Devils 5, Rangers 3

I thought the Rangers were a strong candidate to win the Cup this year because they reminded me so much of last year's Bruins. They had a brilliant goalie, a sound defensive system, and could get goals from multiple guys on various lines.

But a defensive system only works if its followed. If players don't do what they're supposed to do, if they're not where they supposed to be, the system breaks down and fails.

That's what happened last night.

New Jersey scored their first goal when Ranger defensemen Stu Bickel left the front of the net and Stephen Gionta knocked a rebound past Lundqvist. A pinching Ranger defensemen eventually resulted in New Jersey's second goal. The Devils' third goal came when Ryan McDonagh made a desperate pinch, didn't get to the puck in time, the Devil's went up ice and Travis Zajac scored. It was a soft goal for Lundqvist to allow.

New York eventually tied it up. Thanks mostly to lucky bounces and Martin Brodeur losing a puck in his skates (as he tends to do from time to time). But another defensive miscue, this time by winger Carl Hagelin, led to New Jersey's winning goal in the 3rd. Ryan Carter was left all alone as Hagelin was focusing on a 2-on-2 puck battle along the boards and not on the dangerous central area of the ice. Carter went to that area, the Devils won the puck battle, and Carter scored.

The Rangers seem to have forgotten how they won 51 games and 2 playoff series. And when they were down 2-0 with 50 minutes of hockey left to play, they started getting desperate and impatient. New Jersey took advantage.

Then there's a guy like Gaborik, who technically scored last night but that goal was a result of Brodeur kicking the puck into his own net. Apart from that gift, Gaborik hasn't scored a point in this series. He had 3 goals and 4 assists against Washington. The Rangers need their 40+ goal scorer to score. Or at least help others to do so.

Give credit to New Jersey, though. They've played true to themselves. They know who they are and they're doing what they're good at. Their best players are playing their best. And now they're only one win away from the Cup Finals.

Game 6 Friday night in Newark.

-The Captain

Devils 3, Rangers 2

Martin Brodeur might be taking the same Geritol as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. He looked very good last night, and has been excellent in the playoffs. He's just a savage between the pipes.

The Rangers scored twice thanks to traffic in front of Brodeur. But New Jersey was willing to play the same game, capitalizing on a deflection to score the game-winner. This contest is making me remember how important net-front presence is, how important the timing of that presence is, and how important Mark Recchi was to the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.

The Rangers blocked fewer shots in this game, a sign that the Devils are more aware of when they should be driving pucks toward the net.

However, the Rangers once again scored a Power Play goal against the Devils. Kreider deflected a puck past Brodeur, and the Devils allowed their 14th PP goal of the playoffs. They only allowed 27 in the regular season. This series might be 1-1, but I do think the Rangers have the key advantages.

Game 3 Saturday afternoon in Jersey.

-The Captain

Rangers 3, Devils 0

Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 21 shots that reached him last night. His teammates kept 25 more shots from reaching him at all. Dan Girardi and Marc Staal each blocked 5 shots. Girardi also scored the Rangers' first goal of the game, which didn't come until the start of the 3rd period.

Chris Kreider, who struggled during the Washington seires, scored a Power Play goal. Girardi had an assist on that one. It's Kreider's 3rd goal of the playoffs. This guy has never played a regular season NHL game. How weird would it be for him to win an NCAA Championship and a Stanley Cup in the same season?

The Rangers are just a little bit better than the Devils in a few key departments. Lundqvist is better than Brodeur. The Rangers' defensive system is slightly better than the Devils'. The Rangers are better at capitalizing on mistakes and scoring breakaway goals.

For the Devils to win, guys like Kovalchuk and Parise must have a huge series. And that's going to be tough against Lundqvist.

Game 2 Wednesday night in New York.

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 24

Washington forced a Game 7. And I'm not shocked at all. The good news is we get to see a Game 7, the bad news is we have no hockey until Saturday.

