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?
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.
[Related: Devils overcome bad bounces to even series with Rangers]
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.
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 fifth 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.
[Related: Kings continue unbeatable run in playoffs]
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.
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.”
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Last four teams battle for World ice hockey final berth (AFP)
Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are preparing to do battle for a place in the ice hockey world championship final, guaranteeing the title for a European nation after the USA and Canada crashed out.
Reigning champions and event co-hosts Finland are attempting to defend their world title and win the tournament on home ice for the first time since the all-conquering “Red Machine” of the Soviet Union in 1986.
“The Lions”, Olympic bronze medallists in 2010, take on neighbours Russia in the first semi-final at the 13,000-seat Hartwall arena in Helsinki at 1130 GMT on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s semi-final which Finland won 3-0.
Finland won through to the last four with a last-gasp winner against Olympic silver medallists the United States on Thursday.
Russia, gunning for their first world title since back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2009, had to battle through two tough periods against an obstinate Norway before running out 5-2 winners in Stockholm.
The team, eyeing a medal after finishing fourth in Slovakia last year, have strengthened their line-up with two Washington Capitals forwards, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Syomin, who proved their worth by both earning points in the match.
Saturday’s other semi-final, which starts at 1530 GMT in Helsinki, is a mouth-watering tie between former compatriots the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who beat last year’s beaten finalists Sweden and pre-tournament favourites Canada.
The match promises to be a hard-fought affair for bragging rights and the chance to add another prestigious title to their nations’ trophy cabinets.
The Czech Republic have won six world titles since the two nations split in 1993, including a hat-trick of wins from 1999 to 2001, while Slovakia grabbed their first and only title in 2002 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Czech Republic and Ottawa Senators forward Milan Michalek, who scored the last-minute winner in the quarter-final on Thursday, admitted it will be a tough fight, despite the closeness between the two sides.
“We speak the same language and we have lots of friends on their team,” he said. “But it’s a semi-final, so it’s going to be a great game. They saw off (Olympic champions) Canada and that’s one of the best teams here… It’ll be a tough game.”
The world championship final is due to be played in Helsinki on Sunday at 1730 GMT, while the two semi-final losers will meet to determine the bronze medal position at 1530 GMT.
Oilers torched for Renney firing; Milan Hejduk back; Alex Radulov fallout (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
Getty Images• Look, JGL: “Inception” was the bomb. You were Han Solo in “500 Days of Summer.” You probably become Batman when Bane breaks Bruce Wayne’s back (/speculation). But please do not wear the Lakers gear to the Kings game. That said, feel free to wear the Kings gear to the Lakers game, if there are still going to be Lakers games this spring.
• The Ryan Suter watch begins next week. Hold on to your butts. [Malik]
• Shea Weber on Alex Radulov’s quasi-suspension in Round 2 for the Nashville Predators: “You feel a little bit betrayed, but I am sure he feels bad about it now and he looks back on it and wishes it didn’t happen. Those are the things you can’t take back and we’ve got to move forward.” [Examiner]
• Pekka Rinne on Radulov and the curfew issue: “It didn’t affect as much as media made it seem like. The way I see it, Radulov joining the team mid-season affected the atmosphere more than the incident that happened in the playoffs.” [On The Forecheck]
• Milan Hejduk is back with the Colorado Avalanche for one year and $ 2 million. Says Dater: “Yeah, I’m a little concerned about where/what Hejduk’s role might be. I mean, it’s a little worrisome to think he’ll be relied upon perhaps as a top-six forward. And yet, would he really be effective on a third or fourth line? Those are questions Joe Sacco will have to grapple with next season.” [All Things Avs]
• Great work here by Nick Cotsonika on burgeoning New York Rangers star and rookie sensation Chris Kreider. [Y! Sports]
• Ryan Callahan says his left hand isn’t injured, despite blocking a shot with it back in the Ottawa series. [NYDN]
• Darryl Sutter, on the growth of Los Angeles Kings forward Dwight King: “Growth?” Sutter said. “He’s still 232 (pounds). After games, he’s 228.” [LA Kings Insider]
