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More eyes may have been fixated on the 5 that the Rangers had put on the scoreboard, but perhaps just as impressive was the 0 next to the Capitals, thanks to the performance of Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots he faced Monday in the Rangers’ 5-0 blowout of Washington in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. His counterpart, Braden Holtby, let in 5 of the 27 shots he faced.
It was Lundqvist’s eighth career playoff shutout, and on the heels of Sunday’s 1-0 Rangers victory in Game 6, it gave him consecutive shutouts in the postseason for the first time in his career. Lundqvist let in only 12 goals in the seven-game series, finishing with a save percentage of .947 and a goals-against average of 1.65.
“All that matters is the win,” Lundqvist said. “Obviously, the way we played in such an important game, I think, is going to help us, moving forward. Everybody did the right thing out there, and they played confident. And I thought we set the tone in the first period, the way we wanted to play. It kind of carried over from yesterday. So it’s a great feeling right now.”
Lundqvist was at his most spectacular early, making several difficult saves in the middle of the first period. The most crucial may have been on a breakaway by defenseman Mike Green, a denial that the Rangers quickly turned into a 4-on-2 rush capped by an Arron Asham goal 13 minutes 19 seconds into the game. It proved all the offense Lundqvist and the Rangers would need.
Though he was solid himself, Lundqvist received crucial assistance from the Rangers skaters in front of him. The teams were fairly even in blocked shots through the first six games of the series — with the Rangers leading by 134-121 — but the Rangers dominated in blocks in Game 7, by 27-9.
“He was really good, but the team was also good, too,” said Rangers Coach John Tortorella, who had already praised Lundqvist several times in his postgame remarks. “I have to give the team some credit. They played hard in front of him. But Henrik is our backbone. And for us to continue to play, and even to get through the series, your goaltender has to be. We certainly know we’re going to get that from Henrik.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/14/sports/hockey/nhl-playoffs-henrik-lundqvist-shuts-out-capitals-again-html?_r=0
It was Lundqvist’s eighth career playoff shutout, and on the heels of Sunday’s 1-0 Rangers victory in Game 6, it gave him consecutive shutouts in the postseason for the first time in his career. Lundqvist let in only 12 goals in the seven-game series, finishing with a save percentage of .947 and a goals-against average of 1.65.
“All that matters is the win,” Lundqvist said. “Obviously, the way we played in such an important game, I think, is going to help us, moving forward. Everybody did the right thing out there, and they played confident. And I thought we set the tone in the first period, the way we wanted to play. It kind of carried over from yesterday. So it’s a great feeling right now.”
Lundqvist was at his most spectacular early, making several difficult saves in the middle of the first period. The most crucial may have been on a breakaway by defenseman Mike Green, a denial that the Rangers quickly turned into a 4-on-2 rush capped by an Arron Asham goal 13 minutes 19 seconds into the game. It proved all the offense Lundqvist and the Rangers would need.
Though he was solid himself, Lundqvist received crucial assistance from the Rangers skaters in front of him. The teams were fairly even in blocked shots through the first six games of the series — with the Rangers leading by 134-121 — but the Rangers dominated in blocks in Game 7, by 27-9.
“He was really good, but the team was also good, too,” said Rangers Coach John Tortorella, who had already praised Lundqvist several times in his postgame remarks. “I have to give the team some credit. They played hard in front of him. But Henrik is our backbone. And for us to continue to play, and even to get through the series, your goaltender has to be. We certainly know we’re going to get that from Henrik.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/14/sports/hockey/nhl-playoffs-henrik-lundqvist-shuts-out-capitals-again-html?_r=0
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From his first big save to his flawless final minutes, Jonathan Quick showed the San Jose Sharks they'll have to do much better to dethrone a champion.
Quick made 35 saves in his sixth career playoff shutout, and the Los Angeles Kings opened their second-round series with a 2-0 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night.
Slava Voynov and Mike Richards each had a goal and an assist in the Stanley Cup winners' 11th straight victory at Staples Center since March, but the Kings all thought the win rested squarely on Quick, who delivered yet another dominant playoff performance.
The Sharks' superior speed and passing couldn't get anything past last season's Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
``We wanted to get off on a good foot, no matter how we had to do it,'' Quick said after his 25th career playoff victory, one shy of Kelly Hrudey's franchise record. ``We got better during this game, but we've got some work to do.''
Game 2 is Thursday.
Los Angeles opened the NHL's fourth all-California playoff series with its fifth straight victory after an 0-2 start to its title defense.
Opening a playoff series at home for the first time in 21 years, the Kings got just enough offense from Richards and Voynov, the Kings' promising Siberian defenseman, who had the first multipoint playoff game of his short career.
But the Kings' scorers directed any praise to their defense and Quick, who yielded just 10 goals in the six-game first round against St. Louis before frustrating the Sharks.
``We didn't have our best first period, and it could have got out of reach quickly if Quickie wasn't back there making some big saves,'' said Richards, the Kings' leading postseason scorer. ``You could just tell he was seeing the puck well.''
Antti Niemi stopped 18 shots for the Sharks, who scored 15 goals while sweeping third-seeded Vancouver - but Quick has playoff poise that the Canucks' two goalies still haven't achieved.
With help from a few fortunate bounces, Quick stayed in control during long stretches when the Sharks largely dominated play, particularly in the frantic opening minutes and again while outshooting Los Angeles 16-4 in the third period.
``It's about getting it done,'' Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. ``When the night ends, you have to have the job done. You can have as many good looks as you want. You can be in all alone. You have to find ways to finish, and we have players that are very capable of doing that. We have players that are capable of scoring greasy, dirty, playoff-style goals.''
The Sharks and Kings are meeting in the postseason for the second time in three years, accentuating their already strong in-state rivalry.
San Jose eliminated Los Angeles in 2011 on the way to the conference finals, but the Sharks' years of steady excellence were surpassed by the up-and-down Kings when they raised California's second Stanley Cup.
The Kings had not-so-secretly hoped for a second-round Freeway Faceoff with the Anaheim Ducks, who lost to Detroit in seven games - but after Game 1, it's clear the Sharks have the champs' full attention.
Los Angeles beat San Jose 3-2 in both clubs' regular-season finale to finish in fifth place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Sharks.
That's how Los Angeles got home-ice advantage in this series, starting at home in the postseason for the first time since the 1992 opening round against Edmonton.
``(Quick) made the saves he had to, (but) we have to find a way to score,'' Sharks center Joe Pavelski said. ``We have to produce and create more movement. We feel we can play with them. We felt we played a good game. After tonight, everyone in this room feels they are beatable. It's not going to be easy, obviously. They are Stanley Cup champs, a team that has learned how to win.''
The Sharks began Game 1 at a furious pace, generating numerous early scoring chances and keeping the Kings on their heels.
Quick immediately had to make a handful of remarkable saves before Los Angeles matched the tempo, and Voynov put the Kings ahead with 12.9 seconds left in the first period when he ripped a slap shot through traffic on a rush.
Voynov scored two goals in the opening round against St. Louis, and both were game-winners - including the clutch overtime score in Game 5 that allowed Los Angeles to finish off the series at home two days later.
``He gets shots through, and they're not going to give you much,'' Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said of Voynov.
Quick turned aside several good Sharks chances in the second period before Los Angeles doubled its lead. Voynov ripped a long shot that redirected off Richards for his seventh point in seven games.
The goal gave the Kings their first two-goal lead of the entire postseason, and the Sharks had their first two-goal deficit of the playoffs.
Shortly after the Kings' first power play early in the third period, the puck ended up coming to a complete stop next to Niemi in his crease without the goalie knowing where it was. Scott Hannan dived to knock the puck away with his hand.
NOTES: Sharks RW Marty Havlat missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Jarret Stoll was hit illegally by San Jose's Raffi Torres late in the second period, and Los Angeles' veteran center didn't play in the third. Sutter declined to critique the call, but said the Kings ``weren't resting'' Stoll while he sat out. McLellan said: ``Clean hit. Not even a charging penalty, in my opinion.'' ... Sutter coached current Sharks Patrick Marleau, Hannan and Brad Stuart during his tenure in San Jose from 1997-2003. Marleau, the franchise scoring leader, was an 18-year-old rookie on Sutter's first team in San Jose.
San Jose vs Los Angeles - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
Quick made 35 saves in his sixth career playoff shutout, and the Los Angeles Kings opened their second-round series with a 2-0 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night.
Slava Voynov and Mike Richards each had a goal and an assist in the Stanley Cup winners' 11th straight victory at Staples Center since March, but the Kings all thought the win rested squarely on Quick, who delivered yet another dominant playoff performance.
The Sharks' superior speed and passing couldn't get anything past last season's Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
``We wanted to get off on a good foot, no matter how we had to do it,'' Quick said after his 25th career playoff victory, one shy of Kelly Hrudey's franchise record. ``We got better during this game, but we've got some work to do.''
Game 2 is Thursday.
Los Angeles opened the NHL's fourth all-California playoff series with its fifth straight victory after an 0-2 start to its title defense.
Opening a playoff series at home for the first time in 21 years, the Kings got just enough offense from Richards and Voynov, the Kings' promising Siberian defenseman, who had the first multipoint playoff game of his short career.
But the Kings' scorers directed any praise to their defense and Quick, who yielded just 10 goals in the six-game first round against St. Louis before frustrating the Sharks.
``We didn't have our best first period, and it could have got out of reach quickly if Quickie wasn't back there making some big saves,'' said Richards, the Kings' leading postseason scorer. ``You could just tell he was seeing the puck well.''
Antti Niemi stopped 18 shots for the Sharks, who scored 15 goals while sweeping third-seeded Vancouver - but Quick has playoff poise that the Canucks' two goalies still haven't achieved.
With help from a few fortunate bounces, Quick stayed in control during long stretches when the Sharks largely dominated play, particularly in the frantic opening minutes and again while outshooting Los Angeles 16-4 in the third period.
``It's about getting it done,'' Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. ``When the night ends, you have to have the job done. You can have as many good looks as you want. You can be in all alone. You have to find ways to finish, and we have players that are very capable of doing that. We have players that are capable of scoring greasy, dirty, playoff-style goals.''
The Sharks and Kings are meeting in the postseason for the second time in three years, accentuating their already strong in-state rivalry.
San Jose eliminated Los Angeles in 2011 on the way to the conference finals, but the Sharks' years of steady excellence were surpassed by the up-and-down Kings when they raised California's second Stanley Cup.
The Kings had not-so-secretly hoped for a second-round Freeway Faceoff with the Anaheim Ducks, who lost to Detroit in seven games - but after Game 1, it's clear the Sharks have the champs' full attention.
Los Angeles beat San Jose 3-2 in both clubs' regular-season finale to finish in fifth place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Sharks.
That's how Los Angeles got home-ice advantage in this series, starting at home in the postseason for the first time since the 1992 opening round against Edmonton.
``(Quick) made the saves he had to, (but) we have to find a way to score,'' Sharks center Joe Pavelski said. ``We have to produce and create more movement. We feel we can play with them. We felt we played a good game. After tonight, everyone in this room feels they are beatable. It's not going to be easy, obviously. They are Stanley Cup champs, a team that has learned how to win.''
The Sharks began Game 1 at a furious pace, generating numerous early scoring chances and keeping the Kings on their heels.
Quick immediately had to make a handful of remarkable saves before Los Angeles matched the tempo, and Voynov put the Kings ahead with 12.9 seconds left in the first period when he ripped a slap shot through traffic on a rush.
Voynov scored two goals in the opening round against St. Louis, and both were game-winners - including the clutch overtime score in Game 5 that allowed Los Angeles to finish off the series at home two days later.
``He gets shots through, and they're not going to give you much,'' Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said of Voynov.
Quick turned aside several good Sharks chances in the second period before Los Angeles doubled its lead. Voynov ripped a long shot that redirected off Richards for his seventh point in seven games.
