By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Cupcanal

There are many storylines tonight but the actual game is the story.  We can focus on every minuscule elementbut at this point the only thing both teams are focused on is winning. Winning Lord Stanley’s Cup, the greatest prize in the history of the sport, which will be given to the undisputed champion of the 2011 NHL Playoffs.

Amid the controversy, determination and scuttlebutt comes two seemingly confident teams — digging deep in order to get that last necessary W. The beneficiary of that win will finish the playoffs with 16, while the other 15 wins remain a rewarding yet useless statistic when the 35 lbs of silver and nickel alloy gets hoisted above the head of the enemy.

In the Vancouver Canucks camp, the team remains confident, or at least spoke to reporters this morning in a confident manner. Alternate captain Daniel Sedin likes the team’s odds although he must be somewhat discouraged by his team’s lack of a killer instinct.

“You know, that was probably me being excited and the words came wrong out of my mouth. What I said was if we put our best game on the ice, I like our chances. That’s the way it’s been all year. When we play our best, we’re a tough team to beat. We show that at home. We like our chances.”

The sniper Sedin assisted on both goals in his team’s 5-2 loss and has taken some of the pressure off the disappearances of brother Henrik Sedin and the slumping center Ryan Kesler. Sedin finished the season as the League leader in points so naturally being held off the scoresheet for three of the past six games have been a feat of its own. To take a page out of his book, we like his changes at finding the back of the net tonight.

Regardless, to do that he will need to find twine behind Conn Smythe shoe-in Tim Thomas. Through the first six games of the series, Thomas has posted an unbelievable 1.42 GAA, .962 SV% with a shutout. His success has been the complete opposite of Roberto Luongo, who continues to ward off his doubters while being pulled in two of his six starts and shutting out the Bruins in two of those six as well.

Simply put: the goalies control their team’s fate.

One thing we do know is the Canucks do not need motivation scoring on Thomas. After six marvelous performances, they seem confident in getting the puck past him, not relying on the Mason Raymond injury to motivate them — opposed to the #DoitforHorton campaign — as Kevin Bieksa pointed out this morning. “We obviously wish Mason was in the lineup right now, but I’ve said from the beginning, we don’t need extra motivation,” said Bieksa. “The Stanley Cup is enough motivation for us. So we’re not looking for any extras to help us get to that peak motivation.”

The Canucks do not lack motivation, much like the Bruins don’t feel added pressure on them. The latter were confident in their abilities during Game 6 and won by a healthy margin. They remain calm as this excellent mix of veteran leadership and young up-and-comers continue to blossom. ”Pressure’s five kids, no job,” Shawn Thornton said to Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe. “This is Game 7. This is fun, right? We get to play a game for a living. Just enjoy it.” He puts the game into perspective but make no mistake he wants to hoist the Cup and watching a Sedin with it would not be ‘fun’.

To summarize, the Bruins are relaxed, the Canucks like their odds and the point is still winning the Stanley Cup. When all is said and done, no one playing in this contest will forget the action tonight as we prepare for the final tilt of the season and will finally have a resolution to another season. Puck drops at 8:00 PM EST; it could not come quicker at this point.

Expected Game 7 Boston Bruins Lineup:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi*
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Thomas will make his 25th consecutive start in goal.

The Bruins are not expected to make any line changes tonight after using this winning formula since Horton left the ice on a stretcher. Expect more of the same.

*It has been speculated tonight will be Mark Recchi’s last NHL game. He hopes to hoist the Cup up for one last time tonight.

Expected Game 7 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Jeff Tambellini**
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler***, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 18th consecutive start in goal tonight.

**Tambellini is the expected replacement for Raymond but it remains unknown where he will play tonight. He has enough speed to play on the second line and has even taken shifts with the Sedin Twins earlier in the season. AV will play his cards close to the vest.

***Edler did not skate this morning but is expected to stay in the lineup tonight.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Roberto Luongo

Out of the four players I could find transcripts for, nobody on the Canucks mentioned Luongo. There is absolutely no doubt that he will make or break this game. It all starts with the first 10 minutes. If he can make saves on the short side or up by his ears, he should be fine. If not, Cory Schneider might get called into the game even earlier.

Boston Bruins — Tim Thomas

Thomas knows what he needs to do and shows all the determination to win tonight’s game.

“Yep, the reality is, for me anyways, this may be the only Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals that I ever have in my career. If we happen to make it again, hopefully we can win before 7. But it’s a big game.”

If he can continue his storybook season, the Bruins will be the champs.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

“When we’re in the garage or driveway playing as a kid and you’re fantasizing, well, I was Stevie Yzerman, which doesn’t make sense for a goalie, but you’re saying to yourself, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, you’re not saying Game 6, you know?” said goaltender Tim Thomas yesterday.  “So this is really, you know, what every kid dreams about.”

It’s what most players have dreamt about all their lives.  It all comes down to one game, for all the marbles.

After the first six games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins are deadlocked at three games apiece.  The deciding Game 7 will be played tonight at Rogers Arena.

Even though neither team was able to gain the ultimate advantage and clinch the Cup just yet, there are definitely some trends that have become crystal clear.  This has been one of the most physical Finals in recent memory, and several of the hits – from both teams – have been of the questionable nature.

Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome drilled Nathan Horton with what was deemed to be a late, open ice hit on an unsuspecting player early in Game 3, leading to Rome’s suspension for the remainder of the series.  Horton suffered a major concussion and will be out until at least training camp.

One thing the Rome hit seemed to do was awaken the sleeping bear and give the Bruins a rallying point in the series.  Down 2-0 in games and in a scoreless contest on home ice, Boston proceeded to anihilate the Canucks that night, 8-1.  Notice was served by the Bruins that they were not going to go quietly.  “Win it for Nathan” has been a familiar slogan from head coach Claude Julien, the players, and fans alike.  The legendary number four himself, Bobby Orr, was even waving a #18 Horton flag in the crowd prior to the opening faceoff of Game 4.

Horton has made appearances in the Bruins’ locker room to help inspire his teammates.  “I was very happy to see him, and I’m very happy to have him around,” said Thomas.  ”I just spent some time talking to him in the locker room.  He’s a positive guy.  His joy for the game and life is kind of like a little kid, and that’s a great thing, and I personally feed off of that.”

The concussed winger made the trip to Vancouver with the team.  “He certainly wanted to be here,” said Julien yesterday.  “We wanted him on this trip.  As you know, when you get this far, you’re a pretty close-knit group.  Our guys wanted everybody here and they’ve got it.”

Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk took Canucks’ forward Mason Raymond awkwardly into the corner boards early on in Game 6.  Boychuk got his stick between Raymond’s legs and cork-screwed the forward around and Raymond ended up hunched over and directed into the boards tail bone-first.  Raymond was almost in a wrestling pile-driver position, with the top of his head around Boychuk’s midsection.  The impact on Raymond was devastating, as the compression to his spine broke a vertebrae.  As a result, TSN.com reported last night that Raymond will miss 3-4 months.  As some called for consistency from the league in disciplinary measures – like NHL Hot Stove’s Owner and President Alex Monaghan – there was no suspension forthcoming for Boychuk.

Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis was asked yesterday about the incident.  ”I think when you see the severity of that injury, the way our doctors described it to me, very, very dangerous, and, you know, I’m always disappointed when you see any player get injured,” Gillis said somberly.  “But it wasn’t a chipped vertebrae or cracked vertebrae.  It’s broken through the belly of his vertebrae, so it’s a very serious injury.  You never want to see any player on any team have an injury like that.”

There was even an alleged finger-biting incident in Game 1 – with Alex Burrows and Patrice Bergeron – which led to a high level of animosity right off the bat.  Maxim Lapierre, Milan Lucic, and Mark Recchi antagonized their foes to the best of their abilities with fingers-in-the-face of their opponents during scrums.

As a result of the raw nature of physicality – along with the fact that each team stands in the way of the other’s respective desire to be champions – these two teams do not like each other.  Not even a little bit.

