Here’s a shot… and a goal! Hawks/Flyers, Game One

At seven minutes and twenty seconds into the second period of last night’s Flyers Blackhawks red light special, I attempted to completely divest my emotions from the game – Philadelphia had just taken a 4-3 lead on a Blair Betts slapshot, and the game and the series were completely up for grabs. It was clear that any joy or agonizing over a marker was futile – someone else would score within a few minutes. Once we got past the second intermission, the flow of the game settled into the sort of a contest that we are far more familiar with in playoff hockey, much to the delight of my blood pressure. A few thoughts of mine on the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals:

Philadelphia set the tone early by sending the message that they were going to be a team that would at least try to forecheck the Blackhawks. Chicago has not been forced to deal with such a level of sustained pressure from the opposition in their own end throughout the postseason, and we saw dividends of that pressure paying off for the Flyers on the turnover-created goals that Mike mentioned. While the Flyers did seem to wear down as the game went on (shots were, period by period, 17, 9, and 6), the Blackhawks must adjust to the aggressive defensive nature of the Flyers and limit turnovers going forward.

I thought before the game that Marian Hossa could break out the goal scoring and have a real impact on this series. Instead, Hossa continued to do what he has done throughout the playoffs: possess the puck really well, kill penalties, and create offensive opportunities for his teammates. Hossa was a plus-two with two assists and just two shots in roughly eighteen minutes of ice time. This has been a good enough formula for the Hawks to win with (he lead the team in plus/minus to get them into the Stanley Cup Finals), but he is ultimately a goal scorer. Clearly the Hawks can win if he doesn’t light the lamp (he’s only done that two times in the playoffs), but it sure would make things a lot easier for Chicago if he did.

Instead of Hossa being the goal scorer, it was Tomas Kopecky who tallied the game –winning goal for the Blackhawks. As I watched Kopecky, I found clear similarities to his play to that of his fellow countryman Hossa. He has an impressive wingspan and skates strong with the puck which allows him to buy time and space. Hossa’s assist to Troy Brower on the fifth goal and Kopecky’s assist to Kris Versteeg on the fourth were virtual carbon copies of each other – numbers 81 and 82 created space behind the net and fed it out to the slot for numbers 22 and 32 respectively. Kopecky was only dressing because of the injury to Andrew Ladd, and with his performance, my guess is that if Ladd is ready to go for game two, either Ben Eager or Adam Burish will find himself the odd-man-out.

The play of what has been called “the best line in hockey” by some in the national media was both good news and bad news for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, it was only good news because the Hawks found a way to win despite Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Dustin Byfuglien all posting minus-threes with no points. The play of Toews especially was troubling for Chicago fans. While Byfuglien was involved in battles with Chris Pronger in front of the net all night, and Kane managed to create space at times as he usually does, it seemed as if one could count the number of times that Doc Emrick used Toews name during play by play on one hand. He was simply not involved. The Blackhawks captain and best player needs to do better – he’s the key to that line as he can play goal line to goal line. Great for the Blackhawks to steal a game with this line playing so poorly, but they will not win the series unless their best players play like their best players in future games.

I don’t think that this was the game that either of these teams wanted to play. It was out of control for forty minutes, and the pace seemed to tire both teams, especially Philadelphia, by the end of the game. I expect game two to resemble the third period of game one to a far greater extent than it will resemble either of the first two periods. If the best Blackhawk line can get into gear and the rest of the team can give the Hawks half of the offensive production that they did in game one, the Hawks should be looking at a two to zero series lead going back to Philadelphia.

Game One: Blackhawks 6 Flyers 5

It looked more like a baseball game than a hockey game, but 11 goals after the opening draw, Chicago came away a winner in Game 1 in Chicago. If you are a Chicago fan, there is a lot to hang your hat on with the game. If you're a Philly fan, you're ready to turn the tables in game 2. Let's break down the 6-5 Chicago victory.

1. Antti Niemi did not have his best effort, but the team picked him up the way the netminder had gotten Chicago to the Stanley Cup.
If you give the argument that not every goal was entirely his fault, I'll agree. The defense struggled (see below). But he gave up a couple of very uncharacteristic soft goals. In any event, giving up 5 goals on 32 shots is not likely to win you a cup. But the way Niemi has played, a bad game played turns into 2 or 3 outstanding efforts. If history holds true, the Hawks may be able to use this as a jumping point.