• Kerry Fraser on embellishing players in the postseason: “The Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs is not the time for the referees to strap on the six guns in an effort to clean up embellishment in Dodge. The refs must however, ramp up their radar and if any doubt is created in their mind as to the legitimacy of a foul, then I would suggest they keep their arm down and play on. I also hope they will seize every opportunity to enforce obvious embellishment by calling a penalty (whether as a ‘stand alone’ penalty or a coincidental minor when embellishment occurs as the aftermath to a legitimate foul).” [TSN]
• John MacKinnon torches the Edmonton Oilers for firing Tom Renney. “This move — anticipated as it was — was a long, slow slap in the face to a coach who deserved better. If you’re the incoming man, it would be wise to at least ponder the fashion in which the Oilers will ultimately dump you. That might help you decide whether you want to accept the job in the first place.” [Journal]
• David Staples does much the same: “My bottom line on Renney? He earned a new deal. He made a few big miscalculations, but much more was going right than wrong under his direction.” [Cult of Hockey]
• From Black Dog: “The Oilers are like the opposite of that and maybe this should be their master plan. Howson has already destroyed Columbus. Maybe Messier can take over the Rangers and Prendergast can move to Chicago. Let Tambo move back to Vancouver and Buchberger coach the Avs. Let them go forth and multiply and take their special brand of incompetence to the rest of the league, like the Black Plague, destroying franchises as they alight from their private jets, just as flea ridden rats destroyed cities as they swarmed ashore from ships manned by infected doomed sailors.” [BDHS]
• Ellen Etchingham on the Los Angeles Kings: “These Kings, they just look so brilliant. So clearly and completely and definitively ass-whoopingly eye-catchingly heart-liftingly brilliant. They play the way I’d always hoped a Cup-winning team would play. They play like they are actually so much better than everyone else that they (*gasp*) deserve to win. There’s still a part of me that can’t wholly believe they’re for real. There’s a part of me that’s still tensed for the inevitable fall. But, nevertheless, I hope. I would like to see a team take the Cup this decisively, in less than twenty games. I want to see a juggernaut victory.” [Backhand Shelf]
• Alex Ovechkin was named the 11th most marketable athlete internationally in 2012. [Alex Ovetjkin]
“A finalized lease agreement with a potential Phoenix Coyotes buyer has yet to emerge publicly but a Glendale City Council majority appears poised to approve a $ 17 million fee to operate the city-owned arena.” [AZ Central]
• Hopefully, when Daniel Alfredsson says he may have played his last competitive game, he means all 82 games next season for the Ottawa Senators (plus playoffs) are blowouts. [Senators Extra]
• Finally, the New York Mets all wore hockey jerseys on their road trip to Canada. Expected to see more Islanders sweaters, given that both franchises have been living off the glory of the 1980s for decades… (Kukla)
Rangers set to counter Devils’ success in Game 3 (The Associated Press)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) For one game, at least, in the Eastern Conference finals, the New Jersey Devils found a way to beat Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.
After losing out in the Rangers‘ block party in Game 1, the Devils found a solution in Game 2. They forechecked, moved the puck, didn’t give the New York defense time to set up, shot quickly and got traffic in front of the Rangers’ goaltender.
It wasn’t anything novel. It was Hockey 101, and a better effort than in the opener of the best-of-7 series.
Now it’s the Rangers’ turn to respond as the series shifts to New Jersey for Game 3 at the Prudential Center on Saturday.
”We know the Rangers are going to push,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. ”We know they’re going to come out and play a great hockey game tomorrow. It’s on us to do the same thing. So I expect it to be the best game of the series tomorrow from both ends.”
Both teams returned to the ice on Friday and, of course, continued to tweak their games.
”I think both teams,” DeBoer said, ”are going to take their game to another level.”
At the least, the Devils need to prevent the Rangers from blocking shots again. New York blocked 26 in its 3-0 win in Game 1, but New Jersey did a much better job in getting rubber at Lundqvist in evening the series on Wednesday.
”They do a great job of blocking shots, but the reality of it is that we have to get two or three guys in front and then somehow get the puck through,” said Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador, who had assists on New Jersey’s final two goals, including the primary one on Ryan Carter’s game-tying goal late in the second period Wednesday.
”They do it more than anyone. We have to maintain some sort of presence in front of the net. It doesn’t have to be a great shot, but it has to get there. I tried to get it to the side of the goal and Carter got to it. If we don’t try, then nothing goes in. We have to get the pucks to the net to create second shots.”
