Kevin Paul and Stacey Kilpatrick continue to talk NHL Playoffs at The Wife Hates Sports. The most recent chatter highlights some playoff statistics, recaps and discussions over the last 48 hours of action in the NHL.
The last 48 hours of playoff hockey has seen its share of headlines and excitement. The Detroit Red Wings were the first team to move on to the next round, completing a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Coyotes. Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Lightning – with its 8-2 Game 5 win – gave the Penguins its worst home playoff loss in history, cutting Pittsburgh’s series lead to 3-2.
KP rattles off the latest status each series in the NHL Playoffs, while also handing out GOLD STARS to some of the game’s top performers thus far in the postseason:
GOLD STARS: NHL Playoffs – Conference Quarterfinals Edition
(1) Washington vs. (8) New York
Capitals win series 4-1
Jason Chimera (WAS) – One of two players to have 2 game winning goals in playoffs
Mike Green (WAS) – Only player to have at least one point in each of 5 games in the series
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) – Steady force, leading team in hits, with 3 goals and 2 assists
Michal Neuvirth (WAS) – Prior to Game 5, he led all goalies in Goals Against Avg (1.45)
Michal Neuvirth and the Washington Capitals are moving on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals
(1) Vancouver vs. (8) Chicago
Canucks lead series 3-2
Daniel Sedin (VAN) – 4 goals and 2 assists in the playoffs so far
Duncan Keith (CHI) – A force for the ‘Hawks, 6 points, 4 goals and 22 shots
(2) Philadelphia vs. (7) Buffalo
Sabres lead series 3-2
Ryan Miller (BUF) – Leads all postseason goalies with two shutouts
James van Riemsdyk (PHI) – His 28 shots are most in the NHL Playoffs to date
(2) San Jose vs. (7) Los Angeles
Sharks lead series 3-1
Sharks’ Faceoff Win Percentage – 57.4% – By far the best in the playoffs to date
Ryane Clowe (SJS) – 4 goals, 3 assists and 7 points in the playoffs
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Tampa Bay
Penguins lead series 3-2
Penguins’ Shots Per Game – 38.4 – By far the most shots per game in playoffs to date
Lightning Power Play Percentage -36.4% – Best in the NHL Playoffs thus far
Vincent Lecavalier (TB) – One of two players to have 2 game winning goals in playoffs
Martin St. Louis (TB) – His 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) are tied for most in NHL Playoffs
Dwayne Roloson (TB) – His 180 saves are the most in the playoffs to date
(4) Anaheim vs. (5) Nashville
Predators lead series 3-2
Mr. Carrie Underwood (Mike Fisher) has been clutch in the postseason
Corey Perry (ANA) – His 6 assists are most in the NHL Playoffs; 8 points tied for most
Teemu Selanne (ANA) – Leads the NHL Playoffs with 4 power play goals
Mike Fisher (NSH) – Carrie Underwood’s husband leads his team with 6 points
Patric Hornqvist (NSH) – His 27 shots are 2nd most in the playoffs
(3) Detroit vs. (6) Phoenix
Red Wings win series 4-0
Pavel Datsyuk (DET) – Was dominant in the series, with 2 goals, 4 assists, +6 and 15 shots
Jimmy Howard (DET) – Undefeated in the postseason with a .915 save percentage
Shane Doan (PHX) – A solid postseason; 5 points and 3 goals in a losing effort
(3) Boston vs. (6) Montreal
Series tied 2-2
Michael Ryder (BOS) – Key overtime winner that tied the series
Michael Cammalleri (MON) – 2 goals, 5 assists and 7 points in first 4 games
Carey Price (MON) – To this point, has statistically outperformed Tim Thomas
All stats per NHL.com and as of early Saturday April 23, 2011
-KP
Kevin Paul is the creator, founder, editor and head writer for The Wife Hates Sports
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Speaking of the Bruins-Canadiens series, Stacey Kilpatrick chimes in on the most heated rivalry in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs…
KIL-ZONE – Stacey Kilpatrick Recaps Bruins-Canadiens Games 4 & 5
GAME 4 Summary
Michael Ryder for the win.
Right Wing #73 shoots from wide right on Montreal’s Carey Price and gets the goal, giving the Boston Bruins a 5-4 road victory in sudden death overtime. Game 4 goes to Boston and it’s a 2-2 series, folks.
The Bears, who never led, came back from three ties for the win in Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Ryder put in the first and last goals, as well as an assist for Boston.
Let’s not forget about Chris Kelly, the broken-faced man who tied it 4-4 with 6:18 remaining in the third. Monday night, Montreal’s Scott Gomez checked Kelly into the crossbar during Game 3. Sporting a black eye and wearing a full facemask, Kelly had good enough vision at close range to tie it up with his shot in the blue.
Thursday’s game started off in Montreal’s favor, when Brent Sopel scored a slap shot at 8:13 in the first, putting the Canadiens ahead 1-0 with help from Michael Cammalleri and David Desharnais.
But Ryder scored his first, and the Bruins’ first, at 2:13 in the second, tying it 1-1, with assists from Kelly and Tomas Kaberle.
Montreal upped its advantage by two, 3-1, after Cammalleri (assists by Gomez and Brian Gionta) and Andrei Kostitsyn (assists by Tomas Plekanec and Travis Moen) slapped shots past Tim Thomas.
But with less than three minutes remaining until the end of the second, Andrew Ference and Patrice Bergeron tied it 3-all with help from Bergeron and Brad Marchand on Ference’s goal and Marchand and Dennis Seidenberg on Bergeron’s.
Montreal then edged the Bruins again just 1:39 into the third on a power play goal by P.K. Subban (assists by James Wisniewski and Michael Cammalleri). Subban scored from inside the left faceoff circle, nabbing his second career playoff goal.
Game 4 Shift
Momentum for the Habs kept sliding when Price continued his rad-saving series, diving in all directions and blocking four Boston scoring attempts. Between Marchand and Johnny Boychuk, the Bruins threw four shots at him. And he saved each and every last one.
Kelly then made his second score at 13:42 in the third with assists by Ryder and Rich Peverley, tying the game for the third time, 4-4.
With 2:19 left, a “WHAT, come on” moment occurred.
Seidenberg received an interference penalty for holding and blocking Canadien Tomas Plekanec. In that moment — it’s a pause where you’re gripping your pillow, bouncing your feet and your butt is barely resting on your couch, you’re so nervous waiting for the outcome as the clock runs out – you’re asking yourself over and over again, “WHO WILL WIN?”
In the end, Boston was left cheering, and this is now a best of three series.
GAME 5
Sweat was pouring down many Bruins fans’ brows as the ice was melting during double overtime Saturday night in Boston where the (3) Bruins were facing (6) Montreal in Game 5, with the series tied 2-2.
Shot after shot after shot after shot after shot; nothing was breaking the 1-1 tie.
Montreal’s Carey Price (49 saves) and Boston’s Tim Thomas (44 saves) weren’t slipping; they were catching every puck, blocking every stick and body, and lunging, practically splitting for saves.
But at 9:03, in the Bruins’ 18th longest game, Nathan Horton scored a beauty, giving the Bears a 2-1 win and a 3-2 lead over the Canadiens in the first-round playoff series.
Price stopped Andrew Ference’s shot from 30-some-odd feet, but the puck rebounded out of Price’s reach and into Horton’s, who nudged the puck in from the right of the crease for the Bruins’ third straight victory of the series, successfully rebounding from its early 0-2 hole.
This ending was almost as exciting as winning the Cup itself.
The game was scoreless until the third period, when Brad Marchand put the B’s on the board at 4:33, with assists from Patrice Bergeron and Tomas Kaberle.
Jeff Halpern tied it up at 13:56, with help from Lars Eller and Mathieu Darche.
Bruins lead series 3-2
Game 6 at Montreal – Tuesday April 26, 2011 – 7:00pm ET
-SK
Stacey Kilpatrick is a new contributor to The Wife Hates Sports, and for the time being, will be writing up recaps of the NHL Playoffs.
