Cross Checks: San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks announced Wednesday that their GM Doug Wilson would remain in place, but what about the head coach?
No word yet on that front, but my guess is that Todd McLellan will remain behind the bench for the Sharks.
McLellan has two more years on his deal. For my money, he’s one of the better coaches in the NHL, and if the Sharks decided to part ways, he would not be out of work very long. But I think he’ll be staying put.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, still no word regarding Alain Vigneault. My read on it: GM Mike Gillis wants Vigneault back as head coach but ownership has yet to weigh in.
Certainly, if the Canucks decided to fire Vigneault, you better bet new Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin would be all over him.
I believe Marc Crawford will also be in the mix for the Habs coaching job, and my TSN colleague Darren Dreger reports that Bob Hartley and Michel Therrien are also on the radar.
It’s not quite done yet but a source told ESPN.com Wednesday that the sale of the St. Louis Blues to a group headed by minority owner Tom Stillman is "very close."
Once the deal is finally approved by the board of governors, it will be a parting of the ways between current chairman Dave Checketts and the Blues.
I had a chance to meet Stillman in the first round. I found him to be a real engaging guy who is passionate about the team and the sport in general. I think the Blues are going to be in good hands with Stillman, who came on board as a minority owner in March 2007.
The team has been for sale for 14 months, which has made things difficult on the front office. The Blues couldn’t add a dime to their payroll at the trade deadline, for example. And they’ve got players who need new deals this summer. T.J. Oshie and David Perron are restricted free agents and defenseman Barret Jackman is an unrestricted free agent.
No word yet on that front, but my guess is that Todd McLellan will remain behind the bench for the Sharks.
McLellan has two more years on his deal. For my money, he’s one of the better coaches in the NHL, and if the Sharks decided to part ways, he would not be out of work very long. But I think he’ll be staying put.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, still no word regarding Alain Vigneault. My read on it: GM Mike Gillis wants Vigneault back as head coach but ownership has yet to weigh in.
Certainly, if the Canucks decided to fire Vigneault, you better bet new Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin would be all over him.
I believe Marc Crawford will also be in the mix for the Habs coaching job, and my TSN colleague Darren Dreger reports that Bob Hartley and Michel Therrien are also on the radar.
Blues sale
It’s not quite done yet but a source told ESPN.com Wednesday that the sale of the St. Louis Blues to a group headed by minority owner Tom Stillman is "very close."
Once the deal is finally approved by the board of governors, it will be a parting of the ways between current chairman Dave Checketts and the Blues.
I had a chance to meet Stillman in the first round. I found him to be a real engaging guy who is passionate about the team and the sport in general. I think the Blues are going to be in good hands with Stillman, who came on board as a minority owner in March 2007.
The team has been for sale for 14 months, which has made things difficult on the front office. The Blues couldn’t add a dime to their payroll at the trade deadline, for example. And they’ve got players who need new deals this summer. T.J. Oshie and David Perron are restricted free agents and defenseman Barret Jackman is an unrestricted free agent.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The possibility of a 3-1 series deficit speaks for itself as to the motivation for the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 on Thursday night.
The Blues-Sharks first-round series has reached its first critical moment.
"We've got to win," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said Thursday morning after his team’s optional skate. "We’re down 2-1, and we need to win this home game. That’s the bottom line."
"It’s a big game, for sure," Sharks winger Martin Havlat added. "We just want to be better than we were the other night. I don’t think we played the way we wanted to."
The Blues, on the other hand, want to avoid making this a lengthy travel series, given the two time zones it involves.
"This is a huge game," said Blues center Scott Nichol, who knows all too well what his former team in San Jose is capable of. "We know it. We’ve addressed it. By far we’re not satisfied of where we’re at. We played well last game but we can be better."
The Sharks scored two goals late in Game 3 to make it closer at 4-3, which Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock was able to use as a tool over the last few days.
"It got their attention, it grounded us for the last two days," Hitchcock said Thursday morning after his team’s optional skate. "I think it’s one of the reasons why we had such a good practice yesterday. We were very good at practice yesterday and very focused. I think just the scare, especially for such a young team, is a great lesson in completing the task."
