Rangers rookie Chris Kreider making it look easy in impressive jump from NCAA title to NHL playoffs (Yahoo! Sports)
NEW YORK – When you make an overnight trip from an NCAA championship to the Stanley Cup playoffs, what do you pack? Seriously. How many pairs of socks? How much underwear?
Rookie Chris Kreider has scored key goals and played in crucial situations for the Rangers. (Reuters)Chris Kreider was unsure. He had just gotten back from Tampa, where he had won his second national title in three years with the Boston College Eagles. He was headed to New York, where he would practice with the Rangers in the morning. He didn’t know what was to come, how long it would last, everything he needed.
As he stood in his room at Voute Hall, a beige brick dorm on the BC campus, suitemate Samson Lee tried to help. Kreider had only one suitcase, but that was OK. He had ripped a pair of pants running around that day, so if Lee’s memory is right, he might have had only one suit. He needed shirts. He needed ties. Hmm.
Anything else?
“You’re playing Ottawa, right?” Lee said.
“Yeah,” Kreider said.
“Make sure you have your passport.”
“Um, probably something good to have.”
That was April 11. Five weeks later, the whirlwind continues. Kreider has appeared in 14 games for the Rangers, playing almost every other day, soaking in new experiences nonstop, without acting like a wide-eyed rookie just happy to be here.
He has celebrated his 21st birthday in an NHL uniform, survived a triple-overtime thriller, won two Game 7s at Madison Square Garden and made headlines in the media capital of the world. He scored game-winners in each of his first two series, and he has scored in each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference final.
By notching four goals and six points before his regular-season debut, he has tied two NHL records. Eddie Mazur scored four goals for the Montreal Canadiens before playing in the regular season, though he needed three playoffs to do it – 1951, ’52 and ’53. George McPhee put up six points for the Rangers in ’83.
The Rangers are already selling shirts with “KREIDER” and No. 20 on the back, and though he has probably (hopefully) bought some new clothes by now, he said he is still living out of the same suitcase in a Manhattan hotel.
“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “It’s a pretty big suitcase, though.”
* * * * *
Many players have made the NHL at a younger age. Others have gone straight from college to the pros, even in the playoffs. But this is unique.
Kreider has embraced the challenge of being thrust into the intensity of the NHL playoffs. (Reuters)The Rangers are a tight-knit group. They added only two players from outside the organization all season. They won the Eastern Conference with a team-first style.
And along came this college kid who hadn’t blocked a shot, hadn’t thrown a hit, hadn’t scored a goal, hadn’t contributed to any of it. Despite a total lack of NHL experience, he took a lineup spot and precious minutes – in the top six, on the power play, in other key situations – at the most important time of year.
It’s a credit to the guys in the dressing room and of course a credit to Kreider, who earned his coach’s trust and his teammates’ respect quickly. On the ice, he made an immediate impact, took a step back and rebounded to make an impact again. Off the ice, he has kept his head down and his mouth shut. Part of it is his personality. Part of it is just being a respectful rookie.
“He has no fear. That’s what I like about him,” said coach John Tortorella after beating the Ottawa Senators in the first round, when he put Kreider, in only his fourth NHL appearance, on the ice to protect a one-goal lead in the final minute of Game 7.
“His biggest thing is his mindset. He’s not here to test the waters. He’s trying to make a difference. You saw where I had him tonight at the end of the game. He was playing, the other guys weren’t, and he deserved to be there.”
Kreider wasn’t your typical college kid, and he wasn’t your typical college player.
He wasn’t one to pull all-nighters. He would make sure he got nine or 10 hours of sleep, especially before games. He needed a lot of food for fuel – “he ate like a little pony,” Lee teased – but loved healthier stuff like sushi.
It doesn’t sound like he was a partier. Asked about spending his 21st birthday playing for the Rangers instead of, well, doing what a lot of people would do, Kreider said: “I’d rather do this any day of the week than go out and destroy my body.” Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he looks like he has been building his body.
“He’s, like, a creature,” Lee said. “I think he’s just a real mature kid. He knows that whatever he does, he has to earn it. He’s determined. You can tell from the two national championships he won in college, he’s a kid that when he sets his mind on something, he works hard at it. He gets it done.”