And there is no questioning that all of these factors have led to one of the most exciting Cup Finals ever.

These are the top two areas that will most-likely be the determining factors in who is hoisting Lord Stanley when all is said and done tonight:

1. Goaltending – Canucks’ net minder Roberto Luongo has had pretty much of a Jekyll and Hyde persona during the Finals.  Luongo has been awful in the games in Boston, as he was chased in two of the three contests.  He was 0-3, gave up 15 goals, and registered an atrocious .773 save percentage.  But in games in Vancouver, Luongo has been almost-impenetrable.  He is 3-0, having yielded just two goals in posting two shutouts, with a ridiculous .979 save percentage.  Thomas, on the other hand, has been unwavering in his greatness throughout the entire postseason.  With a 15-9 record, with a 2.06 GAA and .937 save percentage, the 37-year-old goalie with the unorthodox style may have clinched the Conn Smythe Trophy – whether or not the Bruins win Game 7 or not.  His performance in the Finals has only solidified that thinking, as Thomas has a 1.21 GAA and .965 save percentage in the six contests against the Canucks.


Jim Rogash / Getty Images

 

2. Home Ice Advantage – This has really been two separate series, and the outcome has been dependent on where each game has been played.  But one thing has been perfectly consistent, and that is the home team has held their serve in their home rink.  The Canucks have to be elated that the games at TD Garden have been completed.  In the three contests in Boston, the Bruins blasted Vancouver by a combined amount of 17-3.  While in Vancouver, the three games have been low-scoring, tight-checking defensive battles.  By contrast, the Canucks have outscored the Bruins at Rogers Arena by a combined count of 5-2.  It is evident that head coaches Alain Vigneault and Julien have used the last change in their respective arenas to the fullest extent.  Vigneault will have that luxury in Game 7, retaining the ability to keep his line of Burrows-Henrik Sedin-Daniel Sedin away from Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.  Julien has split his top pairing in order to be able to have one of the two on the ice against Vancouver’s top scorers, as the two have formed solid tandems with Andrew Ference and Boychuk.  Likewise, Vigneault will be able to match his top defenders against the Bruins’ top line of Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley.  Vigneault has juggled his pairings around at times during the series, but Kevin Bieksa and Alexander Edler are set as his top duo for Game 7.

The Keys to Victory

• If Vancouver is going to win – The early stages of the game will be a huge determining factor in Luongo’s mental frame of mind.  If the Canucks’ defense can keep Boston’s attackers away from the front of the crease and get into the Bruins’ shooting lanes, the home team should be just fine.  But if Boston gets to Luongo early, Vigneault will have his hook – and Cory Schneider – at the ready.  But don’t count Luongo out.  He has proven time and time again after a rough game in the postseason that he has the make up to recover in the next contest.  Up front, the Sedins and Ryan Kesler are the major offensive catalysts for Vancouver.  Henrik Sedin’s third period power play tally in Game 6 was his first point of the series.  No doubt everyone was expecting more, and a big showing in Game 7 can be the crucial turn on the road to redemption.  Kesler was a leading Conn Smythe candidate when he carried the Canucks’ on his back when the Sedins disappeared earlier in the playoffs.  His production has tailed off greatly, and it is obvious that the regular season 40-goal scorer is battling an undisclosed injury that has tapered his effectiveness.  Any kind of contributions from the blue line would be a big lift, also.  In the previous rounds, Bieksa and Sami Salo scored some timely goals.  Having scored just 8 goals on Thomas in the 6 games, any offensive production would be welcomed in Game 7.  Supplemental scoring is crucial, and Raffi Torres, Lapierre, and Jannik Hansen are the type of players who could shine with a Game 7 spotlight shining brightly.
• If Boston is going to win – Boston would do itself a favor by getting pucks on Luongo early, and make him prove that he can once again rebound from a poor playoff outing.  Peverley has filled in nicely in Horton’s vacancy on the top line, and could be a difference-maker in the most important game in most of these player’s lives.  Recchi, who at age 43 leads all scorers in the Finals with three goals and six points, is looking for his third Stanley Cup ring.  He could be another player to watch when the Game 7 heroics come to fruition.  Chara, Ference, and Kaberle – who has recovered from a slow start – could also be threats to score from the Bruins’ blue line.  Boston must continue to clog up the neutral zone in order to keep the Vancouver transition game from gaining speed entering the Bruins’ zone.  Any time Thomas is in the crease, Boston has a good chance to win.  He’s a battler and has shown that he will fight until the bitter end.  And if he has anything to say about the final outcome, chances are that it won’t be a bitter one for the Bruins  Thomas believes past adversityand the way they pulled together will help his club tonight.  “Being down 2-0 against Montreal, going into Game 7 with Montreal, playing Tampa and being down 2-0, going into seven games,” said the Boston net minder. “ In this series, we found a way to come back (from three close losses in Vancouver).  I don’t know exactly why.  It’s a good thing and it shows the character of the team.”

Elise Amendola / Associated Press

While it will be up to Julien to prove that he is worth his salt in out-coaching Vigneault, Luongo and the Canucks are hoping that the home ice magic the teams have experienced thus far lasts for one more game.  In the Stanley Cup Finals preview posted on June 1st, I – as well as co-author Jeff Quirin – picked the Canucks to be the last team standing after a hard-fought, seven-game series.  I won’t go back on my pick, but there is no doubt that the goaltending is the true wild card for Wednesday nights epic finale.  If Thomas outplays Luongo by a wide margin once again, all bets are off.

History Will Be Made

Two records are in danger of falling in Wednesday night’s Game 7.

1. The one record that is sure to fall is most saves in one postseason by a goaltender.  Thomas tied the record of 761 (held by Vancouver’s Kirk McLean in 1994) in Game 6, and barring an illness or early game injury, Thomas is sure to set this one early in Game 7.  Incidentally, McLean’s ’94 Canucks lost in seven games in the Finals to the New York Rangers.
2. Having to go the distance with the Montreal Canadiens in the first round and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bruins will attempt to become the first NHL team to win three Game 7′s in one playoff year.

Vancouver can’t beat the record of the 1939 Toronto Maple Leafs as the lowest-scoring club to win a championship, but they can tie it.  If Luongo can pitch a 1-0 shutout, the Canucks would tie the record of a Cup-winner scoring just nine times in a Finals series.

Who Will Win the Cup?  You Make the Call

When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman calls out the name of the Stanley Cup-winning captain – “___________, come get the Cup!” – will it be Henrik Sedin or Zdeno Chara in the blank?

Make sure to let your feelings be known in the comments section.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: kpwerker

Tonight, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks face the most pivotal game in their series — the dreaded elimination game. While fans back in Vancouver decide whether they want more green or more navy in their parade, the Bruins plan on deflating their floats once again.

Whether their gameplan is executed correctly is one thing, but there seems to be no lack of love between these two teams.

Following the game winning goal, enigmatic superstar starting goalie Roberto Luongo made sure to put his foot in his mouth by critiquing his counterpart, Tim Thomas‘ positioning. ”It’s not hard if you’re playing in the paint,” explained Luongo.

Perhaps attempting to invoke more emotion out of the Bruins (or not), Luongo may have awakened an angry giant in his opposition, although one would imagine it very hard for the home team not to be invigorated in a game of such importance.

These past five games have been hard fought and momentum changing. Every home game has been won but not without excitement, controversy and a throwback rivalry of two very even teams. Nothing is expected to change tonight when the Bruins try to even the series with the Stanley Cup in the building.

When asked how his team would react, top-line left wing Milan Lucic explained he expected more of the same. “A lot of excitement,” said Lucic. “A lot of emotion and a lot of hate and that’s what has made it such a passionate series to be a part of. And I don’t expect anything less tonight.” As a childhood Canuck fan, playing his hometown team sounds incredibly difficult, especially with the rumors of his apparent undisclosed injury.