The Sharks had an optional skate Thursday morning, so with not all players on hand, it wasn’t clear if Wednesday’s new forward lines were still a go.
"Potentially," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan responded when asked if those line and lineup changes were a go. "We’ve got some options that we can use as far as injecting new people into the lineup (Brad Winchester, Michal Handzus), as well as shuffling lines around a little bit. We’re looking for a little more offensive zone sustained time in five-on-five situations, (and) a little more finish when we do get some opportunities. We’ll need that if we’re going to have any success."
It’s the playoffs, so the coach sometimes doesn’t want to tip his hand on lineup changes. Or perhaps McLellan wanted a bit more time to think about it before puck drop Thursday night.
But if Wednesday’s practice lines hold true, Patrick Marleau will go from first-line winger to second-line center. He’s flip-flopped from wing to center for a number of years now, so he’s fine with it.
"It probably started about five years ago, when I moved to wing," Marleau said Thursday morning. "It’s pretty frequent, in and out."
At center, Marleau feels he can stretch his legs a bit more and use his speed.
"You’re moving a lot more, I think, as opposed to standing on the boards," said Marleau. "I like it that way. You definitely feel like you’re in the playoff the whole time."
If these changes hold, it will see Logan Couture move up with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, which presents a different challenge for the Blues.
"I think what gets your attention is when they load up a line," said Hitchcock. "When they load up a line, there’s risk on both sides. The risk is for them, can that line do the job and can everybody else cover up and take of business underneath that? The risk for us, is can we defend that line and not let them do that job. For me, it’s like putting Zetterberg and Datsyuk together. You think it looks good because there’s only one line to check but then they just dominate the game so much, you think it’s a real bad idea. So, I don’t know how this is going to work and if he’s going to stay with it, but it’s got our attention."
The Blues-Sharks first-round series has reached its first critical moment.
"We've got to win," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said Thursday morning after his team’s optional skate. "We’re down 2-1, and we need to win this home game. That’s the bottom line."
"It’s a big game, for sure," Sharks winger Martin Havlat added. "We just want to be better than we were the other night. I don’t think we played the way we wanted to."
The Blues, on the other hand, want to avoid making this a lengthy travel series, given the two time zones it involves.
"This is a huge game," said Blues center Scott Nichol, who knows all too well what his former team in San Jose is capable of. "We know it. We’ve addressed it. By far we’re not satisfied of where we’re at. We played well last game but we can be better."
The Sharks scored two goals late in Game 3 to make it closer at 4-3, which Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock was able to use as a tool over the last few days.
"It got their attention, it grounded us for the last two days," Hitchcock said Thursday morning after his team’s optional skate. "I think it’s one of the reasons why we had such a good practice yesterday. We were very good at practice yesterday and very focused. I think just the scare, especially for such a young team, is a great lesson in completing the task."
Marleau at Center
The Sharks had an optional skate Thursday morning, so with not all players on hand, it wasn’t clear if Wednesday’s new forward lines were still a go.
"Potentially," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan responded when asked if those line and lineup changes were a go. "We’ve got some options that we can use as far as injecting new people into the lineup (Brad Winchester, Michal Handzus), as well as shuffling lines around a little bit. We’re looking for a little more offensive zone sustained time in five-on-five situations, (and) a little more finish when we do get some opportunities. We’ll need that if we’re going to have any success."
It’s the playoffs, so the coach sometimes doesn’t want to tip his hand on lineup changes. Or perhaps McLellan wanted a bit more time to think about it before puck drop Thursday night.
But if Wednesday’s practice lines hold true, Patrick Marleau will go from first-line winger to second-line center. He’s flip-flopped from wing to center for a number of years now, so he’s fine with it.
"It probably started about five years ago, when I moved to wing," Marleau said Thursday morning. "It’s pretty frequent, in and out."
At center, Marleau feels he can stretch his legs a bit more and use his speed.