Lee is the video coordinator for the Boston College hockey team. He has seen Kreider on screen as much as anyone, and when he watches him now – on the same 32-inch television in the suite they shared, in the same common room where they watched NHL games – he sees the same player he saw at BC. Great skater. Great shooter. “Prototypical power forward,” Lee said. “You can hear him coming down the ice. He’s like an impending force when he’s hounding you on the puck.”
Eagles captain Tommy Cross sees the same thing. “I see the kid that I played with for three years,” Cross said. “He’s so fast and powerful and strong. I see him being pushed. He’s obviously playing in the best league in the world right now. When he’s pushed, he can do special things.”
The Rangers drafted Kreider 19th overall in 2009 and wanted to sign him last year. He turned them down. He was disappointed in how his sophomore season ended, with a loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed, and he wanted to come back to get closer to his degree and take another shot at another national title.
The Rangers reportedly refused to include Kreider in a package for Columbus star Rick Nash. (Getty)But he gained valuable experience last spring. A Massachusetts native who twice represented the United States at the World Junior Championship, he played for the U.S. at the worlds for the second straight year, skating with NHLers, learning from them. He skated informally with some of the Rangers before their training camp. And though he was focused on the task at hand at BC with a team-leading 45 points in 44 games – he said it wouldn’t have been fair to anyone, including himself, not to be – he might have had one eye on New York.
How could he not? It was all over the media that Rangers general manager Glen Sather refused to include him in a deal for Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash before the trade deadline. The playoffs were coming.
“He’s a very humble kid and deflects attention, so he wouldn’t say it, but I think he was watching,” Cross said. “I think he was pretty confident in himself thinking that, ‘Probably a couple months from now, a couple weeks from now, I could be wearing the blue jersey.’
“I think we were more vocal about it. People asked, ‘Why was Boston College a good hockey team this year?’ Well, we had a great coach, we had some players that played really well, and we had an NHL player on the team. So that helps.”
On April 7, the Eagles won the NCAA championship. On April 11, they had a parade on campus. Kreider cut out early. “It was funny, because everyone wanted his autograph,” Lee said. “Everyone was looking for him.” Kreider was busy signing an NHL contract.
“I figured it all out with my parents, faxed the stuff over,” Kreider said. “I got in a car at BC and drove down. Excited. Really excited. I hadn’t come down yet off that high of winning the whole thing.”
On April 12, Kreider practiced with the Rangers. On April 16, he made his NHL debut in Ottawa. He played on a line with stars Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. Good thing he remembered his passport.
“Kind of a wave of emotions, I guess,” Kreider said. ” ‘Special’ probably doesn’t do it justice. But at the same time, I was obviously locked in and mentally focused. I only had about three or four seconds to kind of take in the fact that I was putting on an NHL jersey before I had to try to do my job.”
The players welcomed him. Several had come from U.S. colleges, just not as quickly. The coaches didn’t overload him. They told him just to have fun and play his game, while stressing a few things in the defensive zone.
Still, it was almost overwhelming – the sights, the sounds, the pace.
“Obviously the environment’s that much more intense, in the locker room, in the arena itself,” Kreider said. “I’ve played in front of some pretty big crowds, but I don’t think it ever gets as loud as it does in some of these games. Obviously it’s a whole different level. It was kind of hard to fathom. I don’t think you can kind of prepare yourself enough for it. It’s a big leap.”
But he made it. Though he got into the lineup because of a suspension to rookie Carl Hagelin – who went from the University of Michigan to the American Hockey League playoffs last season, a more typical path – he didn’t leave the lineup when Hagelin returned. He dropped to the fourth line for a couple of games, then rose to the second line with Derek Stepan and captain Ryan Callahan.
He scored the winning goal in Game 6 against the Senators. He made a key play in Game 7, forcing a turnover that led to a goal. He set up a goal and scored the winner in Game 1 of the second round against the Washington Capitals, earning the Broadway Hat, the too-small black fedora that goes to the player of the game in the Rangers’ room.
That was impressive enough. But this might have been more impressive: After going minus-4 over three games and committing a costly turnover to Alex Ovechkin – his favorite player growing up – his playing time dwindled dramatically. He didn’t crumble.
He set up a goal in Game 1 of the conference final, using that speed to win a race to the puck and feed defenseman Dan Girardi. He scored, using that shot to snap the puck in mid-stride past goaltender Martin Brodeur. He scored in Game 2, too, deflecting a shot in front of the net. Both of those goals were on the power play.
