Sean Bergenheim is earning his way to a cool nickname... "The Dagger." What Ben Ferriero did for the Sharks, scoring the overtime game-winner in his first NHL playoff game, is the stuff legends are born from. But let's see where he's at after game 3 of his playoff career. I say this mocking my point a little with Bergenheim. But look at what a player who couldn't break through in the Islander organization, has done in the past two games. Game Seven against the Penguins, game and series winner on a slick reverse backhand play the had already scored on earlier in the series. No one else scored in that pressure-packed elimination game. Game One against the #1 seed Capitals? He scores the ice-breaking first goal just over two minutes in.
My point in this: this is the time of the year where depth start making a difference. Teams can excel in the regulare season, mainly due to the slanted conference and divisional imbalance of games. Chances are, top line players will have different points per game averages when they play non-playof caliber teams. So a dominant top line or two on a weak team can dominate lesser teams, in some cases where only one or two teams in a division are good enough to qualify for post-season play. That team, by average alone, can pad there win total as well as pad their individual stats.
But the second round of the playoffs is where having depth on the bottom two lines starts making a difference. And Tampa's 3rd line of Dominic Moore centering Steve Downie and Sean Bergenheim is proving to be one of the best going. Moore I very good on faceoffs, and has a knack for scoring timely goals. Which is the trait Bergenheim is also earning a reputation for, as I mentiones above.
If Tampa keeps winning the battle of the third lines, this could spell trouble for the top-seeded Capitals. Condiser: Alex Ovechkin is not posting dominant numbers. Granted, the team shifted to more of a defense-first philosophy specifically for the effectivenes it has proven in terms of recently succesful playoff teams. Tampa's top line of Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone and Martin St.Louis has been one of the best in the league. And after an extended cold period, Stamkos looks as if he's heating up. I'd have to give the edge to the Bolts when comparing these lines.
Alexander Semin played very well in game one. He had a few bad bounces with the puck turn into turnovers, but he generated several good chances after scoring Washington's first goal of the game. But Tamps's second line also scored a goal, as Downie's goal came after he was put with Vincent Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell following the scary injury to Simon Gagne. These two I have to call a wash.
So I will enjoy watching how the Battle of the Bottom Six plays out. Washington counters with Eric Fehr, Jason Chimera (who playes like a bigger version of Moore and also possesses the clutch factor) and young Marcus Johansson. Gagne's injury elevates Adam Hall, a 6-4 right-handed physical presence who also is good on draws, to the third line I assume with the promotion of Downie. Hall also played a couple shifts alongside Lecavalier after Gagne got hurt, so Downie has motivation to stay as much on the "good" side of the proverbial line spoken in regards to agitating play.
This is gonna be fun to watch.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Vancouver Defense Is Their Real Backbone
Dan Hamhuis was the prize defenseman of last Summer's fee agent class. He's a British Columbia Native, and his desire to play close to home probably had as much to do with his landing with the Canucks as the finances involved. But he wasn't the only physical yet gifted blueliner added by the Canucks prior to the start of this season.
Keith Ballard also left a southern climate to venture into Western Canada, and despite what many are viewing as a disappointing regular season, the Minnesota native is a gritty, heart and soul defender.
Its seems everyone is focusing on either the talented forwards employed by the Canucks or their Olympic yet enigmatic goalie, and the stellar play and elite talents of the Sedin's and Roberto Luongo certainly merit that. But looking at this team, and after watching their first round series with the Blackhawks, it seems there's something being overlooked... Their back six.
Philly's collection of defensemen has been generally regarded as the best in the NHL. I'm not arguins the talents and abilities of an impressive group that includes Mr. May himself, Chris Pronger. Pronger's will and physical ability to dominate have been instrumental in putting 3 teams in recent years in the Stanley Cup finals: the Oilers of 2006, the Cup Champion Ducks of 2007, and last years Cinderella Flyers squad. But the rest of the group isn't shabby either.
Braydon Coburn is a physical compliment to Pronger, Matt Carle's skating and passing abilities make him a natural fit to pair with Pronger, Kimmo Tommonen is a great compliment to Pronger on the opposite point on the power play. Yes, there's grit and talent galore on Philly's blueline group.
But no one seems to mention Vancouver's group in comparison.
Christian Ehroff's offensive abilities overshadow his play in his own end. He is a key component to their impressive powerplay. Hamhuis is physical and certainly is worthy of the hoopla he received last offseason. Kevin Bieksa does a fine enough job offensively to give the 2nd powerplay unit enough juice there isn't much of a drop off when the first group needs a breather. But did you see him plowing over Blackhawk forwards to clear Bobby Lou's crease repeatedly in the first round? Jeremy Roenick stated last night on Versus' post game show that Bieksa was one of the meanest, most difficult players he ever played against. He flat out said he hated and feared playing against him because of the edge with with he plays. JR played a lot of hockey in his career, enough to register 500+ career goals. That's mighty high praise.