"You’re moving a lot more, I think, as opposed to standing on the boards," said Marleau. "I like it that way. You definitely feel like you’re in the playoff the whole time."
If these changes hold, it will see Logan Couture move up with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, which presents a different challenge for the Blues.
"I think what gets your attention is when they load up a line," said Hitchcock. "When they load up a line, there’s risk on both sides. The risk is for them, can that line do the job and can everybody else cover up and take of business underneath that? The risk for us, is can we defend that line and not let them do that job. For me, it’s like putting Zetterberg and Datsyuk together. You think it looks good because there’s only one line to check but then they just dominate the game so much, you think it’s a real bad idea. So, I don’t know how this is going to work and if he’s going to stay with it, but it’s got our attention."
Blues' Jaroslav Halak won't play in Game 4
April, 18, 2012
Apr 18
6:14
PM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
St. Louis Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak did not take part in practice Wednesday as a suspected ankle injury keeps him on the shelf.
"He’s not going to play obviously tomorrow," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after practice. "He skated yesterday. So we’ll just keep him working back toward here sometime, but right now he’s just not available. So Brian's [Brian Elliott] the guy."
Elliott has been rock solid since taking over early in the second period of Game 2 when Halak was injured.
"We’ve had confidence in [Elliott] since Day 1," said Hitchcock.
"I don’t think a lot bothers him. And if it does bother him, he shakes it off pretty quickly. He’s got good focus."
"They’ve obviously made some changes, I think it’s the coach’s obligation to make changes," Hitchcock said. "I think when you’re not happy with your team, win or lose, you have to make changes."
Michal Handzus, who played for Hitchcock in Philadelphia, could possibly be playing in his first game of the playoffs for the Sharks if lines from Wednesday’s practice hold firm.
"I know Michal very well and he’s a proud guy, he’s going to want to get in and you’re going to get 100 percent from him," Hitchcock said.
The Blues are leaning toward the same lineup from Game 3.
"Same lineup but I think you’ll see a different rotation," Hitchcock said.
"He’s not going to play obviously tomorrow," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after practice. "He skated yesterday. So we’ll just keep him working back toward here sometime, but right now he’s just not available. So Brian's [Brian Elliott] the guy."
Elliott has been rock solid since taking over early in the second period of Game 2 when Halak was injured.
"We’ve had confidence in [Elliott] since Day 1," said Hitchcock.
"I don’t think a lot bothers him. And if it does bother him, he shakes it off pretty quickly. He’s got good focus."
Sharks' changes don't go unnoticed
The Blues were cognizant of the Sharks’ lineup changes, at least what San Jose displayed at practice Wednesday."They’ve obviously made some changes, I think it’s the coach’s obligation to make changes," Hitchcock said. "I think when you’re not happy with your team, win or lose, you have to make changes."
Michal Handzus, who played for Hitchcock in Philadelphia, could possibly be playing in his first game of the playoffs for the Sharks if lines from Wednesday’s practice hold firm.
"I know Michal very well and he’s a proud guy, he’s going to want to get in and you’re going to get 100 percent from him," Hitchcock said.
The Blues are leaning toward the same lineup from Game 3.
"Same lineup but I think you’ll see a different rotation," Hitchcock said.
Sharks bring in fresh faces at forward
April, 18, 2012
Apr 18
4:00
PM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- If the forward lines hold true from Wednesday’s practice, the San Jose Sharks could look more than a little different for Game 4:
Couture-Thornton-Pavelski
Clowe-Marleau-Havlat
Winnik-Handzus-Mitchell
Winchester-Desjardins-Wingels
That left T.J. Galiardi and Dominic Moore on the outside looking in. For Michal Handzus and Brad Winchester, it would be their first appearance in the series.
But that’s only if coach Todd McLellan is committed to what he experimented with Wednesday.
"Potential lineup changes, there’s potential shuffling,’’ McLellan said after practice. "We still have to sit down as a staff and confirm everything. But there’s always that opportunity.’’
After losing two straight games in the series, a fresh look is the obvious way to go.
