The Tippett decision
I wasn't surprised with the announcement about Dave Tippett today. I thought they would keep him. I couldn't see a reason to dump him. I just couldn't. He did a good job considering all the injuries and had this team in a position to compete just about every night. Did this team fail to meet expectations? By not advancing in the playoffs, yes. But they went into the West playoffs where there were eight very good teams and they lost the most competitive series to a very good Vancouver team.
In the regular season they met expectations in my eyes and easily surpassed them when you consider the injuries this team had. The regular season still counts, especially in today's parity driven NHL. Making the playoffs is priority No. 1 and that's not always going to be easy because of the cap and just how close the teams all are as far as talent level. Tippett gets high marks for what this team did to get into the playoffs.
On a Stars related note, Finland made it official Saturday that Jere Lehtinen will be playing at the World Championship in Moscow. Finland's next game is Sunday.
The Canucks bounced back last night to beat Anaheim 2-1 in double OT. Jeff Cowan scored the game-winner. It's his second goal of the series. They may have to roll out the bras in Vancouver for Game just in case. It looked a lot like the Stars-Canucks series last night. The Canucks, who may have been feeling the effects of the Dallas series in Game 1, looked sharp from the start last night. They are still missing Bieksa and Salo and Mitchell was out of the game for a while too after getting nailed by Francois Beauchemin. (On a side note, Alain Vigneault Mitchell wasn't really hurt. He said they couldn't find a skate for him. That's a new one). Still, they found a way to win. The Ducks were crashing the net and knocking Luongo around, but he was stellar in net. Markus Naslund had a very good game. It was a nice bounce back effort for the Canucks.
Outside of the Vigneault stuff on Mitchell's injury, the best quote after the game had to go to Roberto Luongo. It had to do with everybody picking the Ducks to win the series. Luongo's response: "No, the monkey picked us to win -- the TSN monkey."
Game 2 of Detroit & San Jose this afternoon. Huge game for Detroit.
28 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
Greetings from Medical Center of Plano, where I will be hanging around on and off the next few days as my wife recovers from some surgery. Things aren't bad here. High speed internet access is available and as is Versus, which means I should be able to keep tabs on Game 1 of Sharks-Red Wings during the time I am here. That's probably the series I have the most interest in as far as the Conference Semifinals.
Watched the Ducks and Canucks last night. Once the Ducks shook off the rust, they were pretty much all over Vancouver. It's just one game, but the Ducks looked very, very good. We'll see how Vancouver bounces back. This is going to be a much different series than Dallas for the Canucks. Anaheim's speed, size and offensive ability stood out last night. It didn't help that the Canucks were down two defensemen in Salo and Bieksa
Here's the opening from the Vancouver Sun's main article on the game:
Makes you long for the Dallas Stars, doesn't it? After matching tactics in a seven-game chess match against the Stars to advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs' second round, the Vancouver Canucks discovered Wednesday their prize is an Anaheim Ducks team that is bigger, faster, stronger, tougher and better than Dallas.
The Ducks are the anti-Stars. They are not so much concerned about carefully picking you apart as ripping you limb from limb, intimidating with their size and speed and zest for puck. Where the Stars patiently waited for their chances, the Ducks rolled forward like a tsunami to force their own in a 5-1 National Hockey League victory.
Harsh assessment, but fair based on last night's game.
26 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Second round picks
With the second round of the playoffs starting tonight, here are my picks for the four Conference Semifinals series.
NY Rangers vs. Buffalo: Sabres in 5
New Jersey vs. Ottawa: Senators in 6
Anaheim vs. Vancouver: Ducks in 6
Detroit vs. San Jose: Sharks in 7
25 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Over and out
Another season, another first round exit for the Stars. They made a series of it after falling down 3-1, but still couldn't get over the hump of advancing to the next round. That's disappointing. Is going out in seven games better than going out in five? I don't think so. It made it more interesting, but the end result was the same. I don't think you give up two first round draft picks to make deadline deals with the goal of earning a moral victory.