The goal gave the Kings their first two-goal lead of the entire postseason, and the Sharks had their first two-goal deficit of the playoffs.
Shortly after the Kings' first power play early in the third period, the puck ended up coming to a complete stop next to Niemi in his crease without the goalie knowing where it was. Scott Hannan dived to knock the puck away with his hand.
NOTES: Sharks RW Marty Havlat missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Jarret Stoll was hit illegally by San Jose's Raffi Torres late in the second period, and Los Angeles' veteran center didn't play in the third. Sutter declined to critique the call, but said the Kings ``weren't resting'' Stoll while he sat out. McLellan said: ``Clean hit. Not even a charging penalty, in my opinion.'' ... Sutter coached current Sharks Patrick Marleau, Hannan and Brad Stuart during his tenure in San Jose from 1997-2003. Marleau, the franchise scoring leader, was an 18-year-old rookie on Sutter's first team in San Jose.
San Jose vs Los Angeles - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger scored in the third period, Corey Crawford made 20 saves and the host Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-1, in the opener of their second-round playoff series Wednesday. Chicago dominated the final two periods in its first game in the Western Conference semifinals since it won the Stanley Cup in 2010. Marian Hossa scored the opening goal, and Patrick Sharp had an empty-netter and two assists to give him 9 points in the playoffs.
Jimmy Howard finished with 38 stops in a terrific performance, but Detroit still lost to Chicago for the eighth straight time dating to last season.
The series resumes Saturday afternoon at the United Center.
The 75th playoff game between the Blackhawks and the Red Wings was tied, 1-1, after two periods. Chicago kept working and went in front to stay on a heady play by Oduya. Kruger then jumped on a loose puck and sent a backhander into the upper right corner to make the score, 3-1.
That was more than enough for Crawford, who caught a break when Damien Brunner’s rebound attempt went off the crossbar before it was swept away with about three minutes left.
The opener of the 16th playoff series between the two Original Six teams was the first game for Chicago since it eliminated Minnesota last Thursday. Detroit closed out second-seeded Anaheim with a 3-2 win in Game 7 on Sunday.
Despite the long break, there was no sign of rust for Chicago. And the Red Wings skated right with the Blackhawks despite all that travel in the first round and the thrilling conclusion to Detroit’s series against Anaheim.
N.H.L. TO YANKEE STADIUM The N.H.L. officially announced on Wednesday what had been widely reported for weeks: Yankee Stadium will host two hockey games in January as part of a series of outdoor stadium contests to be played across North America next season.
The games will feature the Rangers and the Devils on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m., and the Rangers and the Islanders on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
In addition to tapping into the largest United States market, the league will showcase the games just before another outdoor game takes place in the New York area: the 2014 Super Bowl set for MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2.
John Collins, the N.H.L.'s chief operating officer, said that the presence of the Super Bowl in the New York area was a factor in scheduling the games.
“It’s a great opportunity to shine a light on hockey,” Collins said in an interview last month.
The games will be two of six held outdoors next season.
The Winter Classic will be held Jan. 1, featuring the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. On Jan. 25, the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings will play at Dodger Stadium.
Another game is set for March 1, after N.H.L. play resumes following the Olympic break: the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings at Soldier Field, the home stadium of the Chicago Bears. A sixth game is expected in March between the Vancouver Canucks and the Ottawa Senators at B.C. Place in Vancouver.
Yankee Stadium has long been talked about as an outdoor site for hockey because of the concentration of teams, fans and media.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation with the clubs and with Yankee Stadium,'’ Collins said. “I think we’ve finally figured out a model that can work. This is our first opportunity to do it.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/16/sports/hockey/yankee-stadium-will-host-two-nhl-games-html?_r=0
Jimmy Howard finished with 38 stops in a terrific performance, but Detroit still lost to Chicago for the eighth straight time dating to last season.
The series resumes Saturday afternoon at the United Center.
The 75th playoff game between the Blackhawks and the Red Wings was tied, 1-1, after two periods. Chicago kept working and went in front to stay on a heady play by Oduya. Kruger then jumped on a loose puck and sent a backhander into the upper right corner to make the score, 3-1.
That was more than enough for Crawford, who caught a break when Damien Brunner’s rebound attempt went off the crossbar before it was swept away with about three minutes left.
The opener of the 16th playoff series between the two Original Six teams was the first game for Chicago since it eliminated Minnesota last Thursday. Detroit closed out second-seeded Anaheim with a 3-2 win in Game 7 on Sunday.
Despite the long break, there was no sign of rust for Chicago. And the Red Wings skated right with the Blackhawks despite all that travel in the first round and the thrilling conclusion to Detroit’s series against Anaheim.
N.H.L. TO YANKEE STADIUM The N.H.L. officially announced on Wednesday what had been widely reported for weeks: Yankee Stadium will host two hockey games in January as part of a series of outdoor stadium contests to be played across North America next season.
The games will feature the Rangers and the Devils on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m., and the Rangers and the Islanders on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
In addition to tapping into the largest United States market, the league will showcase the games just before another outdoor game takes place in the New York area: the 2014 Super Bowl set for MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2.
John Collins, the N.H.L.'s chief operating officer, said that the presence of the Super Bowl in the New York area was a factor in scheduling the games.
“It’s a great opportunity to shine a light on hockey,” Collins said in an interview last month.
The games will be two of six held outdoors next season.
The Winter Classic will be held Jan. 1, featuring the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. On Jan. 25, the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings will play at Dodger Stadium.
Another game is set for March 1, after N.H.L. play resumes following the Olympic break: the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings at Soldier Field, the home stadium of the Chicago Bears. A sixth game is expected in March between the Vancouver Canucks and the Ottawa Senators at B.C. Place in Vancouver.
Yankee Stadium has long been talked about as an outdoor site for hockey because of the concentration of teams, fans and media.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation with the clubs and with Yankee Stadium,'’ Collins said. “I think we’ve finally figured out a model that can work. This is our first opportunity to do it.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/16/sports/hockey/yankee-stadium-will-host-two-nhl-games-html?_r=0
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With less than two minutes left, Dustin Brown and Trevor Lewis scored 22 seconds apart Thursday night, propelling the host Los Angeles Kings to a stunning 4-3 comeback victory and a 2-0 series lead over the San Jose Sharks. The Kings were trailing by 3-2 when Brown, their captain, scored during a five-on-three power play. Lewis provided the winner on a five-on-four power play after pouncing on a loose puck with 1 minute 21 seconds left, sending fans at Staples Center into shocked celebration. Los Angeles, the defending Stanley Cup champion, won its 12th straight home game since March and its sixth straight postseason game.
Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series is Saturday night at San Jose.
“We found a way,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “You know what? The power play was on. We’ve been talking about it. We’ve been getting good looks and good opportunities and not finishing, and we got it from different guys.”
With 11:04 to play, San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first career playoff goal, breaking a 2-2 tie. But the Sharks, who had rallied from an early two-goal deficit, were doomed by late penalties to Brad Stuart for tripping and Vlasic for delay of game. The officials ruled that Vlasic shot the puck over the glass in San Jose’s defensive zone, but Vlasic claimed that the puck deflected off Jeff Carter of Los Angeles.
The Kings scored a minute later, with Brown pounding home his second goal of the postseason. Lewis’s winner was his first goal of the playoffs.
Jonathan Quick made 28 saves for the Kings, and Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for the Sharks. Quick’s streak of more than 125 minutes of shutout hockey ended in the second period with goals by Patrick Marleau and Stuart.
“We’ve got to put it behind us,” Stuart said after the loss. “There’s two ways for us to respond. We can either fold up and say, ‘Oh, at least we tried,’ or we can say, ‘You know what? We can win.’ ”
SHARKS’ TORRES SUSPENDED The N.H.L. suspended the Sharks’ Raffi Torres for the rest of the Western Conference semifinals for a hit to the head of the Kings’ Jarret Stoll.
The hit occurred with 58 seconds remaining in the second period Tuesday in the first game of the teams’ series. Torres, a wing, was assessed a minor penalty for charging. Stoll, a center, did not return to the game. He was replaced by Brad Richardson in Game 2, with no indication of when he might return.
Brendan Shanahan, the N.H.L.’s director of player safety, said the suspension pertained to Rule 48, which prohibits hits that target the head.
“Although we’d agree that Torres might make initial contact with Stoll’s shoulder, that is a glancing blow,” Shanahan said in a video released by the N.H.L. “In fact, the head is the principal point of contact.”
Shanahan also said that Torres’s history of supplemental discipline was a factor in the length of the suspension, as was the severity of Stoll’s injury. Torres was suspended for 25 games last year for a hit that ended Chicago Blackhawks wing Marian Hossa’s postseason.
Jordan Nolan, a Kings wing, said that Torres “tries to catch guys when they’re not looking, and that results in head checks once in a while.”
Despite his history of actionable offenses, Torres accumulated a career-low 17 penalty minutes in 39 games this season.
After Game 1, Todd McLellan, the Sharks’ coach, questioned if Torres’s hit was even a penalty. Several Sharks, including their captain, Joe Thornton, said they believed Stoll had a responsibility to protect himself in the situation.
“The way I was brought up was to keep your head up,” Thornton said Wednesday. “Just keep your head up. When I was 6 years old, I was taught that.” ANDREW KNOLL
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/17/sports/hockey/hockey-roundup-html?_r=0
Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series is Saturday night at San Jose.
“We found a way,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “You know what? The power play was on. We’ve been talking about it. We’ve been getting good looks and good opportunities and not finishing, and we got it from different guys.”
With 11:04 to play, San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first career playoff goal, breaking a 2-2 tie. But the Sharks, who had rallied from an early two-goal deficit, were doomed by late penalties to Brad Stuart for tripping and Vlasic for delay of game. The officials ruled that Vlasic shot the puck over the glass in San Jose’s defensive zone, but Vlasic claimed that the puck deflected off Jeff Carter of Los Angeles.
The Kings scored a minute later, with Brown pounding home his second goal of the postseason. Lewis’s winner was his first goal of the playoffs.
Jonathan Quick made 28 saves for the Kings, and Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for the Sharks. Quick’s streak of more than 125 minutes of shutout hockey ended in the second period with goals by Patrick Marleau and Stuart.
“We’ve got to put it behind us,” Stuart said after the loss. “There’s two ways for us to respond. We can either fold up and say, ‘Oh, at least we tried,’ or we can say, ‘You know what? We can win.’ ”
SHARKS’ TORRES SUSPENDED The N.H.L. suspended the Sharks’ Raffi Torres for the rest of the Western Conference semifinals for a hit to the head of the Kings’ Jarret Stoll.
The hit occurred with 58 seconds remaining in the second period Tuesday in the first game of the teams’ series. Torres, a wing, was assessed a minor penalty for charging. Stoll, a center, did not return to the game. He was replaced by Brad Richardson in Game 2, with no indication of when he might return.
Brendan Shanahan, the N.H.L.’s director of player safety, said the suspension pertained to Rule 48, which prohibits hits that target the head.
“Although we’d agree that Torres might make initial contact with Stoll’s shoulder, that is a glancing blow,” Shanahan said in a video released by the N.H.L. “In fact, the head is the principal point of contact.”
Shanahan also said that Torres’s history of supplemental discipline was a factor in the length of the suspension, as was the severity of Stoll’s injury. Torres was suspended for 25 games last year for a hit that ended Chicago Blackhawks wing Marian Hossa’s postseason.
Jordan Nolan, a Kings wing, said that Torres “tries to catch guys when they’re not looking, and that results in head checks once in a while.”
Despite his history of actionable offenses, Torres accumulated a career-low 17 penalty minutes in 39 games this season.
After Game 1, Todd McLellan, the Sharks’ coach, questioned if Torres’s hit was even a penalty. Several Sharks, including their captain, Joe Thornton, said they believed Stoll had a responsibility to protect himself in the situation.
