I'm assuming I wasn't the only one having a tough time mustering sympathy for Ryan Kesler and the Anaheim Ducks after they got thumped by the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday night.
One could say that the Ducks are making progress. After building 3-2 series leads, they lost Games 6 and 7 in the first round to Detroit two years ago, in the second round to Los Angeles last year and in the third round this year.
For all the fuss that's made about Bruce Boudreau's inability to close out series, maybe he should just concentrate on winning Game 6, as the Ducks did against the Dallas Stars in the first round last year. That way, he'd avoid the Game 7 nightmares altogether.
Still just 27 years old, Chicago's Jonathan Toews added to his reputation on Saturday as one of the best clutch players of all time, and one of the game's best leaders. Canucks fans were indignant when their team got bested by a group of Blackhawks youngsters back in 2009 and 2010 but it's clear now that Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook and company are building a body of work that is truly legendary.
That being said, I think we're in for a fascinating final. Toews was quick to point out after Saturday's win that the Blackhawks didn't fare well against the Lightning in the regular season—they squeaked out a 3-2 shootout win at home in November and were shut out 4-0 at Amalie Arena in late February.
Both teams will get three days to rest and regroup before the Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday. The Blackhawks have the experience, but the Lightning are a fast, skilled group with (probably) better goaltending and the element of surprise on their side. I'm very curious to see how the teams will match up.
I had the Blackhawks and Rangers as my final two teams in my NHL bracket challenge. Pretty close!
Speaking of the Rangers, Canucks fans should be interested in
this column from Larry Brooks of the
New York Post, taking Alain Vigneault's team to task for being unwilling (or unable) to push back when the going got tough.
The Rangers turned the other cheek the way the Canucks were instructed to turn the other cheek in the 2011 final against Boston, which they lost in seven with Vigneault behind the bench. Vancouver turned the other cheek even when Brad Marchand went rat-a-tat-tat on Daniel Sedin’s face in Game 6 then went out with a whimper in Game 7.
Here’s the thing: The meek never inherit the Stanley Cup.
Considering the Rangers have the bruising Chris Kreider up front and defenseman Dan Girardi finished the regular season in the NHL's top 20 with 224 hits, it's not like the Rangers are fundamentally lacking in grit. But they couldn't find a way to make it tough for Tampa Bay to play at Madison Square Garden in either Game 5 or Game 7.
Playoff Sunday for Prospects
With no NHL action for the next three days—sigh—let's turn our attention to the Canucks prospects still in action.
The Utica Comets will take on Grand Rapids in the pivotal Game 5 of their AHL Western Conference Final today at 2 p.m. PT, with the series tied 2-2.
The Comets fell 3-2 in overtime in Game 4, but Utica's 6-0 so far in the playoffs after a loss, so expect a good effort from the boys tonight. Out of nowhere, Cory Conacher (charmingly nicknamed CoCo) has become the latest hot hand for the Comets, with goals in his last two games.
Later, tune into Sportsnet starting at 3:30 p.m. for the Memorial Cup final between Cole Cassels' Oshawa Generals and the Kelowna Rockets. Puck drop's at 4:00.
Though Kelowna exploded with a 9-3 win over Quebec to reach the final, the Rockets were defeated 2-1 by Oshawa during the round-robin portion of the tournament—a game in which Cassels scored.
A championship would be a great way to wrap up an outstanding playoffs for Cassels, who put up a personal best 81 points in 54 games during a topsy-turvy regular season in which he started the year with a bout of mono and was assessed a
10-game suspension in late November for a head hit on defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov of the Owen Sound Attack.
I'm looking forward to the game.
Draft Combine Takes on New Look
Looking ahead to next week, the NHL's draft combine will take on a new look as it moves to Buffalo's Harbor Center for a full week of workouts and interviews.
Click here for the full story from John Wawrow of the Associated Press.
“This is taking the combine to a whole other level,” Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. “I’m looking forward to getting in there and seeing how it’s run this year and, maybe going forward, that’s the way it’s going to continue to be run.”
Anything would be an upgrade after last year, when the hotel air conditioning didn’t work during the team-player interview portion of the combine.
“I felt bad for the kids, because it was like we were sweating them out,” Benning said, laughing.
Though it turned out that Sam Bennett's inability to do a pull-up last year was indicative only of a need for shoulder surgery and not of his early NHL potential, it's always interesting to see what news and views emerge from the combine. It should help to bring the draft into focus a little bit as we go forward.
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