Devils center Travis Zajac, who was reunited with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk as his wings in Game 2, said New Jersey was able to apply more pressure the second time around.
”The focus will continue to be to get as many pucks to the net as possible,” he said. ”If we move the puck quickly, we don’t give them a chance to set up, so that helps. I think we also won battles earlier in the shift to get to the point where they couldn’t block shots.”
Losing the battles didn’t sit well with Rangers coach John Tortorella. New York posted the best record in the conference by winning the little wars all season, and wouldn’t have survived two seven-game series vs. Ottawa and Washington to get to this point, had it not showed that kind of grit.
”I think that’s a big part of how we play,” Tortorella said Friday. ”Big, small or medium build, we play hard along the boards. Obviously, that was void the other night. So no matter who it is, when you’re at this point in the season, you’re playing against teams that we’re playing against, Jersey, and the other two teams playing in the West, that’s a big part of playoff hockey. That’s a big part of who we are, and we certainly have to be more consistent with that part.”
For the most part, the Devils have dumped the puck into the Rangers’ end instead of trying to skate it into the zone, and the Rangers defense has been quick to the puck. The Game 2 board battles, though, went in the Devils’ favor and that allowed them to shoot more.
Plus, the increased traffic appears to have helped. But Lundqvist isn’t so sure. He felt the Senators and Capitals got more players in front of him in the first two rounds. The Devils are just better with their sticks, perhaps.
”Jersey has always been good at knocking pucks down,” Lundqvist said. ”So you have to respect that. We just have to play them hard. I don’t think they played more in front than the other teams we’ve played. But, again, they’re a good team, a skilled team that always, like I said, is knocking pucks down.
”Especially in the middle of the ice. If you try to go across or something like that, they’re very good at going the other way. So we’ve talked about a few things, and we’re going to correct it and be better.”
They’ll need to be. The Devils, after all, have won four consecutive home playoff games.
NOTES: Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky, who was hurt in the opening series against Ottawa, skated Friday, but Tortorella had no update on his condition. … DeBoer said there is a chance that defenseman Henrik Tallinder (blood clot) and C Jacob Josefson (broken wrist) might be ready to return sometime during this series. … This is the only game in the East Finals with two days off leading up to it. From Game 4 on, the series will resume every other day.
Rangers-Devils Preview (The Associated Press)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) For one game, at least, in the Eastern Conference finals, the New Jersey Devils found a way to beat Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.
After losing out in the Rangers’ block party in Game 1, the Devils found a solution in Game 2. They forechecked, moved the puck, didn’t give the New York defense time to set up, shot quickly and got traffic in front of the Rangers’ goaltender.
It wasn’t anything novel. It was Hockey 101, and a better effort than in the opener of the best-of-7 series.
Now it’s the Rangers’ turn to respond as the series shifts to New Jersey for Game 3 at the Prudential Center on Saturday.
”We know the Rangers are going to push,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. ”We know they’re going to come out and play a great hockey game tomorrow. It’s on us to do the same thing. So I expect it to be the best game of the series tomorrow from both ends.”
Both teams returned to the ice on Friday and, of course, continued to tweak their games.
”I think both teams,” DeBoer said, ”are going to take their game to another level.”
At the least, the Devils need to prevent the Rangers from blocking shots again. New York blocked 26 in its 3-0 win in Game 1, but New Jersey did a much better job in getting rubber at Lundqvist in evening the series on Wednesday.
”They do a great job of blocking shots, but the reality of it is that we have to get two or three guys in front and then somehow get the puck through,” said Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador, who had assists on New Jersey’s final two goals, including the primary one on Ryan Carter’s game-tying goal late in the second period Wednesday.
”They do it more than anyone. We have to maintain some sort of presence in front of the net. It doesn’t have to be a great shot, but it has to get there. I tried to get it to the side of the goal and Carter got to it. If we don’t try, then nothing goes in. We have to get the pucks to the net to create second shots.”
Devils center Travis Zajac, who was reunited with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk as his wings in Game 2, said New Jersey was able to apply more pressure the second time around.