I thought the Stars were in control after the first period. They were dictating play and Joel Lundqvist scored on a great shot to give them the early lead. Then the bottom fell out with the penalty calls. Were some of the calls iffy? Sure. But it looked like a lot of the stuff that gets called all the time. The high sticking call on Lundqvist was flat out bad. Did the rash of calls change the momentum of the game? Yep.
But the reason it changed is because the Canucks' power play was simply a lot better last night. You could see it the first time they went on it. They did a lot better job executing on it and as a result they were able to build momentum through it. Most important, they scored twice on it. The calls played a role, but so did the execution.
People will complain about the officiating, but the referees didn't put this team down 3-1 in the series. Didn't lose that lead in Game 3. Didn't hold the Stars to 4-40 on the power play. Didn't score 1.71 goals per game. There were a lot of factors that went into why the Stars lost the series. I am not sure officiating was the major one.
The Canucks and Roberto Luongo and Willie Mitchell and Trevor Linden and others had something to do with it. They are a good team. Not much different than the Stars in a lot of respects. Same anemic offense that is offset by a commitment to defend and anchored by great goaltending.
I can't say enough about Marty Turco. He was superb in the series. He gave the Stars a chance in every single game. You can't really ask for much more.
24 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Player stats for Game 7
Here are the Game 7 player stats for the Stars and Canucks. These are from today's Vancouver Province. I didn't include the goalies since neither has played in an NHL Game 7.
|
Canucks |
| Player |
GP |
W-L |
G |
A |
Pts. |
| Bulis |
1 |
1-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Cooke |
3 |
1-2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Fitzpatrick |
1 |
0-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Linden |
8 |
4-4 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
| Mitchell |
2 |
2-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Morrison |
4 |
1-3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Naslund |
3 |
1-2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Ohlund |
3 |
1-2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Pyatt |
1 |
0-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Salo |
3 |
1-2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| D.Sedin |
3 |
1-2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| H. Sedin |
3 |
1-2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Smolinski |
6 |
1-5 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Sopel |
3 |
1-2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Stars |
| Player |
GP |
W-L |
G |
A |
Pts. |
| Barnaby |
2 |
2-0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Barnes |
2 |
1-1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Baumgartner |
1 |
0-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Boucher |
2 |
0-2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Klemm |
5 |
2-3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Lehtinen |
3 |
2-1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Lindros |
1 |
0-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Modano |
5 |
2-3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Morrow |
1 |
1-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nagy |
1 |
0-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Norstrom |
2 |
0-2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Ribeiro |
1 |
1-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Sydor |
6 |
5-1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Zubov |
6 |
4-2 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
23 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Red Wings move on
The Red Wings beat the Flames in double overtime Sunday to wrap up that series. What it means for the Stars is if they win Monday night in Vancouver, they'll play the Red Wings in the next round of the playoffs. Anaheim will play San Jose in the other series.
If the Canucks win on Monday it will be the Red Wings vs. San Jose and the Canucks vs. the Ducks in the next round.
22 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Zubov update
Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov, who left Saturday' game with a torso injury, will be a game-time decision for Monday according to Stars coach Dave Tippett.
Tippett said Zubov was doing alright Sunday morning that the team will see where he stands after Monday morning's skate in Vancouver. Tippett added that the prospects for Zubov playing in Game 7 are good.
"Zubie's old school," Tippett said. "I find it hard to believe he is going to miss Game 7."
Also, Brenden Morrow, who left the game after being slashed in the back of the leg by Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows, is doing fine and will play Monday.
He said he watched tape of the Burrows slash and didn't think it was that bad. He said Burrows "just placed it real well. A good hit."
Jussi Jokinen, out with an upper body injury, will not make the trip.
22 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Going seven
So it's down to one game between the Stars and Canucks. There wasn't any doubt which was the better team Saturday night. That was about as convincing a 2-0 win as a team could put together. They've really turned it around the last two games.
I think if you look at the overall series the Stars have been the better team through most of it. I though they were the better team through the first two and two-thirds games and in Games 5 and 6. I'll give the Canucks the last period of Game 3 and Game 4. But still, here we are going to Game 7, where anything can happen.