"Well, you put some fresh people in the lineup that I’m sure are hungry, if we go about doing that," said McLellan. "They would want to play and stay in the lineup; that should give you an emotional and physical jump. It’s also the coach sending a signal maybe to some guys that he’s not happy with their game. And that includes shuffling the lines that aren’t working. It puts everybody on notice that maybe we can be better."
Winchester and Handzus are both big bodies. The idea would be to try to have more bodies penetrate and crash the net. The Blues have been incredible in the way they’ve defended the blue paint and left the Sharks with very little in terms of true offensive chances.
With Patrick Marleau without a point in three games, McLellan needs to find a spark. Putting Marleau back at center instead of wing could be that spark.
"Well, he’s able to use his size and speed through the middle," McLellan said of putting Marleau at center. "When he’s a winger, he has a tendency to play on one-third of the ice surface. He’s a big man, he’s a strong man, and he can get to places because he can skate well. When you put him in the middle, he should be able to work four corners versus two."
Putting Couture on Thornton’s wing is something McLellan has done in the past to jump-start his team.
"Jumbo is so creative," Couture said Wednesday after practice of Thornton. "And Patty likes to use his speed in the middle. Just some changes. That’s good sometimes and I think right now is a good time for it."
Thornton says the top-six forward group is made up interchangeable parts, but he’s fine with the changes.
"Just about a different look, finding different chemistry," said Thornton. "If he does change the lines, hopefully it will spark some offense from us."
Couture-Thornton-Pavelski
Clowe-Marleau-Havlat
Winnik-Handzus-Mitchell
Winchester-Desjardins-Wingels
That left T.J. Galiardi and Dominic Moore on the outside looking in. For Michal Handzus and Brad Winchester, it would be their first appearance in the series.
But that’s only if coach Todd McLellan is committed to what he experimented with Wednesday.
"Potential lineup changes, there’s potential shuffling,’’ McLellan said after practice. "We still have to sit down as a staff and confirm everything. But there’s always that opportunity.’’
After losing two straight games in the series, a fresh look is the obvious way to go.
"Well, you put some fresh people in the lineup that I’m sure are hungry, if we go about doing that," said McLellan. "They would want to play and stay in the lineup; that should give you an emotional and physical jump. It’s also the coach sending a signal maybe to some guys that he’s not happy with their game. And that includes shuffling the lines that aren’t working. It puts everybody on notice that maybe we can be better."
Winchester and Handzus are both big bodies. The idea would be to try to have more bodies penetrate and crash the net. The Blues have been incredible in the way they’ve defended the blue paint and left the Sharks with very little in terms of true offensive chances.
With Patrick Marleau without a point in three games, McLellan needs to find a spark. Putting Marleau back at center instead of wing could be that spark.
"Well, he’s able to use his size and speed through the middle," McLellan said of putting Marleau at center. "When he’s a winger, he has a tendency to play on one-third of the ice surface. He’s a big man, he’s a strong man, and he can get to places because he can skate well. When you put him in the middle, he should be able to work four corners versus two."
Putting Couture on Thornton’s wing is something McLellan has done in the past to jump-start his team.
"Jumbo is so creative," Couture said Wednesday after practice of Thornton. "And Patty likes to use his speed in the middle. Just some changes. That’s good sometimes and I think right now is a good time for it."
Thornton says the top-six forward group is made up interchangeable parts, but he’s fine with the changes.
"Just about a different look, finding different chemistry," said Thornton. "If he does change the lines, hopefully it will spark some offense from us."
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Sharks coach Todd McLellan resisted making lineup changes to his forward group for Game 3, but after two straight losses, that’s likely going to change.
His team had an optional practice Tuesday, so it was impossible to tell what he had in mind. Not only will a body or two debut up front Thursday night in Game 4, but even within the current 12 forwards, line changes are possible. McLellan started toying with his lines in the third period of Monday night’s 4-3 loss.
The Sharks have plenty of options left to try to turn this series around, McLellan said.