The Bruins enter tonight’s game somewhat dejected from what was a very tough loss. More importantly, they enter the game one loss away from losing a very good shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup. They are in a fight for their lives and a fight to win together as a team, as defenseman Andrew Ference pointed out. “The city’s excited,” said Ference. “It’s been a long run and lots of ups and downs and crazy stuff, but obviously everybody can smell a finish coming up soon and wants us obviously to continue the story for another game.”

Everyone can smell that finish, especially the Canucks, who expect to “bring their swagger” tonight.

Their captain, Henrik Sedin, came out as a vocal leader this morning, trying to avert the attention from his goalie and put his team on his shoulder for the first time this series.

“We have to put our best game on the ice and we’re not taking any chances to play a Game 7. We can have a good team for a long time, but it’s really difficult to get this far and if we can’t do it this year, we might not get another shot. And that’s the reality.”

Somehow, Sedin after leading the League in scoring last year with 114 points and finishing fourth this season with 93 points only registered four shots on goal and is still looking for his first point of the series.  A goal or two from Henrik or brother Daniel Sedin would probably go a long way, especially if the ‘savior‘ Luongo shows up –opposed to his evil nemesis Luon8o.

Clearly, the Bruins hope to see the latter option but they will need to play their best game of the year to extend their season.

Expected Game 6 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 17th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 6 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Thomas will make his 24th consecutive start in goal.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Ryan Kesler

Last tilt we assumed he was healthy and just shut down. Now, we honestly have no idea what he will do, but the leader has his teammates’ support.

“He has been through a lot and fought through a lot,” explained Mason Raymond to Ben Kuzma of The Province. “This time of year, you lay it on the line, no matter what you’re going through and he has continued to do that.”

Can he fight through one more game?

Boston Bruins — Milan Lucic

Lucic is essentially Kesler’s equivalent: the slumping and probably hurt power forward who remained quiet most of the series.

“You’ve just got to think about a shift at time. It’s always making sure I’m getting my feet moving and skating hard. Doing that, everything else seems to take care of itself,” said Lucic to Ben Kuzma of The Province.

If he can somehow keep things simple, his team has a good chance at pulling out ahead.

Photo Credit: blipsman / Flickr

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Throughout the playoffs, every team facing the Vancouver Canucks discussed ruining their parade. As the President’s Trophy winner and frontrunner for the Stanley Cup, these guys had targets stitched above their letters: right where the NHL is trying to stop shoulder checks.

Back on May 30th, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews admitted just that to Adam Jahns of The Chicago Sun-Times:

‘‘What we could have done to ruin the parade in that city — I don’t know. I guess I shouldn’t take so much satisfaction in that, but it would have been something special, especially coming back from a 3-0 deficit [with] the expectations Vancouver has in their city with the media and all that stuff.

In the first round, his Blackhawks had the ability to stop the Canucks from advancing, yet then they watched helplessly as their rivals continued to skate through their opponents en route to the greatest trophy North America has to offer. Nevertheless, they now get an opportunity to watch the Canucks sink or swim tonight as they, for the first time since Game 1, could be down a game by the end of the night.

Before Game 3, we took the time to preview the tilt, as we have since the beginning of the Finals. The old adage — you are not in trouble in the playoffs until you lose on home ice — applied then, and more than ever it applies now. After four home-wins this series, the Canucks can win and hope they can use a raucous crowd at Rogers Arena to their advantage.

The Canucks clearly know this and understand this as evidenced by their pregame chatter. “Obviously, we do have to treat it like Game 7,” said starting goalie Roberto Luongo to Jim Jamieson of The Province. “We’ve got to treat every game in the playoffs like at Game 7.” All of their pre-game fluff will not help them when it gets to crunch time, and so far in this series’ crunch time the major players have failed show up.

Starting with Luongo, who was doubtful to play in Game 5 following his second poor start, the team looks lost from the net on out. After a four-game winning streak in which he allowed two goals or fewer, the enigmatic yet elite starting goalie surrendered 12 goals over 103:17. He needs to be better, but so does every one else.

The Sedins have combined for two points, a goal and an assist, with both coming during Game 2 off the stick of Daniel. Henrik Sedin finally managed his first two shots on goal this series after getting held shotless in his first three games but the teams still managed to get shutout. The Sedins were quiet throughout the majority of the playoffs before breaking out against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals.

However, in the past Ryan Kesler has been able to cut them some slack.  Entering this series, he looked like the shoe-in Conn Smythe winner. To get that award, you also need to show up in the Finals and over these past three games he has gotten very quiet.

These four men need to step up or their shot at the Cup will be lost in the fold. Can they do that? They will need to fight more adversity than a 117-point team usually faces all season so we are certainly entering uncharted territory.

Expected Game 5 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will make his 23rd consecutive start in goal.

*The Bruins did not take morning skate today, so any presumed changes in the lineup will happen during warmups.

Expected Game 5 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 16th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Game 4 Stat Pack:

• Thomas brings in a shutout streak of 66:07, making 40 saves over that span.
• Seidenberg, Bieksa and Edler all topped 25 minutes. All three have played upwards of 22 minutes in every games of the series.
• In every game of the series, the losing team has led in shots through two periods.
• Despite an apparent injury, Ehrhoff led both teams in shots with five. The Bs countered with Lucic’s five.
• Kesler, McQuaid and Chara all topped 10 PIM. Both teams would probably prefer their leaders out of the box and back on the ice for this game.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Ryan Kesler

Kesler not only needs to step up his game offensively, but stay out of the penalty box.

“I think it happened in Game 3 and we talked about it and were much better in Game 4 at getting out of the scrums,” said Kesler’s teammate Andrew Alberts to Jim Jamieson of The Province. “It’s not our game. Boston might want to build on the scrums and get a boost out of that. We’re trying to stay out of that and play hard between the whistles.”

The gritty leader registered 31 PIM over the last two games/losses.

Boston Bruins — Zdeno Chara

As usual, Chara will be tasked with guarding the power forward. Not much has been said about the hulking d-man. In fact, we don’t even have a quote from him or on him but if his team wins tonight it will be due to his hard work.

Photo Credit: Mafue / Flickr

The title says it all.

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins need to settle down and once again play some hockey. The home team showed up on Monday night when they lambasted the Canucks 8-1 and so did distraction, frustration on the Vancouver side in addition to the budding of a beautiful rivalry.

Tonight, it will have to be all about playing the game and moving closer to fulfilling one’s NHL destiny.

“It’s certainly not about looking for revenge. Justice has been served,” head coach Claude Julien explained to Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com. “No other reason to look for more. If we really want to make Nathan happy, we know what we have to do. That’s win a Stanley Cup.”

Could not have said it any better myself. With Monday night’s win, the Bruins can now taste the Cup and have every intention of making a series out of this. Falling behind in a series is no big deal for them as they did the same thing in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens and scraped through every game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This team has been left for dead before and seems completely comfortable battling back in time of need.

On that note, the Canucks need to battle back and #bringithome with a 3-1 series lead. All of this talk concerning suspensions, line changes, taunts, positioning, etc. needs to get benched with the team returning their focus to what got them where they are: winning.

Captain Henrik Sedin knows this, as he clearly explained to Ed Willes of The Province. “We have to realize our focus is to play hockey. That’s No.1. That’s something we’ve brought up already and we’re going to give that a lot of attention.” After the Bruins exploded for four second-period goals, the Canucks lost this focus and frustration set in.

Both Sedin, head coach Alain Vigneault and likely the rest of the team know this. “We’ve been a team that’s been very disciplined all year playing whistle to whistle,” said Vigneault. “I think we might have gotten away from that a little. We’re going to have to do a better job there.” One can only expect a better effort than allowing eight goals from the President’s Trophy winner.

The question now remains: can the Canucks win and send the series back home with a decisive lead or will the Bruins keep an emphasis on home-ice advantage?

Expected Game 4 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Keith Ballard / Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Roberto Luongo will make his 15th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 4 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley*
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell,  Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will make his 22nd consecutive start in goal.

*Seguin, Peverley and Ryder are all expected to rotate into the first line right wing position.