”The focus will continue to be to get as many pucks to the net as possible,” he said. ”If we move the puck quickly, we don’t give them a chance to set up, so that helps. I think we also won battles earlier in the shift to get to the point where they couldn’t block shots.”
Losing the battles didn’t sit well with Rangers coach John Tortorella. New York posted the best record in the conference by winning the little wars all season, and wouldn’t have survived two seven-game series vs. Ottawa and Washington to get to this point, had it not showed that kind of grit.
”I think that’s a big part of how we play,” Tortorella said Friday. ”Big, small or medium build, we play hard along the boards. Obviously, that was void the other night. So no matter who it is, when you’re at this point in the season, you’re playing against teams that we’re playing against, Jersey, and the other two teams playing in the West, that’s a big part of playoff hockey. That’s a big part of who we are, and we certainly have to be more consistent with that part.”
For the most part, the Devils have dumped the puck into the Rangers’ end instead of trying to skate it into the zone, and the Rangers defense has been quick to the puck. The Game 2 board battles, though, went in the Devils’ favor and that allowed them to shoot more.
Plus, the increased traffic appears to have helped. But Lundqvist isn’t so sure. He felt the Senators and Capitals got more players in front of him in the first two rounds. The Devils are just better with their sticks, perhaps.
”Jersey has always been good at knocking pucks down,” Lundqvist said. ”So you have to respect that. We just have to play them hard. I don’t think they played more in front than the other teams we’ve played. But, again, they’re a good team, a skilled team that always, like I said, is knocking pucks down.
”Especially in the middle of the ice. If you try to go across or something like that, they’re very good at going the other way. So we’ve talked about a few things, and we’re going to correct it and be better.”
They’ll need to be. The Devils, after all, have won four consecutive home playoff games.
NOTES: Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky, who was hurt in the opening series against Ottawa, skated Friday, but Tortorella had no update on his condition. … DeBoer said there is a chance that defenseman Henrik Tallinder (blood clot) and C Jacob Josefson (broken wrist) might be ready to return sometime during this series. … This is the only game in the East Finals with two days off leading up to it. From Game 4 on, the series will resume every other day.
Travis Yost: Friday Mailbag: Performance Metrics, Draft Trades, and Patrick Thoresen
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It’s been a while since the last dust-off of a Friday Mailbag, so a quick break from the draft profiles to answer some of your pressing questions is in order.
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@alexklages Why is there such a huge disparity between what brings success in the regular season and playoffs? Especially in West?
Just one man’s opinion, but I think a lot of the reason why post-season performance isn’t always indicative of regular season play is two-fold.
One, perception of overall play tends to be heavily skewed by sports media — and that’s true for any of the four major leagues in North America. I’ve always championed the analysis of productivity and efficiency starting with statistics and the eye-test — how good or bad does a team look through sixty minutes?
Unfortunately, media types, coaches, and fans are extremely results-oriented, and some of the time, it’s hard to blame them. Rather than remaining entirely objective and impartial, analysis will begin with the wins and losses column, which is usually an early death sentence.
In a sport like hockey, results are extremely volatile. Teams can dominate and lose; teams can be dominated and win. Every year, there’s a collection of teams that actually play respectable hockey, yet finish below their pythagorean/adjusted (alternatively, “true”) record. Conversely, there are teams that finish above their adjusted W/L splits, benefiting from the occasional bounce and generally being on the right side of fifty-fifty outcomes.
Over the course of longer samples, those results tend to work themselves out. Defensemen like Jason Garrison will never be able to tow a career 9.5% shot percentage(his output in ’11-’12). Wilt Chamberlain’s — arguably the most iconic basketball player in NBA history — shot .727 from the floor in 1972-1973, yet carried a career .540 FG% through 1,045 games played. Derek Jeter’s .363 average through the first two months at the age of thirty-seven has raised eyebrows around Major League Baseball; so too should his .391 BABIP, a statistic that measures a player’s average on batted balls. It’s wildly inflated, and will drop within the coming months.
Sure, these are all player examples. But, that’s precisely my point. Anyone who reads the above will readily admit that those splits were/are unnatural. Yet, a fair collection of readers will be reluctant to admit the same on a team-level.
Perhaps the best example of such is the Los Angeles Kings in the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The LA Kings were lucky to reach the post-season, with a 40-27-15 record (95 PTS). A new coaching staff was installed mid-season, integral player pieces were added, and as a direct result, general chemistry issues may have deflated their eighty-two game production a bit.