Momentum is clearly on the Stars' side, but it will be who can establish some momentum in Game 7 and capitalize on it that will be key Monday. The Stars are playing at a high level going into the game, while the Canucks appear to be in a funk. Can the turn it around? Yeah, I think they are capable. Will they? I have no idea. It's gut check time for them. Vancouver has home ice, but it hasn't meant much in this series. The road team has won four of six games.
The thing that could make it interesting is that no matter what seems to happen or how the teams play, the score remains close. Last night's game was an indication of that. The Stars were clearly better, and the Canucks were still one shot, one luck bounce or break away from tying the game.
Anyway, Monday should be fun.
Red Wings and Flames play tonight in Calgary. Red Wings with a chance to wrap it up. If not Game 7 in that series will be Tuesday night in Detroit. Yesterday's game turned ugly. Flames goalie Jamie McLennan nailed Johan Franzen with a two-handed slash to the stomach.
22 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Playoff picture
The Sharks eliminated the Predators tonight. Final score of 3-2, so the Sharks put Barry Trotz and his gang away in 5 games. A disappointing end to the season for the Preds. As for the playoffs, that puts the No. 2 seeded Ducks and No. 5 seeded Sharks moving into the West Semifinals.
What that means for the winner of our Stars-Canucks series is still up in the air because Calgary has suddenly made a series of it with Detroit.
I think it should break down this way.
If the Stars win and Detroit wins, it's (6) Stars vs. (1) Red Wings and (2) Ducks vs. (5) Sharks in the semis.
If the Stars win and Calgary wins, it's the (6) Stars vs. (5) Sharks and (2) Ducks vs. (8) Flames.
If the Canucks win and Detroit wins, it's (1) Red Wings vs. (5) Sharks and (2) Ducks vs. (3) Canucks.
If the Canucks win and Calgary wins, it's (2) Ducks vs. (8) Flames and (3) Canucks vs (5) Sharks.
20 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Not for the faint of heart
It doesn't got much better than that as far as a playoff hockey game. It's not just because the Stars won. That helps. But regardless of the outcome, that was a compelling game. With the series on the line, there were a lot of great chances, equally great plays by both goaltenders and it should have kept you on the edge of your seat.
Of course it was the same old story as far as the outcome. Somebody made a mistake or series of mistakes and the other team capitalized. There was a key break or bounce that seemed to go one team's way. In this case, they went the Stars' way and it's now back to Dallas for Game 6 on Saturday.
There just isn't much difference between these two teams. Every game is incredibly tight and it comes down to a play or two or three. The Stars executed Thursday night and the Canucks didn't. I expect we'll see the same Saturday. That's what has made this a pretty good series. There is no one clearly better team. The Stars had their moments and the Canucks have had theirs. Goaltending? The duel between Marty Turco and Roberto Luongo has been superb. Marty's got a 1.38 GAA to 1.39 for Roberto, who has a .953 to .949 advantage in save percentage. Of course, Luongo still has one big stat on his side and that is in the wins category. But it's the first one to four of those and that's yet to be determined.
Last night Brenden Morrow lifted the overtime monkey off the Stars' back. Now let's see if they can do something about that home playoff losing streak and force a seventh game in Vancouver on Monday.
Some other thoughts. I'm wondering if somebody is going to blow someone out in a game here. Right now the Stars 2-0 win in Game 2 qualifies as a blowout in this series.
The puck skipping towards the open net on the delayed penalty against the Canucks was just one of those memorable moments. Just before it grazed the outside of the post, I thought it looked like it was going wide. It was a lot closer than I thought. It may be key moment to look back on as things play out over the next few days. File it away and we'll see.
20 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Lindros in
Eric Lindros is expected to be back in the lineup tonight for Game 5 in Vancouver. It will be his first game since March 8. He missed the final 16 regular season games. His last goal was November 20.
19 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Break out the cliches
It's time to break out all the appropriate cliches for the Stars' current predicament. One game at a time. Do or die. Backs against the wall. Feel free to throw them out there. They all fit. They are on the brink of concluding what could be another frustrating postseason. Maybe they'll turn it around. It's not like they are getting blown off the ice here.