2. The defense was horrendous.
Chicago may have their worst defensive game of the year. Multiple Flyer goals were results of sloppy Blackhawks turnovers. If Chicago can return to the defensive game and stop over rotating or making bad decisions with the puck (i.e. play like they did after game against Nashville, Vancouver and San Jose) they'll significantly cut down on Philly goals.

3. Guys stepped up on the scoresheet.
This is clearly a team that doesn't want to lose. That sounds obvious I know. But when your top line is a -3, the team is not usually winning. Just ask San Jose. Kane, Toews and Byfuglien all had the negative hat trick, yet the Blackhawks got two goals and an assist from Troy Brouwer, a goal and an assist from Dave "Breakaway" Bolland, a goal and an assist from Kris Versteeg, goals by Patrick Sharp and Tomas Kopecky, who was only playing because of the injury to Andrew Ladd, and the "Cursed One" named Marian Hossa had two assists. If Chicago has this much help from its bottom lines in this series, the game where Chicago's top line returns to form, could be the day the Blackhawks are too much to stop for the Flyers.

4. No Powerplays No Problems
The Blackhawks got exactly 0 chances with the man advantage. 0. In a game that is often decided on special teams, scoring 5 goals even strength and 1 shorty bodes well for the team when they start getting powerplays. This is Philadelphia they are playing. 0 penalties is not a standard. It is an anomaly.

5. They stood up to the Chris Pronger effect.
Physicality. That embodies the Philadelphia Flyers, and no one is more physical that Chris Pronger. Just watch what he did to neutralize Byfuglien. But the Blackhawks, who did struggle with the physical game in the first period made simple adjustments that allowed them to stick with the Flyers and eventually come out ahead. The biggest key to this series was going to be if the Blackhawks would be able to deal with a team as physical as Philadelphia. I think the answer is yes.

Now if you are the Flyers, yes you lost game one. But you have once again showed that you are not your everyday 7-seed. And you have every reason to believe that this series may end with the Stanley Cup in your hands.

1. Leighton struggled, but Boucher looked pretty good.
Michael Leighton looked like the goalie Chicago got rid of many years ago. It was a matter of time before he fell back to earth. Philly fans just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. But Brian Boucher, after not playing for a few games due to injury, came back and looked good in the 24 minutes he played. 12 shots on goal, only 1 slipped past him. If I'm a Flyer fan, the fact that my goalie came in cold and effectively stopped the Blackhawks, with the exception of the Kopecky gives me a lot of hope for when he is ready to start prepared.

2. 5 goals. 5 goal scorers.
Philadelphia was going to need all the offense they could get considering how Niemi was playing. Having 5 different guys on the scoresheet means that all cylinders are working for Philly and guys are stepping up at the most important time. It also means Chicago has to have every man covered because the Flyers showed that anyone on the ice can score. Blair Betts? Point made.

3. Chris Pronger
A lot was made of the Chris Pronger-Dustin Byfuglien matchup. Advantage Pronger. Not only did Pronger have 2 assists and a +2, but he completely stopped DB, making more trouble for Toews and Kanes. The fact that DB could never set up in front of the net means Pronger is in the head of the Blackhawks' big forward and once a guy is in your head you are never going to be as effective.

4. You can play with Chicago.
Philly now knows they can play with the best. They forced bad turnovers and lost the game by 1 goal on the road. There are no moral victories, but don't think for a second the Flyers lost any confidence. They gained it.

5. Daniel Briere is a monster.
1 goal and 3 assists in this game. The stars need to step up when the lights are brightest. Briere joined Pronger in that trend. Chicago can't necessarily expect its 3rd and 4th lines to be consistently providing the scoring, but Philly is expecting guys like Briere to step up, and he did just that.

It was fantastic game 1 for the 2010 Stanley Cup. Even if you are not a hockey fan, you could not helped but be hooked by this contest. Expect more viewers for game 2, but not more goals. I don't see this being a 6-5 series the entire way. The goaltending is too good. This will be the biggest key for game 2. Will Niemi return to form? Will Boucher be starting (I think probably)? Will the 1 line for Chicago be effective? Can Briere duplicate his masterful performance? Will the Hossa curse hit? We'll just have to watch to find out. It's going to be fun.