Take a look at statistical measurements from January on, though, and you’ll see that the team under new head coach Darryl Sutter had been playing tremendous hockey. Unfortunately, most — including myself, to an extent — were blinded by a rather pedestrian output in the W/L column.
James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail summed it up nicely about a week ago:
But after Sutter came in, they finished the season 25-13-11 with a 102-point full season pace that would have won them their division.
Likewise with the Carter trade, they went an impressive 13-5-3 once he was added to the roster. (He was hurt for some of those games, too. Including the playoffs, the Kings are now 19-6-0 with Carter actually in the lineup.)
What’s also interesting is how the Kings improved. One of the league’s lowest scoring teams last season under Murray (sixth last with just 2.51 goals per game), they had just 2.21 per game before he was fired 29 games into the season.
This on a team with Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Justin Williams and (at least early on) Simon Gagne on the roster.
In comes Sutter and the team’s offence finally came alive a little, with a more respectable 2.41 goals per game after the coaching change and 3.00 goals per game after the Johnson-for-Carter deal.
They’ve scored three goals a game in the playoffs so far, too, despite getting little from their power play.
Some of that is simply having some better luck, as Los Angeles was dead last during the season in shooting percentage at just 7.5 per cent. That’s up to 10.5 per cent in the playoffs after nine games, which would have ranked them first during the season.
The Kings goals against, meanwhile, dropped from 2.24 per game under Murray to what would have been a league low over a full season (1.86) under Sutter, despite the fact Jonathan Quick’s save percentage remained basically the same.
The reason? They were allowing far fewer scoring chances and shots against per game, with Quick having to make roughly four fewer saves a game over the final 50 games of the season.
In fact, under Sutter, the Kings netminders faced the fewest shots in the league at 25.9 per game.
Add all of those improvements up, and it helps explain why this eighth seed is much better than most and why they are likely the favourites to win the Western Conference.
The second point I alluded to earlier ties-in to the other element of the LA Kings success; that is, an absurd 11-1 run through the post-season against elite competition.
The Kings haven’t fluked their way into these wins — with the exception of a game or two, Los Angeles has largely been the better team night-in and night-out. The way they’re moving the puck, attacking as a unit, and defending the crease has given them the feel of a top overall seed rather than the Western Conference’s playoff also-ran.
Los Angeles is just five wins away from the Stanley Cup, and right now, there’s little reason to believe they’re going to just randomly cool down. However, a change in competition (emphasis on match-up variance) could bring the peripheral numbers of the two combatants to a middle-ground, which could expose Los Angeles where it matters in the playoffs — wins and losses.
Assuming the Kings advance, one of the Rangers and/or Devils will have to find a way to cool down the possession advantage for LA, thwart the forecheck, and put pucks past Jon Quick. Right now, easier said than done. But, the reason why Los Angeles has been so ahead of the competition is because they’re simply out-playing them. Nothing more, nothing less.
Of course, the great X-Factor in hockey remains the white-hot goaltender. It’s tough to quantify, and even tougher to explain. Is it all that unrealistic to picture Henrik Lundqvist (or, to a lesser extent, Martin Brodeur) stopping forty-eight shots in a G1 victory, even if the Kings control tempo, pace, and play? Not at all.
And yet, the Rangers — or Devils — will be three wins from the Stanley Cup; the Kings, four. As fans of the game, that’s all we tend to care about.
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@mgagliano13 how would you handle Ottawa’s goalie situation moving forward? Keep all 3? Trade one this or next year, if so, who?
One of the easier questions I’ve had to answer, but a certainly valid one.
Craig Anderson’s your starter at the NHL level. He’s by far the best goaltender in Ottawa’s system, and probably will be beyond this season, too.
Ben Bishop’s your back-up at the NHL level. He’s an RFA at the end of the season, and my guess is Ottawa is going to use the second-year of the three-year rebuild to really evaluate Bishop’s future with the franchise. Robin Lehner’s been penned as the next-in-line since his selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but there are legitimate questions as to whether or not he’s ready for the NHL haul right now. Remember — he’s just twenty years old.