I've seen Ballard play live a few years back against a stacked Penguins squad when he was on an overmatched Coyotes team. I love the style with which Ballard plays. It's like punishing the opposition is what fuels him. His numbers don't show it, but he's also very capable offensively. Hard to put up numbers when you're excelling as the fourth defenseman.
Rounding out the top 6 are Sami Salo, a versatile and productive blueliner who has struggled with injuries but is very valuable to this Canucks squad. And then there's the young but very talented Alex Edler, who many feel will grow into an offensively talented yet well rounded blueliner who will peak as an elite #2 or 3 blueliner. All he needs is experience and to fill out his frame.
Compare this group to Philly's. I'm not so sure I'm willing to give the title of "Best Defense Group" to Philly. I think Vancouver's is better. And you can say that about their forwards, and their goalie. It's certainly up for debate. But what other team left stacks up so well in every single area. There's a reason the Canucks are the favorite. But the biggest reason plays behind the touted Sedin twins.
Keith Ballard also left a southern climate to venture into Western Canada, and despite what many are viewing as a disappointing regular season, the Minnesota native is a gritty, heart and soul defender.
Its seems everyone is focusing on either the talented forwards employed by the Canucks or their Olympic yet enigmatic goalie, and the stellar play and elite talents of the Sedin's and Roberto Luongo certainly merit that. But looking at this team, and after watching their first round series with the Blackhawks, it seems there's something being overlooked... Their back six.
Philly's collection of defensemen has been generally regarded as the best in the NHL. I'm not arguins the talents and abilities of an impressive group that includes Mr. May himself, Chris Pronger. Pronger's will and physical ability to dominate have been instrumental in putting 3 teams in recent years in the Stanley Cup finals: the Oilers of 2006, the Cup Champion Ducks of 2007, and last years Cinderella Flyers squad. But the rest of the group isn't shabby either.
Braydon Coburn is a physical compliment to Pronger, Matt Carle's skating and passing abilities make him a natural fit to pair with Pronger, Kimmo Tommonen is a great compliment to Pronger on the opposite point on the power play. Yes, there's grit and talent galore on Philly's blueline group.
But no one seems to mention Vancouver's group in comparison.
Christian Ehroff's offensive abilities overshadow his play in his own end. He is a key component to their impressive powerplay. Hamhuis is physical and certainly is worthy of the hoopla he received last offseason. Kevin Bieksa does a fine enough job offensively to give the 2nd powerplay unit enough juice there isn't much of a drop off when the first group needs a breather. But did you see him plowing over Blackhawk forwards to clear Bobby Lou's crease repeatedly in the first round? Jeremy Roenick stated last night on Versus' post game show that Bieksa was one of the meanest, most difficult players he ever played against. He flat out said he hated and feared playing against him because of the edge with with he plays. JR played a lot of hockey in his career, enough to register 500+ career goals. That's mighty high praise.
I've seen Ballard play live a few years back against a stacked Penguins squad when he was on an overmatched Coyotes team. I love the style with which Ballard plays. It's like punishing the opposition is what fuels him. His numbers don't show it, but he's also very capable offensively. Hard to put up numbers when you're excelling as the fourth defenseman.
Rounding out the top 6 are Sami Salo, a versatile and productive blueliner who has struggled with injuries but is very valuable to this Canucks squad. And then there's the young but very talented Alex Edler, who many feel will grow into an offensively talented yet well rounded blueliner who will peak as an elite #2 or 3 blueliner. All he needs is experience and to fill out his frame.
Compare this group to Philly's. I'm not so sure I'm willing to give the title of "Best Defense Group" to Philly. I think Vancouver's is better. And you can say that about their forwards, and their goalie. It's certainly up for debate. But what other team left stacks up so well in every single area. There's a reason the Canucks are the favorite. But the biggest reason plays behind the touted Sedin twins.
Statement Time
Why I'm pumped about the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs...
Can Ovechkin finally just become a monster when it matters most and dominate? He has the best supporting cast he's ever had. Now's when I want to see him go on a tear and put up superhuman numbers with multi-goal games. I want to see Tampa's defenseman cowering in fear of his powerful one-timer and blistering slapshot. Is this the year he matches Malkin with a Conn Smythe trophy?
On the flip side of that series... I remember how awful it felt in 2006 to see Dwyane Roloson in agony after tearing up his leg in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Hurricanes. He was so instrumental in that miracle run with the Oilers. He waited his whole career fighting for a starting role on a Minnesota team where he had to share the net with Manny Fernandez. He finally got his shot that year and ran with it, only to watch his teammates fall in seven games. He was dominant against the Penguins, stealing Game 7 and launching Stevie Y's Lightning into this second round matchup with Ovi and the Caps. America loves when people get second chances, and Roli seems the type to make the most of it. If Ovechkin doesn't take over this series, Roloson will have a lot to do with it.
The Great Hope of the North...