Rookie Jordan Caron will take warmups tonight but is not expected to draw in. The youngster Caron took Recchi’s spot on the second line during practice as the veteran often opts to not skate on game day.

Game 3 Stat Pack:

• Four Bruins registered over 10 PIM — Ference, Thornton, Lucic and Seidenberg. The Canucks countered that with five of their own to top 10 PIM in Bieksa, Rome, D. Sedin, Kesler and Burrows. Somehow, Lapierre finished without even a roughing call.
• Edler led the Canucks with a team-high minus-4 rating. My namesake has never finished a game with a minus-4 rating in his entire NHL regular season and postseason career.
• Ehrhoff led the ‘Nucks in minutes played with 27:53. Seidenberg took the minutes-eater title for the Bs, playing in 24:34 — Bieksa and Edler also topped these minutes as the team was forced to play with five d-men.
• For the third time in as many games, the losing team led the game in shots through two periods.
• H. Sedin still has no shots on goal. He might have got one off but was leveled by Thomas, click here for video.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Roberto Luongo

David Strehle put all the focus on Luongo here. Literally, watch him, as he formerly held the title of unraveling.

“The score doesn’t really matter. We’re in the playoffs.  It’s all about winning a game, right?  As a team, we got to look at it we lost a game.  We just got to get back to doing the things we do.  No matter what the score of the game is, we have to keep playing our game, not deviate from our game plan.”

Winning is all Luongo needs to do. Just win tonight and again in Vancouver on Friday. The talent is clearly there but will he be able to accomplish hockey’s greatest task?

Boston Bruins — First line RW

As usual, Julien will play his cards close to his chest.

“You never know what can happen through the course of the day,” said Julien to The Boston Herald.

We like Ryder in this spot provided he can stay hot. If the game remains close, expect Peverley to get more minutes there. Seguin could start out the game on the top line and provide the team with some youthful pep. Honestly, who knows with Julien.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at amonaghan at nhlhotstove  dot com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @NHLHotStove or like us on Facebook, here.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Dan4th / Flickr

An old hockey adage applies tonight: you are not in trouble until you lose on home ice. Tonight, the Boston Bruins hope to avoid that home loss and keep their hopes alive in capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1972.

Following Saturday’s controversial finish — Should Tim Thomas have stayed further back in his net? Should Alex Burrows been allowed to play? — the Boston Bruins managed to stay with their newly-found rival in the Vancouver Canucks, getting slightly edged 3-2 in Game 2. That loss followed Wednesday’s disappointing 1-0 finish from Game 1.

Tonight will be the biggest test for them since if they lose, they will face elimination on home ice against arguably the best regular season team and now the best postseason team.

After leading the majority of their playoff series’, the Canucks have had trouble showing their killer instinct. They almost allowed the Chicago Blackhawks to defeat them yet again following a 3-0 series lead. They allowed the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks to sway their series after taking bigger leads but generally have improved as the playoffs went further.

Tonight, they know they will need to show that killer instinct in true form.

“I think it’s pretty much normal human behaviour,” said second line winger Christopher Higgins to Tony Gallagher of The Province. “I think it’s natural when the other team has the crowd to get them going.”

Playing away from Vancouver should help the Bruins regain some confidence after coming home down two games. The Canucks and their staff clearly know that and are getting ready to do battle.

“The first 10 minutes will be crucial for us tonight,” said Canucks assistant coach Rick Bowness. “We have to be ready to match their intensity.”

Expect the Canucks to be ready tonight, when they drop the puck at TD Banknorth Garden at approximately 8PM, EST.

Expected Game 3 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Jeff Tambellini, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Aaron Rome, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 14th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 3 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Tyler Seguin / Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Despite his overtime blunder, expect Thomas to make his 21st consecutive start in goal.

*According to John Bishop of Bruins.com, via Twitter, “Julien says any lineup decisions will be made after 23 B’s skate in warmup.” Keep that in mind when reading the lines above as they may change completely.

Game 2 Stat Pack:

• Chara led the Bruins in ice time, playing 28:12 while Edler led the Canucks with 24:53. The Canucks continue to alternate their top guys in the minute-eater role while the Bs heavily rely on their captain and his partner Seidenberg.
• In his 2011 Stanley Cup Finals debut, Alberts led all players with six hits.
• After his miraculous comeback, Malhotra helped his team by winning 85.7 percent of his draws edging out Peverley, who finished with 80 percent in the circles.
• Boston once again out-shot the Canucks through two periods but only managed five shots on goal after taking a 2-1 lead in the tilt.
• Luongo now finds himself on a four-game winning streak in which he has allowed only six goals and two goals or less over that span. He has also played over 60 minutes in five of his 20 playoff appearances.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks – Henrik Sedin

You probably expected the controversial Burrows here but Sedin will need to step up in the faceoff circle for his team to silence the home crowd. In his last game, Sedin managed to lose 10 of 19 draws, requiring Head Coach Alain Vigneault to single him out.

From The Province:

“The ony guy who has been having issues in the faceoff circle is Hank (Sedin). All the other guys have been fairly close to their normal percentage. Hank’s aware of that. So hopefully we’ll have Hank be a little better tonight. He takes a lot of draws in the other team’s end. Obviously we’d like to start with the puck, instead of chasing in that end.”

Expect Sedin to step up his game in the faceoff dots.

Boston Bruins – Patrice Bergeron

After getting taunted by former Montreal Canadiens agitator Maxim Lapierre, Bergeron must react to the Canucks getting under his skin. Head Coach Claude Julien had some choice words on how he viewed Lapierre’s actions:

“If it’s acceptable for them, then so be it,” Julien said to Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com. “It certainly wouldn’t be acceptable on our end of it. The NHL rules on something. If they decide to make a mockery of it, that’s totally up to them. If that’s their way of handling things, so be it.”

Will Bergeron make a mockery of Lapierre tonight?

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Are you excited for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals? Express yourselves in the comments!

By Alexander Monaghan
President

News coming out of Vancouver today is all about injury updates.

Will Manny Malhotra play? Why did Dan Hamhuis not skate? What the media has neglected to focus on is the Vancouver Canucks testing their depth while the Boston Bruins have not even tapped into theirs yet. Shawn Thornton, Shane Hnidy and Steven Kampfer — all capable NHL players — should watch tonight’s game from the sidelines while their opposition finds themselves a few men short as Hamhuis is almost guaranteed to not play, Mikael Samuelsson likely misses the rest of the playoffs and Malhotra or Alex Bolduc will center the fourth line.

This lack of stability should be somewhat concerning considering after 19 games, Head Coach Alain Vigneault still cannot figure out what his winning lineup is. Wednesday night’s Game 1 was won by an unlikely hero in Raffi Torres, but had Ryan Kesler not stayed on-side, would the Canucks have been so fortunate. Would they even be up a game?

For three consecutive series it looked like the Bruins were down and out. They were forced into Game 7 by the Montreal Canadiens after falling behind 2-0 and then regaining the series lead 3-2. Even then they required a late goal from now playoff hero Nathan Horton. They were then thought of as an extreme underdog against the Philadelphia Flyers as they were defeated by them last year in the playoffs and were expected to quietly bow out to an Eastern Conference favorite. Again, they shocked their doubters by sweeping the apparent powerhouse. Even during the Eastern Conference Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning seemed to be a step ahead but the Bruins still managed to pull out the W and defeat the unbeatable Dwayne Roloson in an elimination game.

Yet now, against the heavily favored Canucks, who are now tapping into their depth, the Bruins are asked if they can keep up. Keep up? They made it this far, didn’t they? They played 59:41 minutes tied, didn’t they?

These two teams will make a series out of it, and when one does win they will bring the Stanley Cup back to a city who craved victory for years.

Expected Game 2 Boston Bruins Lineup:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Rich Peverley
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will get the nod between the pipes. He allowed one goal on 34 shots in Game 1. In his career during the regular season against the Canucks, he boasts a 3-0-0 record with a .33 GAA and .990 SV% with two shutouts.