The games have been incredibly tight in every case and the Canucks are just finding a way to get it done. But at the end of the night they just seem to out-Star the Stars. You look at a lot of things the Stars pride themselves on, and the Canucks have just done them better.
The Stars were supposed to be a team built to win those close one-goal playoff-type games. The Canucks proved to be a great team in one-goal games this season as well, and they have had the advantage so far in this series. It's three one-goal wins for the Canucks and none for the Stars.
The Stars are a patient team. So are the Canucks. Last night's game was a perfect example of that. The Canucks showed they can be just as patient as the Stars. Vancouver isn't going to panic and play in to the Stars' hands the way a lot of less disciplined teams do.
The Stars were rebuilt for a more balanced offensive attack where they wouldn't rely on just a few guys to score goals, but would have several. The hope was that someone would provide the key timely goal. It hasn't worked. The Canucks are getting the timely goals.
Mike Modano? Yeah, he hasn't produced. But there are other offensive players on the team who haven't produced either. The Canucks have keyed on him. He needs to find a way and somebody has to step up as well. The Sedins haven't had a point in the last three games, but somebody else is getting it done for Vancouver.
Special teams? Neither team is getting much done on the power play, but it has hurt the Stars a lot more in this series. They were a team that relied heavily on that big power play goal during the regular season. The Canucks penalty kill has taken that away from them.
Marty Turco continues to be this team's best player in this series. The problem is that Roberto Luongo has been great at the other end too.
Down 3-1 is not insurmountable, but it is going to be tough. The Canucks appear to be getting stronger and better as the series moves along. They have been very good the last four periods or so. It's going to be a tough road ahead, or it could be very short.
18 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Crunch time
It is crunch time for the Dallas Stars. It's not exactly do or die, but heading back to Vancouver it's either going to be 2-2 and a best-of-three or the Stars are going to be on the brink of elimination.
Vancouver regained momentum in the series with the Game 3 win, but they didn't really take control of the series. They could do that tonight. But the Stars can even it up as well and get the momentum back.
There just isn't a lot separating the two teams. That's why it's going to be another great game from the start and every shift is going to be key. Execution will be important again tonight. That first goal is going to be important. One area where the Stars can do better and help their cause is the power play. Ditto for the Canucks. They can start by not taking penalties while they are on it.
It's interesting how the analysis goes after each game and what each team thinks it needs to do going forward. There seems to be a lot of focus on the Stars sitting on the lead in Game 3. Did they? You can look at the shots totals and say that's the cases. You can say the same thing in about Game 2. But let's not forget there is another team playing out there that has a say in what happens. And it isn't the Kings or the Coyotes. Vancouver's a very good team. A team equal to the Stars. It's still a toss-up as to which team will prove better of the course of this series.
On the injury front, it looks like the Canucks could get one of their injured players back. Josh Green, who has been out since the beginning of March with a knee injury, might return tonight. He'd knock call-up Nathan Smith out of the lineup. Green's a guy who kills penalties and the Canucks are without Matt Cooke and Ryan Kesler, who log time on the PK.
17 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
OT woes
The thought going into this series is there were going to be a lot tight games and some overtimes. It's lived up to expectations. And that's bad news so far for the Stars, who just can't seem to get it done in OT. It's baffling. You can't put it all on Marty Turco. You have to score in overtime. Defending only gets you so far. You don't win by simply keeping the puck out of your net. At the same time, you need the big saves. It's a team failure that they aren't winning these things.
I think Turco has played well in this series. I thought he was outstanding in the third period last night. The problem is that playing well in the third period and getting the team into overtime is great in the regular season. You get a point. In the playoffs it's all about wins and losses. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose in regulation or OT. There's no third column in the standings.
At the same time you can't just go scoreless in OT and get to a shootout anymore. You need a goal to win. It's been a long time and lots of playoff ice time since Steve Ott scored in OT against Colorado in 2004.
I thought Roberto Luongo was very good again last night. He kept the Canucks in the game early when the Stars had some good chances. He's gotten stronger as the series has moved along. The Stars have beaten him with two tips by Jeff Halpern and Stu Barnes and a point blank shot from wide Joel Lundqvist. Other than that he's been a rock. I think the goaltending in the series has been pretty even. Louie's advantage has been is that he hasn't allowed anything in OT.