"We can do some things in all areas of our game to get better," he said. "We can look at the line combinations, the potential lineup changes. There’s a lot we can do. It’s 2-1. We’ve been here many times and we’ve conducted ourselves appropriately and come back and won series."
Blues more special
The Blues are winning the special-teams battle through three games.
"Special teams have been a big factor in the series," Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said Tuesday.
Um, yeah. As in the Sharks have given up five power-play goals on 13 chances, scoring only twice on their own power play in 11 chances.
The Sharks were 29th in the league on the PK this season, so it’s hardly surprising that that trend is continuing.
"It has to be better," said McLellan. "We got off to a very poor start [in the regular season]. Midway point of the season, we were very good after we reset everything. The last two games of the year we weren’t very good, and now it’s carried through. ... The big concern is what happened last night, and there’s ways to address it and try and fix it."
Jason Arnott’s power-play goal Monday night highlighted one of the issues. There’s no way that cross-ice pass should get through the slot like that. It’s about having more active sticks.
"It’s about the details, the focus, getting the clears, winning a faceoff -- all those little one-on-one battles," said Pavelski, who kills penalties.
On the other side of the special-teams ledger, the Sharks -- second overall in the NHL on the power play this season -- have been stymied. The Blues were seventh in the league on the PK in the regular season, and you can see why.
"That’s the way they kill; they’re aggressive and move well together as a four-man group," said Pavelski. "Our few power-play goals and chances have all come from broken plays. ... Your routes and different things aren’t always going to be there, so you have to improvise and make some plays."
Veteran Sharks winger Patrick Marleau, without a point in three games, says the little details make the difference on the power play.
"They’ve been winning pucks and battles," he said Tuesday of the Blues’ penalty killers. "That’s something we can do better, is supporting each other. We probably won’t get as much time as we think, so we just need to get shots through and guys going to the net."
Another area of concern is the type of penalties the Sharks are taking. They’ve been guilty of a number of offensive-zone penalties, which are coach killers and actually uncharacteristic of the Sharks.
"It stings," said McLellan. "We’re well up there in this series in offensive-zone penalties. Which is a little disappointing. We have to be a little more aware of what we’re doing in that area.’’
His team had an optional practice Tuesday, so it was impossible to tell what he had in mind. Not only will a body or two debut up front Thursday night in Game 4, but even within the current 12 forwards, line changes are possible. McLellan started toying with his lines in the third period of Monday night’s 4-3 loss.
The Sharks have plenty of options left to try to turn this series around, McLellan said.
"We can do some things in all areas of our game to get better," he said. "We can look at the line combinations, the potential lineup changes. There’s a lot we can do. It’s 2-1. We’ve been here many times and we’ve conducted ourselves appropriately and come back and won series."
Blues more special
The Blues are winning the special-teams battle through three games.
"Special teams have been a big factor in the series," Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said Tuesday.
Um, yeah. As in the Sharks have given up five power-play goals on 13 chances, scoring only twice on their own power play in 11 chances.
The Sharks were 29th in the league on the PK this season, so it’s hardly surprising that that trend is continuing.
"It has to be better," said McLellan. "We got off to a very poor start [in the regular season]. Midway point of the season, we were very good after we reset everything. The last two games of the year we weren’t very good, and now it’s carried through. ... The big concern is what happened last night, and there’s ways to address it and try and fix it."
Jason Arnott’s power-play goal Monday night highlighted one of the issues. There’s no way that cross-ice pass should get through the slot like that. It’s about having more active sticks.
"It’s about the details, the focus, getting the clears, winning a faceoff -- all those little one-on-one battles," said Pavelski, who kills penalties.
On the other side of the special-teams ledger, the Sharks -- second overall in the NHL on the power play this season -- have been stymied. The Blues were seventh in the league on the PK in the regular season, and you can see why.
"That’s the way they kill; they’re aggressive and move well together as a four-man group," said Pavelski. "Our few power-play goals and chances have all come from broken plays. ... Your routes and different things aren’t always going to be there, so you have to improvise and make some plays."
