hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
2022 Conference Finals Preview
The Final Four is all set. The Conference Finals are here. This round is very vital, it will determine which two teams will face each other for the Stanley Cup! We were treated to a very captivating second round that saw so many amazing moments, plays, and goals, but after the dust has settled, it has come down to the final four teams remaining. Since the 2013-14 season, the Conference Finals have been contested between each of the four winners of the division brackets, with the East series pitting the Atlantic vs the Metropolitan, while the West series pits the Central vs the Pacific. The series are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Blues Lose Series and a Lot of Respect in the Process
A heated and immensely controversial Central Division Final series between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues saw the latter ousted in six games. The Blues entered the playoffs as a much stronger team than they were in the previous season, and it showed. The shortened 2020-21 season saw the Blues in the localized West Division, and in spite of the fact that half of the West Division consisted of poor teams, the Blues struggled to get into the playoffs, and when they did get the division's last spot, they took their struggles with them.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Flames Extinguished in Battle of Alberta. Top Story - May 2022.
We were really excited for this, weren't we? For the first time in 31 years, we had the Battle of Alberta in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; an occurrence that--many say--was set to happen in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused that season to be paused. We all salivated over this, and yes, I was part of the "we all." I was six years old when the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last met in the playoffs, and I wasn't even thinking about hockey at that time, so this was really my first time experiencing this. I was looking for a seven-game, knock 'em out, street fight between these two longtime provincial foes. Instead, we got a short series that went the way of the Edmonton Oilers.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Panthers Swept Out of Elite Eight by Back-to-Back Champs
The Presidents' Trophy claims another victim, as the Florida Panthers became the first casualty of this year's Division Finals. This was an absolute dream season for the Panthers. 58 wins, 122 points, and their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. They were definitely expected to go very far, but they had to do something they hadn't done since 1996: win a playoff series. It was tough, but the Panthers did it, winning a six-game opening round over the Washington Capitals, with Carter Verhaeghe's OT winner (his second of the series) ending the 26-year itch.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Stars Ousted in Seven Despite Oettinger's Efforts
The last piece of the second-round puzzle was filled late on Sunday, May 15, as the Dallas Stars faced off against the Calgary Flames in Game Seven of their Pacific Division Semifinal series. This was a series that didn't see a lot of scoring, and it was the most tame of the eight series that were played, but even this one had its moments. Each of the first two games were shutouts; a 1-0 win from Calgary in Game One, and a 2-0 win from Dallas in Game Two. The scoring didn't really pick up from there, but in spite of this, the teams made it to seven games, and the finale ended up going to overtime.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: End of an Era?. Top Story - May 2022.
Nothing lasts forever. Those three words pertain to literally everything, even sports. In this case, it's about the Pittsburgh Penguins. 16 straight playoff appearances; the longest active streak in pro sports. In those 16 years, the Penguins have reached the Final Four five times, which resulted in four appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, winning three of those four. Among the three Cups includes winning back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first team to achieve that feat in nearly 20 years. Since then, however, the Penguins haven't fared well in the playoffs, winning just one series since then.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
2022 Division Finals Preview
What an amazing opening round of playoff action! Despite the fact that it only saw eight of the 51 games played go to overtime (which is quite low for the first round), it saw five of the eight series go the maximum seven games, with the home team winning four of the five Game Sevens played. After all of the dust has settled, and after all of the mayhem, we finally have our Elite Eight for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The four Division Final series are all solidified, and they are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Kings Blanked by Oilers in Game Seven
What a series that was! There was no Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, or Jari Kurri, but we were treated to a captivating series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings actually took Game One on the Road, but the next two games would see the Oilers deliver an onslaught of goals to their opponents. Los Angeles blanked the Oilers in Game Four, and picked up an overtime win in Game Five, but their trip back home saw them come up short in their attempt to clinch the series.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: 18 Years
I thought they had it. I'm totally serious right now. I thought they had this. The Toronto Maple Leafs not only had home-ice advantage in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they had momentum. This was not the same Leafs team who fizzled against the Montréal Canadiens in the previous season. This team looked strong, confident, and most important of all, they looked consistent. We saw the first six games of this series. Even though the teams split those games, the Leafs played very well. They made Andrei Vasilevskiy, a perennial Vezina candidate, look very human in those six games.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Bruins Lose Seven-Game Thriller to Hurricanes
A triumvirate of Saturday Game Sevens began with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Boston Bruins, and this was a series that was dominated by home ice entering this pivotal game. The Hurricanes won Games One, Two, and Five, while the Bruins won Games Three, Four, and Six. For me, this brought back memories of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which saw the home team win the first six games, but the Bruins won Game Seven in Vancouver. That would not be the case, however, as the Bruins lost this Game Seven by a score of 3-2, and their season came to an abrupt end.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Ovechkin's Last Chance?
We have an elimination in the Eastern Conference half of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it was the Washington Capitals who received the proverbial axe. The Caps were part of a top-heavy East that saw all eight of its playoff teams boast at least 100 points in the standings, which also resulted in the eight teams being sealed months before it was official. The Caps' 100 points was only good enough to nab the 2nd Wild Card spot, which set up a meeting between their former Southeast Division foes, the Florida Panthers, who won the Presidents' Trophy this season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Kaprizov Can't Do It Alone
The Minnesota Wild became the next team to get the boot from the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, though it didn't look like it was going to be the case. After being shut out on home ice in Game One of their series against the St. Louis Blues, the Wild bounced back with dominant victories in Games Two and Three; the latter taking place in St. Louis. After that, however, things went south big time. Three straight losses--all against Jordan Binnington, who hadn't won a playoff start since June 12, 2019, the very night that the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