The names on the Stars' goal scoring list should be noted. No Mike Modano. No Jere Lehtinen. Mike Ribeiro's been invisible. Ladislav Nagy was good in game one, but has been silent lately. The Sedins and Markus Naslund didn't score last night, but they created some chances and momentum last night. And they did get a goal from Pyatt, who was was their third leading goal scorer during the season. The Sedins teamed up on the OT game-winner in Game 1. I think that's called your difference makers making a difference.
I think the Canucks took some of the swagger out of the Stars, who were upbeat after the Game 1 loss. They felt the played well and deserved a better fate. They played well in Game 2 and got the fate they deserved, which was a solid 2-0 win. They got the fate they deserved in a Game 3. That's because the Canucks pushed back in this series and took back the momentum. They took over the game in the third period.
But the great thing about playoff series is that the momentum changes all the time. The Stars have a chance to get it back in Game 4 Tuesday night. As the series moves along each game gets bigger. The Stars will need the desperation the Canucks displayed in the third period of Sunday's game.
16 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Game 3
Looking ahead to Game 3, which starts in a few hours. I am still waiting for a good game out of the Canucks. I am not sure they have played one yet. I think the play of the Stars has had something to do with that, but I will be interested to see what Vancouver does to adjust in an attempt to counter things. I think Vancouver has played good in spurts here and there, but nothing like they played in the second half of the season and I watched them quite a bit because they were on late and that's when I tend to watch other teams play.
I do find it interesting that coach Alain Vigneault considers it basically a tight series between the two teams based on the number of goals scored and some of his players seem to think the Canucks may be getting outplayed more than the total number of goals scored indicates. Perhaps I am reading too much into the comments, but that is the sense I am getting. None of that matters though. We'll see what they throw out on the ice tonight. If the Stars maintain their level, the Canucks are going to have to be way better than they have been at times in this series.
A couple of other playoff notes. Detroit looks very good so far in its series with Calgary. Red Wings won 3-1 today to go up 2-0 in the series. Red Wings had a 51-15 advantage in shots this afternoon. The Sharks and Predators have built up some nice hatred. It just must me the Predators, eh?
15 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Best-of-five now
Well, it's a best-of-five series now and the Stars have home ice advantage. They got the split in the first two games and I think that's good when starting a series on the road.
Marty Turco? Rock solid last night. He's been very, very good in these first two games. He faced 35 shots last night, but I don't remember a ton of glorious chances from the Canucks. The Stars did a nice job of giving the Canucks few prime opportunities.
My overall impression is that after watching these two teams play about ten periods of hockey, the Stars appear to be the better team. Not by a lot though. A couple of coverage mistakes killed the Canucks last night. Some ill-timed penalties on the power play didn't help their cause either.
But overall, the Stars have looked like the better team. They are executing better, except for the power play where neither team is getting much done. So far this series is being determined five-on-five and the Stars are simply playing better in that area. The Stars have been picking them apart at times. Pressuring them into mistakes at others.
It's only two games, it's 1-1 and there's a long way to go. If the Canucks can win one of the next two they can make it a best-of-three with two of the games at GM Place. But they've got to be better or hope the Stars regress, which I don't see happening right now.
14 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Heading into Game 2
I think both teams can take some positives out of Game 1 into Game 2. I think the Stars played better overall and their advantage in depth is starting to show after the Canucks injuries. Roberto Luongo is not some kind of impenetrable wall back there. He can be beat. Marty Turco played a solid game. Limit the mistakes, get a break here and a bounce here and it's a different outcome.
If I am the Canucks, I am feeing very good going into Game 2 as well. On Wednesday/Thursday they didn't exactly throw out their A game, got outplayed for long stretches and still won. Luongo gave up four goals and they still won. Some adjustments here and there. A little more discipline. Louie's settled in now. They should be OK.
I am expecting a tighter, more disciplined game from both teams. This one might come down to special teams and goaltending. Who knows though.
Is Game 2 a must win for the Stars? No. But overcoming an 0-2 deficit isn't easy. Win and it's a best-of-five with three games in Dallas.