“The way I was brought up was to keep your head up,” Thornton said Wednesday. “Just keep your head up. When I was 6 years old, I was taught that.” ANDREW KNOLL
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/17/sports/hockey/hockey-roundup-html?_r=0
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The Ottawa Senators have plenty of respect for Sidney Crosby.
As they're quickly learning, perhaps a little too much.
Working in wide-open swaths of ice left by Ottawa's tentative defense, the Pittsburgh superstar needed just over one period to complete his second playoff hat trick and lift the Penguins to a 4-3 victory Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"He's one of the best in the game and if you give him time, space to make plays, to shoot puck he's going to burn you," Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips said. "That's what we did tonight. We gave him too much room and he took advantage."
Pittsburgh leads the series 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Sunday in Ottawa.
Kyle Turris, Colin Greening and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators, but couldn't stop Ottawa from falling into a deep hole against the Eastern Conference's top seed. The Senators have never won a series after dropping the first two games.
Brenden Morrow added his first playoff goal in more than five years for the Penguins, and Tomas Vokoun made 19 saves to help Pittsburgh move within two victories of advancing to the conference finals for the first time since it won the 2009 Stanley Cup.
And that - and not his spectacular flurry that sent the Senators reeling - is all that mattered to Crosby.
"You want to play well at home and make sure you get here," Crosby said. "We did that, we got two wins. I don't think your mindset changes. We know that it's going to get harder."
It better if Ottawa wants to make this a series.
Crosby beat Craig Anderson three times in three very different ways in the game's first 22 minutes, each score showcasing a facet of his remarkable talent.
A dazzling rush from the Pittsburgh blue line between two Senators - including Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson - ended with Crosby slipping the puck under Anderson's pad just 3:16 into the game.
After Turris banked in a shot off Vokoun to even things, Crosby put the Penguins back in front later in the first period when he zipped down the left side and eyed linemate Pascal Dupuis as they raced in on Anderson. Only Crosby didn't pass. At the last second and without even peeking at Anderson, Crosby flipped a wrist shot near the goal line that smacked off the goalie's pad and into the net.
"I was kind of running out of space to make a pass," Crosby said. "I was hoping that it was able to find a way somehow. I kind of saw him leaning a bit and didn't know how much room was there but found a way to trickle in there."
There was no fancy stickwork or fortunate bounce required for Crosby to record his first postseason hat trick since 2009. Standing atop the left circle, he boomed a slap shot over Anderson's glove to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead and send Anderson to the bench in favor of backup Robin Lehner.
The 21-year-old year's presence seemed to calm the Senators down. He made a series of spectacular saves - including point-blank stops on Jarome Iginla and Evgeni Malkin - but Ottawa coach Paul MacLean doesn't expect there to be a switch when the series heads north this weekend. Neither does Anderson, who didn't take the benching personally.
"I think the tone of the game changed and we started to play a lot better," Anderson said. "Maybe it was a wakeup call for everybody."
The Senators insisted they didn't have to play a perfect game to hang with the Eastern Conference's top seed, pointing to the way they controlled play at even strength for long stretches in a 4-1 loss in the series opener Tuesday night. Ottawa insisted if it could stay out of the penalty box and convert when it had the man advantage, it would be right there.
The score was closer this time, but the play was not. Pittsburgh outshot Ottawa 42-22 and spent the majority of the game hounding the Senators on their end of the ice.
"I think we outplayed them," Vokoun said. "The score could've been a lot worse if not for good play by their goalie. The win is the most important thing and we got that."
And Crosby didn't do it on his own. Morrow deflected in the eventual winner midway through the second period, his first postseason score since May 14, 2008, while playing for the Dallas Stars . It was the kind of gritty goal the Penguins wanted out of Morrow when they picked up him just before the trade deadline.
Ottawa sliced the 4-2 lead in half 2:01 into the third period when Pageau tapped the puck across the line following a mad scramble in front.
The Senators, however, couldn't tie it as Pittsburgh shut it down over the final 15 minutes, expertly killing a late penalty to rip off its fourth straight playoff win.
"I think that we just turn the page on this one move onto the next and prepare the same way," Crosby said. "I don't think we need to get caught up in the fact that we won two here. They're going to be pretty desperate so we better be ready to go in Ottawa."
NOTES: Crosby reached the 100-point plateau in his 75th playoff game, the fifth-fastest player to reach the mark in NHL history ... Pittsburgh went 1 for 6 on the power play and is 10 of 30 (33 percent) in the postseason. The Senators went 1 for 2 after going 0 for 6 in the opener ... Ottawa D Eric Gryba didn't play. He was injured in a collision with Penguins D Brooks Orpik in the second period of Game 1.
Read More: Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - Recap - May 17, 2013 - NHL - Hockey - SI-com
As they're quickly learning, perhaps a little too much.
Working in wide-open swaths of ice left by Ottawa's tentative defense, the Pittsburgh superstar needed just over one period to complete his second playoff hat trick and lift the Penguins to a 4-3 victory Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"He's one of the best in the game and if you give him time, space to make plays, to shoot puck he's going to burn you," Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips said. "That's what we did tonight. We gave him too much room and he took advantage."
Pittsburgh leads the series 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Sunday in Ottawa.
Kyle Turris, Colin Greening and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators, but couldn't stop Ottawa from falling into a deep hole against the Eastern Conference's top seed. The Senators have never won a series after dropping the first two games.
Brenden Morrow added his first playoff goal in more than five years for the Penguins, and Tomas Vokoun made 19 saves to help Pittsburgh move within two victories of advancing to the conference finals for the first time since it won the 2009 Stanley Cup.
And that - and not his spectacular flurry that sent the Senators reeling - is all that mattered to Crosby.
"You want to play well at home and make sure you get here," Crosby said. "We did that, we got two wins. I don't think your mindset changes. We know that it's going to get harder."
It better if Ottawa wants to make this a series.
Crosby beat Craig Anderson three times in three very different ways in the game's first 22 minutes, each score showcasing a facet of his remarkable talent.
A dazzling rush from the Pittsburgh blue line between two Senators - including Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson - ended with Crosby slipping the puck under Anderson's pad just 3:16 into the game.
After Turris banked in a shot off Vokoun to even things, Crosby put the Penguins back in front later in the first period when he zipped down the left side and eyed linemate Pascal Dupuis as they raced in on Anderson. Only Crosby didn't pass. At the last second and without even peeking at Anderson, Crosby flipped a wrist shot near the goal line that smacked off the goalie's pad and into the net.
"I was kind of running out of space to make a pass," Crosby said. "I was hoping that it was able to find a way somehow. I kind of saw him leaning a bit and didn't know how much room was there but found a way to trickle in there."
There was no fancy stickwork or fortunate bounce required for Crosby to record his first postseason hat trick since 2009. Standing atop the left circle, he boomed a slap shot over Anderson's glove to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead and send Anderson to the bench in favor of backup Robin Lehner.
The 21-year-old year's presence seemed to calm the Senators down. He made a series of spectacular saves - including point-blank stops on Jarome Iginla and Evgeni Malkin - but Ottawa coach Paul MacLean doesn't expect there to be a switch when the series heads north this weekend. Neither does Anderson, who didn't take the benching personally.
"I think the tone of the game changed and we started to play a lot better," Anderson said. "Maybe it was a wakeup call for everybody."
The Senators insisted they didn't have to play a perfect game to hang with the Eastern Conference's top seed, pointing to the way they controlled play at even strength for long stretches in a 4-1 loss in the series opener Tuesday night. Ottawa insisted if it could stay out of the penalty box and convert when it had the man advantage, it would be right there.
The score was closer this time, but the play was not. Pittsburgh outshot Ottawa 42-22 and spent the majority of the game hounding the Senators on their end of the ice.
"I think we outplayed them," Vokoun said. "The score could've been a lot worse if not for good play by their goalie. The win is the most important thing and we got that."
And Crosby didn't do it on his own. Morrow deflected in the eventual winner midway through the second period, his first postseason score since May 14, 2008, while playing for the Dallas Stars . It was the kind of gritty goal the Penguins wanted out of Morrow when they picked up him just before the trade deadline.
Ottawa sliced the 4-2 lead in half 2:01 into the third period when Pageau tapped the puck across the line following a mad scramble in front.
The Senators, however, couldn't tie it as Pittsburgh shut it down over the final 15 minutes, expertly killing a late penalty to rip off its fourth straight playoff win.
"I think that we just turn the page on this one move onto the next and prepare the same way," Crosby said. "I don't think we need to get caught up in the fact that we won two here. They're going to be pretty desperate so we better be ready to go in Ottawa."
NOTES: Crosby reached the 100-point plateau in his 75th playoff game, the fifth-fastest player to reach the mark in NHL history ... Pittsburgh went 1 for 6 on the power play and is 10 of 30 (33 percent) in the postseason. The Senators went 1 for 2 after going 0 for 6 in the opener ... Ottawa D Eric Gryba didn't play. He was injured in a collision with Penguins D Brooks Orpik in the second period of Game 1.
Read More: Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - Recap - May 17, 2013 - NHL - Hockey - SI-com
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As good-luck charms go, fibreglass shrapnel isn't high on most hockey players' lists.
But it seemed to do the trick for Colin Greening, whose double-overtime heroics lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Greening needed six stitches to close a gash on his left cheek after taking a wayward stick to the face early in the game.
The euphoria of his goal was still settling in even as the Senators' medical staff were picking tiny bits of fibreglass out of his face.
"You get a lot of adrenaline going through your body, but they were just small pieces," Greening said. "Like I said, the big pieces were all taken out."
Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime to salvage a game for the Senators that looked to be going the other way with just seconds left on the clock in the third period.
Pittsburgh still leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play in the second period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. It looked as though Pittsburgh would hold onto their lead when Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time.
But Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson brought the sellout crowd to its feet with a short-handed goal with 28 seconds left to send the game into extra time. "It looked like they had it wrapped up, and we were able to get a big goal shorthanded to get into overtime, and then both teams had their chances before we got the winner," Alfredsson said.
Both teams had good scoring chances in the extra periods. Perhaps the best chance came when a Pittsburgh shot grazed the outstretched pad of Senators goaltender Craig Anderson and ricocheted off the post to nearly end the game in the first period of overtime.
Anderson was on his game, stopping 49 shots Sunday night after being pulled in Game 2.
He robbed Penguins captain Sidney Crosby early in the second period and then moments later stopped a hard shot by Evgeni Malkin, who smashed his stick against the ice in frustration.
He again stymied Malkin with a sprawling save in the first overtime. Anderson's extra-time heroics brought the crowd of 20,500 to its feet with chants of "Andy! Andy!"
"You don't know what kind of bounces you're going to get. You just got to find a way to just keep getting pucks to the net and hope for some lucky bounces," Anderson said. "I had some luck my way with a couple of posts they hit, but you know, sometimes you've got to be lucky to be good."
All eyes on Spezza
At the other end of the ice, the Senators struggled to get the puck past Penguins netminder Tomas Vokoun, who stopped 46 shots.
All eyes were on Spezza as he made his return to the Senators lineup for the first time since Jan. 27, after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated disc.
The sellout crowd chanted the 29-year-old's name during his first shift. He lined up alongside Milan Michalek and Cory Conacher.
He faced a familiar opponent. Spezza's last game before going under the knife was at home against the Penguins, when he got one assist and logged 21 minutes of ice time.
In his first game back, Spezza was slow to backcheck but he did manage to generate a few scoring chances and made some nice passes.
His back was put to the test in overtime when Penguins forward Craig Adams delivered a bone-crunching hit along the boards. Spezza shook off the hit and seemed none the worse for wear.
"I popped up as quick as possible and tried to get to the bench," Spezza said. "I was just trying to get the puck out and was in a vulnerable position, and he picked me a little clean there."
The win means the Senators remain undefeated on home ice during this year's playoffs.
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
But it seemed to do the trick for Colin Greening, whose double-overtime heroics lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Greening needed six stitches to close a gash on his left cheek after taking a wayward stick to the face early in the game.