Expected Game 2 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Jeff Tambellini, Manny Malhotra / Alex Bolduc, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts / Keith Ballard, Christian Ehrhoff
• Aaron Rome, Kevin Bieksa

Roberto Luongo went 11-10-3 with a 2.40 GAA and .929 SV% with four shutouts in 25 career games started against the Bruins.

Game 1 Stat Pack:

• The Bruins out-shot the Canucks in both the first and second period, entering the third with a 26-20 margin.
• Boychuk led all players with eight hits in the game. Torres led the Canucks in hits with five.
• The Bruins’ top line took 13 shots on net with Krejci and Horton each putting five on goal. By comparison, the Canucks’ top line finished with 10 but Daniel Sedin took eight of them with brother Henrik getting anything to Thomas.
• Despite missing the rest of the Western Conference Finals, Ehrhoff led all Canucks in ice time by registering 26:26. Chara and Seidenberg each played over 27 minutes during Game 1.

Players to Watch:

Boston Bruins — Tim Thomas

After such a tight game, many members of the Canucks organization complained about Thomas’ positioning.

“I mean, 90 percent of his saves are outside the blue paint,” Vigneault said. “A lot of times he does initiate contact. That’s the way he plays. We’re going to look to get a little bit of clarification.”

It will be interesting to see how he reacts and if their complaints change his “battlefly: style

Vancouver Canucks — Manny Malhotra

Who else could it possibly be? Malhotra claimed he does not want to be a sideshow but he has to be the feel good story of the year.

“I don’t want this to be a sideshow,” Malhotra said. “We always talk about this in our dressing room, that the whole is much stronger than the individuals. We have a very strong focus in the room. I don’t want anything to sidetrack that.

If and when Manny comes back, all eyes will be on him.

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Are you excited for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals? Express yourselves in the comments!

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Cheryl Lemanski

Every year the formula changes.

After last season, general managers around the League believed they could cut costs with their netminder since rookie Antti Niemi and journeyman Michael Leighton backstopped their respective teams into the Finals. The season before that, we thought every championship team needed two elite centers (still valid) and the year before that the League emphasized skill and puck possession.

The winning formula changes every season whether it be a high-tempo offense with a blue line full of puck movers (Carolina Hurricanes) or a gritty team from the back end out full of high-end skill (Anaheim Ducks).

Once again, the formula will change.

Take this year’s combatants — the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.  Both teams have strong depth up front and on D. Each team also has an elite-level goaltender in Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas. However, the Canucks and Bruins play a completely different style as Head Coach Alain Vigneault features highly skilled offensive players who are defensively responsible and Claude Julien is more comfortable keeping the games tight and relying on his Vezina Trophy winner and a couple of All-Star defensemen and elite two-way forwards.

Of the two, only the Canucks really compare to the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks when you consider their sheer top-to-bottom depth. Considering after their salary cap purge the current Blackhawks team almost defeated the heavily favored Canucks, they could be the most dominant team to win a Cup in the post-lockout era.

But how do the two compare?

How they got there:

The Canucks almost blew a 3-0 series lead, allowing the Blackhawks to force a Game 7, and then force an overtime within the game. Less dramatically, they would defeat the Nashville Predators in six games (but could have clinched in five) and made short work of the San Jose Sharks in five. Now, against the Bruins they hold a 1-0 lead in the series with hopes of going back to Boston with a two-game lead.

By comparison, the Blackhawks took the Predators in six, Canucks in six, swept the Sharks and then took the Cup in six games against the Philadelphia Flyers. While the Predators and Canucks both proved to be worthy adversaries, they never pushed the team to the brink of elimination — something the ‘Nucks came face-to-face with in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. They seemed to be the most dominant team in the playoffs, which is something both this year’s tournament lacked as the Bruins faced Game 7 twice as well.

In terms of ease, the Blackhawks take this round.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Head Coach:

Prior to last season, Joel Quenneville never won a Stanley Cup. After successful campaigns with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, the grizzled Head Coach made his way to Chicago in order to push them over the top. His success in the postseason gave him appeal to a young, up-and-coming team as he captured the game’s greatest trophy after only two seasons with the Blackhawks organization. His lowest winning percentage for any full season he coached was over 53 percent, making him a highly regarded bench boss.

Vigneault now enters his fifth season in charge of the Canucks and has won the Northwest Division four out of those five years. Unlike Quenneville, four of his nine years he missed the playoffs and he came to Vancouver after four relatively poor seasons in Montreal (missed playoffs three of four seasons). He was nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy while with the Canadiens but was fired the season after since the team once again missed the tournament.

Considering both coaches never won the Cup prior to their current teams, neither typically has an advantage. However, Quenneville held more past success which gives him the slight nod here again.

Photo Credit: Iwona Erskine-Kellie from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Forwards:

Depth, depth and more depth. Not the kind traded for at the deadline like stopgaps Maxim Lapierre or Christopher Higgins.  This Blackhawks team had the high-end talent in Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews and the complementary players in Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd. Couple them with gritty defensive forwards like John Madden, Tomas Kopecky, Adam Burish and Ben Eager and we can determine that this could be one of the strongest groups of forwards assembled in the post-lockout era. Even with an implosion which severed ties with Versteeg, Byfuglien, Ladd, Madden, Burish and Eager the Blackhawks still clawed their way back into the playoffs which emphasizes just how good this team was last year.

Similarly, the Canucks have elite talent in The Sedin Twins and Ryan Kesler. Alex Burrows might even be able to force his way into that equation considering just how affective he has been in this year’s show. They also boast some tough defensive forwards like Jannik Hansen, Raffi Torres, Tanner Glass and Lapierre. Their calvary has been adequate in Higgins, the now-injured Mikael Samuelsson and regular season whipping boy Mason Raymond but the bottom end is one of uncertainty and inconsistency. Vigneault has rotated Victor Oreskovich, Jeff Tambellini, Alex Bolduc and Cody Hodgson in an attempt to find a perfect medium. Perhaps the return of Manny Malhotra could alleviate this issue.

Regardless, the Blackhawks take this by a mile as the top-end talent is there but the depth is simply not comparable.

Defensemen:

Photo Credit: CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith set the tempo as a perfect combination of ying and yang last season. Both mobile defenders, Seabrook’s intelligence allowed Keith to pick his spots in the offensive zone. Their stability allowed the second pairing of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell to flourish and make up for the third pairing of Nick Boynton, Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry. When all of these guys were on their game, they had Keith at over 28 minutes, Seabrook 24 and Hjalmarsson 21 with no other blue liner surpassing 20 minutes.

This may be where the Canucks first hold an advantage as they boast six quality defenders and three others capable of playing decent minutes. Their top pairing of Christian Ehrhoff and Alexander Edler fits very well with the Sedins while Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa have formed a formidable shutdown pairing. The bottom set features some combination of Sami Salo and either Keith Ballard or Aaron Rome with mean d-man Andrew Alberts waiting to get into games. If Vigneault opts for a more mobile substitute, rookie Chris Tanev seemed up for the challenge in his limited playing time.

While the Blackhawks arguably have a higher end, the Canucks feature a more well rounded attack with the option of choosing mobility or snarl. Nobody has a more established top six in the League at this moment which gives the Canucks their first edge in the comparison.

Starting Goalies:

Niemi won the backup job from now-current starter Corey Crawford and then overtook Cristobal Huet for the starting gig in late March. As a veritable unknown, the Finnish rookie managed to get the job done despite what was considered a sub-par performance in the Finals. His success was questioned after winning as his arbitration reward earned him a ticket out of Chicago and into San Jose, where he would once again flourish. Due to his rookie status, the Blackhawks were able to win with a very tight budget which spawned the “don’t pay for goalies theory.” With two Vezina Trophy finalists vying for a championship, that theory has been debunked.

