Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Night 1 Recap

Night 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs is now behind us and it sure didn't disappoint. Armed with an abundance of Genny Cream Ale and a 3-lb bag of peanuts, I hunkered down for 6 straight hours of top notch hockey. Let's begin in the Steel City...

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5)

PIT 3 - 4 PHI

PIT 0 - 1 PHI

I pegged this to be the marquee matchup of round 1 and it definitely delivered last night. Pittsburgh came out flying, putting Philadelphia back on their heels. They were also the more physical of the the two teams, finishing all their checks with an authority unmatched by the Flyers. With the Penguins dominating the play, it wasn't long before NHL poster child Sidney Crosby would score the first goal of the night. He fought hard to get to the puck and was able to flip a backhand beauty over the left shoulder of Bryzgalov. Shortly afterwards Philadelphia yielded a 2-on-1, and the Penguins lead was now 2-0. The Flyers managed to settle in from that point forward, but couldn't make it out of the first period without allowing another goal. With Pittsburgh up 3-0 heading into the first intermission, I almost began to have reservations in picking the Flyers to advance to the second round.

More immediately, I wondered whether or not Bryzgalov would remain in net in period 2. I can't particularly fault him for any of the 3 goals. Too often his defense left him hung out to dry. Still, allowing 3 goals on 13 shots never looks good, and maybe a goaltending change would provide the spark needed to spur a comeback. Bryzgalov would remain in the game however, and played shutout hockey from that point forward. It would be playoff performer Danny Briere that provided them with the necessary spark, thanks in part to some laxidasical officiating by the linesmen. Yes, he was offsides. If I were a devote Penguin fan, or were it to happen against the Sabres, surely my hair would ignite in rage. The fact remains though that after that goal the Penguins still held a 3-1 lead going into the third period. Offsides or not, the Penguins can't point to that as an excuse.

Danny Briere would add a second goal midway though the 3rd period, pulling the Flyers within 1, and giving him 98 career playoff points in 98 career playoff games. Several minutes later the Flyers would tie the game on the Power Play. As Jagr entered the zone, 3 Penguins players converged on him. I understand not wanting to give Jagr space, but this left Hartnell wide open, who fed a laser pass over to Bryden Schenn for the tap in. The period would end 3-3, and we were going to overtime. Needless to say, I was pumped. The overtime wouldn't last long however, as Chris Letang failed to clear the puck from the crease, and Jakub Voracek hammered it home, competing the improbable comeback for the Flyers. While I didn't quite count the Flyers out down 0-3, it amazes me that the Penguins would allow a three goal lead to evaporate. It's a huge confidence boast for the Flyers, knowing they can come back from such a deficit. 

Now, while it's often said that players, and teams, need to have short term memories, I'm not so certain it'd be wise for the Penguins to forget how they lost this game. Just as the Flyers realize they can come back from down 0-3, the Penguins ought to realize that a 3-0 lead isn't enough. They had their chances through the 2nd and 3rd periods, but couldn't maintain the pressure applied in period number 1. Next time they'd be wise to push hard for that fourth goal. Having said that, it's important that the Penguins don't allow doubt to creep in should they find themselves in a similar situation. It's also unlikely that the Flyers will be able to comeback from down 0-3 on a consistent basis. If they want to win this series, they'll need to open a lot stronger than they did in game 1.

(4) Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Redwings (5)

NSH 3 - 2 DET

NSH 1 - 0 DET

Of the 3 games last night, this is the game I saw the least of, having devoted a majority of my attention to the previously dissected Penguins/Flyers matchup. First off, Nashville needs new uniforms. Is mustard yellow really the best they could come up with? Secondly, I'm amazed at the ridiculous amount of penalties called in this game. There had been a noticeable lack of penalties down the stretch in the regular season. One assumed this trend would continue into the playoffs. It did in Pittsburgh, as only 4 penalties were called. In this game, there were 17.  That, in my albeit not quite professional opinion, is far too many. Yes, penalties have a place in the game, and power plays can provided excitement, while a successful penalty kill can be equally as motivating. Still, i'd rather they let the teams play as they did in Pittsburgh, and as they had been doing since the All Star break. 

I'd also like to touch on Goose, who scored his first goal as a Nashville Predator, and his first career playoff goal. It was definitely a fluky goal, but it hardly matters. Get the puck to the net, and good things will happens, or so they say. He also took a staggering 20 face-offs, winning 12 of them (60%). That included key wins when killing off a 5-on-3, and when holding onto the 1 goal lead with just over 5 seconds remaining. That is why he was acquired, and any offense he provides is just icing on the cake. His final face-off win led to perhaps the most buzzed about moment of the game. The puck in the corner, Shea Weber grabbed Zetterberg's head and slammed it into the glass. He was given a penalty, but there was no time left to serve it. There are many that felt he should be suspended, myself among them. That he wasn't suspended however hardly comes as a shock. Star players don't get suspended in the playoffs. He was fined a paltry $2,500, but that's hardly a deterrent. Good news is that Zetterberg is okay. Unfortunately for the Wings, Darren Helm will be out for the remainder of the playoffs.

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings (8)

VAN 2 - 4 LAK

VAN 0 - 1 LAK

The Los Angeles Kings came to play, and they came to play hard. The Vancouver Canucks, despite getting an early 1-0 lead, hardly looked like a Presidents Trophy winning team. The Kings outplayed the Canucks in all facets of the game, and if it weren't for the play of Roberto Luongo, it could have been much worse than it was. Leading the charge was Mike Richards, who finished the night with a goal and 2 assists, along with plenty of body hits. Most of the play was in Vancouver's zone, and LA finished with a 39-26 advantage in shots. Through two periods, they held a 2-1 advantage, 29-14. Vancouver was lucky to get a goal with 8 seconds remaining in the second period, tying the game at 2, but would be unable to score again. If the Kings maintain this pace of play, and Vancouver doesn't adjust accordingly, we'll be talking about an early exit from the Canucks in 2 weeks or less. 

Now, much like the Nashville/Detroit game, there were an abundance of penalties, with 14. Most notable is the 3 charging penalties called, two against Vancouver, one against LA. In regards to Zack Kassian's alleged charge, it was plaining a very bad call. He went in and finished his check as he's supposed to do. The hit of the game though was the boarding call on Byron Bitz, which also yielded him a game misconduct. The more I watch it, the worse it looks, especially from ice level. He specifically targets the head, pasting it into the glass. He's set to have a disciplinary hearing, and will likely be suspended. Prior to that incident though, he had only 2:51 of ice time, so I have trouble believing his absence will be a detriment for the Canucks. Despite this, as well as the 2 charging penalties levied against them, they need to play a more physical game. The trick is to play smart. Hopefully they're uninspired play in game one will wake them up in time to win game two before the series moves to Hollywood.

My Three Stars of the Night

1. Mike Richards -- LAK -- 1G, 2A, 3P
2. Danny Briere -- PHI -- 2G, 2P
3. Paul Gaustad -- NSH -- 1G, 60.00 FO%