today’s Games:
Washington @ Atlanta
Atlanta is in a points battle with Tampa Bay to get the #3 seed in the east
San Jose @ Anaheim
Both teams are fighting for position in the west

Last Night’s Scoreboard:
Buffalo 4, Pittsburgh 1
Washington 1, Florida 0
Detroit 3, Columbus 0
Montreal 2, Boston 0
New Jersey 2, Ottowa 1
Islanders 3, Rangers 2
Tampa Bay 3, Carolina 2
Toronto 3, Philadelphia 2
Chicago 3, Nashville 2
Minnesota 3, Edmonton 0
Colorado 4, Calgary 3
Vancouver 4, Los Angeles 2
St. Louis 5, Phoenix 2

Technorati Tags: New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Ottowa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, LA Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL, Hockey

Welcome to Ponds & Pucks — 451 Press’ new blog for all things hockey.  This is an exciting time to start off, since the playoffs are just a few days away.

And that said, the New Jersey Devils have made sure that they will keep themselves on the back page.  They will be over 100 points for the season, but that hasn’t stopped them from firing their head coach.  Why?  “Hockey reasons.”  Yeah, right.  But I’m not going to make a big stink about it.  Want to know why?  Two words.  Martin Brodeur.  Is there a better goalie in the NHL?  For my money, no.  He has been too consistent, has kept the Devils in the top of the league, and even when they don’t take the cup, they are still the at the top of the list.  But I’ll open this up and invite people to offer their own opinions.  Who is the best goalie, either now or in the past?