NHL Playoffs Night 6: The Cream Rises To The Top
As we head into the second weekend of the postseason, the top teams are separating themselves.
Sabres 3 - 1 Bruins (Sabres lead 2-1)
It is very impressive for a young team making it's first swim in the choppy waters of the playoffs to win their first road game. Usually it's a rude awakening. It's even more impressive to watch them gut out a game that the opponent triea to muddy up, as the Bs realized in Game 2 they can't win this series any other way than by parking the bus. They kept it low event for sure, just 62 attempts combined between the two teams at 5-on-5. But the Sabres were more than happy to play along, do the simple things, put the puck where it needed to go and get it back. Even doing that, they have a lot more dash than Boston, and it showed in Game 3, as they got two goals from their third line. Which didn't even have its normal center.
Filling in that spot was Noah Oshlund, coming in from the cold, only in the lineup thanks to Josh Norris's weekly body part falling off episode. Oshlund centered the third line between Benson and doan, and ran the show. He hadn't played in a month. The Bruins had no answer for him on the forecheck, and he ran a 65-share in xG.
There's still a long way to go in this series, obviously, but the Sabres answered the biggest question and challenge there is, which is what they'll do when the Bs get this to be the game they have to get it to be, and what they'll do about it on the road. There really isn't a Plan B. Maybe the Sabres have stepped in it a bit by giving themselves a goalie controversy they didn't necessarily have to. But I've always thought that teams that bounce between two goalies in the regular season, especially these days, shouldn't really have a problem doing so in the playoffs. It's also a boon if Buffalo makes a deeper run to have a backup who at least has had a runout somewhat recently.
The Sabres have to do it two more times, but they've basically taken the best punch they're going to see.
Hurricanes 2 -1 Senators (Canes lead 3-0)
Thank you so much for continuing to read this, if you still are, even after my upset pick for Round 1 is down 3-o having scored three goals. You can't get analysis like this just anywhere, fuckos!
I am delighted, however, that after Brady Tkachuk's attention-whore fight at the opening whistle of the series, he's inspired the Sens to lose three games in a row, score three goals, himself collect no points, and frequently blow prime scoring chances, which could have put the Sens up 2-1. Where else could Ottawa get a captain like that? As good as he can be, on a real Cup winner? He's a second liner. Maybe the best second liner possible, but a second liner all the same. Talk to me when. your team doesn't go down 3-0 in the playoffs, jagoff.
To be fair to the rest of the Sens, going without Jake Sanderson for most of this one, already without Artem Zub, it's too much for a wildcard team to overcome. Whatever the Sens were going to do in this series, it was based on a defense that could sashay through the Canes furious forecheck. They've lost basically half of that, and the rest is banged up a bit, too. Which means nothing is coming easy for the Sens, even just getting up the ice.
If a team playing the Canes doesn't get their stars to go off, and Stutzle has joined Tkachuk in the scoreless and helpless department, that means the Canes can probably get by on their depth. Stankoven and Hall are pretty much running wild in this series, running 65+ percent shares in both Corsi and xG. The Sens don't have an answer. Not many teams will, to be fair.
Avalanche 4 -2 Kings (Avalanche lead 3-0)
The only note, really, about this game was Artemi Panarin's unique ability to only look dangerous on the power play in the playoffs, especially when the goalie is pulled and it's a two-man advantage. Kings fans are going to love this contract in two years.
This game especially felt like the Avs are only doing exactly what they need to, and exerting just as much energy as they have to, and absolutely no more than that, to keep a far inferior team at bay. And it's working. Don't be surprised if they completely take off Game 4, knowing they can close this out while barely breathing hard in Game 5.
As for the Kings, whenever the whip comes down, there are going to be some hard questions about this team without Kopitar, who is probably toast anyway. Not as toast as Drew Doughty is, who they probably will still count on for major minutes come next season. At least Quinton Byfield has looked a force, and that might be their only hope. But this is a team that wheezed to the last wildcard, and where is the boost coming from next season? This multi-year project got them...this. It doesn't look like it'll be much more than this. Can they start over again?
Scheduling note: I'll be back on Monday two wrap up what went down on the weekend. Below you can find the Premier League preview if that's your flavor of vodka. Have a great weekend!
Sam Fels