“A lot of guys I think would have been shaken up out there at the end of the Capitals series, not seeing the ice time he would have wanted to because of the turnover to Ovi or whatever,” Cross said. “But he came back the next series with kind of a fresh mind and scored some big goals so far in this new series. I think he’s pretty resilient and focused and can keep his confidence, which is tough to do, especially at that level.”
* * * * *
Back at Boston College, Kreider’s college buddies gather around to watch the NHL, as they always have. Only now Kreider isn’t there watching the television. He’s on the television.
“One of our teammates is freaking playing,” Cross said.
Had Kreider stayed in school, he would have been honored with his teammates at Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox games. He would have gone with them to the statehouse and city hall this week. He would have just finished final exams.
His dad moved him out of the dorm a few days ago, but that’s OK. Even though he left after his junior year, he’s only four courses short of a communications degree, which he said he intends to finish “in the relative future.” We all make tradeoffs in life.
“He’s scoring goals in the NHL,” Lee said, laughing. “He’ll probably take the NHL goals.”
Kreider keeps in touch with his BC teammates, but mostly by text message. They want to support him. They want to ask questions – about the game, about the team, about the big-league life. But they know he’s busy, and they want him to stay focused, and they want him to win. They’ll catch up in the summer.
“Everybody keeps asking me, ‘What’s the secret? How’s he doing it?’ ” Cross said. “When you have the tools he has and you put it all together like he’s doing, it’s pretty special.
“Around here, I think everyone’s surprised, because no one makes that jump like he’s doing. But at the same time, it almost makes sense. He was ready for a challenge, and this is a challenge, and he plays his best on biggest stages. He’s doing that now. He’s making the most of it.”
Change in roster philosophy the key to Rangers, Kings success (The Hockey News)
In a playoff season where almost nothing seems to make any sense, count on the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings to turn everything upside down.
When you think of the Rangers and Kings, you think glamor, Broadway and Showtime. You think star power. But what you’re getting are two teams in the biggest NHL markets that are a triumph of the collective. The Rangers are certainly more than a sum of their parts and the Kings are quickly becoming a Stanley Cup favorite on the strength of having every single player on the roster making a significant contribution.
But most of all, you have two teams that, after years of taking the path of least resistance, finally learned you must build from within to have any sort of sustained success and sometimes that can be a long and painful process.
Who would have thought of the four teams remaining in the Stanley Cup tournament, the Kings and Rangers would have the most homegrown players on their rosters, while the New Jersey Devils would be third and the Phoenix Coyotes fourth?
Who would have thought that of the four teams remaining in the Stanley Cup tournament, the Kings would have the most homegrown players on their roster, while the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils would fall in the middle and the Phoenix Coyotes fourth?
You’d think the Coyotes wouldn’t be able to afford to do anything but build from within, but they had just five players on their roster for Game 3 of the Western Conference final who had been drafted and developed by the organization – defenseman Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and Michael Stone.
The Kings, by contrast, had 11 players they had either drafted or signed as undrafted free agents in their lineup – goalies Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier, defensemen Drew Doughty, Slava Voynov and Alec Martinez and forwards Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Jordan Nolan and Dwight King.
And every one of them, with the exception of Doughty and Kopitar, has spent significant time developing in the American League. Brown, for example, came to the NHL as an 18-year-old the year before the lockout and scored one goal in 31 games. Then in 2004-05, he spent the lockout season in the AHL, became a far more confident player and came back to the Kings as a much better prepared NHL player.
The Rangers, meanwhile, haven’t stopped chasing high-profile free agents such as Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, but it was only when GM Glen Sather came to the realization that model couldn’t work exclusively the Rangers began to make serious strides on the ice. As a result, they had nine homegrown players on their roster for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final – goalie Henrik Lundqvist, defensemen Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal and forwards Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Artem Anisimov and Carl Hagelin. And that doesn’t even include Ryan McDonagh, a player who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, but never played a game in the organization before the Rangers stole him in the Scott Gomez trade.
The Devils are still building through the draft, but theirs is a team that is no longer constructed exclusively on talent from within. They also had nine players in their lineup who had originally been drafted or signed as undrafted free agents and developed by the team – goalie Martin Brodeur, defenseman Mark Fayne and forwards Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, David Clarkson and Stephen Gionta. That doesn’t include defenseman Adam Larsson, the Devils first-round pick last summer who has also played sporadically in these playoffs.