13 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Kesler out for Canucks
Canucks forward Ryan Kesler, who returned last night from a hip injury, is out 4-5 weeks with a broken finger. He got hit with a puck last night and underwent surgery today.
12 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Canucks call up two
The Canucks, who lost Alex Burrows and Matt Cooke in Game 1, have called up Jannick Hansen and Nathan Smith from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
12 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
A long night
Was that a long night or what. I had to take a break from updating the site to help get my son ready for school and then take him there.
It was a tough loss for the Stars, but one game doesn't make a series. We'll see how both teams respond moving forward.
In the series preview I mentioned one of the Stars' advantages was depth. The Canucks depth may get tested here depending on what happens to Matt Cooke and Alex Burrows, who were both injured last night.
It will be interesting to see how Roberto Luongo is moving forward. He looked a little unsure of himself early and I thought let in a couple of questionable ones. He was perfect in OT. Overall it was a 72-save performance and a win. You'd have to think you'd think he's more comfortable with that under his belt. We'll see.
I thought Marty Turco was very, very good. People are going to look at the OT loss and five goals allowed, but once again he didn't get any goal support in OT. I don't see his play as being an issue last night. Let's be honest if here. If Stu Barnes' shot in late in the second OT goes in instead of hitting the crossbar, Turco's play wouldn't be an issue and people would be saying Luongo cracked. I just don't see goaltending as a big issue other than both guys gave their team a chance to win the game and the Sedin twins made the big play.
Speaking of Daniel and Henrik, I found it amazing how fresh they seemed late in overtime. They were scary good every time they were on the ice. I felt like they might end it every time they were out there. They finally did.
Friday's game is going to be big, as are all second games.
12 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
National picks
Here are some of the national picks for the Stars-Canucks series:
TSN: There are five experts, including Jeremy Roenick, and it's 3-2 in favor of the Stars. If you include Maggie the Monkey it's 3-3.
Jeremy Roenick: Here's more from Roenick on his picks. He's taking the Stars.
The Hockey News: Adam Proteau and Ken Campbell are split. Proteau picks the Stars and Campbell goes with the Canucks.
Scott Morrison of CBC is going with Vancouver.
ESPN Panel: Six people picking with three in favor of the Stars and three in favor of the Canucks.
Sports Illustrated: Five guys picking and it's 3-2 in favor of Vancouver. Click through the story for more.
CBS Sportsline: Five experts with it 3-2 in favor of the Canucks.
11 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Stars TV schedule released
Here's the Stars' TV schedule for round one. All the games are being covered on either Channel 27 or FSN. Versus is also covering six of the seven games nationally, but the Versus games will be blacked out locally because they will be on 27 or FSN.
1 Wednesday, April 11 at Vancouver (GM Place) 9 p.m. My 27/VERSUS
2 Friday, April 13 at Vancouver (GM Place) 8 p.m. FSN Southwest/VERSUS
3 Sunday, April 15 at Dallas (American Airlines Center) 8:30 p.m. FSN Southwest/VERSUS
4 Tuesday, April 17 at Dallas (American Airlines Center) 7 p.m. My 27
5* Thursday, April 19 at Vancouver (GM Place) TBD My 27/VERSUS
6* Saturday, April 21 at Dallas (American Airlines Center) 7 p.m. FSN Southwest/VERSUS
7* Monday, April 23 at Vancouver (GM Place) TBD My 27/VERSUS
09 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Flames are finally in, matchups are set
Avalanche lost to Nashville tonight, meaning Calgary clinches the final spot. Great run by the Avalanche. So here is it how it breaks down:
1. Detroit vs. 8. Calgary
2. Anaheim vs. 7. Minnesota
3. Vancouver vs. 6. Dallas
4. Nashville vs. 5. San Jose
All of these are very, very good series. I don't see a clear cut favorite in any of them to be honest with you.
07 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Bring on the Canucks
Great game this afternoon between the Canucks and Sharks. Vancouver wins in overtime. The bottom line is that Vancouver clinches the Northwest Division and San Jose gets the fifth seed thanks to the point they picked up in the game.