The Hossa Curse - Previewing the 2010 Stanley Cup

Well, here he is again. Marian Hossa in his third straight Cup finals appearance. In 2008 it was with the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing in 6 games and watching a puck leave his stick with time expiring, only to watch it slide agonizingly across--but not over--the goal line. Not long after that, he announced that he would be leaving to play for the Detroit Red Wings, as they gave him "the best chance to win the Cup." He was almost right, as the Red Wings came alive in the playoffs and entered into their second consecutive Cup finals. This time, he had to watch from the bench as the Penguins, the same Penguins he left a year before, skated around the Joe with Lord Stanley's Cup. But what will he be doing this year? Will Marian Hossa finally lift the most glorious 40 pounds in the world in triumph? Will he lead the Blackhawks to their first cup win since the 1960s, or will history repeat itself and the curse be reaffirmed? We'll find out in 4 games' time. Or 5. Or 6. Or 7. So let's take a look at the final matchup of the 2009-2010 NHL season, shall we?

This year's Cup Finals features two of the most storied franchises in the NHL (LNH, for all your Francophones). On one side, you've got the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the Original Six teams from the league's early days. On the other, you've got the Philadelphia Flyers, the original "Broad Street Bullies". Ironically, these are also two teams who have gone decades without hoisting the Cup. No matter who wins, that will change this year, as one of these teams will be crowned Champions. To me, this is an intriguing matchup, two very quick teams who play a physical, punishing brand of hockey. This mix of speed and physicality is exactly what hockey, specifically playoff hockey, is all about, and should be a treat for all fans to watch, no matter who you choose to support.

Those of you who know me well know just how much I hate the Flyers. Hate. But even I can't deny being impressed by the Flyers' route to the Cup finals. On the last day of the regular season, they needed a shootout just to get into the playoffs. Just to qualify! They responded by making quick work of Marty Brodeur, showing the Devils to the exit in 5 games, much to the chagrin of David Putty. The next series against the Bruins would turn out to be record setting, in that the Flyers came back from 3 games down to force a game 7, THEN coming back from a 3 goal deficit in said game 7 to win the series 4-3 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the ECF, they met the giant-killing Canadiens, who as an 8th seed had dismissed powerhouses Washington and Pittsburgh. The Flyers made short work of them, winning the series in five and advancing to the finals. Throughout their playoff odyssey, the Flyers proved one thing: they were just too physical to match up against. At least, for the Eastern Conference teams they faced...

Chicago, on the other hand, seemed to struggle in their first two series against Nashville and Vancouver. At times, they seemed as though they couldn't clear their own zone, and some shaky play from Niemi looked to doom the Blackhawks. But just as the Penguins peaked and I started to give Mike and Pat crap, the 'Hawks found their step and haven't looked back since. Niemi has proven his reliability time and time again, and the hard-nosed, physical play on both ends of the ice has showed that Chicago is a force to be reckoned with. A highly entertaining Western Conference Finals series against perennial disappointment San Jose was the exclamation point to Chicago's rise, and like the Flyers they enter the Cup Finals with a ton of momentum. And once again, they too proved one thing: the physical play of the 'Hawks causes matchup horrors for most anyone they come across.

These two physical teams will be looking to set the tone early in Saturday night's tilt, so look for quick up-and-down action with plenty of hits. Here are some more things to look for:

Goaltending: Both teams enter the Cup Finals with hot goaltenders. Niemi has been the go-to guy for Chicago for the duration of the Playoffs, nevermind the fact that goaltending was the one question the 'Hawks had just before the Playoffs began. On the other side of the ice is Michael Leighton, a backup for the Flyers until injury called him into action. Since then, he has been near-unbeatable.

Physical Play: Like I said before, both of these teams play a tough, punishing brand of hockey. Whether its in the corners, on the forecheck or in the neutral zone, look for these two teams to trade hits like kids with baseball cards. Look especially for...

Byfuglien vs. Pronger: Both of these players are huge, both on and off skates. The fact that Pronger will be working the blueline for the Flyers means that a confrontation with the forward Byfuglien is all but inevitable. Look for Byfuglien to continue to utilize his size as a net-front presence, and look for Pronger to be tasked to keeping him away. Should be a great duel to watch.