The Devils with Ilya Kovalchuk, the Rangers with Richards and Gaborik and the Kings with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have not shied away from acquiring big-time talents either through trades or free agent signings. In fact, the reason why the Kings were able to get both Richards and Carter was because they had young players they had originally drafted in the fold and were in a position to give up some of the future in order to get help in the present.
That’s the way it’s supposed to be done in the NHL. And now with teams such as the Rangers and Kings unable to spend their into and out of big-money mistakes, the importance of building from within has never been more relevant.
The Kings and Rangers seem to have finally grasped that concept. And it’s a major reason why one of them might end up winning the Stanley Cup.
Ken Campbell is the senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com with his column. To read more from Ken and THN’s other stable of experts, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.
Posted in Montreal Canadiens | 
Tags: change, Hockey, Kings, News, philosophy, Rangers, Roster, success | 
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Ready to rebound
Finns, Russia go through, Slovaks upset Canada (AFP)
Holders Finland advanced to the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championships with a last-gasp winner against the United States on Thursday, but Olympic champions Canada were shocked by Slovakia.
Slovakia claimed a 4-3 victory over Canada as Jesse Joensuu netted a double for Finland‘s 3-2 quarter-final victory over the USA.
“We knew that we had to play our best to beat the US,” said Finland coach Jukka Jalonen. “I’m very happy for the boys. Everybody gave a great effort.”
Joensuu opened for the Finns, spurred on by a capacity 13,000-strong home crowd, 13:27 into the second period.
Anaheim Ducks center Kyle Palmieri levelled just 11 seconds later with club team-mate Bobby Ryan putting the USA into the lead 1:39 into the third period.
Minnesota Wild center Miko Koivu equalised at 53:02, but it was Joensuu who was the hero, scoring the home country’s winning goal, and his second of the match, with just nine seconds to go.
Earlier the Slovaks, world champions in 2002, got off to a lively start with goals from Florida Panthers forward Tomas Kopecky and 37-year-old veteran Miroslav Satan.
But the Canadians fought back with three unanswered goals through Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane, Carolina Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner and Vancouver Canucks left winger Alexandre Burrows.
Slovakia‘s Milan Bartovic levelled at 53:25, and San Jose Sharks center Michal Handzus netted a powerplay winner with just 2:28 remaining in the third period.
“Canada were the favourites but my players didn’t want to go home yet. And the win was the best possible gift for my birthday,” said Slovakia coach Vladimir Vujtek, who was 65 on Thursday.
In Stockholm, Russia had to battle through two tough periods against an obstinate Norway before running out 5-2 winners.
Washington Capitals skipper Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Popov both scored early for Russia for a 2-1 lead before the first interval as Norwary replied through their right winger Per-Age Skroder.
The championship’s leading scorer Patrick Thoresen carried on his form as he picked up his 18th point (7 goals + 11 assists) scoring on powerplay just 28sec into the second to pull the scores level at 2-2.
But in the third Norway failed to keep up the pace and Montreal Canadiens’ rear guard Alexei Yemelin put Russia ahead again.
Teammate Nikolai Zherdev and defender Ilya Nikulin added one apiece late on to secure Russia‘s ninth win over Norway at the worlds in as many matches.
“It was the first play-off match for this team and the guys were a bit nervous from the start,” Russian coach Zinetulla Bilyaletdinov said.
“Luckily, later in the match they managed to calm down and began playing their normal hockey. Ovechkin and (Alexander) Syomin played well after a long flight from Washington, both earning points. I’d say they seriously strengthened the team.”
In the last quarter-final, the Czech Republic, who won their last world crown in 2010, saw off co-hosts Sweden 4-3.
Dallas Stars left winger Loui Eriksson put Sweden ahead at 7:10 but the Czechs replied positively for a 2-1 lead before the first break as their forwards Petr Nedved and Jiri Novotny scored one apiece.
Nashville Predators right wing Martin Erat increased the Czech lead at 30:27 on powerplay but Detroit Red Wings left winger Henrik Zetterberg and Jonathan Eriksson scored 45 sec before and after the second break to pull the scores level.
Ottawa Senators winger Milan Michalek had the few Czech supporters in Stockholm Globe arena on their feet with just 29sec remaining when he scored the winning goal.
In Saturday’s semi-finals Finland will face Russia in a replay of the last year’s semi-final, while Slovakia will take on former compatriots Czech Republic.