It's been 18 years since a Canadian team has brought Lord Stanley home. If there's ever been a team more prepared and poised to do it, it is this year's Canucks team. For all the hoopla and focus people are putting on the Sedin's and Roberto Luongo, the American Hockey Fan in me has to wonder... Would it still be sweet for the Canadian natives if they win a Cup and an American walks away with the Conn Smythe? In the playoffs, typically the first lines cancel themselves out, and the teams that receive the most from the second and third lines typically win the battle of attrition. Name another second line player in this tournament that matches up with Ryan Kesler. He's dominant defensively, has the size and willingness to excel at the rough stuff, and oh yeah, how many of the teams remaining would his 40-some goals have paced this year? Kesler had his coming out party in the regular season, albeit in the shadow of the Sedin twins. Here's hoping his story continues.
The Red Wings have clutch players (Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg, etc) who have continually stepped up their games in big moments. They have a goalie, Jimmy Howard, who isn't highly regarded and hasn't proven himself on the big stage. The Sharks have a glut of talented forwards who have posted numerous monster regular seasons but haven't dominated when it matters most (Thorton, Heatley, Marleau). But they have a goalie who has won a Cup in Antti Niemi. For all the focus on the stars in this series, I'm interested in seeing which of these young goalies makes his mark going forward.
Tim Thomas vs Who Knows?...
Boston's goalie put up some historically impressive numbers this year and his unorthodox yet determined drive to never let in a goal or give up on a play puts him at a level matched by few, if any, goalies left in these playoffs. Philly, based on their actions, doesn't put much value on goalies. It seems their thinking is - "we"ve assembled the best defense group in the league, and if they do their job, we don't need a dominant 'tender." Fair enough, and good luck with that. Boston's back 6 is no slouch. Chara physically compares to Pronger, but you can bet Milan Lucic (what a battle this is gonna be between these 2 players) will take a few hacks at Pronger's injured hand and to his best to neutralize the big nasty fella. Both of these teams can rotate 3 lines without much drop off. Philly not having Jeff Carter will make a difference in these playoffs.
I love playoff hockey. For every series, there are several underlying stories, and many opportunities for players to make their mark. Who will it be this year?
Can Ovechkin finally just become a monster when it matters most and dominate? He has the best supporting cast he's ever had. Now's when I want to see him go on a tear and put up superhuman numbers with multi-goal games. I want to see Tampa's defenseman cowering in fear of his powerful one-timer and blistering slapshot. Is this the year he matches Malkin with a Conn Smythe trophy?
On the flip side of that series... I remember how awful it felt in 2006 to see Dwyane Roloson in agony after tearing up his leg in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Hurricanes. He was so instrumental in that miracle run with the Oilers. He waited his whole career fighting for a starting role on a Minnesota team where he had to share the net with Manny Fernandez. He finally got his shot that year and ran with it, only to watch his teammates fall in seven games. He was dominant against the Penguins, stealing Game 7 and launching Stevie Y's Lightning into this second round matchup with Ovi and the Caps. America loves when people get second chances, and Roli seems the type to make the most of it. If Ovechkin doesn't take over this series, Roloson will have a lot to do with it.
The Great Hope of the North...
It's been 18 years since a Canadian team has brought Lord Stanley home. If there's ever been a team more prepared and poised to do it, it is this year's Canucks team. For all the hoopla and focus people are putting on the Sedin's and Roberto Luongo, the American Hockey Fan in me has to wonder... Would it still be sweet for the Canadian natives if they win a Cup and an American walks away with the Conn Smythe? In the playoffs, typically the first lines cancel themselves out, and the teams that receive the most from the second and third lines typically win the battle of attrition. Name another second line player in this tournament that matches up with Ryan Kesler. He's dominant defensively, has the size and willingness to excel at the rough stuff, and oh yeah, how many of the teams remaining would his 40-some goals have paced this year? Kesler had his coming out party in the regular season, albeit in the shadow of the Sedin twins. Here's hoping his story continues.
The Red Wings have clutch players (Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg, etc) who have continually stepped up their games in big moments. They have a goalie, Jimmy Howard, who isn't highly regarded and hasn't proven himself on the big stage. The Sharks have a glut of talented forwards who have posted numerous monster regular seasons but haven't dominated when it matters most (Thorton, Heatley, Marleau). But they have a goalie who has won a Cup in Antti Niemi. For all the focus on the stars in this series, I'm interested in seeing which of these young goalies makes his mark going forward.
Tim Thomas vs Who Knows?...
Boston's goalie put up some historically impressive numbers this year and his unorthodox yet determined drive to never let in a goal or give up on a play puts him at a level matched by few, if any, goalies left in these playoffs. Philly, based on their actions, doesn't put much value on goalies. It seems their thinking is - "we"ve assembled the best defense group in the league, and if they do their job, we don't need a dominant 'tender." Fair enough, and good luck with that. Boston's back 6 is no slouch. Chara physically compares to Pronger, but you can bet Milan Lucic (what a battle this is gonna be between these 2 players) will take a few hacks at Pronger's injured hand and to his best to neutralize the big nasty fella. Both of these teams can rotate 3 lines without much drop off. Philly not having Jeff Carter will make a difference in these playoffs.
I love playoff hockey. For every series, there are several underlying stories, and many opportunities for players to make their mark. Who will it be this year?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)