Luongo happens to be one of those finalists as he attempts to prove he can be the best goalie in the world. After toiling on the awful New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, Luongo was expected to win quickly and often in Vancouver. So far he somewhat disappointed fans after losing consistently to the Blackhawks in the playoffs but his ability to step up in big games like Game 7 of this year’s first round and in the Olympics last year has given him the confidence to try and take Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Elite netminder vs. raw rookie? Luongo and the Canucks take this one.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Special Teams:

The Blackhawks got the job done with a 22.5 percent success rate on the powerplay and a 83.3 percent penalty kill. Their PP ranked fifth in the League but only second in the Western Conference while the PK ranked fourth but first amongst their Conference peers. While not necessarily dominating, the special teams was not a problem on either end which allowed them to continue their winning ways.

On the other hand, the Canucks PP has been a strength as they rank third in the League with a 25.8 percent success rate. The powerplay has been able to adapt from the hard-working Predators to the shot-blocking Sharks with ease making it a force to be reckoned with. Their penalty kill, however, has been a bit worse, succeeding at a 82.3 rate. Considering they lack actual shutdown forwards, players like Kesler and Burrows are forced to take on even more minutes.

The Canucks hold a better PP but the Blackhawks could shut them down better. Push.

The Bottom Line:

As both Jeff Quirin and Dave Strehle predicted, the Canucks should wrap up this series. Of course, we likely counted the Bruins out of the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers and the Tampa Bay Lightning so anything can happen. As far as comparability to last year’s formula, the ‘Nucks are the closest thing to last year’s Blackhawks but the latter takes the small edge due to depth up front, more experience behind the bench and ease in getting to where they need to go.

Feel free to post in the comments your thoughts on the matter as this article is merely the tip of the iceberg, not a definitive conclusion.

With last night’s 4-3 win, the Vancouver Canucks now find themselves in a familiar place: quickly getting three wins and returning home to try to advance to the next round. Less familiar: advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1994. After letting both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators get back into their respective series, the Canucks are hoping to wrap up this series and watch the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals.

According to Jason Botchford at The Province, the Canucks were ready to win their last game.

“We were licking our chops even more. We were smelling blood,” said first-line wing Alexandre Burrows.

At this point, the team is winning on the back of their strengths with the Sedin twins finally re-emerging and Roberto Luongo playing just well enough to get the victories. However, they understand that the fourth win will not be as easy (neither will five more to close out the year).

“We’re excited obviously,” Luongo said. “But the series is far from over. We know that as we’ve seen in the first two series, the last one is always the toughest one to win.”

Maintaining a winning attitude could be easy but as Ryan Porth of RLD Hockey pointed out recently, this team has failed in the past to show its killer instinct.

Yesterday, the twins combined for seven assists in the win, making Sami Salo the hero (vote here) as their often-injured teammate potted two goals. Considering the team played without Christian Ehrhoff, Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts on the blue line, it showed a good deal of merit to win as a team and defeat a strong San Jose Sharks team at home. Luongo had been unable to win previously against the Sharks at the HP Pavilion, so like the majority of their wins, the Canucks exorcised their demons.

Similar to last season, the Canucks were the favorites to get to the Cup Finals and likely the favorites to win it as well just like the Blackhawks. With excellent depth upfront and on the blue line, both teams rostered a perfect mix of elite talent and solid supplementary players. Despite the cap era, these Canucks can actually maintain the majority of their important players– something the Blackhawks failed to do after winning.

For the first two series it looked like Ryan Kesler needed to be the guy to take them there. However, after the recent play of the Sedins (thrusting them into first and sixth in playoff scoring, respectively) this team seems ready to win on their strengths and once again show their dominance. Just the right time for the team to get hot as they could very well steamroll their upcoming Eastern Conference foe.

All of these reasons are great indications that the Canucks will make it to the Cup, but they still remain one vital win away from that goal.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

After a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and falling just two wins shy of winning it all, the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2010-11 season fell well short of high expectations.

Subsequent to getting past the Buffalo Sabres in a tough seven-game first round series, Philadelphia’s season came to an abrupt and disappointing finish in a quick four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The result is likely to bring about a very active off-season for GM Paul Holmgren in retooling his squad in preparation for the 2011-12 campaign.

Without further ado, it’s report card time for the 2010-11 version of the Flyers; complete with comments as to the performance over the course of the season, as well as each player’s role moving ahead to next season.

In this issue, the defensemen and netminders are examined.

DEFENSEMEN

Oskars Bartulis:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  After playing in the first two regular season games, Bartulis was the Flyers’ forgotten man.  Over the next two months, the 24-year-old would see action in just one more contest.  Bartulis was pressed into service when Chris Pronger suffered a fractured right foot, playing in nine games from December 18th through January 11th.  The six-foot, two-inch, 184-pounder would sit again upon Pronger’s return, only returning when Sean O’Donnell went down with a knee injury at Madison Square Garden on February 20th.  In his first game back in the lineup on February 22nd, Bartulis suffered a separated shoulder when he took a late hit into the boards from ex-Flyer and current Phoenix Coyote forward Scottie Upshall.  He would miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.  Bartulis finished having played in just 13 games, recording no points with a -4 and four penalty minutes.  2011-12: Signed for two more seasons at $600,000 per year, Bartulis is likely to stick around in Philadelphia.  The club is once again at the upper end of the salary cap, with less than $500,000 in space left with just 18 players signed.  Affordable options like Bartulis will be valuable, but he will need meaningful playing time in order to develop his game.  Even before his injury this season, he was not receiving that.

Nick Boynton:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  Holmgren plucked Boynton off the waiver wire from the Chicago Blackhawks in late-February as a depth move when O’Donnell suffered a knee injury and Bartulis separated his shoulder.  Like forward Kris Versteeg, Boynton was on the roster of Chicago’s Stanley Cup championship team last June, and it was thought he might be able to step in and provide some stability to the blue line.  And his pro-rated $500,000 salary also didn’t hurt matters for a team that had very little cap space availability.  The 32-year-old rear guard’s time in Philadelphia started off better than expected, as he played well in back-to-back games on March 10th (at Toronto) and 12th (home against the Thrashers).  Boynton kept things very simple, not trying to do too much, and played physical at the right times.  Unfortunately, his third game was not so good, as he finished a -2 in only 5:39 of time on ice in a 3-2 Flyers’ victory over the Panthers in South Florida.  Boynton would end up seeing action in just 10 regular season contests with the Orange-and-Black, and logging double-digit minutes of ice time in only half of those games.  He was not in the Philly lineup after April 1st.  2011-12: An unrestricted free agent, it’s highly doubtful Holmgren makes any attempt to re-sign Boynton this fall.  The organization has a couple of young defenders that appear ready to make the big club’s roster at training camp, and it would seem that Boynton doesn’t fit into the club’s plans.

Matt Carle:  B-

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

2010-11:  Many experts insinuated that Matt Carle’s excellent play last year was likely because he played alongside of stalwart blue liner Pronger.  But in a season where Pronger missed 32 games due to a myriad of injuries, Carle was forced to play much of the time with various partners.  He responded by leading all Flyers’ defensemen in scoring with 40 points (one goal, 39 assists), and tied with Andrej Meszaros for the team lead with a +30.  The 39 assists and +30 were career-highs for the former member of the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning.  Like most of his Flyers’ teammates, the six-foot, 205 pound native of Anchorage, Alaska struggled defensively in the club’s recently-completed playoffs.  He finished seven of the 11 postseason contests on the minus side of the plus / minus ledger, posting a -8 overall.  2011-12: Carle is entering the last season of a four-year contract that pays him just under $3.5 million before becoming an UFA next summer.  While he is still a valuable member of the team’s defensive corps, Holmgren may attempt to trade the 25-year-old defenseman at some point during the upcoming summer or 2011-12 season.  But his excessive salary, as well as the fact that he is the perhaps the least-physical defenseman on the club’s roster, will almost certainly make him a pretty tough sell.

