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Stanley Cup Playoffs April 25 2018 Review

Bruins rally to win another epic Game 7 against Maple Leafs; Bergeron inches closer to becoming “Mr. Game 7”; DeBrusk, Pastrnak reach score sheet to close impressive round

WEDNESDAY’S RESULT
The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in another epic Game 7 to set the final matchup for the Second Round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

BRUINS RALLY TO WIN ANOTHER EPIC GAME 7 AGAINST MAPLE LEAFS
The Bruins overcame deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 – highlighted by four unanswered goals in the third period – to defeat the Maple Leafs in Game 7 and advance to the Second Round for the first time since 2014.

Boston became the first team in NHL history to overcome three deficits of at least one goal to win a Game 7 in regulation (only three clubs did so en route to overtime wins). Five years ago, Boston became the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal, third-period deficit to win in a Game 7, also against the Maple Leafs.

The 11 combined goals matched the third-most ever in a Game 7, with only five others reaching the 10-goal plateau. The Bruins became the seventh team in NHL history to score at least seven goals in a Game 7 and first since the Red Wings in the 2002 Conference Finals vs. COL (7-0 W).

Wednesday’s contest was also the second Game 7 in NHL history in which four tying goals were scored (BOS: 3, TOR: 1). The other such instance came in the 2014 First Round when the Wild tied the game four times in a 5-4 overtime victory against the Avalanche.

The Bruins will face the Lightning in the Second Round, with Game 1 slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET in Tampa (NBC, SN, TVAS). This marks the second playoff series between Tampa Bay and Boston following a seven-game showdown in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final. The teams combined for an average of six goals per game in that series, but a pair of shutouts by eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas helped the Bruins advance – highlighted by a 24-save performance in their 1-0 series-clinching win – en route to their sixth Stanley Cup.

BERGERON INCHES CLOSER TO BECOMING “MR. GAME 7”
Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron collected 1-2—3 to boost his career Game 7 totals to 5-4—9 (all w/ BOS), becoming the highest-scoring Bruins player ever in Game 7s (for both goals and points). In fact, Bergeron became the 11th player in NHL history to compile at least nine career points in Game 7s.

Bergeron is one of six active players to appear in at least 10 career Game 7s, with teammate Zdeno Chara topping that list at 12 – one shy of tying Patrick Roy and Scott Stevens (both w/ 13) for the most in NHL history.

DeBRUSK, PASTRNAK REACH SCORE SHEET TO CLOSE IMPRESSIVE ROUND
Bruins rookie Jake DeBrusk scored twice, including the series-clinching goal at 5:25 of the third period. He became the 15th rookie in NHL history – and third in the past four years – to score a series-clinching goal in a Game 7. One other rookie has achieved that feat with Boston: Fred Knipscheer in the 1994 Conference Quarterfinals vs. MTL. DeBrusk finished his first playoff series with 5-2—7, sharing the team lead in goals.

David Pastrnak (1-1—2) scored to give the Bruins a two-goal lead midway through the third period and conclude the First Round with 5-8—13, matching Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (6-7—13) and Jake Guentzel (6-7—13) for the most points in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This marks the third time in NHL history that at least three players from any team recorded 13+ points apiece in the same round. The first such instance came in the 1983 Division Finals when Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky (6-8—14) and Boston teammates Rick Middleton (5-14—19) and Barry Pederson (7-9—16) combined for the feat. Gretzky (4-14—18) and three of his Oilers teammates – Jari Kurri (12-3—15), Glenn Anderson (6-8—14) and Paul Coffey (3-11—14) – then combined to do so in the 1985 Conference Finals.


OTHER GAME 7 NOTABLES
The Bruins recorded their 14th all-time victory in a Game 7 to tie the Canadiens and Red Wings for the most in NHL history. Boston’s 26 all-time appearances in Game 7s are also the most ever, one more than Detroit (25).

The Bruins won a Game 7 after surrendering a 3-1 series lead for the fourth time in franchise history, including twice against the Maple Leafs. The other instances came in the 1939 Semifinals vs. NYR (2-1 3OT W), 1992 Division Semifinals vs. BUF (3-2 W) and 2013 Conference Quarterfinals vs. TOR (5-4 OT W).

Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen became the second player in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal in a Game 7, joining Dave Keon in the 1964 Semifinals at MTL. Kapanen (21 years, 276 days) also became the youngest player in NHL history to score a shorthanded goal in a Game 7, eclipsing the mark set by Kris Draper (22 years, 341 days) in the 1994 Conference Quarterfinals vs. SJS (w/ DET).

Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau (38 years, 222 days) became the second-oldest player in NHL history to score twice in a Game 7, behind only Nicklas Lidstrom (39 years, 364 days) in the 2010 Conference Quarterfinals at PHX (w/ DET).

The team that allows the first goal improved to 44-126 (.259) in the 170 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Home teams improved to 100-70 (.588).


BRACKET SET, SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Boston’s win finalized the Second Round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, along with dates for all potential games. Click for a full schedule.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS LOOK AT SECOND ROUND
The Second Round begins tonight with two of four series getting underway: the Capitals host the Penguins in Washington (7 p.m. ET) and the Golden Knights welcome the Sharks to Vegas (10 p.m. ET).