Bishop appears to be the safer of the two options for next season, but if development goes as planned, Lehner should leapfrog Bishop in the rankings behind Craig Anderson by the end of next season. Come 2013-2014, Craig Anderson’s going to be in the third-year of a four-year deal, and we could begin to see a changing of the guard.
With Robin Lehner picking up the majority of the starts in Binghamton, the only real question then concerns who will back-up the Swede at the AHL level.
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@bigbadjohn316 The likelihood of keeping Konopka, is Florida ready to take the ‘next’ step and how much is PA Parentau worth on the market?
As effective as Zenon Konopka was for the Ottawa Senators, there’s a decent chance he could sign elsewhere come the off-season. The Senators know he was an incredibly effective player, winning pivotal draws en masse v. New York, but that doesn’t exactly write-off his complete lack of relevance during the regular season.
Konopka’s inability to crack the lineup with regularity in 2011-2012 will only compound the issues of his future heading into next season, where more young and talented bodies will compete for significant ice time. Konopka’s role as a face-off expert and penalty killer were certainly highlighted in the playoffs, but is it enough to warrant the stripping of TOI from one of Ottawa’s prospects?
Truthfully, I’m not sure. What I do know is that Ottawa won’t be the only team interested in Zenon Konopka. Other teams were watching the guy this April, too, and he could be an easier insertion into other NHL lineups that don’t have the same kind of forward prospects expected to jump into the fray come summer.
Regarding the Florida Panthers: Love the make-up of the team, but still believe they need some goaltending help. And, it wouldn’t hurt to keep Jason Garrison around. I’ve been pretty vocal about how strong of a player he’s been for the Panthers(especially last season).
As for PA Parenteau’s worth on the open market — well, Mikhail Grabovski didn’t do the New York Islanders(or any other suitor) any favors, inking his five-year extension at a $ 5.5M cap hit. They’re varying players(one a goal-scorer, the other a playmaker), but in terms of offensive productivity, I think they’re in the same echelon.
AVeraging nineteen goals per season over the past two years doesn’t blow you away, but his raw assist totals (82 in 161 GP — 0.51 APG) are going to earn him a pretty penny. My guess? Multi-year deal, and around $ 4.5M – $ 5M per.
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@memphbeeks CBC mentioned that Brown has drawn a ton of penalties these PO’s. How strongly does PPs draw per 60 correlate with wins? And, more interesting would be the team’s aggregate PPs drawn per 60 over each player’s career.
We exchanged some conversation about this question, specifically related to the potential biases and error in measurement when looking at penalties drawn by player and pegging it to team’s total output — in this case, wins.
However, the sub-question concerning the importance of power-play time in general to playoff wins/losses is intriguing. Specialty units do play a major role in the success and failure of teams, but the peripheral numbers for the four remaining clubs are a bit surprising.
While New Jersey(4th, 20.0%) and New York(5th, 18.5%) have two of the better power-plays statistically this season, Phoenix (12.2%) and Los Angeles(14th, 9.7%) have been downright brutal.
It’s important to note, though, that three of these teams are on the power play a ton this post-season. Los Angeles is averaging over five power-plays a game; New York’s averaging over four per game; New Jersey’s averaging over three-and-a-half per game. Only Phoenix — a shade under three — is really lacking in man advantage time.
For a benchmark, consider the power-play opportunities per game in the regular season for the four teams: Los Angeles(3.5), New York(3.4), and New Jersey(3.25) have all seen additional opportunity in the playoffs. Phoenix(3.06) has essentially stayed the same — a slight downtick from the regular season to post-season.
So, let’s consider the following: Three teams with additional power-play time — and subsequently, more scoring opportunities. Conversely, these three teams have also curtailed the opposition’s scoring opportunities for each of those two(or four, or five) minute clips.
On the other end of that spectrum, the penalty kill percentages — cumulative — have only taken a slight dip. NJ/PHX/LA/NYR averaged an 86% kill rate in the regular season. As of today, they’re towing an 84% kill rate. Hardly anything to wince at, especially considering New Jersey’s nosedive (89% to 72%) is deflating the average.
Perhaps a more in-depth look at player metrics, penalties drawn, and their effect on the game is in order for a future blog.