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

Braydon Coburn:  C-

2010-11:  Braydon Coburn signed a two-year contract extension last summer that pay him $3.2 million annually, and played on Philadelphia’s second defensive pairing with Kimmo Timonen. The 26-year-old defender picked up two goals and 16 points, while posting a +15 during the regular season, but showed only flashes of what he is capable of when playing at his peak effectiveness.  When using his long stride to skate the puck out of his own end and taking advantage of his large six-foot, five-inch, 220-pound, Coburn can be a force.  But after recording career-highs in goals (9), assists (27), and points (36) during the 2007-08 campaign, Coburn’s offensive numbers have decreased in each of the last three seasons despite increased ice time.  The native of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan recorded a +7 in the seven-game first round triumph over the Buffalo Sabres, and scored his most-important goal of the year against Ryan Miller in the closing minute of the first period in Game 7 to begin the rout.  But Coburn then proceeded to post a minus in each of the four games against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  2011-12: Just like Carle, Coburn is heading into the final year of his contract.  The former eighth overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 will become an UFA next summer, and also like Carle could be trade bait.

Andrej Meszaros:  A

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

2010-11:  Acquired on July 1st from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a draft pick, Meszaros was a revelation for the Flyers.  Many criticized the move because of Meszaros’ $4 million price tag, and the fact that he would likely be on the club’s third pairing because the first two were already set with Pronger-Carle and Timonen-Coburn.  But Mez became an invaluable piece of the Philadelphia roster this year, leading the defensive ranks in goals (8), and tying Carle for the top plus / minus rating (+30).  As the 25-year-old’s confidence grew over the course of the season, so did his effectiveness for the team.  He jumped up into offensive rushes, used his six-foot, two-inch, 223-pound body to hit with a reckless abandon, and even scored two game-winning goals in overtime.  Maybe the most-valuable attribute that Meszaros brought to the club this year was his versatility.  With Pronger’s frequent absences from the Flyers’ lineup, the native of Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia played on several defense pairings where needed.  He started the year playing on the team’s third pairing with O’Donnell, but would also see action with Carle as part of the top duo in Pronger’s spot.  With the high level at which he performed, it made Pronger’s time out of the lineup less debilitating.  Meszaros appropriately won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ top defenseman as a reward for a fantastic season.  In the postseason Meszaros led all Philly defenders in goals (2), and tied Timonen for the lead among Flyers’ defensemen (6).     2011-12: Meszaros still has three more years remaining on his contract, and figures to be a key member of the Philadelphia blue line.  If he continues to play the way he did this past season, he will be a mainstay for many years to come.

Sean O’Donnell:  C

2010-11:  Signed as an UFA to a one-year, $1.3 million contract on July 1st, O’Donnell was one of the steadier defensemen for the Flyers for the first half of the season.  Paired with Meszaros for much of the early going, both rear guards were near the top of the overall NHL plus / minus leaders.  Following a knee injury in a late-February game against the New York Rangers, the 39-year-old veteran was nowhere near as effective.  O’Donnell was supposed to miss several weeks to recover from the injury but his replacement, Bartulis, was lost for the rest of the season in the next game with a shoulder injury.  O’Donnell returned early, and was noticeably less mobile than he had been prior to suffering the injury.  The six-foot, two-inch, 237-pounder played a physical game for Philadelphia, and was one of the most-knowledgable students of the game on the club.  O’Donnell still ended the regular season at a +8.  2011-12: It’s not known if O’Donnell is in the plans for the team in the fall, especially if he expects a raise as part of a new one-year deal.  There are a couple of young blue liners primed to grab a spot in the coming year, and O’Donnell turns 40 in the second week of October.  There’s no doubt that he could be of great assistance to the younger defenders but with the cap limitations facing Holmgren, it is unlikely O’Donnell’s salary could be squeezed in.

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels / Flickr

Chris Pronger:  B

2010-11:  After playing in all 82 games during his first campaign in Philadelphia, Pronger suffered through an injury-plagued 2010-11 season – one in which he appropriately referred to as a “year from hell”.  Commencing the year on the shelf following off-season knee surgery, it set the tone for what was to come over the course of the year.  The Flyers’ top defenseman would play in just 50 regular season contests due to various ailments.  The 36-year-old blue liner was just getting back into top form again when he suffered a fracture in his right foot after blocking a slap shot in Montreal in mid-December.  It is no coincidence that Philadelphia was the NHL’s top team at the time of the injury, because as Pronger goes, so go the Flyers.  This was evident again in late-February, when he took a shot off his right hand late in a game against the New York Islanders.  After X-rays proved negative, Pronger played in four more games.  The club had been developing bad habits, and the veteran defender had called players out behind closed doors for their careless play.  After a home win over the Oilers in early March, it was announced that Pronger had sustained a break in his hand that had gone undetected previously.  He again required surgery, and the team struggled without their on-ice leader in the lineup.  It was originally thought that Pronger would return for the final weekend of the regular season, but after suffering a “set back” in early-April, the six-foot, six-inch, 220-pounder wasn’t ready for the beginning of the postseason.  The Flyers’ defensive play was faltering down the stretch without him, and also suffering in Pronger’s absence was the club’s power play unit.  Without his big shot from the point, Philadelphia’s output with the man advantage was paltry.  With the Flyers trailing their first round series with the Sabres, 3-2, Pronger came back for Game 6.  He played just 4:33 - all of the power play - but his mere presence was a lift for his teammates.  The Flyers won in overtime on Easter Sunday to force a Game 7 back in Philadelphia.  Pronger played in that contest and saw 17:27 of ice time, picking up an assist in the 5-2 triumph.  The power play was anything but an advantage for Philly without him, but upon his return the unit improved to 3-9 in Games 6 and 7.  Unfortunately for the Orange-and-Black, Pronger was laboring with back pain that persisted through a loss to the Bruins in Game 1 of the second round.  He would not play the rest of the way and after the team’s elimination from the playoffs, it was announced that the hulking defenseman had a herniated disc in his back.  Surgery was once again required, and a successful discectomy was performed on May 12th.  It will be about six weeks from time of the surgery that Pronger can begin full exercise.  2011-12: The results with and without the dominant defender on the Philly blue line this year spoke volumes about his overall value.  His presence is obviously a key to success, but it isn’t the only issue for Philadelphia regarding Pronger.  There are still six years remaining on his contract, at an annual cap hit of more than $4.9 million.  Since it is an over-35 pact, the club is on the hook for the full amount, regardless if Pronger is able to play or not.  Pronger’s health is a must for Philadelphia to again be among the league’s elite squads.  If the majority of the news surrounding Pronger this year involves injuries and surgeries, the outlook for the Flyers will indeed be bleak.

Photo Credit: clydeorama / Flickr

Kimmo Timonen:  A-

2010-11:  Timonen turned 36 during the regular season and was once again one of the Flyers’ best defensemen.  He finished second in goals (6) and points (37) among Philly blue liners, and was the only defender to score shorthanded (which he did twice).  The native of Kuopio, Finland finished with a +11 rating, and was the unit’s leader with Pronger out for much of the season.  Timonen scored a goal, recorded six points, and was a +3 in the postseason.  When the team didn’t play well down the stretch and when they were bounced out in the second round by the Bruins, Timonen was visibly upset and voiced his displeasure at the disappointing finish.  ”That’s what pisses me off the most,” Timonen told Teemu H. of Broad Street Hockey after their elimination.  ”We weren’t even close.  There was no effort which I find unbelievable.”  There is no doubt that Timonen cares about the team’s performance, and he was to meet with Holmgren last week.  You can bet that the 12-year veteran gave the GM an earful as to what he felt was wrong with the club, and what he believes is necessary for the Flyers to achieve the ultimate success.  2011-12: With two seasons left on a contract that pays him $6.33 million per year, Timonen is the highest-paid Philadelphia defenseman.  At five-feet, 10-inches and 194 pounds, he is one of the team’s smaller defensemen.  But Timonen, who is entering his fifth year in the City of Brotherly Love, is both savvy and smooth.  He should remain as one of the most effective Philly blue liners at least through the end of his deal.