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

I'm finally respecting Braden Holtby. He's withstood the pressure, clung to his confidence, and he's making big saves. He gives the Capitals confidence to play their game. Which isn't the high-flying offensive hockey that we've seen from them in years past. They've become more hardcore. They grind goals. But they also have that skill and talent to take advantage of odd man rushes and Power Plays.

Game 7 should be fantastic. It will be played Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Winner faces New Jersey.

-The Captain

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

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 17

The Rangers/Caps game started 90 minutes before the Coyotes/Predators game. And it ended about an hour after the Coyotes/Predators game ended.

PREDATORS 2, COYOTES 0 - (Coyotes lead series 2-1)

Pekka Rinne was huge in this game. It was close to a must-win for Nashville. The Preds were also without Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn. The team suspended them for a violation of team rules over the weekend. Rumor has it they broke curfew with a night out on the town. The disciplining seemed to work. I wouldn't be stunned if one or both of these guys didn't dress for Game 4.

Game 4 is Friday night in Nashville.

RANGERS 2, CAPITALS 1 (3OT) - (Rangers lead series 2-1)

Rangers' defenseman Ryan McDonagh had 53:17 of ice-time. There were 95 total shots on goal. There were 81 blocked shots. Marc Staal played 63 shifts. This was a grind of a grind. Neither goalie gave an inch. Gaborik scored the game-winner thanks to some excellent play along the boards. Anyone who watched this game understands why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best postseason in all of sports. Even Boomer Esiason tweeted: "One of the greatest hockey games I've ever witnessed. #NYR and #Caps show why hockey playoffs are the absolute best."

Game 4 Saturday in D.C.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Flyers @ Devils - NBC Sports - Series tied 1-1
10:00pm - Blues @ Kings - NBC Sports - Kings lead series 2-0

-The Captain

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

-The Captain

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

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 11

The first round is over. The Champions are out. The President's Trophy winners are out. The top seed in the East was nearly knocked out. We have teams from Phoenix and Nashville, but also two teams in the New York metro area, along with Philadelphia.

RANGERS 2, SENATORS 1 - (Rangers win series 4-3)

Going to a hockey game with Spike Lee would be something to write an entire book about.

Alfredsson scored, and maybe had he participated in the entire series things would be different. But another Swede came through big for New York. Henrik Lundqvist allowed a mere 13 goals in the series. We all saw last year what a defensive minded team can do with a red hot goalie. Maybe the Rangers will be this year's Bruins.

They'll face the Capitals in the Conference semifinals.

DEVILS 3, PANTHERS 2 (2OT) - (Devils win series 4-3)

22 year old Adam Henrique hadn't scored in this series. He scored twice in Game 7, including the game-winner. Florida wasn't expected to make this an interesting series, but they did. And it was actually because of their Power Play which scored 9 of their 17 total goals in the series. New Jersey had the best PK in the NHL in the regular season.

The Devils will face Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia in the Conference semifinals.

Tonight's game:
9:00pm - Predators @ Coyotes

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 9

The Western Conference quarterfinals are complete and the semifinals are set. But the East is still very much up in the air. The 1 and 8 seeds will be going to Game 7. As will the 2 and 7. And maybe even the 3 and 6.

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

Daniel Alfredsson returned but the Senators couldn't stop New York's Power Play. The refs called a very soft game, though. Ottawa scored after a weak roughing call. New York scored after a weak goalie interference call. I hate seeing games won and lost on Power Plays. Chris Kreider did score an even strength goal for the Rangers in his 4th game as a pro. He was playing for Boston College in the NCAA Championship just 16 days ago. Now he already has an NHL playoff goal.

Game 7 Thursday night in New York.

COYOTES 4, BLACKHAWKS 0 - (Coyotes win series 4-2)

Chicago started this game on fire, backed by a very vocal home crowd. They ran into a wall, though. And that wall was named Mike Smith. The Phoenix goalie stopped 16 shots in the 1st period, and 39 overall. Eventually, the Coyotes scored some Power Play goals and won their first playoff series since moving to Phoenix.