Special Teams: Both of these two sides have been phenomenal on the PK these entire playoffs, with the Flyers third overall and the 'Hawks just behind at fourth. Throw in the fact that the 'Hawks sit fifth overall in postseason Power Play conversion and the matchup gets even more interesting

Jonathan Toews: Toews has arguably been the best player of the playoffs. With 26 points in the postseason, the most of any player, look for Toews to continue to put the puck on the net and rack up points. There's little doubt that Chris Pronger will be tasked with shutting down the young playmaker, which opens the ice up a bit for the other players like Byfuglien or Kane.

Even though my beloved Pens will be on the golf course for this Cup Finals series, I'll without a doubt be glued to the TV for each and every game. For entertainment's sake, I truly hope this series goes to 7 games, and my prediction is just that: I pick the 'Hawks to win in 7. Tune in Saturday night at 8 PM to catch all the action!

Love and Honor,

Matt

PS - It was officially announced that the Pittsburgh Penguins and Heinz Field will be hosting the Washington Capitals in the 2011 Winter Classic on New Year's Day. Thoughts?

Let the Early Exodus Begin

On Wednesday, it was announced that stand-out Wisconsin defenseman Brendan Smith, brother of Miami skater Reilly Smith, would skip out on his senior season and officially sign a three-year entry level contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Sure, I could point to what every one else is saying in that "this was a long time coming!" or, "come on, after watching the playoffs, the Red Wings clearly need the help!" or something of the sort, but I'm not going to. Fact of the matter is, the stalwart defenseman leaving the Badgers for the bright lights of the big leagues isn't the first this year to leave early...nor will he be the last. Let's take a closer look.

While seeing such a keystone player like Smith leave early certainly raises some eyebrows (okay, maybe just my eyebrows, but I'm sure I can't be the only one), he's actually only the latest to do so, joining 25 players in the NCAA who have already left for the big leagues with eligibility left (thanks to USCHO for the stat there). I myself didn't even realize that some of the players who are leaving actually did, names which should be familiar to those of us who have followed the Redhawks in the last few years. Let's take a look at some of these players.

We'll start with Ohio State, perhaps a different case due to the fact that coach John Markell was canned following yet another disappointing season with the Buckeyes, much to the chagrin of many a Redhawk fan. They're currently losing the services of three of their keystone players, forwards Zac Dalpe and Hunter Bishop along with defenseman Matt Bartkowski. These aren't just your average skaters, rather they're quite a talented trio whose absence will most certainly be felt in Columbus. Perhaps starting with Ohio State isn't the best, since their circumstances are a bit different than others; sure, these three players are quite possibly the most talented on their team, or were, rather, but their decision to leave early could have simply been due to the coaching change. Either way, there's one team left with quite a few holes to fill.

Another set of players leaving early which Redhawks fans will certainly recognize are Michigan State d-man Jeff Petry, Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver and Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Cameron Talbot. All three of these players, like the OSU trio in the previous paragraph, are highly talented prospects who will no doubt be playing elsewhere now that their college careers are over. Mark Olver had an outstanding year, both in CCHA and non-conference play, and I think we all remember watching Cameron Talbot stand on his head to keep the Miami -UAH game close. Having sat in the post-game press conference of that game, Cameron Talbot struck me as a young man of great poise and composure, and I'm certainly not surprised to see his name on this list. The same could be said of Olver and Petry.

This list certainly won't end with Brendan Smith. In fact, let's take a look closer to home, at a certain place we like to call home named the Steve Cady Arena. As much as Redhawk fans don't like to admit it, but the 'Hawks are just as vulnerable to losing some key pieces as these other schools are; just because it hasn't really been an issue in the past, aside from Jeff Zatkoff and Alec Martinez, doesn't mean it can't happen in Oxford as well. For example, defenseman Will Weber is one of the top prospects in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization--an organization that, right now, is really hurting on the blue line and looking desperately to plug some of those gaps. Weber, sooner or later, will be called upon to reinforce the CBJ blue line, but will they wait until after his senior year to do so? Or, there's the elephant in the room right now: whether or not captain Tommy Wingels will stay or go. Rumor has it that San Jose has already tendered him an offer, though I certainly cannot confirm that at this point.