Rolling with the punches
The Memorial Cup gets rolling
John Jaeckel: Rumors And Early Free Agent Outlook
As promised, here’s an early look at the Hawks’ offseason targets (purported, speculated and imagined).
Read carefully. I will try to make clear where I am hearing specifically about actual team interest in a player, versus players they have been interested in previously, versus my own opinions of players they might pursue and different ways they might do that.
First, as originally speculated here, and now being “confirmed” by a variety of sources, the Hawks are likely going to try to be significant players for Ryan Suter.
Leaving that aside, and taking a broader view of the entire league, there are different cap situations and free agent wishes for all 29 teams that might create some really interesting opportunities for the Hawks—whether they land Suter or not.
One UFA I am told the Hawks might look at, aside from Suter on 7/1, is Calgary winger David Moss.
Another forward target could be San Jose UFA Daniel Winnik, who I was told the Hawks had strong interest in prior to the trade deadline.
Two defensemen who the Hawks may pursue, based on trade deadline interest they had, and UFA status (assuming Suter does not pan out) could be Carolina’s Bryan Allen and Colorado’s Shane O’Brien.
Understand, a lot can happen between now and July 1 and there are many other names that might be on the team’s radar, some who might not be terribly high profile, but who, like Moss or Winnik, also fit needs the Hawks have identified.
OK, at this point, please understand, from here on out, I am basically throwing names out that could, on some level and in some situations, make sense.
The following are a few UFA names who I have not head specifically mentioned by my sources, but who might have some interest to Chicago as secondary targets this summer:
Josh Harding, G, Minnesota
Al Montoya, G, New York Islanders
Jonas Gustavsson, G, Toronto
Scott Hannan, D, Calgary
Gregory Campbell, F, Boston
Bryan Allen, D, Carolina.
Jason Garrison, D, Fla
Bryce Salvador, D. NJ
Brad Stuart, D. Detroit
Could a Sami Salo or a Mikael Samuelsson, a couple of long in the tooth veterans whose best days are clearly behind them, nonetheless still provide some power play, limited minutes value?
Again, I’m sure the naysayers have all kinds of reasons to dismiss players like these (as though anyone’s suggesting throwing a lot of money or term at either—which would be insanity). But players like these, if there’s any tread left on their tires at all, could have situational value for a year for a team needing a tweak to get over the top.
Another option that could be out there this summer is the often overlooked possibility of tendering an offer sheet. Specifically, as a fallout of the Suter and possibly Zach Parise sweepstakes (and let’s assume the Hawks aren’t winners in either), then there could be some teams like Nashville, Minnesota or Detroit, who could be vulnerable (as the Hawks were with Antti Niemi and Niklas Hjalmarsson in the summer of 2010) to someone making a run at one of their “lesser” RFAs?
Here are a few names of useful, or high potential players currently making around $ 1 million a year or less who will be RFAs this summer, who could be (conceivably) “under-offered” in terms of their qualifying offer and their ability/potential because of their team’s cap situation:
Darren Helm, W, Detroit
Justin Abdelkader, W, Detroit
Anders Lindback, G, Nashville
Cody Franson, D, Toronto
Alexei Emelin, D, Montreal
Mathieu Perreault, C, Washington
Any of whom could fill needs for the Hawks. Is an offer sheet likely? No. I have also heard that the Hawks might not have the draft picks to give in compensation. I’m not sure. Bear in mind though, RFA rights to players like these can become available in trade.
Trades also are always a consideration (obviously) and I would say a near likelihood for the Hawks this summer, who might be looking to reduce cap commitment prior to the draft or acquire veteran help through dealing some prospect depth.
Another rumor out there i was told this morning, though somewhat cloudy at this point as to the source, is that there could potentially be a Patrick Kane for Rick Nash deal discussed.
What I do know is creative minds start with a broad playing field. They set their sights on who they want, not who the media “insiders” say they can afford or not. And they figure it out.
To my mind, the Hawks have been way too limited in their thinking on acquiring players the last couple of years precisely because they’ve been in a very defined and perhaps defensive mindset.
The winds seem to be blowing the other direction this summer. The Hawks seem to know they need to make some moves and for the first time since 2009, they have the cap room and assets to make some things happen.
I’ll be back with more on this subject as I hear it.
JJ
How the Last 13 Stanley Cup Champions Didn’t Repeat, Part 3: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
In the past 13 years, all 13 Stanley Cup champions fell short of raising the Cup another consecutive time. The first part of this series looked at how the champions from 1999, 2000 and 2001 failed to repeat. Last week, part two studied how the 2002, 2003 and 2004 champions missed the chance to win again. This week, part three explains how the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 champions were undone the next year.
