All Posts

For the second consecutive playoff series opener, Edmonton allows nearly 50 SOG against and gets bombarded in the first opener with nine goals against and then eight goals against in this series opener last night.

Mr. Kane opens the scoring with his NHL playoff leading 13^th goal as he accepts a pass just as he skates over the center redline and continues unmolested right down main street to bury the shot past Mr. Kuemper for the one nothing lead five minutes in.

When Colorado scored with approximately 14 seconds left in the first period to take the 3-2 lead, the replay clearly highlights a clean tag-up before the puck is touched in the offensive zone and Edmonton is penalized for the failed challenge.

To begin the second period on their first power-play Colorado scores 32 seconds in but Edmonton comes right back and then before you know it the Avalanche score another one on Mr. Smith who at this point gets a “mercy pulling” according to the announcer.

After the Avalanche builds a 7-3 four-goal lead Mr. McDavid scores the first of the next three Edmonton goals and this barn burner suddenly becomes a tight one-goal game until the very end with just over 20 seconds remaining and a Happy Net goal for the 8-6 Colorado victory.

This game featured the second-highest amount of goals scored in a Conference Final, two backup goaltenders (starters hurt or tired),  broadcasted by TNT utilizing spectacular ice level shots for faceoffs, unfortunately, they also use one of the most loathed referees for an analyst on called penalties.

Disastrously, Colorado’s starting goaltender now has sustained an upper-body injury, and Edmonton’s number one 40-year-old goalie could bounce back strong, game two Thursday night puck drops at eight o’clock in Colorado.

Tonight’s game one of the Eastern Conference finals pitting the Broadway Blueshirts versus the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions in a series where these two teams could not be more evenly matched statistically, so this will come down to heart and determination, Rangers in six.

After winning three at home and dropping three on the road entering Game Seven the New York Rangers came into Carolina and took a quick two-goal lead in the first period, but the game was not out of reach with Carolina getting plenty of offensive zone time.

The Rangers goaltender Mr. Shesterkin at times seemed unbeatable and when the Hurricanes were down to their third-string goalie the floodgates opened and with a Happy Net goal New York wins convincingly 6-2.

Game One of the Conference Semi-Finals begins tonight with Colorado hosting Edmonton as two of the NHL’s high octane offenses clash with each team averaging over four goals a game.

Colorado is the number one power play but Edmonton is a much better penalty-killing team, faceoffs are about even, the Oilers average slightly more goals against, and boast a goaltender that just turned 40 years old two months ago, and they have Mr. McDavid.  

This series will come down to the leaders of each team and what they can accomplish Mr. McDavid and Mr. MacKinnon are both capable of carrying their teams and each has quality players on their rosters, so tighten your skate laces this is going to be exciting.

The Colorado Avalanche win the game, the series during the waning moments of the third period versus a determined St. Louis Blues team, and as well as Mr. Husso played Mr. Binnington realistically might not have made much of a difference in this series.

Colorado once again peppered Mr. Husso with an avalanche of SOG while barely surrendering a half a dozen SOG each period to St. Louis, scored on the power play, killed off two penalties, and won most of the faceoffs during a closely fought game.

Colorado has not won a playoff series since 2008 and has not won the Stanley Cup Conference Finals since 2001 so now the Avalanche goes up against the offensive power of the Oilers for the right to appear in the Stanley Cup Finals.

They had their chances they had leads, had the established goaltender, earning a +85 goal differential in the regular season as the sixth-best team in the league, yet all for naught as Mr. McDavid, Mr. Draisaitl, and Mr. Kane were backed up by Mr. Smith to douse the Flames.

Calgary’s fifth goal was good the puck was rolling/bouncing into the net when a non-kicking motion skate blade assisted the puck’s velocity, upon review the replay clearly shows this.

Interestingly the Oilers Mr. McDavid is only the second Edmonton player besides Mr. Tikkanen to score a series-clinching overtime goal in the Battle of Alberta.

Carolina and New York win at home in this series and the Rangers are going to have to score three or four goals while onsides to win and the Hurricanes can close out the series by allowing one or no goals.

Even in victory, Carolina could only win in OT or a shutout whereas New York’s victories were by two and three-goal margins, both these teams are playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde style of Hockey as the visitors can barely manage to score once during the game.

Colorado can close out their series versus the Blues in St. Louis tonight beginning at eight o’clock.

Game Five of the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals if you were born last Century or for the younger Hockey fans this is the second round or the Conference Semi-Finals and either way we have drama.

Since New York took revenge on Mr. Domi for his cheap slash/check after the whistle ending game three it would appear Carolina is now crying foul when Mr. Trouba laid out Mr. Domi with a “legal” open-ice hit.

I am willing to make the supposition if Mr. Domi could have kept his emotions in check and did not act out physically after the whistle ending game three that Mr. Trouba possibly might have pulled up a bit or not gone “through” Mr. Domi in game four.

They say the best form of revenge is to be successful and that is exactly what Mr. Kane has been for Edmonton since the Oilers acquired him, two hat tricks one natural, leads all scorers with 12, and no sign of being a “locker room cancer” during these playoffs.

The addition of a 30-year-old “journeyman” to play alongside Mr. McDavid was nothing short of a coup for Edmonton, no amount of slanted bad press will deter this Edmonton team and Calgary needs Mr. Markstrom to stay in the net to avoid elimination.