I could go on and on down the list, including highlighting the three (!!) also leaving Boston University early, as much as it pains me to even mention that school. But the fact of the matter is that seeing talented kids leaving school early isn't just reserved for the high-profile players in NCAA football and basketball--it's also just as prevalent in hockey. So my question to you is this: what do you all think about what's going on? Certainly if a player is good enough to cut it in the big leagues, they should be permitted to do so, but at what cost to the school? Do these players even truly care about the colleges they sign on to, or are they just looking at it as merely practice before they get to the NHL, their ultimate goals? I'd love to hear what you all think. Until then, stay tuned until tomorrow, when you'll get one heck of a Stanley Cup preview.

Love and Honor,

Matt

Credentials

We understand that any person can make a blog about anything. So how are you supposed to expect that this blog will have any use whatsoever? To that I can only say to look at our credibility.

In April of 2007. I decided to transfer to Miami University. I was asked by Patrick Murray to join him on a student radio adventure that would last 3 years. I already had 5 years of experience. I had spent 4 years doing sports radio in high school, and a year at the University of Missouri on a radio show for their student station. But at WMSR, Miami University's student run radio station, we built a sports department.

Starting in October of 2008 we began broadcasting every Miami University hockey game. In order to do this we had to become extremely familiar with the college game, which led us to become strongly proficient in the NHL as well. I have broadcast dozens and dozens of hockey games in my radio career. 3 years of Miami RedHawks hockey. From the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio to the War Memorial in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. and finally to Joe Louis Arena and Ford Field in Detroit, we have put together broadcasts that have left those around us asking if we're professionals.

We're not braggarts, arrogant, or remotely kidding ourselves when it comes to the ability to feel an in-game situation. What this post wants to do is explain to you why you should understand when we provide information, analysis, or commentary, we know what we are talking about. We may not be players of the game, but we are students of the sport.

And while this applies to other sports as well, as I'm sure fanatics like us cannot stay on hockey alone, we have spent along time working on our craft. So we hope you'll take a journey with us. Comment on our posts. Give us your own opinions. The blog is about discussion, not 3 guys who feel they have all the answers. We hope you enjoy this. If you are half as intrigued by reader the posts as we are writing them, I think we'll all have a good time.

First Post - Welcome to the Dentist's Chair

In case you hadn't been watching, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith took a Patrick Marleau shot to the face in Sunday's game against San Jose, causing him to lose 7 chiclets in one fell swoop. I'll get to why this is relevant in a moment, but for now, let me be the first to welcome you all to Duncan Keith's Dentist, which I'm sure will become a one-stop-shop for all of your sporting news needs. No, seriously.

2009-2010 has been pretty interesting for me, sports-wise. In the span of about a month I watched my beloved Miami RedHawks bounced unceremoniously from the Frozen Four, my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins dumped in 7 games by the Montreal Canadiens(??) and FC Bayern blow a potential (and historic) Triple in the Champions League final in Madrid, not to mention the usual dismal displays on the diamond from the Pirates as they continue with their record-setting ways. But I digress. Going back to 2009, it was the first home series for Miami ice hockey, against St Cloud State, in which I was given my first opportunity to do a live radio broadcast of a hockey game, alongside Patrick Murray and filling in for Mike Cohen, and the rest was history. With roadtrips to Ann Arbor, Fort Wayne and Detroit behind us, I know I'm not alone in missing not only the airtime on the radio with Pat and Mike, but also the conversations in the press box, the car or some random Wendy's in Bowling Green, Ohio. And so, this blog was born.

You'll never find a more devoted trio of sports fanatics than Pat, Mike and myself, which is why I'm confident in my earlier statement when I said that this blog would truly become your one-stop-shop for sports news and banter. Always professional and always informed, I'm sure our posts will be informative, entertaining and sometimes just down-right hilarious. And if you don't believe me, stick around for a week or two and find out for yourself. And as for the Duncan Keith reference, it goes beyond Mike and Pat's devotion to their beloved Blackhawks--I'm sure at some point, you'll feel like you're sitting in the dentist's chair reading this. Just like playing against Charlie Coles, only without the red turtleneck. Well, maybe not. We never really know what Pat might be wearing.

Love and Honor,

Matt