Veteran Sharks winger Patrick Marleau, without a point in three games, says the little details make the difference on the power play.
"They’ve been winning pucks and battles," he said Tuesday of the Blues’ penalty killers. "That’s something we can do better, is supporting each other. We probably won’t get as much time as we think, so we just need to get shots through and guys going to the net."
Another area of concern is the type of penalties the Sharks are taking. They’ve been guilty of a number of offensive-zone penalties, which are coach killers and actually uncharacteristic of the Sharks.
"It stings," said McLellan. "We’re well up there in this series in offensive-zone penalties. Which is a little disappointing. We have to be a little more aware of what we’re doing in that area.’’
Sharks buzzing, Blues not, about chaos
April, 16, 2012
Apr 16
3:05
PM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Still lots of buzz Monday morning at HP Pavilion about the craziness around the playoffs in terms of fisticuffs and dirty play.
"A lot of the series [are in] borderline chaos right now,’’ Sharks coach Todd McLellan said after his team’s morning skate.
And why is that?
"I don’t know, I don’t have an answer for it,” he said. "The other series, we’re all watching them because we’re hockey people and we get excited by the playoffs, but it’s amazing what’s going on right now. Maybe some of the messages will be delivered today [by the NHL] and everyone will reel it in a little bit. But high stakes, high emotions, competitive players, many that are crossing the line.’’
Hitchcock had a slightly different view.
"I don’t agree with that, I think organized chaos would be better (way to put it),’’ said the Blues coach. "I know it doesn’t look organized to you, but it is. This is why the players play. This is what happens when you have a lot of young players in the league. It’s very emotional, it’s very intense. ...
"For me, it’s chaos, I agree on that with Todd, but I still think there’s still organization to it. Otherwise if there isn’t, we don’t have jobs. We might as well just turn them loose. We have to keep our jobs, you know?’’
Hitchcock believes the parity in today’s NHL also plays into it.
"You could predict pretty comfortably before who could win series, you can’t do that anymore in hockey,’’ said the Blues coach. "The eighth seeds are just as good as the ones. ... I just think that everybody thinks they can win right now, there isn’t one team that’s playing in the playoffs right now that doesn’t think it can win. So that makes for at times nasty play when you’re getting it taken to you.’’
The Blues and Sharks ended Game 2 with a fight-filled melee. The Sharks are real unhappy with what they feel was a sucker-punch from Vladimir Sobotka on Dominic Moore, which left Moore with a broken nose. Moore didn’t skate Monday morning (although he did on Sunday). The Blues, meanwhile, aren’t happy with Brent Burns’ elbow/punch to the head of Scott Nichol. So both teams feel the other team crossed the line in some fashion.
McLellan wants his team to be passionate but to know where the line is.
"You want that emotional attachment to the game, you just can’t have it go too far,’’ he said.
The Sharks are a veteran team, so expect them to hold their composure Monday night.
"The smarter team probably wins at the end,’’ said Sharks winger Martin Havlat. "You don’t want to take any stupid penalties and get the other team on the power play. You got to be smart and pick your spot.’’
Sharks' offense
The Sharks didn’t generate much in the second and third periods Saturday night. The Blues, the NHL’s stingiest team in the regular season, shut them down.
"To be successful tonight and moving forward, we have to take it up a notch,” said McLellan. "We’ll be tested and it’ll be a great test for our group.’’
The Sharks coach hinted at possible lineup changes without naming names.
"Do we need some size in and around the net? Perhaps,” he said. "Is it around their net or in and around our net? We’ll have to make a decision there.’’
My guess is that veteran blueliner Colin White might play his first game of the series.
Faceoffs are key
The Sharks were one of the better faceoff teams in the NHL this season but the Blues have edged them so far, St. Louis winning 52 percent in Game 1 and 55 percent in Game 2.
"We can be better,” said McLellan. "There weren’t many times during the regular season where we lost the faceoff battle back-to-back. And we’ve done that in this series.’’
Stewart back in
Chris Stewart checks back in for the Blues after the winger was scratched in Game 2 -- a decision that got much attention.