The other matchups are Anaheim vs Minnesota, Nashville vs San Jose and Detroit vs either Calgary or Colorado.
07 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Getting close
Well, we are getting close to knowing the Stars' opponent for round one. It is going to be Nashville, Vancouver or Minnesota. We could have it all figured by today or maybe not. It depends on how all these games play out. San Jose and Vancouver play this afternoon, so that one will be the first big one. Here's how it breaks down to the best of my knowledge. This is confusing with bear with me. I am just dealing with today's games among the Northwest teams.
If Vancouver wins against the Sharks in regulation, then the Stars are in the running to get the fifth seed and a date with the Predators in round one if they beat Chicago on Sunday. If they don't beat Chicago the Stars would play Vancouver in round one.
If Vancouver wins that game in overtime or a shootout, then the Stars finish the sixth and play Vancouver in the first round.
If San Jose wins in regulation or overtime, the Stars are in the sixth spot and the Stars will have to wait to see whether Vancouver or Minnesota wins the Northwest. That could be decided Saturday night when Minnesota plays St. Louis. If the Wild lose in either regulation, Vancouver wins the Northwest.
On the Northwest Division, if the Canucks and Wild end up tied in points and in overall wins, the next tie breaker is points gained in their head-to-head series. The Wild takes that tie breaker with a 12-8 points advantage.
I'll try to update after the Sharks-Canucks cames and go through the scenarios again. I may have to change this one if it turns out be wrong somehow, but I am pretty sure I have it nailed down.
As for last night's game, good bounce back effort by the Stars. I thought it was an excellent game from an excitement level because of the intensity and what was at stake. It was a playoff type game. Some spotty execution and some hot goaltending by Ilya Bryzgalov almost did in the Stars, but a bounce they worked for went their way and rescued them. That's how playoff games and series are decided often times.
07 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Regular season finish
After I finished updating the site after the Stars game last night, I took in the Sharks-Flames game. Boy the Sharks looked good. it was an impressive showing, especially after rallying to beat Anaheim the night before. They built a 4-1 lead over the Flames and survived a couple of Jarome Iginla goals to win 4-3. The Sharks are rolling. Compare that with the Stars' lackluster performance in the last two games. What does it mean? Time will tell, but history suggests it may not mean a lot.
Teams that end the regular season on a roll are not always guaranteed some kind of magical success in the playoffs. The Hockey News has a pretty good article on it in this week's edition. It's an interesting read. Just one example. It points out that Detroit was the hottest team down the stretch last season, picking up 35 points (16-1-3) in their final 20 games. We all know what happened to the Red Wings. Carolina? The Hurricanes were 9-8-3 over the final 20 games, including 1-2-2 over the final five. Just one note, their competition was pretty stiff over the final five.
The fact is that when the playoffs start everybody is 0-0. As Detroit GM Ken Holland points out in the article, "When the playoffs begin, nothing from the regular season means anything."
That doesn't mean the last couple games have been troubling from the Stars perspective. They've looked flat and fatigued. They really looked like they are running on fumes both physically and emotionally. It will be interesting to see what they've got tonight against the Ducks.
06 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Sharks/Ducks
Great game between the Sharks and the Ducks Wednesday night in Anaheim. The Sharks rally from a 2-0 deficit and eventually win the game in a shootout. Final score 3-2.
Lots of scoring chances in the game. Some great saves. Some big hits. The Sharks challenge Teemu Selanne's stick at the beginning of OT, which results in a penalty on Selanne an negates what would have been a Ducks PP to open the extra session. So they play 3-on-3 for while. I really wanted to see this one resolved in the OT. Sometimes the shootout is a good way to put a bad game out of its misery. This game deserved a better ending. Too bad it wasn't an actual playoff game.
The point the Ducks picked up was a big one. Now they need just two points over their last two games to wrap up the division. The Stars and Sharks drop out of the race if they lose two points over their remaining games.
05 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Blues game
Last night's loss seemed to take some of the steam out all the buzz surrounding a division title. There's still a chance, but I am not all that concerned whether they get it or not. Home ice is a mixed bag. It's great for a seventh game, but I always find it interesting that a team will go through an 82-game season, get home ice, lose one of the first two at home in a playoff series and then have to fight to get it back by winning on the road. With the teams so evenly matched, I am not sure how big a deal it is going to be.