2006: Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the 2006 playoffs matched up with the Ottawa Senators and starting the series in Canada’s capital city. The hometown team won Game 1, and though the Lightning rebounded to win Game 2 by just one goal, the Senators soon seized control of the series. They won Game 3 by a score of 8-4, added a Game 4 win and then, in another one-goal game, knocked the defending champions out of the playoffs altogether.
Notable Lightning players included Brad Richards, who is with the New York Rangers now, Paul Ranger and Vincent Lecavalier, who is still on the team today.
Meanwhile in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes were storming (pardon the pun) up to the top of the pile. A sometimes chaotic quarterfinal series against the Montreal Canadiens included a decision to let then-rookie Cam Ward see time after Martin Gerber gave up three goals in the first period of Game 2. Ward became the hot hand for much of the playoffs and is the Hurricanes’ workhorse goalie today. It also included a controversial incident in Game 3 where Saku Koivu‘s face was clipped by Carolina’s Justin Williams. Koivu got an eye injury; Williams got no penalty. The rest of the six-game series was tight, with all of the games decided by just one goal, and Carolina defeated Montreal in six.
In the semifinals, the Hurricanes met the New Jersey Devils. They opened the series with a 6-0 shutout where all but one goal came on the power play, built on the momentum with a 3-2 overtime win and put together another 3-2 victory. Down a very risky three games to nothing in the series, the Devils made a mark in a 5-1 win, but that wasn’t enough and the Hurricanes downed them in the next game.
They then took on the Buffalo Sabres in the conference final. The first three games were all one-goal affairs, Buffalo taking the first, Carolina nabbing the second and Buffalo getting the third. The Hurricanes responded with a 4-0 shutout, but then the series turned tight again. Game 5 was decided by a Carolina overtime goal and Game 6 by a Buffalo overtime goal. But in Game 7, Carolina came from behind to take a 4-2 win and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Edmonton Oilers awaited in the Stanley Cup Final, and while the Hurricanes built up a two-game series lead with a hard-fought Game 1 win and a shutout, the series tightened up again. The Oilers avoided a three-nothing deficit via a Game 3 win by a 2-1 score, the Hurricanes got their own 2-1 win and the Oilers took a 4-3 overtime victory. Perhaps tired of suddenly tight series, the Oilers put together a Game 6 shutout and forced a decisive Game 7. Decisive it was-for the Carolina team, who won 3-1 and brought the Stanley Cup to the South again.
2007: Carolina Hurricanes
The 2007 Carolina Hurricanes missed the playoffs altogether. Actually, both teams that were in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final missed the 2007 postseason. So, instead this section will focus on how the Anaheim Ducks made it to the Stanley Cup.
The Ducks began the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild, the team that took them out of the conference final back in 2003. But things were different this time: the Ducks opened the series with a win, added another victory at home and put together a three-game series lead. With the Wild on the brink, they fought to maybe change the tone of the series with a 4-1 win in Game 4. The Ducks replied by beating the Wild by the exact same score in Game 5.
They then faced the Vancouver Canucks in the semifinals, starting things off with a rousing 5-1 win. The Canucks rebounded, though, taking a 2-1 double overtime win to even the series. That would prove to be Vancouver’s only win, though, as the Ducks won Game 3 and Game 4 by a 3-2 score and finished the series with a double overtime victory too.
In the conference final, the Ducks took on perennial playoff team the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings, hoping to repeat the success that came from the last time they made it to the conference final, started things off with a 2-1 win. The Ducks bounced back for a 4-3 overtime win that was followed by the Red Wings putting together a 5-0 win, the biggest playoff loss in Anaheim history. But they used that as inspiration to do better in Game 4, and while one team scored five goals in the 5-3 decision, it was the Ducks notching five this time. They followed up with two tightly-won wins, 2-1 in overtime and then 4-3 to send the Red Wings home.
The Stanley Cup Final was played by two teams without a Cup win to their name: the Ducks and the Ottawa Senators. Anaheim got the 2-0 series lead at home, first with a 3-2 win and then with a razor-thin 1-0 shutout that had the only goal coming in near the end of the third period. Russell Williams, who was in the house when the old Senators won the 1927 Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins, attended Game 3 in Ottawa. Maybe his presence inspired the home team-they won 5-3. But that would prove to be their only victory in this series. Anaheim extended their series lead by winning 3-2 again and then, in a potentially decisive game at home, they voted out the Senators 6-2 and kept Lord Stanley in a southern city, though this time in the west.