The euphoria of his goal was still settling in even as the Senators' medical staff were picking tiny bits of fibreglass out of his face.
"You get a lot of adrenaline going through your body, but they were just small pieces," Greening said. "Like I said, the big pieces were all taken out."
Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime to salvage a game for the Senators that looked to be going the other way with just seconds left on the clock in the third period.
Pittsburgh still leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play in the second period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. It looked as though Pittsburgh would hold onto their lead when Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time.
But Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson brought the sellout crowd to its feet with a short-handed goal with 28 seconds left to send the game into extra time. "It looked like they had it wrapped up, and we were able to get a big goal shorthanded to get into overtime, and then both teams had their chances before we got the winner," Alfredsson said.
Both teams had good scoring chances in the extra periods. Perhaps the best chance came when a Pittsburgh shot grazed the outstretched pad of Senators goaltender Craig Anderson and ricocheted off the post to nearly end the game in the first period of overtime.
Anderson was on his game, stopping 49 shots Sunday night after being pulled in Game 2.
He robbed Penguins captain Sidney Crosby early in the second period and then moments later stopped a hard shot by Evgeni Malkin, who smashed his stick against the ice in frustration.
He again stymied Malkin with a sprawling save in the first overtime. Anderson's extra-time heroics brought the crowd of 20,500 to its feet with chants of "Andy! Andy!"
"You don't know what kind of bounces you're going to get. You just got to find a way to just keep getting pucks to the net and hope for some lucky bounces," Anderson said. "I had some luck my way with a couple of posts they hit, but you know, sometimes you've got to be lucky to be good."
All eyes on Spezza
At the other end of the ice, the Senators struggled to get the puck past Penguins netminder Tomas Vokoun, who stopped 46 shots.
All eyes were on Spezza as he made his return to the Senators lineup for the first time since Jan. 27, after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated disc.
The sellout crowd chanted the 29-year-old's name during his first shift. He lined up alongside Milan Michalek and Cory Conacher.
He faced a familiar opponent. Spezza's last game before going under the knife was at home against the Penguins, when he got one assist and logged 21 minutes of ice time.
In his first game back, Spezza was slow to backcheck but he did manage to generate a few scoring chances and made some nice passes.
His back was put to the test in overtime when Penguins forward Craig Adams delivered a bone-crunching hit along the boards. Spezza shook off the hit and seemed none the worse for wear.
"I popped up as quick as possible and tried to get to the bench," Spezza said. "I was just trying to get the puck out and was in a vulnerable position, and he picked me a little clean there."
The win means the Senators remain undefeated on home ice during this year's playoffs.
Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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The young Detroit Red Wings have made the mighty Chicago Blackhawks look vulnerable, beating them two straight times to gain an advantage in their last playoff matchup as Western Conference rivals.
Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period and Pavel Datsyuk restored a two-goal lead in the third to help Detroit beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Monday night and take a 2-1 lead in the second round series.
As good as the Red Wings have looked - scoring six straight goals to earn momentum in the matchup - their hard-driving coach isn't ready to celebrate.
"We haven't done anything yet," Mike Babcock said.
That's an understatement. If the seventh-seeded Red Wings keep playing like they are, the top-seeded Blackhawks will have a long offseason to wonder what went wrong in a season that looked like it was going to be special.
On Thursday night at home in Game 4, Detroit has a shot to put Chicago on the brink of elimination.
"It takes something like this to slap you in the face, so to speak, to really understand what adversity is and how tough the playoffs can be," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "A lot of guys in this room have been in tough positions before in the playoffs and that's never stopped us. We know this is a long series and we're going to be fighting until the end."
Chicago's chances will improve if Toews can end his goal-scoring skid.
He doesn't have a goal in nine playoff games, dating to last year. He matched Patrick Kane with a team-high 23 goals in the 48-game, lockout-shortened season.
Toews did have a game-high seven shots in Game 3, but Jimmy Howard and his backchecking, shot-blocking teammates wouldn't let him end his drought.
"I'm not going to let it get the best of me," Toews said. "I know I'm doing good things. I'm very confident that it's going to come."
Kane scored 4:35 into the third period to pull Chicago within one. About a minute later, the Blackhawks celebrated as if they tied the game, but Andrew Shaw's goal was waved off because he was in the crease.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said he disagreed with the call that negated Shaw's game-tying score.
"He didn't touch the goalie," Quenneville said.
And Chicago's goalie, Corey Crawford, couldn't touch Datsyuk's shot 6:46 into the final period that went in and out of the net before he saw it. Crawford finished with 27 saves.
Howard stopped 39 shots.
Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months.
The Blackhawks began the lockout-delayed season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided having a three-game losing streak.
"The team is facing a little adversity and I am on a personal basis," Toews said. "Not going to let that stop us or me."
After a scoreless first period in a hot and steamy Joe Louis Arena, Detroit took a 2-0 lead with a pretty goal and a gritty one.
Nyquist patiently carried the puck from right to left and waited for defenseman Brent Seabrook and Crawford to sprawl out to make a shot before shooting the puck into the open net.
"He's real good at hanging onto the puck," Babcock said.
Miller crashed the net to stuff the puck into the net after Patrick Eaves got to his own rebound to keep pressure on Crawford. Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival started the sequence with a turnover in the Chicago end.
It was a sixth straight goal for the Red Wings, who lost the series opener 4-1 and gave up the first goal of Game 2 before going on to even the series with a 4-1 victory.
"They're a real good team and they're going to carry the play at times," Babcock said. "We're a good team and we're going to carry the play at times."
NOTES: Babcock won his 77th postseason game, matching Quenneville for the most among active coaches and trailing Pat Burns by one victory for 8th place on the NHL's all-time list. ... Chicago hasn't given up a power play goal in its first eight playoff games, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest such streak since 1988, according to STATS. ... The Blackhawks put Viktor Stalberg back in the lineup, and scratched Daniel Carcillo, and Stalberg got shook up early in the game, missing a check and going head first into the boards.
Read More: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings - Recap - May 20, 2013 - NHL - Hockey - SI-com
Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period and Pavel Datsyuk restored a two-goal lead in the third to help Detroit beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Monday night and take a 2-1 lead in the second round series.
As good as the Red Wings have looked - scoring six straight goals to earn momentum in the matchup - their hard-driving coach isn't ready to celebrate.
"We haven't done anything yet," Mike Babcock said.
That's an understatement. If the seventh-seeded Red Wings keep playing like they are, the top-seeded Blackhawks will have a long offseason to wonder what went wrong in a season that looked like it was going to be special.
On Thursday night at home in Game 4, Detroit has a shot to put Chicago on the brink of elimination.
"It takes something like this to slap you in the face, so to speak, to really understand what adversity is and how tough the playoffs can be," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "A lot of guys in this room have been in tough positions before in the playoffs and that's never stopped us. We know this is a long series and we're going to be fighting until the end."
Chicago's chances will improve if Toews can end his goal-scoring skid.
He doesn't have a goal in nine playoff games, dating to last year. He matched Patrick Kane with a team-high 23 goals in the 48-game, lockout-shortened season.
Toews did have a game-high seven shots in Game 3, but Jimmy Howard and his backchecking, shot-blocking teammates wouldn't let him end his drought.
"I'm not going to let it get the best of me," Toews said. "I know I'm doing good things. I'm very confident that it's going to come."
Kane scored 4:35 into the third period to pull Chicago within one. About a minute later, the Blackhawks celebrated as if they tied the game, but Andrew Shaw's goal was waved off because he was in the crease.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said he disagreed with the call that negated Shaw's game-tying score.
"He didn't touch the goalie," Quenneville said.
And Chicago's goalie, Corey Crawford, couldn't touch Datsyuk's shot 6:46 into the final period that went in and out of the net before he saw it. Crawford finished with 27 saves.
Howard stopped 39 shots.
Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months.
The Blackhawks began the lockout-delayed season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided having a three-game losing streak.
"The team is facing a little adversity and I am on a personal basis," Toews said. "Not going to let that stop us or me."
After a scoreless first period in a hot and steamy Joe Louis Arena, Detroit took a 2-0 lead with a pretty goal and a gritty one.
Nyquist patiently carried the puck from right to left and waited for defenseman Brent Seabrook and Crawford to sprawl out to make a shot before shooting the puck into the open net.
"He's real good at hanging onto the puck," Babcock said.
Miller crashed the net to stuff the puck into the net after Patrick Eaves got to his own rebound to keep pressure on Crawford. Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival started the sequence with a turnover in the Chicago end.
It was a sixth straight goal for the Red Wings, who lost the series opener 4-1 and gave up the first goal of Game 2 before going on to even the series with a 4-1 victory.
"They're a real good team and they're going to carry the play at times," Babcock said. "We're a good team and we're going to carry the play at times."
NOTES: Babcock won his 77th postseason game, matching Quenneville for the most among active coaches and trailing Pat Burns by one victory for 8th place on the NHL's all-time list. ... Chicago hasn't given up a power play goal in its first eight playoff games, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest such streak since 1988, according to STATS. ... The Blackhawks put Viktor Stalberg back in the lineup, and scratched Daniel Carcillo, and Stalberg got shook up early in the game, missing a check and going head first into the boards.
Read More: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings - Recap - May 20, 2013 - NHL - Hockey - SI-com
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Brent Burns helped San Jose jump off to a fast start with his second goal of the postseason and the Sharks tied their second-round series against Los Angeles at two games with a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Logan Couture followed up his overtime game-winner in Game 3 with his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs to add to the lead and Antti Niemi made 22 saves as the Sharks matched the Kings’ two home wins to open the Western Conference semifinal series with two of their own.
Mike Richards scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/22/sports/hockey/sharks-tie-up-nhl-series-with-kings-html?_r=0
Logan Couture followed up his overtime game-winner in Game 3 with his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs to add to the lead and Antti Niemi made 22 saves as the Sharks matched the Kings’ two home wins to open the Western Conference semifinal series with two of their own.
Mike Richards scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/22/sports/hockey/sharks-tie-up-nhl-series-with-kings-html?_r=0
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After firing coach Alain Vigneault and two of his assistants on Wednesday, Vancouver Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis was in no mood to look ahead at possible replacements.
"Today has been a bad enough day; can you give me a couple just to clear my head?" Gillis said when asked what style of coach he preferred. "I need a couple of days here before we start going down that path to collect my thoughts."
Noting that he's not one to rush into emotional decisions when asked about the two weeks that passed between missing the playoffs and firing Vigneault, Gillis said there are "a number of good candidates," without identifying any.
"The NHL is changing and evolving rapidly and we're going to listen and talk to the people we feel are legitimate candidates and we'll make our decision based on that process," said Gillis, who will be hiring his first coach after retaining Vigneault when he took over as the Canucks' general manager in 2008. "No timeframe. We're just focused on getting the right person, moving ahead and executing a plan we have that is going to get us back to the level we expect."
While the identity of potential candidates remains something of a mystery, the task at hand – and mandate – for any new Canucks coach is clearer:
1. Helping young players
Among the needs Gillis identified as part of what he called a "reset" at a season-ending address 10 days earlier was an influx of younger players. Whether there is enough talent in a thin prospect pool to make that work remains to be seen, but with salary cap concerns coming, there's little doubt the Canucks will get younger.
"It's critical," Gillis said. "Look at the cap system we are involved in. You have to have young players on your roster, have to embrace it and work with it and make them better. We have a really good core group of players and need to surround them with some younger, skilled players who can contribute."
Fair or not, the development of young players was a criticism of Vigneault, who was coaching as players like Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Alexander Edler and Cory Schneider blossomed into elite players -- but also clashed with since-traded first round draft pick Cody Hodgson early in his career and left fellow young-but-promising forward Zack Kassian toiling on the fourth line for prolonged stretches this season.
With a need for Kassian to pay a bigger role in the offense and the possibility of 20-year-old defenseman Frank Corrado joining 23-year-old Christopher Tanev on the blue line – and maybe freeing up veteran defenders for trades to get help elsewhere – working well with young players is crucial for a new coach.
2. Emphasizing offense
Despite a lot of emphasis in that post-playoff address about the recent move towards more of a shutdown, grind-it-out style in the Western Conference, Gillis was back to talking up offense after firing Vigneault. He dismissed some of this year's trends as a product of the lockout-shortened season, and he pointed to the consecutive Presidents' Trophy seasons in 2010-11 and 2011-12 as a result of "a more upbeat style of play."
"I like an upbeat style of play," Gillis repeated.
The team he's built seems better-suited to that style, with an active defense core jumping into the rush. But the Canucks placed a greater emphasis on taking care of their own end this past season, with forwards asked to collapse down lower to help out rather than blowing the zone early to look for scoring chances.
Finding a way to score against teams that are collapsing more in front of their net will be a challenge for the new coach, especially if Gillis fails to add forwards more willing to fight their way into that tough scoring space. But don't expect anyone preaching a Dave Tippett-like, defense-only approach to even get that opportunity.
3. Fixing the power play
After being near the top of the NHL for three straight seasons, the Canucks' power play dropped to 22nd this season at just 15.8 per cent -- and it was at the bottom of the League for long stretches. While the Canucks tinkered with strange new looks – including putting their best goal scorer, Daniel Sedin, back at the point as far away as possible from twin brother Henrik and their back-and-forth magic – hard-shooting defenseman Jason Garrison almost never played on the top unit.
With so many questions about a lack of gritty, in-tight scorers on a team that struggled to create goals the past two playoffs, the Canucks can't afford to have a popgun power play. Finding a way to integrate Garrison, who scored nine of his 16 goals on the power play for the Florida Panthers in '11-12 before signing a six-year, $27.6-million free agent contract in Vancouver last summer, might help – if not on the ice, at least in the interview process with the GM that signed him.
4. Keeping Kesler healthy (and happy)
Finding a way to utilize Ryan Kesler, a prickly but powerful Selke Trophy-winning center, without wearing him out will be important. Limited by injuries the past two playoffs, Kesler was finally healthy this year, but largely because he missed most of the abbreviated season – first recovering from surgeries to fix previous playoff problems, and then because he broke his foot blocking a shot in the first game back. A move to the wing might help, but Kesler, who is a staple on the top power-play and penalty-kill units, bristled at such attempts by Vigneault this season.
Then again, some think Kesler is at his best when he's angry. Either way, without much depth at center behind him, Kesler remains a crucial component for the Canucks -- but he needs to be healthy come playoff time to do them any good.
5. For better or worse
For whatever reason, some players fall in or out of favor with certain coaches.
Whether a new coach can work with Keith Ballard, who is considered an amnesty buyout candidate after spending large chunks of the last three seasons – including this year's
"Today has been a bad enough day; can you give me a couple just to clear my head?" Gillis said when asked what style of coach he preferred. "I need a couple of days here before we start going down that path to collect my thoughts."
Noting that he's not one to rush into emotional decisions when asked about the two weeks that passed between missing the playoffs and firing Vigneault, Gillis said there are "a number of good candidates," without identifying any.
"The NHL is changing and evolving rapidly and we're going to listen and talk to the people we feel are legitimate candidates and we'll make our decision based on that process," said Gillis, who will be hiring his first coach after retaining Vigneault when he took over as the Canucks' general manager in 2008. "No timeframe. We're just focused on getting the right person, moving ahead and executing a plan we have that is going to get us back to the level we expect."
While the identity of potential candidates remains something of a mystery, the task at hand – and mandate – for any new Canucks coach is clearer:
1. Helping young players
Among the needs Gillis identified as part of what he called a "reset" at a season-ending address 10 days earlier was an influx of younger players. Whether there is enough talent in a thin prospect pool to make that work remains to be seen, but with salary cap concerns coming, there's little doubt the Canucks will get younger.
"It's critical," Gillis said. "Look at the cap system we are involved in. You have to have young players on your roster, have to embrace it and work with it and make them better. We have a really good core group of players and need to surround them with some younger, skilled players who can contribute."
Fair or not, the development of young players was a criticism of Vigneault, who was coaching as players like Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Alexander Edler and Cory Schneider blossomed into elite players -- but also clashed with since-traded first round draft pick Cody Hodgson early in his career and left fellow young-but-promising forward Zack Kassian toiling on the fourth line for prolonged stretches this season.
With a need for Kassian to pay a bigger role in the offense and the possibility of 20-year-old defenseman Frank Corrado joining 23-year-old Christopher Tanev on the blue line – and maybe freeing up veteran defenders for trades to get help elsewhere – working well with young players is crucial for a new coach.
2. Emphasizing offense
Despite a lot of emphasis in that post-playoff address about the recent move towards more of a shutdown, grind-it-out style in the Western Conference, Gillis was back to talking up offense after firing Vigneault. He dismissed some of this year's trends as a product of the lockout-shortened season, and he pointed to the consecutive Presidents' Trophy seasons in 2010-11 and 2011-12 as a result of "a more upbeat style of play."
"I like an upbeat style of play," Gillis repeated.
The team he's built seems better-suited to that style, with an active defense core jumping into the rush. But the Canucks placed a greater emphasis on taking care of their own end this past season, with forwards asked to collapse down lower to help out rather than blowing the zone early to look for scoring chances.
Finding a way to score against teams that are collapsing more in front of their net will be a challenge for the new coach, especially if Gillis fails to add forwards more willing to fight their way into that tough scoring space. But don't expect anyone preaching a Dave Tippett-like, defense-only approach to even get that opportunity.
3. Fixing the power play
After being near the top of the NHL for three straight seasons, the Canucks' power play dropped to 22nd this season at just 15.8 per cent -- and it was at the bottom of the League for long stretches. While the Canucks tinkered with strange new looks – including putting their best goal scorer, Daniel Sedin, back at the point as far away as possible from twin brother Henrik and their back-and-forth magic – hard-shooting defenseman Jason Garrison almost never played on the top unit.
With so many questions about a lack of gritty, in-tight scorers on a team that struggled to create goals the past two playoffs, the Canucks can't afford to have a popgun power play. Finding a way to integrate Garrison, who scored nine of his 16 goals on the power play for the Florida Panthers in '11-12 before signing a six-year, $27.6-million free agent contract in Vancouver last summer, might help – if not on the ice, at least in the interview process with the GM that signed him.
4. Keeping Kesler healthy (and happy)
Finding a way to utilize Ryan Kesler, a prickly but powerful Selke Trophy-winning center, without wearing him out will be important. Limited by injuries the past two playoffs, Kesler was finally healthy this year, but largely because he missed most of the abbreviated season – first recovering from surgeries to fix previous playoff problems, and then because he broke his foot blocking a shot in the first game back. A move to the wing might help, but Kesler, who is a staple on the top power-play and penalty-kill units, bristled at such attempts by Vigneault this season.
Then again, some think Kesler is at his best when he's angry. Either way, without much depth at center behind him, Kesler remains a crucial component for the Canucks -- but he needs to be healthy come playoff time to do them any good.
5. For better or worse
For whatever reason, some players fall in or out of favor with certain coaches.
Whether a new coach can work with Keith Ballard, who is considered an amnesty buyout candidate after spending large chunks of the last three seasons – including this year's
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Chris Kreider proudly wore the Broadway Hat in the victorious New York Rangers dressing room as he tried to describe the feeling of saving his team's season.
Kreider deftly steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
``It is so surreal,'' the 22-year-old Kreider said. ``It's not something that can really be explained. It is something that just has to be felt, but it was awesome. I'm just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game.
``There is no quit in this room.''
New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, still trails the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-1.
The Rangers will need to win again on Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past goalie Tuukka Rask for his first of the playoffs.
New York, 0-3 in overtime in these playoffs, was eliminated from the conference finals last year by New Jersey in extra time in Game 6.
``It is time for us to win an overtime game,'' Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. ``This was a big one. It was such a great feeling to see that puck go in.''
Kreider, who made his NHL debut in last year's playoffs, has six career postseason goals in just 25 games.
``I was lucky enough to play with Rick,'' Kreider said. ``Just trying to go hard to the net. He's such a talented player. He was able to find my tape, and I tried to put it on net.''
Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle scored tying goals in the third period for the Rangers, who even found success on the power play. Carl Hagelin netted New York's first goal of the game in the second period.
Lundqvist made 37 saves for New York, which managed only five goals total in the first three games against Boston.
Boston got second-period goals from Nathan Horton and rising star Torey Krug to build an early lead. Tyler Seguin's first of the playoffs put the Bruins back on top 3-2 in the third.
Only three teams have lost a series after leading 3-0, but the Bruins are the most recent to do it in 2010 against Philadelphia.
``It's a resilient group,'' Kreider said. ``The tone of the dressing room was the same as positive and upbeat. We're excited to play more hockey.''
One more win will put Boston back into the conference finals for the second time in three years. The Bruins gave up a 3-1 lead to Toronto in the first round before rallying in Game 7 to advance.
``There is no panic here,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ``We have to go back home and play a better game.''
Stepan got New York even at 2 just 1:15 into the third after a dump-in. Rask went behind the net to slow the puck down for defenseman Zdeno Chara, but Stepan forced a turnover when he surprised Chara from behind.
Stepan gathered the puck, came around in front and tucked the puck inside the left post for his team-leading fourth of the playoffs.
``We made some mistakes tonight, mistakes we haven't been making, mistakes you can't have, and they capitalized on them,'' Chara said. ``They made us pay.
``These nights are going to happen. They played to win, and we didn't match their intensity at times.''
The Bruins made the most of another power play and took a 3-2 lead just 2 seconds after a goalie interference penalty against Ryan McDonagh expired. Seguin got to his own rebound in close and shoved a shot past Lundqvist at 8:06.
However, the Rangers still wouldn't go away and they finally connected on the power play for the first time in the series and the third time in 41 man-advantages this postseason.
Boyle took a pass from Stepan in the slot and snapped a drive that nestled into the middle of the net at 10:00 after the Bruins were caught with too many men on the ice.
New York coach John Tortorella made desperate moves with his lineup, hoping to find some chemistry to spark his club. Tortorella benched star center Brad Richards, who had just one goal in the playoffs, and rugged forward Arron Asham in favor of seldom-used Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley.
``By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I'm blaming him,'' Tortorella said of Richards. ``I need to make decisions about what I feel is right for our team to win tonight's game, and that's why I made that decision.''
Veteran Roman Hamrlik also played for the first time in these playoffs in place of injured defenseman Anton Stralman, who left Game 3 in the second period.
The Bruins used their power play to grab control in the second period, connecting twice in a span of 3:02 to take a 2-0 lead.
After Newbury was sent off for goalie interference, when he knocked down Rask, Horton got the scoring going. He tried to feed a pass from the bottom of the left circle into the slot, but the puck hit Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and bounced back to Horton.
This time, Horton let a shot go that struck the inside of Lundqvist's left leg and caromed in at 4:39.
Lundqvist blocked a hard shot by Chara, who rattled a drive off of the goalie's mask. At the next stoppage, there was a brief delay as Lundqvist had repairs made.
Del Zotto took an interference penalty 1:25 after Boston took the lead, and Krug made the Rangers pay again. Krug, a rookie defenseman who made his NHL postseason debut in the series opener, fired a slap shot from the Stanley Cup logo in the Rangers' zone that sailed past Lundqvist and into the top right corner at 7:41.
Krug has scored in three of the four games he has played in this series, and his goal gave Boston as many power-play tallies at Madison Square Garden in this playoff year as the host Rangers had mustered to that point.
However, New York got a big break just 54 seconds later to cut the deficit in
Kreider deftly steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
``It is so surreal,'' the 22-year-old Kreider said. ``It's not something that can really be explained. It is something that just has to be felt, but it was awesome. I'm just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game.
``There is no quit in this room.''
New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, still trails the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-1.
The Rangers will need to win again on Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past goalie Tuukka Rask for his first of the playoffs.
New York, 0-3 in overtime in these playoffs, was eliminated from the conference finals last year by New Jersey in extra time in Game 6.
``It is time for us to win an overtime game,'' Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. ``This was a big one. It was such a great feeling to see that puck go in.''
Kreider, who made his NHL debut in last year's playoffs, has six career postseason goals in just 25 games.
``I was lucky enough to play with Rick,'' Kreider said. ``Just trying to go hard to the net. He's such a talented player. He was able to find my tape, and I tried to put it on net.''
Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle scored tying goals in the third period for the Rangers, who even found success on the power play. Carl Hagelin netted New York's first goal of the game in the second period.
Lundqvist made 37 saves for New York, which managed only five goals total in the first three games against Boston.
Boston got second-period goals from Nathan Horton and rising star Torey Krug to build an early lead. Tyler Seguin's first of the playoffs put the Bruins back on top 3-2 in the third.
Only three teams have lost a series after leading 3-0, but the Bruins are the most recent to do it in 2010 against Philadelphia.
``It's a resilient group,'' Kreider said. ``The tone of the dressing room was the same as positive and upbeat. We're excited to play more hockey.''
One more win will put Boston back into the conference finals for the second time in three years. The Bruins gave up a 3-1 lead to Toronto in the first round before rallying in Game 7 to advance.
``There is no panic here,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ``We have to go back home and play a better game.''
Stepan got New York even at 2 just 1:15 into the third after a dump-in. Rask went behind the net to slow the puck down for defenseman Zdeno Chara, but Stepan forced a turnover when he surprised Chara from behind.
Stepan gathered the puck, came around in front and tucked the puck inside the left post for his team-leading fourth of the playoffs.
``We made some mistakes tonight, mistakes we haven't been making, mistakes you can't have, and they capitalized on them,'' Chara said. ``They made us pay.
``These nights are going to happen. They played to win, and we didn't match their intensity at times.''
The Bruins made the most of another power play and took a 3-2 lead just 2 seconds after a goalie interference penalty against Ryan McDonagh expired. Seguin got to his own rebound in close and shoved a shot past Lundqvist at 8:06.
However, the Rangers still wouldn't go away and they finally connected on the power play for the first time in the series and the third time in 41 man-advantages this postseason.
Boyle took a pass from Stepan in the slot and snapped a drive that nestled into the middle of the net at 10:00 after the Bruins were caught with too many men on the ice.
New York coach John Tortorella made desperate moves with his lineup, hoping to find some chemistry to spark his club. Tortorella benched star center Brad Richards, who had just one goal in the playoffs, and rugged forward Arron Asham in favor of seldom-used Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley.
``By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I'm blaming him,'' Tortorella said of Richards. ``I need to make decisions about what I feel is right for our team to win tonight's game, and that's why I made that decision.''
Veteran Roman Hamrlik also played for the first time in these playoffs in place of injured defenseman Anton Stralman, who left Game 3 in the second period.
The Bruins used their power play to grab control in the second period, connecting twice in a span of 3:02 to take a 2-0 lead.
After Newbury was sent off for goalie interference, when he knocked down Rask, Horton got the scoring going. He tried to feed a pass from the bottom of the left circle into the slot, but the puck hit Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and bounced back to Horton.
This time, Horton let a shot go that struck the inside of Lundqvist's left leg and caromed in at 4:39.
Lundqvist blocked a hard shot by Chara, who rattled a drive off of the goalie's mask. At the next stoppage, there was a brief delay as Lundqvist had repairs made.
Del Zotto took an interference penalty 1:25 after Boston took the lead, and Krug made the Rangers pay again. Krug, a rookie defenseman who made his NHL postseason debut in the series opener, fired a slap shot from the Stanley Cup logo in the Rangers' zone that sailed past Lundqvist and into the top right corner at 7:41.
Krug has scored in three of the four games he has played in this series, and his goal gave Boston as many power-play tallies at Madison Square Garden in this playoff year as the host Rangers had mustered to that point.
However, New York got a big break just 54 seconds later to cut the deficit in
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Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The NHL may be close to selling the Phoenix Coyotes.
According to Fox Sports, the NHL has reached a purchase agreement with Renaissance Sports and Entertainment that will keep the team in Glendale, Ariz.
In order to complete the sale, however, the league and RSE heads George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc must hammer out a deal to manage Jobing-com Arena with Glendale city officials. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday – the same day the team is set to hold a press conference to announce general manager Don Maloney’s contract extension – according to the report.
With news of Maloney’s extension coming out Friday, the league reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the Coyotes in Arizona.
“The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes’ future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don's long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed,” Daly said.
The NHL purchased the Coyotes out of bankruptcy in 2009.
NHL reaches deal to sell Coyotes: Report | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun
According to Fox Sports, the NHL has reached a purchase agreement with Renaissance Sports and Entertainment that will keep the team in Glendale, Ariz.
In order to complete the sale, however, the league and RSE heads George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc must hammer out a deal to manage Jobing-com Arena with Glendale city officials. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday – the same day the team is set to hold a press conference to announce general manager Don Maloney’s contract extension – according to the report.
With news of Maloney’s extension coming out Friday, the league reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the Coyotes in Arizona.
“The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes’ future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don's long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed,” Daly said.
The NHL purchased the Coyotes out of bankruptcy in 2009.
NHL reaches deal to sell Coyotes: Report | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun
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The San Jose Sharks held off the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Sunday to force a Game Seven in their Western Conference semi-final series.
Joe Thornton scored the opening goal in the first period and TJ Galiardi gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead early in the second before Dustin Brown pulled one back for the visitors.
The deciding Game Seven between the Pacific Division foes is back in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
"I felt we did a great job right from the start. The boys had a good jump," San Jose defenseman Scott Hannan said in a televised interview. "We were aggressive and didn't sit back. We accepted their push, but I thought the guys gave a great effort tonight."
Defending Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles grabbed a 2-0 series lead then stretched it to 3-2 last week, but the Sharks have refused to go away.
San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi made 24 saves while his Kings counterpart Jonathan Quick also had 24 but could not halt his team's struggles on the road.
Los Angeles are undefeated at the Staples Center this postseason but have lost 11 of their last 12 games away from home ice.
Y! SPORTS
Joe Thornton scored the opening goal in the first period and TJ Galiardi gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead early in the second before Dustin Brown pulled one back for the visitors.
The deciding Game Seven between the Pacific Division foes is back in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
"I felt we did a great job right from the start. The boys had a good jump," San Jose defenseman Scott Hannan said in a televised interview. "We were aggressive and didn't sit back. We accepted their push, but I thought the guys gave a great effort tonight."
Defending Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles grabbed a 2-0 series lead then stretched it to 3-2 last week, but the Sharks have refused to go away.
San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi made 24 saves while his Kings counterpart Jonathan Quick also had 24 but could not halt his team's struggles on the road.
Los Angeles are undefeated at the Staples Center this postseason but have lost 11 of their last 12 games away from home ice.
Y! SPORTS
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The National Hockey League announced Sunday the starting times and broadcast information for the two Game 7s in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals.
The starting time for Game 7 of the series between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks has been set for 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, May 28, in Los Angeles. In the U.S., the game will be televised by NBC Sports Network. In Canada, the game will be televised by TSN and RDS.
The starting time for Game 7 of the series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings has been set for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 29, in Chicago. In the U.S., the game will be televised by NBC Sports Network. In Canada, the game will be televised by CBC and RDS.
NHL announces start times for pair of Game 7s in Western Conference Semifinals - Stanley Cup Playoffs
The starting time for Game 7 of the series between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks has been set for 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, May 28, in Los Angeles. In the U.S., the game will be televised by NBC Sports Network. In Canada, the game will be televised by TSN and RDS.
The starting time for Game 7 of the series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings has been set for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 29, in Chicago. In the U.S., the game will be televised by NBC Sports Network. In Canada, the game will be televised by CBC and RDS.
NHL announces start times for pair of Game 7s in Western Conference Semifinals - Stanley Cup Playoffs
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The Los Angeles Kings survived a frantic finish to game seven against San Joseto earn a 2-1 victory over the Sharks that sealed their spot in the Western Conference finals.
Los Angeles, the defending Stanley Cup champions, tallied their 14th consecutive win at the Staples Center and have yet to lose at home this postseason.
The Kings will play Chicago or Detroit in the West final. The Red Wings and Blackhawks play their Game Seven decider on Thursday (NZT) in Chicago.
Los Angeles took control four minutes into the second period where Justin Williams capitalized on a power play, then added a second goal three minutes later.
The Sharks got on the scoreboard at 5:26 in the third period when Dan Boyle put in a slap shot and threw everything at the Kings in the final moments looking for the equaliser.
However, Kings netminder Jonathan Quick stood firm and delivered some spectacular saves to keep the Sharks at bay and put his team in the conference final.
Antti Niemi made 16 saves for the Sharks, who had been trying to reach their third conference final in four years.
NHL | LA Kings Beat San Jose to Advance to Conference... | Stuff.co.nz
Los Angeles, the defending Stanley Cup champions, tallied their 14th consecutive win at the Staples Center and have yet to lose at home this postseason.
The Kings will play Chicago or Detroit in the West final. The Red Wings and Blackhawks play their Game Seven decider on Thursday (NZT) in Chicago.
Los Angeles took control four minutes into the second period where Justin Williams capitalized on a power play, then added a second goal three minutes later.
The Sharks got on the scoreboard at 5:26 in the third period when Dan Boyle put in a slap shot and threw everything at the Kings in the final moments looking for the equaliser.
However, Kings netminder Jonathan Quick stood firm and delivered some spectacular saves to keep the Sharks at bay and put his team in the conference final.
Antti Niemi made 16 saves for the Sharks, who had been trying to reach their third conference final in four years.
NHL | LA Kings Beat San Jose to Advance to Conference... | Stuff.co.nz
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Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook picked up the puck in the neutral zone and carried it across the Detroit blue line. He measured his shot for a moment and fired. It was wrister that knuckled after a deflection, dipping and twisting and eventually finding its way past the glove of goaltender Jimmy Howard. It lit the lamp 3 minutes 35 seconds into overtime of Game 7 and gave Chicago a 2-1 victory Wednesday at United Center.
The crowd erupted, littering the ice with red towels. The Blackhawks met at center ice and raised their sticks to salute the crowd. It was party time in Chicago.
“I don’t even know if I saw it go in,” Seabrook said. “To be honest, I just heard the horn going and the boys jumping out.”
The victory capped quite a comeback for the Blackhawks, who once trailed the series, three games to one. They will face the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals, beginning here Saturday.
The Blackhawks began the season with an N.H.L.-record 24-game points streak. They finished the regular season with a league best 36-7-5 record, winning the Presidents’ Trophy. They were called young, gifted, balanced and deep. And four days ago, they were on the brink of elimination.
Chicago, though, won Game 5 at home and Game 6 in Detroit to force a winner-take-all showdown between two of the league’s original six teams. And it was a classic in every sense, filled with drama and intrigue — and needing extra time to crown a winner.
The Blackhawks scored first early in the second period, using a series of exquisite passes to take advantage of a Detroit line change. Niklas Hjalmarsson passed to Patrick Sharp, who led an odd-man rush with a head of steam. Two more quick passes set up Sharp, who beat Howard with a one-timer from point-blank range.
A raucous crowd of 22,103 quickly went into celebration mode, but the Red Wings answered in the third. Outshot by 24-17 through the first 40 minutes, Detroit struck 26 seconds into the final period when Daniel Cleary held the puck in the Blackhawks’ zone, poking it free to Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist flipped the puck over a sliding Seabrook to Henrik Zetterberg, who sneaked a shot past goaltender Corey Crawford.
As the minutes of the third period ticked away, the crowd “oohed” and “aahed” at each shot that sailed wide or was gloved by a goaltender.
The mounting tension appeared to be released at 18:11 of the third when Hjalmarsson stung a shot from the point that beat Howard, who had 33 saves, high to the glove side. Blackhawks players celebrated as if they had taken the lead, but referees called a double penalty and the whistle was blown before the shot.
“We thought we should have been game over and series over,” Seabrook said. “But the boys just forgot about it, regrouped and went out there to try and have a good start to the overtime.”
Detroit, which scratched its way into the postseason as the seventh seed, had already won a road Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs, a 3-2 squeaker over the Anaheim Ducks. Valtteri Filppula scored the game-winner that night, but he was forced from Wednesday’s contest in the first period with a leg injury.
“We had three chances to close them out,” Cleary said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
Chicago won the 806th meeting and 81st in the playoffs between the two teams. Next season, Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference, ending a chapter in the storied rivalry. But the send-off was fitting.
“It was fun when it was over,” said Crawford, who made 26 saves. “Right now I feel pretty tired.”
SLAP SHOT
The Blackhawks were 0 for 4 on the power play; the Red Wings were 0 for 2.
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/30/sports/hockey/nhl-playoffs-with-overtime-goal-chicago-caps-series-comeback-html?_r=0
The crowd erupted, littering the ice with red towels. The Blackhawks met at center ice and raised their sticks to salute the crowd. It was party time in Chicago.
“I don’t even know if I saw it go in,” Seabrook said. “To be honest, I just heard the horn going and the boys jumping out.”
The victory capped quite a comeback for the Blackhawks, who once trailed the series, three games to one. They will face the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals, beginning here Saturday.
The Blackhawks began the season with an N.H.L.-record 24-game points streak. They finished the regular season with a league best 36-7-5 record, winning the Presidents’ Trophy. They were called young, gifted, balanced and deep. And four days ago, they were on the brink of elimination.
Chicago, though, won Game 5 at home and Game 6 in Detroit to force a winner-take-all showdown between two of the league’s original six teams. And it was a classic in every sense, filled with drama and intrigue — and needing extra time to crown a winner.
The Blackhawks scored first early in the second period, using a series of exquisite passes to take advantage of a Detroit line change. Niklas Hjalmarsson passed to Patrick Sharp, who led an odd-man rush with a head of steam. Two more quick passes set up Sharp, who beat Howard with a one-timer from point-blank range.
A raucous crowd of 22,103 quickly went into celebration mode, but the Red Wings answered in the third. Outshot by 24-17 through the first 40 minutes, Detroit struck 26 seconds into the final period when Daniel Cleary held the puck in the Blackhawks’ zone, poking it free to Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist flipped the puck over a sliding Seabrook to Henrik Zetterberg, who sneaked a shot past goaltender Corey Crawford.
As the minutes of the third period ticked away, the crowd “oohed” and “aahed” at each shot that sailed wide or was gloved by a goaltender.
The mounting tension appeared to be released at 18:11 of the third when Hjalmarsson stung a shot from the point that beat Howard, who had 33 saves, high to the glove side. Blackhawks players celebrated as if they had taken the lead, but referees called a double penalty and the whistle was blown before the shot.
“We thought we should have been game over and series over,” Seabrook said. “But the boys just forgot about it, regrouped and went out there to try and have a good start to the overtime.”
Detroit, which scratched its way into the postseason as the seventh seed, had already won a road Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs, a 3-2 squeaker over the Anaheim Ducks. Valtteri Filppula scored the game-winner that night, but he was forced from Wednesday’s contest in the first period with a leg injury.
“We had three chances to close them out,” Cleary said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
Chicago won the 806th meeting and 81st in the playoffs between the two teams. Next season, Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference, ending a chapter in the storied rivalry. But the send-off was fitting.
“It was fun when it was over,” said Crawford, who made 26 saves. “Right now I feel pretty tired.”
SLAP SHOT
The Blackhawks were 0 for 4 on the power play; the Red Wings were 0 for 2.
www-nytimes-com/2013/05/30/sports/hockey/nhl-playoffs-with-overtime-goal-chicago-caps-series-comeback-html?_r=0
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When/where/TV: Best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals between the No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins and No. 4 Boston Bruins open Saturday in Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET, NBC).
Story line: Bruins coach Claude Julien, known for his defensive solutions, has to figure out how to stop the NHL's most potent offense.
How they got here: The Penguins needed six games to beat the New York Islanders and then ousted the Ottawa Senators in five games. The Bruins pulled off a miracle finish to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 and then eliminated the New York Rangers in five games. Season series: Pittsburgh went 3-0 vs. Boston, outscoring the Bruins 8-5.
Goalies: The Penguins' Tomas Vokoun (6-1, 1.85 goals-against average, .941 save percentage) vs. the Bruins' Tuukka Rask (8-4, 2.22, .928). Vokoun's mission is simply not to lose games, while the Bruins probably need Rask to steal at least one game to give them a shot at winning the series.
Lineup issues: Bruins, D Andrew Ference (foot) hasn't cleared yet to play. D Wade Redden (undisclosed) is practicing, but he might have a difficult time returning to the lineup because younger players have soared. Penguins, the roster is so deep that coach Dan Bylsma has a difficult decision about who to scratch. Tanner Glass, Tyler Kennedy, Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett are among those who have been on the bubble.
Why the Penguins could win: 1. They are averaging 4.27 goals a game in the playoffs, a goal a game better than the Bruins. 2. Their depth is intimidating. On this team, Jarome Iginla is the fifth or sixth most dangerous offensive player. 3. Vokoun has stabilized the team's goaltending. 4. These Penguins seem mentally tougher than they were last postseason, when they were bounced in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers. 5. This team can play at a higher level. At times the Penguins have been sloppy on defense. If they can also get into a defensive rhythm, they might be unstoppable.
Why the Bruins could win: 1. With defenseman Zdeno Chara averaging more than 29 minutes a game, it's like the Boston net is being defended by a giant condor. His enormous wingspan will give Pittsburgh scorers a much bigger challenge than they faced in the first two rounds. 2. The Bruins can exploit the Penguins' coverage problems the way the Islanders did. 3. The Bruins put as many pucks on net as the Penguins do. 4. Boston must feel like a team of destiny after its three-goal Game 7 comeback vs. Toronto. 5. Milan Lucic is playing stronger than he did in the regular season. That's crucial to the team's long-term success. Forecast: These Penguins are reminiscent of the Pittsburgh teams of the early 1990s. They can light up the scoreboard. Take the Penguins to outlast the Bruins in six games.
NHL Eastern Conference finals preview
Story line: Bruins coach Claude Julien, known for his defensive solutions, has to figure out how to stop the NHL's most potent offense.
How they got here: The Penguins needed six games to beat the New York Islanders and then ousted the Ottawa Senators in five games. The Bruins pulled off a miracle finish to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 and then eliminated the New York Rangers in five games. Season series: Pittsburgh went 3-0 vs. Boston, outscoring the Bruins 8-5.
Goalies: The Penguins' Tomas Vokoun (6-1, 1.85 goals-against average, .941 save percentage) vs. the Bruins' Tuukka Rask (8-4, 2.22, .928). Vokoun's mission is simply not to lose games, while the Bruins probably need Rask to steal at least one game to give them a shot at winning the series.
Lineup issues: Bruins, D Andrew Ference (foot) hasn't cleared yet to play. D Wade Redden (undisclosed) is practicing, but he might have a difficult time returning to the lineup because younger players have soared. Penguins, the roster is so deep that coach Dan Bylsma has a difficult decision about who to scratch. Tanner Glass, Tyler Kennedy, Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett are among those who have been on the bubble.
Why the Penguins could win: 1. They are averaging 4.27 goals a game in the playoffs, a goal a game better than the Bruins. 2. Their depth is intimidating. On this team, Jarome Iginla is the fifth or sixth most dangerous offensive player. 3. Vokoun has stabilized the team's goaltending. 4. These Penguins seem mentally tougher than they were last postseason, when they were bounced in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers. 5. This team can play at a higher level. At times the Penguins have been sloppy on defense. If they can also get into a defensive rhythm, they might be unstoppable.
Why the Bruins could win: 1. With defenseman Zdeno Chara averaging more than 29 minutes a game, it's like the Boston net is being defended by a giant condor. His enormous wingspan will give Pittsburgh scorers a much bigger challenge than they faced in the first two rounds. 2. The Bruins can exploit the Penguins' coverage problems the way the Islanders did. 3. The Bruins put as many pucks on net as the Penguins do. 4. Boston must feel like a team of destiny after its three-goal Game 7 comeback vs. Toronto. 5. Milan Lucic is playing stronger than he did in the regular season. That's crucial to the team's long-term success. Forecast: These Penguins are reminiscent of the Pittsburgh teams of the early 1990s. They can light up the scoreboard. Take the Penguins to outlast the Bruins in six games.
NHL Eastern Conference finals preview
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The NHL conference finals have become a tournament of champions.
The last four Stanley Cup champions — the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Chicago Blackhawks (2010), Boston Bruins (2011) and Los Angeles Kings (2012) — are the last four teams standing, the first time that has happened since 1945.
"I think it's pretty impressive, knowing the parity in the league and how hard it is to get back there," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. Both series — Los Angeles at Chicago (5 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) and Boston at Pittsburgh (8 ET, NBC) — open Saturday with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The teams boast a total of 56 players with their names etched on the Cup.
"The playoff system advanced the four best teams," said Brian Burke, a former Cup-winning general manager with the Anaheim Ducks. "And for the first time since the salary cap was introduced (in 2005), we will have a repeat champion." The NHL has had seven different champions since 2006. The Kings are trying to be the first back-to-back winner since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings.
Nobody is shocked that these four teams got this far, because the Blackhawks finished with the most points, the Penguins are the league's highest-scoring team and the Kings are a gritty, physical team built for the playoffs. The Bruins were the third-best defensive team in the regular season. "Lots of brain power behind those benches," Burke said. "Lots of firepower sitting on them."
The expectation is the hockey will be first-rate because the teams know what it takes to be successful.
Said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, "There shouldn't be any lack of experience as far as decisions being made out there."
Last four NHL teams are last four champions
The last four Stanley Cup champions — the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Chicago Blackhawks (2010), Boston Bruins (2011) and Los Angeles Kings (2012) — are the last four teams standing, the first time that has happened since 1945.
"I think it's pretty impressive, knowing the parity in the league and how hard it is to get back there," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. Both series — Los Angeles at Chicago (5 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) and Boston at Pittsburgh (8 ET, NBC) — open Saturday with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The teams boast a total of 56 players with their names etched on the Cup.
"The playoff system advanced the four best teams," said Brian Burke, a former Cup-winning general manager with the Anaheim Ducks. "And for the first time since the salary cap was introduced (in 2005), we will have a repeat champion." The NHL has had seven different champions since 2006. The Kings are trying to be the first back-to-back winner since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings.
Nobody is shocked that these four teams got this far, because the Blackhawks finished with the most points, the Penguins are the league's highest-scoring team and the Kings are a gritty, physical team built for the playoffs. The Bruins were the third-best defensive team in the regular season. "Lots of brain power behind those benches," Burke said. "Lots of firepower sitting on them."
The expectation is the hockey will be first-rate because the teams know what it takes to be successful.
Said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, "There shouldn't be any lack of experience as far as decisions being made out there."
Last four NHL teams are last four champions
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In his first game action since he suffered a lower-body injury in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference showed no ill effects from his hiatus, registering an assist on David Krejci's first goal.
"Obviously it's nice, and it was very difficult to watch," Ference said. "It's a lot easier when you win and watch but you want to contribute, you want to be a part of it.
"Every guy that had to play, [Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton], have done a tremendous job, so it's not the most comfortable situation, especially Bart's here with family."
Bartkowski, who was a healthy scratch and had filled in admirably for Ference, is from the Pittsburgh area.
