Stanley Cup trail leads to . . . Beantown
It will be a long road to the 16 wins required to win the Stanley Cup, starting Wednesday night. There’s no shortage of compelling hockey stories:
The Blackhawks are battling history. You have to go back to the 1997-98 Red Wings to find a repeat champion. The Wings are back in the hunt, this time in the Eastern Conference.
Also in unfamiliar territory are the Columbus Blue Jackets, looking for their first post-season victory ever.
Montreal is Canada’s lone hope for ending this hockey nation’s stunning 20-season Cup-less streak. Wouldn’t a Stanley Cup go nicely with that Olympic gold?
Out west, a Kings-Sharks Battle of California will eliminate a genuine Cup contender in the first round. Who will win the Cup? Well, typically it comes down to health, depth and goaltending. With that, we pick Tuuk
ka Rask and the Boston Bruins over, let’s say, the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins are the best in the NHL fiveon-five (outscoring opponents 179117) and we all know the refs put away their whistles in the playoffs. Here’s how it begins:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
MONTREAL CANADIENS 46-28-8, 100 points TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 46-27-9, 101 points Season series: Tampa 3-0-1 THE SETUP: This series will drive Maple Leafs fans crazy because both teams — like the Leafs — rely on goaltending and timely scoring for success. There’s not much to separate them. Three of four meetings were decided in overtime. KEYS FOR CANADIENS: Carey Price is one of the best goalies in the league. He had six shutouts (second in the league) and his .927 save percentage was a career best. . . . The Habs power play has to turn around after failing to score in the last eight games (0 for 23). . . . P.K. Subban has not scored in 19 games. . . . The line of Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty is as hot as it gets, though. In 14 games together, the line had 18 goals and 23 assists. KEYS FOR LIGHTNING: Steven Stamkos is a game-breaker who missed out on a chance at Olympic glory due to injury. The Lightning went 22-19-5 without their new captain, proving they are a good team. They are much better, though, with him (14-8-4). . . . Goalie Ben Bishop can steal some games when healthy — he’ll miss Game 1 with an upperbody injury, Anders Lindback getting the call. Bishop’s 37 wins, .924 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average rank among the top 10. . . . Coach Jon Cooper kept the team together without Stamkos. WINNER: Canadiens in six LEAF FANS SHOULD: It’s the Habs, you have to hate them. DETROIT RED WINGS 39-28-15, 93 points BOSTON BRUINS 54-19-9, 117 points Season series: Detroit 3-1-0 THE SETUP: An Original Six matchup 57 years in the making. The teams have faced each only seven times in the playoffs, all between 1941 and 1957 (the Bruins won four times). Detroit was the only team with three wins over Boston this season. KEYS FOR WINGS: Daniel Alfredsson signed with the Wings at the end of his career because he thought they had a better chance at the Cup than the Senators. He led the Wings with 49 points. . . . David Legwand provided some stability after the trade deadline deal from Nashville. . . . Gustav Nyquist went on a dynamite tear at the end of the season and led the team with 28 goals, but will have to find a way around Zdeno Chara. KEYS FOR BRUINS: They can roll four lines and wear teams down. They might have the best top-six forwards in the league. . . . Jarome Iginla fit in nicely with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, while Reilly Smith’s two-way play is a good fit with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand . . . . Goalie Tuukka Rask is in the prime of his career. . . . Chara is 37, but still a dominant defenceman. . . . Bergeron will have to outdo Pavel Datsyuk in a battle of two-way centres and perennial Selke candidates. WINNER: Bruins in five LEAF FANS SHOULD: Boo Alfie or boo the Bruins. Kind of a pick ’em. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 42-30-10, 94 points NEW YORK RANGERS 45-31-6, 96 points Season series: Tied 2-2-0 THE SETUP: Always a grudge match between fierce rivals with the angri- est fans in the league, home ice promises to be a factor. The Rangers have won eight in a row vs. the Flyers at MSG. Philadelphia has won its last three home games vs. New York. KEYS FOR FLYERS: Their high-end scorers —seven players hit at least 20 goals — have to find a way to beat Henrik Lundqvist, a top goalie and proven playoff performer. . . . Claude Giroux is an elite player and will benefit from the veteran smarts of Vincent Lecavalier. . . . The jury remains out on Steve Mason as a No. 1 goalie (he did get 33 wins, but might miss Game 1 with an upper-body injury). A good playoff could reestablish his credentials. KEY FOR RANGERS: They boast a pop-gun offence with only three scorers over 20 goals and one of them, Martin St. Louis, scored all but one of his in Tampa. St. Louis will have to find the mark in the playoffs. . . . Coach Alain Vigneault rolls four lines. … Lundqvist, like Mason, notched 33 wins but his save percentage is higher than Mason’s (.920 to .917). WINNER: Rangers in seven LEAF FANS SHOULD: Gloat about that James van Riemsdyk for Luke Schenn trade. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 43-32-7, 93 points PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 51-24-7, 109 points Season series: Penguins 5-0-0 THE SETUP: Not a lot of history here, but the narrative will surround the performance of Marc-Andre Fleury after some shaky playoffs and the ability of the star-studded Penguins to beat a group of unknowns. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma’s job may be on the line. KEYS FOR BLUE JACKETS: Stay out of the penalty box. The Penguins have a lethal power play, tops at 23.4 per cent efficiency. The Jackets are slightly better five-on-five (outscoring opponents 149-140 to Pittsburgh’s 157-150). . . . There are a lot of names you haven’t heard, perhaps, but get used to Ryan Johansen (33 goals), James Wisniewski (44 assists) and Boone Jenner (dynamite down the stretch). . . . One name you have heard, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, had a solid year (32-20-5, 2.38, .923) to follow his 2013 Vezina. KEYS FOR PENGUINS: For all of Pittsburgh’s fabled firepower — and Sidney Crosby is the best player on the planet — all eyes will be on Fleury. Years of playoff disappointment following the team’s 2009 Cup has been blamed on him. A solid season helps, but it’s the playoffs that matter. . . . Crosby is the key to the offence but the Penguins have to hope Evgeni Malkin’s foot injury is completely healed and Kris Letang can get back to full speed after a stroke. WINNER: Blue Jackets in six LEAF FANS SHOULD: Wonder how Lee Stempniak has eked out an important role with the Penguins.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ST. LOUIS BLUES 52-23-7, 111 points CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 46-21-15, 107 points Season series: Blues 3-2-0 THE SETUP: The Blues want to prove they’re for real. Both teams are great five-on-five: the Blackhawks fourth, the Blues fifth. KEYS FOR BLUES: Goalie Ryan Miller needs to prove he’s worth all the hype. Despite very solid career numbers, Miller has yet to win anything of significance. The Blues brought him in as the missing piece to a solid lineup that includes Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, perhaps the top defence pair in the NHL. . . . Alex Steen, David Backes and T.J. Oshie will draw a lot of attention from the Jonathan Toews line, so it will be up to the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko to make sure the Blues offence doesn’t sputter. The Blues are 25-2-2 when he gets a point. KEYS FOR BLACKHAWKS: If Toews is healthy, their top two lines rival those of the Bruins with Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad. . . . Depth with Andrew Shaw, Brian Bickell, Kris Versteeg is as good as it gets. . . . Coach Joel Quenneville will rely on D-men Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Nick Leddy. . . . Goodness, the more you read about the Blackhawks, the more impressed you become. However . . . WINNER: Blues in seven LEAF FANS SHOULD: Keep telling yourself it took years — years — for Steen to become this good. MINNESOTA WILD 43-27-12, 98 points COLORADO AVALANCHE 52-22-8, 112 points Season series: Avs 4-0-1 THE SETUP: Colorado was built patiently through the draft, losing money while playing before empty seats for seasons. Minnesota was built via free agency, a route chosen because of a hockey-mad, impatient fan base. It’s also a battle of two of the only three teams without an “S” at the end of their nicknames. KEYS FOR WILD: Minnesota’s offence centres on Jason Pominville (30 goals) and Zach Parise (29 goals). The next highest scorer was Nino Niederreiter (14). . . . Goaltending may be the biggest issue. Minnesota is expected to go with Ilya Bryzgalov, the fourth goalie they’ve used this season and a trade deadline pickup. He went 7-1-3 after a rough time in Edmonton. . . . The Wild’s special teams are among the worst among playoff contenders. KEYS FOR AVALANCHE: Matt Duchene is hurt, but could be back by the end of the series. With Duchene (23), Nathan MacKinnon (18), Gabriel Landeskog (21) and Ryan O’Reilly (23), the Avs have four of the league’s best players under 24. That means first-year coach Patrick Roy will need to find a way to keep the team focused under playoff pressure. Roy will probably find a way. . . . Goalie Semyon Varlamov’s save percentage (.927) tied Price for third best. WINNER: Avalanche in six LEAF FANS SHOULD: Look at the Avs, think about a high draft pick. DALLAS STARS 40-31-11, 91 points ANAHEIM DUCKS 54-20-8, 116 points Season series: Stars 2-1-0 THE SETUP: After five years out of the playoffs, Dallas is back in thanks to — uh oh — Tyler Seguin. Meanwhile, the Corey Perry-Ryan Getzlaf show looks really good in support of Teemu Selanne’s farewell tour. KEYS FOR STARS: Seguin led the team in scoring (84 points), but Jamie Benn (79 points) is the heart and soul of the offence. . . . Seguin has 42 playoff games under his belt with the Bruins, but was criticized for vanishing during long stretches. . . . Valeri Nichushkin is a promising rookie and Kari Lehtonen is a solid, established goalie. KEYS FOR DUCKS: They come at you with everything and don’t stop. They’re second best five-on-five with the second best power play and a 13th-rated penalty kill. They are more than Getzlaf (87 points) and Perry (82) with a solid supporting cast that includes Nick Bonino (49), Mathieu Perreault (43) and Andrew Cogliano (42). On defence, Cam Fowler leads the way. WINNER: Ducks in five LEAF FANS SHOULD: Be thankful Stars fans don’t chant: “Thank you, Kessel.” SAN JOSE SHARKS 51-22-9, 111 points LOS ANGELES KINGS 46-28-8, 100 points SEASON SERIES: Kings 3-1-1 THE SETUP: The Battle of California will eliminate one Cup contender while leaving another battered and bruised. Both teams are great fiveon-five (L.A. third, San Jose fifth). KEYS FOR SHARKS: They’ve been knocking on the door for some time and one wonders how much longer they can ride Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, 34-year-olds who still produce close to a point a game. . . . Joe Pavelski led the team with 41 goals. . . . Dynamic rookie Tomas Hertl (25 points in 37 games) is back after a long injury. KEYS FOR KINGS: Goalie Jonathan Quick puts his big-game reputation on the line. His save percentage this year is a pedestrian .915. . . . The Sharks led the league in shots per game (34.8) while the Kings were used to facing an average of 26.2 (second fewest). . . . The Kings struggle to score, but the addition of Marian Gaborik at the trade deadline rounded out a solid top line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. WINNER: Kings in seven LEAF FANS SHOULD: Remember the good old days (of mid-March) when the Leafs beat the Kings 3-2 to sit third in the East.