By Darren Eliot –
I know our Wings are no longer part of the NHL playoff play down, which makes the whole proceedings a little distant. But, if you are still tuning in to second round action, here is what you will notice…
The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens really don’t like each other. Countless spring encounters have made it so, with the on-ice action being edgy from the outset. And both teams have players – Brad Marchand for the Bruins and PK Subban for the Canadiens – that play important roles for their teams, yet they are in the middle of most of the villainy, as defined by the opposing fan base.
This series has fine net minding turned in by the Habs’ Carey Price and if not for a momentary Canadiens’ collapse in the third period of Game 2, the Bruins might be facing extinction. This brings us to a notable trait of this playoff season: the two-goal comeback. It is happening coast-to-coast and an even higher rate than during the regular season. And it isn’t so much teams with the lead “playing not to lose”; rather it is the trailing teams pushing all in for the win. In most instances, it isn’t a matter of a team losing the lead, it is more about the trailing team attacking and taking the game away. The resulting action has made for high drama and unparalleled excitement.
There are many reasons for the phenomenon – subtle rule changes that promote offense, no more expansion effect on talent and with that, all teams are willing to play fast – all in response to the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The stagnant play of the pre-lockout Cup culminated in a seven game series between the Calgary Flames and the eventual champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning. There was not one lead change the entire series. The league reacted coming out of the lockout-lost season in 2005 with a slew of revisions to free up the skill players. Almost a decade later, the sum total of the changes has added up to a much more compelling and entertaining brand of hockey to watch.
Speaking of skilled players, this playoff season features a couple of proven scorers providing punch for teams that acquired them at the deadline. In the Habs/B’s series, Tomas Vanek is scoring on the power play, giving the Canadiens another option. In L.A., where the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are locked in their first-ever freeway series, Marian Gaborik is showing he still knows where the net is. After a couple of disappointing, injury-riddled seasons, Gaborik landed in L.A. and has developed a nice playing relationship with Anze Kopitar. General manager Dean Lombardi added Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets – the same team he added Jeff Carter from when the Kings won the Cup in 2012. Maybe this again will prove to be the magic move.
Finally, we will end on magic, which seems to be fully restored in L.A. for goaltender Jonathan Quick and in Pittsburgh for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Both netminders have Stanley Cups on their respective resumes, but Fleury has struggled in the postseasons since winning Game 7 in Detroit in 2009. Some of his meltdowns have been tough to witness – including his puck-handling gaffe in the final minute of Game 4 in the first round that tied the game. He looked shaken by the experience and missed on the overtime winner, which was a dipping wrister from 50 feet out. To his credit, though, Fleury steadied himself to close out the Blue Jackets in six games and has looked stronger in the second round against the Rangers – even posting back-to-back shutouts in Games 2 and 3.
Quick struggled in the first three games of the playoffs to the point where the Kings were down 0-3 to the San Jose Sharks. Quick found his form and his teammates responded, as the Kings posted six straight wins in eliminating the stupefied Sharks and in winning both games in Anaheim to open the second round. His style is so unorthodox that Quick looks the same in giving up nothing, or surrendering five.
At least that is what it looks like from our vantage point this spring…from a distance. Yes, it is way more fun when we are up close and the Joe is rocking, but for now, there is still plenty of compelling hockey to take in.