CONCLUSION

OVERALL DEFENSEMEN GRADE:  B-

After going through the first half of the season as one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Flyers struggled to keep the puck out of their net for much of the stretch run.  They ended up yielding 223 goals this season, which was only sixth-best among playoff-qualifying Eastern Conference clubs.

While the club’s blue line and goaltending was partially responsible, Philadelphia’s forwards also didn’t play well in their own end.

The team will need to acquire more depth for the upcoming season, especially with the question marks where Pronger’s health is concerned.  Not having the big defenseman in the lineup for a good portion of the year definitely hurt, but the general state of confusion defensively was mysitfying, given the number of veteran leaders on the team.

Pronger’s rehabilitation from back surgery will be an important development to keep an eye on as the summer progresses, and there are other question marks heading towards training camp.  Will O’Donnell be re-signed?  Will both Carle and Coburn be on the Flyers’ blue line next season, or will they be dealt before becoming UFAs next summer?

Will Holmgren attempt to bring in a legitimate right-handed shooting defender, especially with Vancouver’s Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo, and Montreal’s James Wisniewski available as UFAs?  The Flyers have not had a decent righty since Eric Desjardins retired during the 2005-06 season, and it has been one of the adverse affects on an impotent power play.  Without a right-hander to man the left point on the man advantage, one-timers from that side of the ice are non-existent.  Holmgren brought Matt Walker to Philly in the Simon Gagne trade, but he was a complete bust.  Due to various injuries, Walker saw action in just four NHL contests this season.  When he was in the lineup, he was ineffective – even in pre-season matches.

If Holmgren is to bring in a big name defenseman, more room will have to be made to fit them into the club’s bloated cap situation.

Meanwhile, Erik Gustafsson, who nearly made the club out of training camp last year, should be ready to claim a spot this fall.  The 22-year-old has two years left on his entry-level contract at $900,000 per season, and had a very good season with the Phantoms.  The five-foot, 10-inch, 180-pound native of Kvissleby, Sweden did not look out of place in three games with the Flyers this year, and possesses slick offensive creativity from the blue line.

Others who may get a long look in camp are Marc-Andre Bourdon (21, 6′, 0 “, 205 pounds, $875,000) and Kevin Marshall (22, 6′, 1″, 191 pounds, $845, 833).

GOALTENDERS

Photo Credit: clydeorama / Flickr

2010-11:  Signed as a free agent last May, Bobrovsky was looking like an early season front-runner for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie-of-the-year.  The 22-year-old slumped down the stretch, but still finished with a 28-13-8 record, with a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.  Head coach Peter Laviolette named Bobrovsky as his starter for the postseason, and the native of Novokuznetsk, Russia did not disappoint in his first game.  Bobrovsky held his team in the game into a scoreless third period, eventually yielding a goal to Patrick Kaleta in a 1-0 loss.  In Game 2, he gave up three early goals, was pulled in favor of Brian Boucher, and disappeared from the lineup as Michael Leighton was brought back into the rotation.  As the Boucher-Leighton tandem eventually faltered, Bobrovsky again played.  He started the fourth and final game of the Boston series, playing well in keeping the Flyers tied into the third period before taking the loss.  2011-12: There is no question that Bobrovsky is the team’s goaltender of the future.  With two years remaining at $1.75 million per season, the only issue regarding Bobrovsky is when he will be ready.  With Pronger and Timonen heading into their late-30′s, the time to win for Philadelphia is now.  Goalie coach Jeff Reese said he believes Bobrovsky is “two-to-three years away from being a workhorse”, so talk around Philly is that Holmgren will attempt to bring in a legitimate number one guy over the summer.  Bobrovsky could be the backup, or maybe even end up being the starter with the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms.

Photo Credit: Jayne Shives / Wiki

Brian Boucher:  B

2010-11:  Finishing up the last year on his two-year deal ($925.000) this past season, Boucher was the perfect soldier for the Flyers.  He did everything asked of him, and without complaint.  When he thought he would be the starter when Leighton had off-season surgery but the job was instead given to Bobrovsky to open the campaign, Boucher filled the backup role to perfection.  He finished the regular season with a respectable 18-10-4 mark, and led the team in GAA (2.42) and save percentage (.916).  Boucher got the win in the final regular season contest in relief of Bobrovsky, when the Flyers absolutely had to get a victory to win the Atlantic Division crown.  In the playoffs, Boucher recorded all four Philadelphia wins in the Buffalo series.  But as each netminder took a turn falling flat when given the reigns to take control of the net, the 34-year-old native of Rhode Island may have fallen the hardest.   2011-12: Again an UFA, it remains to be seen if the team will attempt to re-sign Boucher.  It would seem unlikely, given Ed Snider’s comments about the carousel of goalies the club experienced during the postseason never happening again.

Photo Credit: Resolute / Wiki

Michael Leighton:  INCOMPLETE

2010-11:  Leighton’s year has been one full spectrum of contradictions.  After coming onto the scene off the waiver wire and taking Philadelphia to within two wins of capturing the Stanley Cup, Leighton was re-signed (two years, $1.55 million annually) as an UFA last summer.  Expecting to be the team’s number one, he instead began the year on injured reserve after undergoing back surgery during the pre-season.  The 30-year-old came back to find Bobrovsky had wrestled the starting job away from him, and Leighton was sent to Adirondack.  He played in just one NHL regular season game with the Flyers this year, and made a return during the playoffs.  That didn’t end up so well, as he lost Game 5 of the Sabres series in overtime, then was yanked for good after giving up three soft Buffalo goals in Game 6.  2011-12: With one year left on the contract he signed last year, it is unclear where Leighton fits into the Flyers’ plans.  If it is deemed necessary for Bobrovsky to get the bulk of the workload in Adirondack, it is conceivable that Leighton could back up whichever goaltender Holmgren brings in to lead Philly.

CONCLUSION

OVERALL GOALTENDER GRADE:  B-

While Bobrovsky played better than anyone could have foreseen and Boucher was the consummate backup, the Flyers lack of a clear cut number one created a circus-type atmosphere around the team in the postseason.

Even though the organization has historically ignored the crease area, the signing of Bobrovsky last year as a free agent was a huge step in the right direction for Philadelphia’s future.  With the recent signing of Finnish netminder Niko Hovinen to a free agent pact and Joacim Eriksson and Jakob Kovar looking ready to make the trip to North America very soon, the Flyers’ net situation appears bright for upcoming years.

With Snider’s proclamation that the team’s goaltending situation will indeed be rectified this summer, the speculation as to which goalie Holmgren will attempt to secure has commenced.  Ilya Bryzgalov is the biggest free agent fish, and Holmgren inquired about his availability when the Russian played for the Anaheim Ducks back in the 2006-07 season.  Bryzgalov won the Cup in Anaheim that season, and has established himself as one of the best netminders in the world in Phoenix the past two years.  In order to afford the kind of contract it will take to sign Bryzgalov, salary will have to be moved off the current payroll.

Other names of interest include Tomas Vokoun (UFA, played with Florida Panthers in 2010 for $5.7 million), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames; three more years remaining at $5.833 million annually), and Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota Wild; two years remaining at $6 million per season).  Holmgren could choose to trade for either Kipper or Backstrom, and both the Flames and Wild are looking for more scoring up front.  It just so happens that if the Flyers try to deal for a netminder, forward is the spot where they would have to move salary.

While it’s bound to start the Jeff Carter ($5.272 million) rumors, there are other forwards that would be more desirable to deal.  Much-maligned winger Scott Hartnell ($4.2 million) tops the list, but he would have to waive his NTC in order for anything to happen.

Holmgren could also go a cheaper route if he finds it impossible to land an expensive backstop.  Pitches could be made for Jonathan Bernier (L.A. Kings, $1.25 million), Anders Lindback (Nashville Predators, $875,000), or Cory Schneider (Vancouver Canucks, $900,000), but the question of experience and how far these guys could take the Flyers would be genuinely pertinent.

*All salary numbers were obtained from www.CapGeek.com.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle