Month: June 2022

The excitement generated for game one was worth it for those fans fortunate enough to be in Denver at the Ball Arena Wednesday night witnessing some two-goal leads, a tied game for nearly half an hour, overtime, and the home team vanquishing the visitors.

The Avalanche appeared ready to go right from the opening faceoff despite the prognostications of the announcers that were obsequiously flattering the Lightning all game, highlighted by the announcer’s description of Colorado’s first two scores as “not the prettiest but they went in”.

The first goal was a beautiful shot that went through Mr. Vasilevskiy’s glove side by Mr. Rantanen and as it was going towards the net when Mr. Landeskog made sure with the tip as he was being hooked around the waist by Mr. Hagel and fell to the ice.

The second goal was better than the first as Mr. Makar checks Mr. Paul off the puck along the dasher board getting Mr. MacKinnon the puck who alertly snaps a pass to a wide-open Mr. Nichushkin whose greasy wrister from the top of the faceoff circle beats Mr. Vasilevskiy.

If it is an ugly goal example required the Lightning’s first score was just that and a bit of luck for Tampa Bay’s Mr. Paul who now has scored four goals and four assists in these playoffs from a player who could barely score for Ottawa over seven seasons.

The third goal resulted from a 5-on-3 benefiting from Tampa Bay’s inability to stop tripping Colorado’s best offensive players, no matter how many times Mr. Cirelli shakes his head no in the penalty box, he did trip Mr. Makar.

Now HC Cooper began to get emotional when he thought there should have been an offside call before Colorado burned Mr. Vasilevskiy again, offside review will always come down to the linesmen’s call on the ice.

Video replay clearly highlights Mr. Makar did not touch the puck until Mr. Nichushkin cleared the zone, on-air reporting citing NHL video coaches from teams not in the playoffs all backing the linesman’s call.

In the second period Tampa Bay skates to within one of Colorado with a beautiful score of their own compliments of Mr. Kucherov, who when passing to the goal scorer Mr. Palat was mentioned “for his brilliance” of his assist by the fawning announcer.

Moments later Tampa Bay scores again for the tie and with approximately six and half minutes remaining in the second period there will not be another goal scored until overtime.

Overtime lasted 83 seconds as the Avalanche took control of the puck mid-ice and skated into the offensive zone with an even-man rush of three-on-three as the Lightning defenseman blocked the initial shot it went to a Colorado player who passed it across the ice to Mr. Burakovsky who scored.

The NHL had scheduled the first game Wednesday night with the second game three nights later, a long delay between the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals but Saturday night at eight o’clock Colorado hosts game two.

Game six in Tampa Bay went the Lightning’s way with a 2-1 effort eliminating the Rangers in a home win propelling Tampa Bay to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The first period was filled with 18 SOG which is the average for the entire game with these two teams and we also saw the #14 magoon punch Mr. Trouba in the head knocking off the helmet but no harm, no foul.

The scoreless period also has ESPN producing a positive Tampa Bay graphic for viewers, Mr. Bogosian for the Lightning looks more solid offensively and Mr. Braun protects the defensive zone well for the Rangers.

In the final five minutes the Rangers hold a 64-36 faceoff percentage advantage and Mr. Shesterkin looks brilliant with a pad save on a Tampa Bay forward Mr. Cirelli.

It appears as if New York has the lightning rods against Tampa Bay as Mr. Shesterkin one minute into the second period makes a beautiful glove/pad stack save to keep the game scoreless.

Then the best check of the series came at 17:27 of the second period when a crushingly clean shoulder-to-shoulder check from Mr. Trouba put Mr. Perry convincingly to the ice.

More physical play ensues as Mr. Bogosian after a little face wash goons it up with a headlock on Mr. Rooney which also became a helmet remover, but astonishingly when penalties are meted out Mr. Bogosian escapes the official’s ire and we are at four on four.

At the 12:23 mark, ESPN produces a negative New York graphic for viewers, and two minutes after that Mr. Hedman has a hissy fit as he ducked almost completely out of the way from a glass and dasher board rattling check.

After all of Mr. Shesterkin’s efforts at the 9:17 mark, Tampa Bay takes a weak shot that unbelievably eludes the goaltender, five minutes later the Rangers penalty killers are once again successful and the period ends with 23 SOG 13 in favor of Tampa Bay.  

In the third period, the Rangers are outhitting and blocking, winning faceoffs are awarded their second power play, but they have to score, which they do eventually to tie the game on their 19^th shot and we have a nail-biter.

But not even 30 seconds later Tampa Bay scores a controversial goal that highlighted goaltender interference but was ruled a clean goal by the officials and so it goes…

Game 1 at eight o’clock in Colorado the 12-2 Avalanche will open up the Stanley Cup Finals at home versus the 12-5 Lightning Wednesday night.

Game five was a low shooting and scoring affair Thursday night as both teams combine for 3 SOG 1 halfway through the first period with the Rangers spending most of the period in the offensive zone and winning 57 percent of faceoffs.

At 8:50 the Bread Man dangles and skates circles around Mr. Paul and it caused the Tampa Bay player to lose his balance and fall to the ice.

Finally at the 6:49 mark, the Lightning take their second shot of the game and the announcers ignore this fact after hyping the fact that the Ranges had a low SOG last game.

The obsequiousness of the ESPN announcers was so apparent they actually posted negative statistical information on the screen about the Rangers during the first period.

The second period highlighted New York’s sterling penalty-killing abilities,and the first Rangers power play was set up when Mr. Shesterkin alertly shot the puck at the Lightning bench during a change to earn the “too many men on the ice” call.