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@b_johnson_899 Any chance you see the #Sens moving up from 15 to get a good D man (reinhardt, trouba etc) at the draft? What would it take?
The possibility always exists, especially with a GM like Bryan Murray. Ottawa’s most important suit has been known as a bit of a gambler, and isn’t afraid to wheel-and-deal players, prospects, and/or picks if the opportunity presents itself.
The question, always, is whether or not the trade-up is worth it. My guess is that Bryan Murray only considers moving up if he has the opportunity to snag one of two defensemen — Cody Ceci(Ottawa, OHL), or Griffin Reinhart(Edmonton, WHL).
On Wednesday, I profiled Griffin Reinhart and how he could end up in Ottawa. A future blog will cover Ceci’s draft status.
As of today, ISS rankings have Ceci and Reinhart rounding out the top-ten (nine and ten, respectively), meaning they’re probably going to be drafted just out of the Ottawa Senators reach.
In this case, a trade-up may be the only way one of the two names is acquired, assuming there isn’t a draft-day fall.
As for a trade to move up five selections — talks start with Ottawa’s fifteenth overall pick and move from there. A mid to high-tier prospect or mid-tier NHL player may be enough to get the two-for-one deal done, especially if the team Ottawa’s in negotiations with has their eyes set on a man who may not be taken inside of the top-ten.
Hard to speculate on specific names not knowing the deal, but you can rest assured that Ottawa’s not going to parlay one of their blue chips to move up just five spots.
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@sam_aiello88 Q. If LA wins the cup, does it make Paul Holmgren’s work in the offseason look bad for the Flyers?
In my opinion, not at all. Philadelphia was in dire need of a culture change and made an array of moves that ensured the long-term success of the franchise. While the Flyers came up just short this season, they’re going to be contenders for quite some time.
Los Angeles may be the odds-on Stanley Cup favorite right now, but Philadelphia’s in a quite desirable position, too. Paul Holmgren’s building a viable and sustainable club that’s going to succeed because they’re young, talented, and capable of winning games.
A rare win/win trade for parties involved. Well, except Columbus. As usual.
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@sensfan_nor If any, which players that isn’t in any NHL organizations, and is playing in the iihf wc, would you like OTT to sign?
I’d really like to see Patrick Thoresen(Norway) get another shot at the NHL level. Thoresen played in 106 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers before washing out, but has really found his game over in the KHL with Ufa Salavat Yulayev and St. Petersburg SKA.
In his past 211 GP, Thoresen’s tallied 58G/96A, good for a 0.73 PPG average. And yet, it’s his play at the international ranks that’s really impressed me. At Worlds, he was arguably the most impressive player on any roster when adjusted for quality of teammates and quality of competition. Thoresen’s 7G/11A(18 PTS — 8 GP) was good for a 2.25 PPG average.
Sick, sick man.
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Thanks for reading!
Too Bold Tortorella Not Impressed by Star Power: A Fan’s View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
There was much discussion in and around the New York area, and probably throughout hockey circles everywhere, concerning New York Ranger coach John Tortorella’s bold decision to bench Marian Gaborik in the third period of Game Two against the New Jersey Devils (May 16) at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers were playing their millionth close game in a row in the playoffs, and were fighting to take their first 2-0 lead in a series. The New Jersey Devils had been outplaying the Rangers for a healthy portion of the first two games, just as the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals had accomplished for long stretches in the first two series. Suddenly, the Devils scored early in the third period to take a 3-2 lead. Poof – no Gaborik.
On face value, the first impression as either a rabid or casual observer was bewilderment. Was he hurt? The Rangers don’t light the red lamp all that much, preferring to play defense at historically prolific levels as they have all year. Ranger players have more welts from blocking shots than they have shots on goal in some games. Wouldn’t they need their best goal scorer in a critical game in which they are behind? Gaborik scored 41 goals on the season, and seems to be in the middle of most positive Ranger moments – all year and again in the playoffs – doggedly pursuing pucks, keeping possessions alive, and just serving as an all around pest.
He apparently was lazy for a spell in the third period, the Devils scored because of this horrendous transgression -one of his few – and he was immediately banished by Tortorella, who’s beginning to channel Tony La Russa as re-inventor of the game he’s coaching.