The Blues game didn't surprise me. As I mentioned yesterday, how the Stars came out after the wins in Detroit and Nashville would be a factor and the intensity level just wasn't quite there. Third game in four nights and all that stuff. A lot of times that stuff plays a role in how things play out in regular season games. That's why I don't read a lot into this regular season game or that one. All that stuff goes away in the playoffs. Teams are the same schedule and the same travel schedule. It comes down to execution, adjustments and getting a few breaks in a playoff series.
What I take out of a game like the Blues is that they play a sound defensive game similar to what the Stars might see if they draw Vancouver, Minnesota or Calgary in the playoffs. I tend to watch how the Stars play against that style of play and make some mental notes.
And let's face it, expecting the Stars to close out the season 14-1-1 was a bit unrealistic.
03 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Odds & Ends
A week to go in the season and it's still hard to get a read on the playoff seeds. If the Stars catch and pass the Ducks and get the No. 2 seed the likely opponent would be Minnesota or perhaps Calgary. I'll be honest, both those teams are tough. But right now I think the Flames are a very dangerous team to be playing in the first round. They seem to be getting their game in order and they've got Kipper.
If they don't catch Anaheim they might end up in the fourth or fifth spot and it looks like it will be Nashville. That's a matchup I like. It will be good because of the hype and I think the Stars just stack up well against the Predators. As I've said before, I think Nashville struggles in those tough, grind it out playoff games. Nothing against the Predators, but I like that matchup better than the Flames or Wild.
We'll learn more as the week goes along.
I don't want to underestimate the Blues tonight. Andy Murray's teams always seem to give the Stars fits. His Blues have done it this season and his Kings were a problem last season. It will be interesting to see how the Stars respond coming off the two emotional wins over the weekend. I am sure Murray will have the Blues ready to go. I am sure Tip is doing his best to make sure the Stars are in the same mode.
I found an interesting stats site over the weekend. It breaks down player's productivity, plus/minus and stuff based on quality of opponents, quality of teammates and other factors. It evaluates players on how the team does when they are on the ice and off. If you are into statistical stuff, it is worth a look.
Link to the section on the Stars:
Behind the Net
02 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Lehtinen update
Jere Lehtinen, who left Saturday's game against Nashville, has a lower body strain and will be a game time decision for Monday's tilt against the Blues.
01 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
Quite a weekend
It turned out be quite a weekend for the Stars, who capped it off with an impressive win in Nashville Saturday night. No big fireworks, unless you count the Stars scoring three goals in the first period. All the Tootoo hype turned out to be just that - hype. He had no impact except to take some bad penalties in the game. Of course everybody seemed to buy into the hype.
The Stars played smart and disciplined and were clearly the much better team Saturday night. Nashville has some issues right now. The Predators' top players were missing in action Saturday night. The kid Alexander Radulov was probably their best player. I hardly noticed Jason Arnott except when he kept shooting the puck off the endboards after offisides calls. They've lost six of nine and are in a bit of a funk going into the final few games of the regular season.
The Stars, on the other hand, are on a roll. They are 10-1-1 in the last 12 games. The only thing keeping them out of first place in the division is the fact that the Ducks keep winning too. For all the hype surrounding Saturday night's game in Nashville, it will pale in comparison to the potential impact of Friday night's game against the Ducks at the AAC. That game could have huge implications. Jeff K better have his Havoc Fanatics motivated, focused and slightly undisciplined. The building should be rocking. It will be a good tuneup for the playoffs.
Not to get ahead of ourselves here. There are still games against the Blues at the AAC and a trip to Columbus to take on Hitch's Blue Jackets. Those won't be easy games, especially with the Stars coming off two big wins against the likes of the Red Wings and Predators.
This is starting to get fun. The push up the standings. You know, they are only four behind Detroit too and just three behind the Predators. The playoffs start in a week-and-a-half or so. No more games against Phoenix. It doesn't get much better than that.
01 April '07 - - default| - § ¶