Notable Ducks players included Ryan Getzlaf, current team captain, Corey Perry, who is still a Duck today, and the legendary Teemu Selanne, still a Duck too.
2008: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks came into the 2008 playoffs matched up against the Dallas Stars, who got things started with a 4-0 shutout that saw every single goal scored on the power play. Anaheim players took 11 different penalties, giving the Stars lots of chances to score on the man advantage. They rode that momentum into Game 2, winning 5-2, though this time only two Dallas goals were on the power play and Anaheim got a PP goal too. The Ducks turned the tide with a 4-2 win, another game with lots of man-advantage scoring, but couldn’t even things up in Game 4, a 3-1 win where their only goal came at 19:52 of the third period. At the risk of elimination, the Ducks did prolong their playoff lives a little more by winning 5-2, but that wasn’t enough and they lost 4-1 in Game 6.
Notable Ducks players this year included Getzlaf, Selanne and Chris Pronger, who is now the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, though he played just 13 games in 2011-12 and is suffering from post-concussive symptoms, according to his wife Lauren.
Meanwhile, the President’s Trophy-winning Red Wings found themselves facing the Nashville Predators in the quarterfinals. They created a two-game lead at home with a 3-1 and a 4-2 win, but couldn’t go up three games when Nashville beat them 5-3. The Predators proceeded to tie the series with a 3-2 win. However, the pattern of a team winning two in a row continued, this time for Detroit: they beat Nashville 2-1 in overtime and then shut them out 3-0 to advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, they met the Colorado Avalanche, but this time the Avs proved to be of little difficulty. The Red Wings won Game 1, Game 2, repeated their Game 1 score and then dominated Game 4 by scoring eight goals to Colorado’s two.
The Stars, who’d dispatched the defending champions, met the Red Wings in the conference final. Detroit continued their winning ways from the previous series, winning Games 1, 2 and 3. But the Stars, maybe not wanting to meet the same fate as the Avalanche, shook things up with a 3-1 win in Game 4. They then kept their hopes alive for one more game by taking a win in Game 5, but their glimmer of hope faded after the Red Wings won Game 6.
Then in the Stanley Cup Final, Detroit opened strong, shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back games. Pittsburgh replied with a 3-2 win at home, but Detroit answered by winning Game 4. Pittsburgh took Game 5 to the late-night hours, finishing it in triple overtime to make their 4-3 win the fifth longest game in Final history. That wasn’t enough, though, and the Red Wings took home their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Foreshadowing: Mario Lemieux, following the Penguins’ loss, said that his team would know what to do next time.
2009: Detroit Red Wings
In the 2009 playoffs, the Red Wings met the Columbus Blue Jackets in the quarterfinals. This was Columbus’ first trip to the playoffs and it was not a good one for them: Detroit swept the series and put up at least four goals in each game, although Game 4 was harder-fought than the others.
The semifinals saw the Red Wings matched up with the Ducks. Detroit won Game 1 and Anaheim answered by taking Game 2 in triple overtime. In Game 3, the Ducks won 2-1, although it could very well have been tied and sent to overtime if not for a referee’s whistle just before Marian Hossa appeared to score near the end of regulation. The Red Wings bounced back from that by winning Game 4, 6-3, and added a Game 5 victory. The Ducks forced a seventh game by winning Game 6, though the Red Wings would make the decision in Game 7 by one goal.
The conference final series between Detroit and the Chicago Blackhawks started off with Detroit taking a 5-2 win and adding a 3-2 overtime victory. Chicago took their own overtime win in Game 3, which the Red Wings replied to by winning 6-1 in Game 4. This series’ flirtation with overtime was not over, though: Detroit’s decisive win in Game 5 came in extra time too.
The Stanley Cup Final ended up being a rematch of the previous year. Against familiar foes, the Red Wings put together a pair of 3-1 wins to start the series. The Penguins, perhaps fans of patterns too, won Games 3 and 4 by the same score of 4-2. Detroit broke the patterns with a 5-0 shutout in Game 5. But then Pittsburgh started another pattern, this one leading to success: Game 6, a 2-1 win, and Game 7, also a 2-1 win. Lemieux’s prediction turned out to be correct.