They'll face Nashville in the semis. And LA will face St. Louis. So that's Mike Smith vs. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick vs. Eliot/Halak. Don't expect many high scoring games in the next round.

Tonight's game:
7:30pm - Panthers @ Devils - NBC Sports - Panthers lead 3-2

-The Captain

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

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 8

I'm not a gambling man, but if I were, I would bet on every team that's down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup playoffs to win Game 4. Sweeps are rare in the NHL. And that 4th win is truly the hardest to get.

PENGUINS 10, FLYERS 3 - (Flyers lead series 3-1)

That's the correct score. Jordan Staal had a hat-trick, Malkin had 2 goals and an assist, 13 Penguins registered a point. The 1st period of this game was a game on its own. It was 4-3 at the end of the 1st, and 8 penalties had been handed out. By the end of the 2nd, it was 9-3 Penguins, and 52 penalty minutes had been issued. 100 total minutes were given.

In related news, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has decided to split itself into two states, named Sylvania and the Penn Republic (I stole those names from Futurama).

Game 5 Friday night in Pittsburgh, Sylvania.

SENATORS 3, RANGERS 2 (OT) - (Series tied 2-2)

With Daniel Alfredsson still out, the Senators needed offensive contributions from guys like Milan Michalek. And some production from their defensemen wouldn't hurt either. Michalek scored his first goal of the series. And Sergei Gonchar scored about 10 minutes later. Kyle Turris scored the game-winner. So this 1 vs. 8 series is now a best of three.

Game 5 Saturday night at MSG.

CANUCKS 3, KINGS 1 - (Kings lead series 3-1)

Cory Schneider is the best goalie on the Vancouver Canucks. End of story. He stopped 43 shots last night. He's only allowed 2 goals in his 2 starts this series. Luongo's career has been marked by results that never matched reputation. Schneider has no reputation, but he's producing results. Both Sedins are back in the lineup (Henrik scored last night) and this series is far from over.

Game 5 Sunday in Vancouver.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Panthers @ Devils - NHL Network - Panthers lead 2-1
7:30pm - Bruins @ Capitals - NESN/NBC Sports - Bruins lead 2-1
8:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Coyotes lead 2-1
10:30pm - Blues @ Sharks - NBC Sports - Blues lead 2-1

-The Captain

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

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Preview: Senators vs. Rangers

It's surprising to see both these teams where they are. They key players on the Rangers are all having great seasons. And the Senators are back in the playoffs much earlier than anyone could have predicted.

Both teams, however, ended the regular season on losing notes. The Rangers lost the President's Trophy to Vancouver, and the Senators fell from 7th to 8th place.

Special teams are normally a factor in the playoffs, but the Rangers' weak Power Play (23rd in the NHL) won't be able to take advantage of Ottawa's mediocre PK unit. Meanwhile, the Rangers' outstanding PK (5th best) should be able to quiet Ottawa's solid Power play (11th best). This series will be determined 5-on-5.

Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the NHL. He struggled against Ottawa this season (9 goals in 3 games), but in the past he's always been able to shut down the Senators.

Ottawa has some weapons, and they'll win a few games in this series to make it interesting. But they're too young at key spots, they make too many small mistakes that become breakaway opportunities (which the Rangers are excellent in converting), and the Rangers are just a little bit deeper than they are.

Rangers in 7.

Series schedule:
1: Thursday 4/12 - 7:00pm - OTT @ NYR - NHL Network
2: Saturday 4/14 - 7:00pm - OTT @ NYR - NBC Sports
3: Monday 4/16 - 7:30pm - NYR @ OTT - CNBC
4: Wednesday 4/18 - 7:30pm - NYR @ OTT - CNBC
5: Saturday 4/21 - 7:00pm - OTT @ NYR - NBC Sports
6: Monday 4/23 - tba - NYR @ OTT - tba
7: Thursday 4/26 - tba - OTT @ NYR - tba

-The Captain