This was a clear matter of over-coaching from a guy who better hope the Rangers continue along their current path and capture the Stanley Cup. Though his boldness and brashness is admirable behind the bench in most instances except for this preposterous situation, it is insulting before and after the game with media.
He’s a coach you want to like and admire, but he sure does make it challenging.
Glenn Vallach grew up agonizing over multiple New York Ranger near-misses in the 1960′s and early 1970′s. One particular highlight…listening to Marv Alpert on radio describing Pete Stemkowski’s goal in the third overtime of a Game Six in 1971 against the Chicago Blackhawks…was sullied by a deflating Game Seven loss. Eventually, he spirited his allegiance to the younger, less disappointing New York Islanders in 1974, and was thusly rewarded with four Stanley Cups. He remains a semi-dormant Islander fan today, idly observing a semi-dormant franchise.
Sources:
•· Yahoo! Sports New Jersey Devils page
•· Yahoo! Sports New York Rangers page
•· Yahoo! Sports Marian Gaborik page
•· Tom Canavan, The Associated Press, Rangers lose, Gaborik in doghouse
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.
Boston Bruins at the World Championship Update for May 17: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
Boston Bruins fans will get to enjoy a different kind of deep playoff run as the two Bruins in the IIHF World Championship advance to the semifinals and keep their medal hopes alive. Sure, it’s not the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but either Zdeno Chara or David Krejci could very well bring their home country some glory soon.
In a busy day where all four quarterfinal games were played, things kicked off with Slovakia beating Canada 4-3. The Florida Panthers’ Tomas Kopecky started the scoring for the Slovaks about six minutes into the first period and soon former Bruin Miroslav Satan extended the lead to 2-0. However, Canada wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Before the first period ended, Evander Kane of the Winnipeg Jets put Canada on the board and Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes tied it up in the second. Canada also tasted having a lead when the Vancouver Canucks’ Alexandre Burrows made it 3-2 later in the middle act. Slovakia knotted it up this time with a Milan Bartovic goal and this score held for much of the third until an incident involving Ryan Getzlaf from the Anaheim Ducks.
Getzlaf came in alongside Juraj Mikus with the intent of getting the puck from him, but instead kneed him so that he fell to the ice and needed assistance just to get to the tunnel, where he was shown still keeled over in pain. That ended both Mikus’ and Getzlaf’s nights early, and just seconds after Slovakia went on the power play, Michal Handzus of the San Jose Sharks popped in the go-ahead goal. That late goal was all they needed to hold on for the victory.
In this game, Chara took two shots on goal and once again led his team in time on ice with more than 25 minutes.
The Czech Republic beat Sweden, also 4-3, also relying on a late-game goal to do so following a blown lead. While Loui Eriksson from the Dallas Stars opened the scoring for Sweden, Petr Nedved put the Czechs on the board and Jiri Novotny added to the lead before the first period ended. In the second period, while the Czechs were on the power play, Martin Erat from the Nashville Predators scored–with an assist from Krejci. Suddenly, it sounded very quiet inside Stockholm’s Globe Arena.
But the home team started staging a comeback: Henrik Zetterberg from the Detroit Red Wings scored an unassisted goal just before the second period ended, thinning the margin before intermission. Jonathan Ericsson, also of the Red Wings, evened things up at the start of the third. Both Zetterberg and Ericsson’s goals involved 45 seconds: Zetterberg’s was with 45 seconds left to play in a period, Ericsson’s came 45 minutes after the start of another.
Just when it looked like Sweden might be able to force overtime, Milan Michalek from the Ottawa Senators scored for the Czechs with less than a minute in regulation. Sweden angled for their own very late game miracle to match, but to no avail.
Elsewhere, Russia defeated Norway 5-2 and Finland completed their own last-minute upset of America 3-2.
Russia will meet Finland in the semifinals, but the Slovakia-Czech Republic semifinal game will pit one Bruin against another for the chance to win a medal. The Czechs got the bronze last year. On the other hand, Slovakia hasn’t earned any hardware since they won silver in 2000.
As a fan, it’s going to be unusual to see Chara and Krejci playing against one another. I’m sure the commentators will also remind us that they’re usually on the same team. But no matter what happens, it will be fun to see them continue to go for glory.
Both semifinal games will be played on May 19. Click here for more news from the tournament.