"The message was sent and I think it was received loud and clear," Stewart said Monday morning after the skate. "I’m going to go out there and work my (butt) off. You see the last game, those are the games you dream about. End of the game and you win and there’s a line brawl and stuff like that. That’s stuff you want to be a part of. I was obviously disappointed I didn’t get to experience that. But that’s the good thing about this game, you get a chance tonight to redeem yourself."
It’s not every day in the playoffs that a coach changes a winning lineup, but Ken Hitchcock has a hunch Stewart will have an impact after sitting out for the first time this season.
"I think we’ll get a good player tonight," Hitchcock said.
"We need his A game," he added. "When he’s playing, he’s a hard guy to play against. He plays physical, plays a lot like Milan (Lucic) does in Boston. So we need him in. He’s got good hands, can score from the inside, he’s a guy that gives us a chance to get way more 5-on-5 scoring chances, which we’re going to need on the road. We’re not getting enough of those."
Just who exactly Stewart is replacing wasn’t announced. Judging from lines at practice, it would appear Matt D’Agostini might be out although there are whispers that Blues are also debating taking out Jason Arnott.
"That one I haven’t made up my mind yet for,’’ Hitchcock said. "We’ll take that one into warm-up and figure it out from there."
Halak update
Injured Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak did not take part in Monday morning’s skate.
"He’s day to day,’’ said Hitchcock. "We’ll just see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll see if we’re going to get him back in any short period of time here. We’re not really sure.’’
Nichol is OK
Blues fourth-line center Scott Nichol took a punch/elbow to the head from Brent Burns in Game 2 but said Monday he was fine.
Nichol is in the unique position of being involved in an emotional and physical series against players who were his friends and teammates for two years when he played in San Jose.
"It’s part of the business,’’ Nichol said Monday morning. "Everyone wants to win so bad. You compete so hard. You put all the personal stuff aside and you dig in. This is your team. We want to win just as bad as they do. There’s no cutting deals, that’s for sure.’’
"A lot of the series [are in] borderline chaos right now,’’ Sharks coach Todd McLellan said after his team’s morning skate.
And why is that?
"I don’t know, I don’t have an answer for it,” he said. "The other series, we’re all watching them because we’re hockey people and we get excited by the playoffs, but it’s amazing what’s going on right now. Maybe some of the messages will be delivered today [by the NHL] and everyone will reel it in a little bit. But high stakes, high emotions, competitive players, many that are crossing the line.’’
Hitchcock had a slightly different view.
"I don’t agree with that, I think organized chaos would be better (way to put it),’’ said the Blues coach. "I know it doesn’t look organized to you, but it is. This is why the players play. This is what happens when you have a lot of young players in the league. It’s very emotional, it’s very intense. ...
"For me, it’s chaos, I agree on that with Todd, but I still think there’s still organization to it. Otherwise if there isn’t, we don’t have jobs. We might as well just turn them loose. We have to keep our jobs, you know?’’
Hitchcock believes the parity in today’s NHL also plays into it.
"You could predict pretty comfortably before who could win series, you can’t do that anymore in hockey,’’ said the Blues coach. "The eighth seeds are just as good as the ones. ... I just think that everybody thinks they can win right now, there isn’t one team that’s playing in the playoffs right now that doesn’t think it can win. So that makes for at times nasty play when you’re getting it taken to you.’’
The Blues and Sharks ended Game 2 with a fight-filled melee. The Sharks are real unhappy with what they feel was a sucker-punch from Vladimir Sobotka on Dominic Moore, which left Moore with a broken nose. Moore didn’t skate Monday morning (although he did on Sunday). The Blues, meanwhile, aren’t happy with Brent Burns’ elbow/punch to the head of Scott Nichol. So both teams feel the other team crossed the line in some fashion.
McLellan wants his team to be passionate but to know where the line is.
"You want that emotional attachment to the game, you just can’t have it go too far,’’ he said.
The Sharks are a veteran team, so expect them to hold their composure Monday night.