Stanley Cup schedule for Thursday, Apr 26, 2018

Matchup

 Time

Pittsburgh@ Washington

 7:00 PM ET

San Jose@ Vegas

10:00 PM ET

SPOTLIGHT ON OVECHKIN, CROSBY AS CAPS, PENS MEET AGAIN
Captains Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby headline the conversation ahead of the 11th all-time playoff meeting between the Capitals and Penguins, the third consecutive year that the clubs will meet in the postseason (all in the Second Round). They are the first NHL clubs to meet in three consecutive postseasons, all after the opening round, since 1988-92, when the Bruins faced the Canadiens in the Division Finals for five straight years.

The Penguins own a 9-1 advantage in their 10 prior playoff series with the Capitals, including victories en route to all five of their Stanley Cups (in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017). Their .900 head-to-head winning percentage is the second-best in NHL postseason history among teams that have met in at least five series.

Game 1 will mark the 20th head-to-head playoff matchup for Crosby and Ovechkin, who recorded 6-7—13 and 5-3—8, respectively, in the First Round. Ovechkin has posted 12-14—26 in the 19 previous meetings compared to 10-12—22 for Crosby, with the Penguins owning an 11-8 games advantage and 3-0 series edge in those meetings. Crosby also has collected 20-43—63 in the 45 regular-season games in which the two players have faced off (Ovechkin: 28-20—48); the Penguins are 27-16-2 in those contests (WSH: 18-21-6).

GOALTENDING DUEL AT FOREFRONT OF VEGAS-SAN JOSE SHOWDOWN

Backed by the only remaining Western Conference goaltenders with their names on the Stanley Cup, the Golden Knights (Marc-Andre Fleury: 3x) and Sharks (Martin Jones: 1x) will meet in the Second Round after allowing a combined seven goals against en route to both sweeping their First Round matchups (VGK: 3 GA, SJS: 4 GA).

Golden Knights forward William Karlsson led all skaters with four goals in four head-to-head matchups during the regular season (VGK: 3-0-1, SJS: 1-2-1), including a stunning between-the-legs goal while shorthanded that clinched the Pacific Division title for Vegas on March 31.

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski (2-3—5 in FR) leads a group of 24 San Jose players who are pursuing their first Stanley Cup. That list includes forward Evander Kane, acquired on Feb. 26, who made his postseason debut in Game 1 against Anaheim (after 574 career regular-season games) and shared the team lead with three goals in the First Round.

BEDNAR, CASSIDY AND GALLANT VOTED JACK ADAMS AWARD FINALISTS

Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche, Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins and Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights are the three finalists for the 2017-18 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association submitted ballots for the Jack Adams Award at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2018 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, in alphabetical order:

Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche

Bednar guided a rookie-laden Avalanche (43-30-9, 95 points) to among the most dramatic single-season improvements in NHL history. Colorado posted a 47-point increase over 2016-17, tied for the fourth-highest year-to-year gain, in qualifying for their first postseason appearance since 2013-14. The club went 28-11-2 on home ice, matching its franchise record of 28 home wins set by the 2000-01 Stanley Cup team. The Avalanche dressed 11 rookies, tied for the League lead, and the rookie group combined for an NHL-high 419 games. The team’s 255 goals scored (excluding shootouts) was its most since 2006-07 and a 55% increase over the 165 from 2016-17. Bednar is a first-time Jack Adams Award finalist and in quest of the third such honor in franchise history following Patrick Roy (2013-14) and Marc Crawford (1994-95, Quebec Nordiques).

Bruce Cassidy, Boston Bruins

In his first full season behind the Boston bench as head coach, Cassidy led the Bruins (50-20-12, 112 points) to a fourth-place finish in the NHL’s overall standings and the club’s fourth-highest point total in the past 40 years. The Bruins registered a 13-game road point streak from Dec. 13 – Feb. 11 (11-0-2), the fifth-longest such run in franchise history. They finished the season 22-12-7 away from home, third in the League behind the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning. Bruins rookies tallied 58 goals in 2017-18, the most by any NHL club and representing 22% of the team’s total. A first-time finalist, Cassidy is vying to become the fourth Bruins coach to capture Jack Adams honors, following Don Cherry (1975-76), Pat Burns (1997-98) and Claude Julien (2008-09).

Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights

Gallant led the Golden Knights (51-24-7, 109 points) to a slew of historic achievements in 2017-18, with Vegas becoming the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four North American professional sports leagues to start from scratch and win its division. The Golden Knights started the season 8-1-0, using four goaltenders within their first 10 games following a spate of injuries. They went on to post their 34th victory on Feb. 1 to set the NHL record for wins by a team in its inaugural season – with 32 games remaining. Eleven Golden Knights players recorded career-best point totals, most notably William Karlsson, who posted 43-35—78 after a 6-19—25 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17. Gallant is a Jack Adams Award finalist for the second time, having finished second in voting in 2015-16 with the Florida Panthers.

History

The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

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IPM Editor