Notable Red Wings included Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom, who were on the team for the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008 victories but were not able to go for five in 2009.
Next week, in the last part of this series, the three most recent champions will be studied.
The 10 best Sports Illustrated Stanley Cup Playoff covers (Puck Daddy)
Not a Real SI CoverThe National Hockey League has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated — either the main mag or on a commemorative issue — 114 times, according to the SI Vault archive. Sometimes, it was a quick mention on a cover story dedicated to Tiger Woods another sports story. Other times, hockey was given the spotlight.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been featured around 35 times, including Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers on a striking cover from April 2012. While some weren’t exactly iconic, they all had their charms.
Here are the 10 best Sports Illustrated Stanley Cup Playoff covers.
Check out our year-by-year coverage of how SI treated different Cup champs. And here … we … go.
SI10. Montreal Canadiens vs. Los Angeles Kings (6/14/93)
“In the Stanley Cup” indicates the editor thinks it’s like the World Cup, but that’s OK. This cover is notable for having the most Canadian of Canadian teams — the Montreal Canadiens — given the spotlight over Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan; and also for featuring Tomas Sandstrom with that face, in which he looks like someone hit his how-do-you-do with a taser. (Buy Reprint Here)
SI9. Henrik Lundqvist (4/15/12)
An image from all the way back in the NHL Premiere series game in Stockholm, but one hell of an image. Hank giving an intense look to the puck as it approaches him, as if he’s worried the rubber disc may attempt to use his conditioner. Loses some points for depicting a shot that actually reaches Lundqvist, which has yet to happen in the 2012 Playoffs. (Buy Reprint)
SI8. Chicago Blackhawks, Cup Champions (6/20/10)
This was the regional cover for the Blackhawks’ drought-ending Cup victory, as Stephen Strasburg was given the national cover. Any cover featuring Jonathan Toews’ playoff foliage is a good one, but “AT LAST! BLACKHAWKS” is about as memorable as the befuddled goal calls when Patrick Kane ended the series. (Buy Reprint)
SI7. Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5/24/76)
The best sports photos tell a story, and Larry Robinson bruising his way through a Flyers’ face is all you need to know about the Sweep of ’76. (Buy Reprint)
SI6. Boston Bruins, Cup Champs (6/17/11)
A commemorative edition for the good people of Boston, with the Conn Smythe winner featured at the center (instead of the far right). Very solid celebration shot that earned a few extra points for the incredible Bro-hug happening around Patrice Bergeron, right before what we imagine was a slow dance to a Lionel Richie song playing in their heads. (Buy Reprint)
SI
5. Bobby Clarke (5/6/74)
Mayhem on the ice! How can you not love that? This SI cover perfectly captures the Broad Street Bullies aesthetic, as Bobby Clarke puts his stick on Pete Stemkowski’s taint and offers a Jack O’Lantern smile in the process. (Buy Reprint)
SI4. Ray Bourque (6/18/2001)
One of the NHL’s most compelling Stanley Cup Final storylines gets its due, as Raymond Bourque face shows elation and relief in finally capturing the Cup. A great image, although the Mission 16W book from the Sporting News might have it beat. (Buy Reprint)
SI3. Sidney Crosby (6/21/09)
Love him or hate him, just an iconic cover for Sidney Crosby after winning the Cup in 2009. The Kid looks smaller than the Cup thanks to the perspective in the photo, underscoring the enormity of the achievement. Plus, Michael Farber gets top billing, and this is never a bad thing. (Buy Reprint)
SI2. NHL Hot, NBA Not (6/20/1994)
One of the most significant moments for NHL fans in the early 1990s was this endorsement from SI after the New York Rangers’ Cup win. My god, it was like the hottest cheerleader in the school asking you to prom. That was the impact. If you read the stories, it wasn’t exactly “the NHL is surpassing the NBA in popularity!” as the cover might have teased. But it remains our Roswell Crash of 1990s sportswriting — we want to believe. (Buy Reprint)
SI1. Detroit Red Wings (6/14/08)
Just awesome. All the smiling faces, the enthusiasm, Kris Draper’s playoff beard … just that perfect moment in time when a team comes together to celebrate an accomplishment. Sadly lacking a Mike Babcock death stare to balance it all out, or a Red Wing popping Chipper Jones’s bubble with his finger. (Buy Reprint)
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