"It's tough. I know it's tough and I've been in that situation and it's a hard call for the coach," Ference said. "It's a hard thing for players because we do have a tight group. At the end of the day it's hockey and that's what happens. Everybody's been mature about it and whether you're in or out, guys have contributed to this team."
With the assist, Boston's defensemen have contributed 31 of the team's 110 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs so far.
2013 NHL playoffs -- Andrew Ference returns for Boston Bruins - ESPN Boston
"Obviously it's nice, and it was very difficult to watch," Ference said. "It's a lot easier when you win and watch but you want to contribute, you want to be a part of it.
"Every guy that had to play, [Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton], have done a tremendous job, so it's not the most comfortable situation, especially Bart's here with family."
Bartkowski, who was a healthy scratch and had filled in admirably for Ference, is from the Pittsburgh area.
"It's tough. I know it's tough and I've been in that situation and it's a hard call for the coach," Ference said. "It's a hard thing for players because we do have a tight group. At the end of the day it's hockey and that's what happens. Everybody's been mature about it and whether you're in or out, guys have contributed to this team."
With the assist, Boston's defensemen have contributed 31 of the team's 110 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs so far.
2013 NHL playoffs -- Andrew Ference returns for Boston Bruins - ESPN Boston
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It was a wrist shot for Andrew Shaw, who leaned back and yelled after his first-period score. Brent Seabrook got in on the action, and Bryan Bickell and Michal Handzus added two more goals on consecutive shots in the second.
And just like that, Jonathan Quick was gone.
The Chicago Blackhawks chased the Los Angeles Kings' standout goalie during an impressive display in the opening two periods of a 4-2 victory Sunday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
``It's a high-speed game. If we use our speed, we'll be all right,'' Shaw said. ``We played our game. That's the difference. The guys played good. We all competed for each other. We did everything we needed to do, keeping it deep in the zone.''
Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad added two assists apiece as the Blackhawks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with their fifth consecutive victory. Corey Crawford made 29 saves in another solid performance, drawing chants of ``Co-rey! Co-rey!'' from the capacity crowd at the United Center.
``We went through a little spurt there in the last series where we were doing the right things but the pucks weren't going in,'' Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. ``So now we're getting the results we want. We can do what we're doing more often. We can do it better as well in the next few games.''
Game 3 is Tuesday night at Los Angeles, where the Kings have won 14 consecutive games, dating to the regular season. The Kings also lost their first two games of the playoffs at St. Louis before winning four straight to eliminate the Blues in the first round.
Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli scored for Los Angeles, but the Kings struggled to score without Mike Richards, who was scratched because of an undisclosed upper body injury. The defending Stanley Cup champions have 29 goals in 15 postseason games.
``You've got to find a way,'' Quick said. ``They did their job at home. We've got to go home and do our job now.''
Richards, who leads the Kings with 10 playoff points, was sidelined after taking a big hit from Dave Bolland in the final minutes of the Blackhawks' 2-1 victory on Saturday.
Kings coach Darryl Sutter said Richards was ``fine'' a couple of hours before the game, but the center was scratched from the lineup after participating in the pregame warmups.
``He was fine today, then I think just once his blood got pumping tonight, the adrenaline got going, there were symptoms,'' Sutter said. ``I went in right after warmup, he was sitting there and I said, `Unless you're 100 percent, you're not playing.'''
Los Angeles forward Brad Richardson and defenseman Drew Doughty gingerly skated off at separate points of the first period, but both returned to the ice.
The series took on a more physical tone in the second game in two days - a rarity in the playoffs brought on by The Rolling Stones' tour.
The top-seeded Blackhawks also won the series opener in each of the first two rounds, but they dropped three in a row following their Game 1 victory against Detroit in the conference semifinals.
There was no such letdown this time.
``It was frustrating early on, that series against Detroit, but I think we learned a lot there,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said.
Shaw got Chicago off to a fast start, taking a nifty pass from Viktor Stalberg and beating Quick on the glove side just 1:56 into the game. Marian Hossa set up Seabrook in the final minute for a low liner into the left corner of the net. The defenseman put the Blackhawks into this round with an overtime goal in Game 7 against Detroit on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks added two more in the second, separated by just 2:09. Bickell scored a power-play goal on a rebound in front, and Handzus skated in and beat Quick to make it 4-0 at 9:20.
``We gave them too many Grade-A scoring chances, and they capitalized,'' Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. ``You can't give up those opportunities and expect your goalie to bail you out every single time.''
The crowd of 21,824 roared after Handzus' second goal of the postseason, and cheered even louder when Quick skated off and was replaced by Jonathan Bernier. Quick, last year's playoff MVP who had played every minute of this year's playoffs, finished with 13 saves.
``We had some nice shots. We had some high-quality stuff off the rush, as well, in that period,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ``I still think that's going to be an ongoing challenge with him.''
Carter converted a one-timer at 18:57 of the second, and Toffoli netted a power-play goal with 1:02 left in the game, but that was it for the Kings.
The Blackhawks killed three other power plays and have allowed just two goals in 47 attempts in the playoffs.
Crawford was saluted by the crowd after he stopped Dustin Penner on a quality opportunity late in the second, and the chants resumed when he pulled Kings forward Kyle Clifford off Toews during a scrum with 8:45 left.
``The guy grabbed him, got a couple free shots. I figured it was enough,'' Crawford said. ``I just decided to go in there and grab his head.''
Crawford was one of the top goalies in the NHL during the lockout-shortened regular season, and he has carried that into the playoffs. He has allowed just one goal in four of his last six games.
``He's the guy we want in net back there,'' Sharp said. ``He's proven it in the past. It's nice to see him finally get the credit that he deserves.''
NOTES: Kings rookie D Jake Muzzin was scratched after playing in the first 14 postseason games. ... Crawford was 1-1 with a 3.54 goals-against average against Los Angeles during the regular season.
Los Angeles vs Chicago - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
And just like that, Jonathan Quick was gone.
The Chicago Blackhawks chased the Los Angeles Kings' standout goalie during an impressive display in the opening two periods of a 4-2 victory Sunday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
``It's a high-speed game. If we use our speed, we'll be all right,'' Shaw said. ``We played our game. That's the difference. The guys played good. We all competed for each other. We did everything we needed to do, keeping it deep in the zone.''
Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad added two assists apiece as the Blackhawks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with their fifth consecutive victory. Corey Crawford made 29 saves in another solid performance, drawing chants of ``Co-rey! Co-rey!'' from the capacity crowd at the United Center.
``We went through a little spurt there in the last series where we were doing the right things but the pucks weren't going in,'' Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. ``So now we're getting the results we want. We can do what we're doing more often. We can do it better as well in the next few games.''
Game 3 is Tuesday night at Los Angeles, where the Kings have won 14 consecutive games, dating to the regular season. The Kings also lost their first two games of the playoffs at St. Louis before winning four straight to eliminate the Blues in the first round.
Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli scored for Los Angeles, but the Kings struggled to score without Mike Richards, who was scratched because of an undisclosed upper body injury. The defending Stanley Cup champions have 29 goals in 15 postseason games.
``You've got to find a way,'' Quick said. ``They did their job at home. We've got to go home and do our job now.''
Richards, who leads the Kings with 10 playoff points, was sidelined after taking a big hit from Dave Bolland in the final minutes of the Blackhawks' 2-1 victory on Saturday.
Kings coach Darryl Sutter said Richards was ``fine'' a couple of hours before the game, but the center was scratched from the lineup after participating in the pregame warmups.
``He was fine today, then I think just once his blood got pumping tonight, the adrenaline got going, there were symptoms,'' Sutter said. ``I went in right after warmup, he was sitting there and I said, `Unless you're 100 percent, you're not playing.'''
Los Angeles forward Brad Richardson and defenseman Drew Doughty gingerly skated off at separate points of the first period, but both returned to the ice.
The series took on a more physical tone in the second game in two days - a rarity in the playoffs brought on by The Rolling Stones' tour.
The top-seeded Blackhawks also won the series opener in each of the first two rounds, but they dropped three in a row following their Game 1 victory against Detroit in the conference semifinals.
There was no such letdown this time.
``It was frustrating early on, that series against Detroit, but I think we learned a lot there,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said.
Shaw got Chicago off to a fast start, taking a nifty pass from Viktor Stalberg and beating Quick on the glove side just 1:56 into the game. Marian Hossa set up Seabrook in the final minute for a low liner into the left corner of the net. The defenseman put the Blackhawks into this round with an overtime goal in Game 7 against Detroit on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks added two more in the second, separated by just 2:09. Bickell scored a power-play goal on a rebound in front, and Handzus skated in and beat Quick to make it 4-0 at 9:20.
``We gave them too many Grade-A scoring chances, and they capitalized,'' Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. ``You can't give up those opportunities and expect your goalie to bail you out every single time.''
The crowd of 21,824 roared after Handzus' second goal of the postseason, and cheered even louder when Quick skated off and was replaced by Jonathan Bernier. Quick, last year's playoff MVP who had played every minute of this year's playoffs, finished with 13 saves.
``We had some nice shots. We had some high-quality stuff off the rush, as well, in that period,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ``I still think that's going to be an ongoing challenge with him.''
Carter converted a one-timer at 18:57 of the second, and Toffoli netted a power-play goal with 1:02 left in the game, but that was it for the Kings.
The Blackhawks killed three other power plays and have allowed just two goals in 47 attempts in the playoffs.
Crawford was saluted by the crowd after he stopped Dustin Penner on a quality opportunity late in the second, and the chants resumed when he pulled Kings forward Kyle Clifford off Toews during a scrum with 8:45 left.
``The guy grabbed him, got a couple free shots. I figured it was enough,'' Crawford said. ``I just decided to go in there and grab his head.''
Crawford was one of the top goalies in the NHL during the lockout-shortened regular season, and he has carried that into the playoffs. He has allowed just one goal in four of his last six games.
``He's the guy we want in net back there,'' Sharp said. ``He's proven it in the past. It's nice to see him finally get the credit that he deserves.''
NOTES: Kings rookie D Jake Muzzin was scratched after playing in the first 14 postseason games. ... Crawford was 1-1 with a 3.54 goals-against average against Los Angeles during the regular season.
Los Angeles vs Chicago - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca
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The newspaper reported the family claims in the lawsuit that the NHL is responsible for the brain damage that Boogaard sustained during six seasons as an enforcer in the league, and for his addiction to prescription painkillers.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Sunday night that league has not received the lawsuit and generally does not comment on pending litigation.
Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol on May 13, 2011. He was 28. He was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain ailment that is caused by repeated blows to the head.
The Times reports the suit was filed late Friday by the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio, in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
"To distill this to one sentence," William Gibbs, attorney for the Boogaards, told The Times, "you take a young man, you subject him to trauma, you give him pills for that trauma, he becomes addicted to those pills, you promise to treat him for that addiction, and you fail."
Boogaard was under contract with the New York Rangers at the time of his death. He played his first five NHL seasons with the Minnesota Wild and one season with the Rangers after signing a four-year, $6.5 million contract with New York in July 2010.
Boogaard sustained a concussion during his last game on Dec. 9, 2010. Known as one of the league's toughest fighters, the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Boogaard played 277 NHL games, scored three goals and racked up 589 penalty minutes.
Boogaard's family filed a lawsuit against the NHL Players Association last September, seeking $9.8 million, but it was dismissed this spring. The family said the union, after expressing interest in helping pursue a case against the league, missed a deadline for filing a grievance. A judge ruled the family waited too long to act and dismissed the case.
The Times reports the family used a different lawyer in that case.
The Times reports the latest lawsuit details the treatment Boogaard received from team doctors of the Rangers and Minnesota Wild, and the officials from the league's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, which oversaw Boogaard's care after he entered rehabilitation while playing for the Wild in 2009.
Read more: Family of Derek Boogaard reportedly sues NHL over son's death | Fox News