Month: May 2023

Adin Hill was a Mountain

SC 4 – DAL 0 if you cannot score you cannot win and it was not from lack of effort as Dallas took nearly 20 more SOG than the Knights who managed 4SOG in the second period and 2SOG in the third period but Mr. Oettinger was not at his best and was pulled before the eight-minute mark of the first period.

To make matters worse Mr. Benn earned a cross-checking penalty with a game misconduct in the first two minutes of the game, the good news for Dallas is that they were 60% in faceoffs, took over 30SOG, killed five out of six penalties, and Mr. Wedgewood looked solid in relief.

Florida fans have their brooms ready and Carolina has some tough skating to do if they want to have an opportunity to return to Raleigh for a game five as the Panthers host the Hurricanes tonight at 8pm EST.

Bobrovsky Blockade

FLA 1 – CAR 0 In what is considered a “defensive clinic” Florida outlasts Carolina as the Hurricanes took over 30 SOG and 15 of them came from one forward and two defensemen as well as taking three slashing penalties in the second period allowing Mr. Reinhart to score the game’s lone goal.

The Hurricanes switched goaltenders again, took more than enough SOG, had breakaways and odd-man rushes, and pulled the goalie with over three minutes remaining in the game, but deflections, shots wide, and Mr. Bobrovsky caused Carolina to come up empty offensively.

The Stars host their first home game of the Western Conference Finals versus the Knights tonight at eight o’clock EST.

Knights fortunate win

SC 3 – DAL 2 OT  Historically this is the first time the first two games from each series of the Conference Finals / Stanley Cup Semi-Finals have resulted in overtime.

This game was all Dallas until the final five minutes of play through the end of regulation and into overtime, the Knights had only 10 SOG combined for the first and second periods and only three more SOG halfway through the third.

The Stars built a 2-1 lead with the Knights’ lone goal earned on a (5 on 3) power play and with less than three minutes remaining in the game Jackie Vegas throws a blind pass from the end boards that found Mr. Marchessault who scored his sixth of the postseason.

After the tying goal, the announcer proclaimed Mr. Eichel as the Master Playmaker and then reflected out loud that it was his first point of the series, the Knights now have to count on him and Mr. Hill to repeat their efforts in Dallas.

The Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes after building a 2-0 games series lead in Raleigh at 8pm tonight EST.

Cats Control Canes

FLA 2 – CAR 1 OT Not since 1977 has the first two games of the NHL semifinals series begun with overtime and nearly 30 seasons since a player scored two overtime goals in the Conference Finals additionally Florida is now 6-0 in overtime with five of the victories on the road.

In the first period, Carolina did all it could, a new goalie, scored first, took 20 SOG, and had Florida’s first goal called back on an offsides review although they had one called back for the same reason the Hurricanes took the 1-0 lead into the second period.

Both teams combined for 31 SOG in the first period, 16 SOG in the second period, and 11 SOG in the third with each goaltender playing well over a .900 save percentage.

As both teams were committed to hitting and blocking with some glorious scoring chances for both sides it was a hooking call in the final frame that produced the overtime winning goal by Mr. Tkachuk.

The Western Conference Finals game two is an afternoon game in the desert between the Stars and Knights beginning at 3pm EST.

Non-turnover ruins Texas effort

SC 4 – DAL 3 OT The murkiness surrounding goaltender interference is maddening, up until last night interference on the goalie was not called if the offensive player was not in the blue ice, clearly, there was blue ice occupation for the Knights on their third tally.

It should not have counted, the Knights player deliberately skated toward the blue ice and slid into the goaltender without assistance from the two defending Stars, and remained prone on the blue ice until his teammate shot the puck and scored.

The rest of the game was very entertaining, all even strength goals, 30 SOG combined in the first period, outstanding play by both goaltenders, with golden opportunities missed, and as expected by these two evenly matched teams, a close game.

Perhaps I was the only one who cheered here along the Lake when Jackie Vegas did not score on a breakaway I did not intend to, it just popped out.

Game Two pressure to win is squarely on the Hurricanes at home to split their series with the Panthers tonight at eight o’clock and after literally playing over two games during the first game both teams look to end this one in regulation.