On top of which Tampa Bay is taking a whole three shots for the period and also hit two goal posts which the announcers kept commenting on well into the second period at the 5:18 mark again, Tampa had hit two posts.

The announcers’ constant mentioning of the Lightning’s two posts stopped when there were two and a half minutes left in the second period and Tampa Bay scored a lucky/perfect shot through no less than a six-player screen to tie the game at one.

The third period with seven minutes remaining had both teams acquiring 23 SOG, a quick-thinking Mr. Palat sheepishly ducks out of the way to avoid getting hit by Mr. Trouba.

Tampa gets their second score with less than two minutes left in the game when skittish Mr. Palat scores to make the score 2-1 and with 58 seconds remaining a Happy Net goal seals the victory for the Lightning.

Tonight the Rangers must return the favor and beat the Lightning on the road at Amalie Arena in Florida with puck drop scheduled for approximately eight o’clock.

And we are headed back to New York City for game five with the series all tied up as it should be between the 7^th and 8^th place overall regular-season Eastern Conference teams.

Some players find success late in their careers, for example, Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Mr. Pat Maroon who was on the Cup-winning Blues team and contributed three goals in 26 playoff games and then 13 goals over the next two Cup-winning playoff runs with Tampa Bay.

Mr. Maroon may not score often but last night’s score was a beauty after picking up a rebound off of a Mr. Bogosian shot for his third of these playoffs while playing 10 minutes, shooting the puck once, and dishing out three hits for the game.

Tampa Bay played like a team desperate to win and New York played like a team desperate to end the series early and at the halfway point of the second period the game was choppy and chaotic.

Once the initial goal is scored the game is blocking, shots wide, hits, choppy skating and passing, rebounds were there even with the low SOG, and a “no goal” review/call on a brilliant save from Mr. Shesterkin.

A moment of offense as Mr. Palat passes to Mr. Kucherov skating right down the middle to score on Tampa’s 13^th SOG and then the game resumed its grind and when Mr. Stamkos scored you could feel that this game was won.

The Rangers were able to stymie Mr. Vasilevskiy in his shutout bid when “The Bread Man” Mr. Panarin elevated a shot up to the corner glove side after gifted a deflection from Mr. McDonagh.  

The series resumes Thursday, June 9^th for game five at eight o’clock in Madison Square Garden.

An exciting elimination game last night in Edmonton with two-goal leads, multiple lead changes, 11 goals, and finally an overtime win.

Nearly four minutes into the game Mr. Makar scores on the power play after Mr. Rantanen checks Mr. Hyman off the puck affording Mr. Lehkonen an opportunity to gather the puck and pass it to Mr. Makar whose shot from way out in the prairies eludes Mr. Smith’s glove. 

The first ten minutes highlight some good hitting and great backchecking by both teams and Colorado’s forecheck is relentless as witnessed on their second penalty kill outshooting Edmonton 3-1.

With 90 seconds remaining Avalanche defenseman Mr. Byram falls into the post and while on the ice Mr. Smith gave him a good shot to the head with the blocker, a whack to the ankle for being in the crease is one thing but this was uncalled for.

The Avalanche take the first seven shots of the second period, hit a post, the announcers contemplating that HC Woodcroft does not trust his depth then the Oilers break through Colorado’s layers of defense and tie the game at one.

Moments after the tying goal Mr. Landeskog inadvertently crashes into the dasher boards with Mr. Kassian after which Mr. Kassian gets up and attacks Mr. Landeskog with a wrestling hold on the ice, Oilers on the power play, and Mr. Kassian received a free shot.  

Mr. Nugent-Hopkins breakaway resulted from a bad pass turnover that he backhanded up and over the blocker enabling Edmonton to score twice on five shots, minutes later Mr. McDavid scored on the power play off the post glove side for the two-goal lead to finish the period. 

The third period was an absolute barn burner with six goals and beginning at 31 seconds in Mr. Toews shoots the puck off of the leg of Mr. Ceci and off Mr. Smith’s glove edge and in the net as both Colorado goals are scored by a defenseman.

Edmonton responded a few minutes later with a 4-on-2 odd-man rush that culminated with Mr. McDavid to Mr. Draisaitle to Mr. Hyman and off of the face mask/cage of Mr. Francouz for the 4-2 lead and the Oilers are skating well.

When Mr. Landeskog was able to score Mr. Smith had a fit and slammed his very flexible goalie stick on the ice in frustration, (it did not break), and the score was not challenged or “looked at” so it was a good goal.

Six and a half minutes remaining in the game when Mr. McKinnon scores a beautiful goal from inside the bottom of the faceoff circle upstairs “where Momma hides the cookies” and the game is tied.

The determined Avalanche score on the power play as they earn three goals on five shots in less than six minutes and the Oilers respond quickly as Mr. Nurse slams/checks Mr. Rantanen to the ice, two passes and a rebound later Mr. Kassian ties the game at five.

We are headed to OVERTIME!

It did not take long, at the 18:41 mark with what has been analyzed as a good goal the initial touch at shoulder height resulted in a shot, not a goal had the puck entered the net it would have been high sticking and no goal.

When it is a SOG a high stick is determined by the height of the player’s shoulder, when a goal is scored a high stick is determined by the height of the crossbar.

When the announcers referred to the most loathed referee Mr. Koharski about this goal while watching the slow-mo replay Mr. Koharski said, “holy sh*t” live on air, classy.

Edmonton played well in game four but Colorado is a beast and swept the Oilers and now await the winner of the Rangers and Lightning series, game four tonight in NYC with the Rangers holding a 2-1 series lead.