"The smarter team probably wins at the end,’’ said Sharks winger Martin Havlat. "You don’t want to take any stupid penalties and get the other team on the power play. You got to be smart and pick your spot.’’
Sharks' offense
The Sharks didn’t generate much in the second and third periods Saturday night. The Blues, the NHL’s stingiest team in the regular season, shut them down.
"To be successful tonight and moving forward, we have to take it up a notch,” said McLellan. "We’ll be tested and it’ll be a great test for our group.’’
The Sharks coach hinted at possible lineup changes without naming names.
"Do we need some size in and around the net? Perhaps,” he said. "Is it around their net or in and around our net? We’ll have to make a decision there.’’
My guess is that veteran blueliner Colin White might play his first game of the series.
Faceoffs are key
The Sharks were one of the better faceoff teams in the NHL this season but the Blues have edged them so far, St. Louis winning 52 percent in Game 1 and 55 percent in Game 2.
"We can be better,” said McLellan. "There weren’t many times during the regular season where we lost the faceoff battle back-to-back. And we’ve done that in this series.’’
Stewart back in
Chris Stewart checks back in for the Blues after the winger was scratched in Game 2 -- a decision that got much attention.
"The message was sent and I think it was received loud and clear," Stewart said Monday morning after the skate. "I’m going to go out there and work my (butt) off. You see the last game, those are the games you dream about. End of the game and you win and there’s a line brawl and stuff like that. That’s stuff you want to be a part of. I was obviously disappointed I didn’t get to experience that. But that’s the good thing about this game, you get a chance tonight to redeem yourself."
It’s not every day in the playoffs that a coach changes a winning lineup, but Ken Hitchcock has a hunch Stewart will have an impact after sitting out for the first time this season.
"I think we’ll get a good player tonight," Hitchcock said.
"We need his A game," he added. "When he’s playing, he’s a hard guy to play against. He plays physical, plays a lot like Milan (Lucic) does in Boston. So we need him in. He’s got good hands, can score from the inside, he’s a guy that gives us a chance to get way more 5-on-5 scoring chances, which we’re going to need on the road. We’re not getting enough of those."
Just who exactly Stewart is replacing wasn’t announced. Judging from lines at practice, it would appear Matt D’Agostini might be out although there are whispers that Blues are also debating taking out Jason Arnott.
"That one I haven’t made up my mind yet for,’’ Hitchcock said. "We’ll take that one into warm-up and figure it out from there."
Halak update
Injured Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak did not take part in Monday morning’s skate.
"He’s day to day,’’ said Hitchcock. "We’ll just see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll see if we’re going to get him back in any short period of time here. We’re not really sure.’’
Nichol is OK
Blues fourth-line center Scott Nichol took a punch/elbow to the head from Brent Burns in Game 2 but said Monday he was fine.
Nichol is in the unique position of being involved in an emotional and physical series against players who were his friends and teammates for two years when he played in San Jose.
"It’s part of the business,’’ Nichol said Monday morning. "Everyone wants to win so bad. You compete so hard. You put all the personal stuff aside and you dig in. This is your team. We want to win just as bad as they do. There’s no cutting deals, that’s for sure.’’
A version of this quotation is taped in the stall of every Sharks player.
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.” -- Winston Churchill
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.” -- Winston Churchill
Moore quiet, McLellan weighing changes
April, 15, 2012
Apr 15
8:29
PM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- San Jose Sharks center Dominic Moore, broken nose and all, refused to engage Sunday when asked for his reaction to the late-game incident with St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Sobotka the previous night.
"I really don’t have any need to comment on it, to be honest,’’ Moore said after a brief practice.
Coach Todd McLellan, livid after Saturday night’s game, was more composed Sunday.
"I expressed myself last night with regard to what I felt was a sucker-punch,” he said. "I did that once and we’re going to leave it alone now and we’re going to move on.’’
McLellan said Moore would be fine for Game 3 but the Sharks coach did hint at possible lineup changes for Monday night’s game.
"Potentially, yes,” McLellan said. "We have to look at some of the players we haven’t used yet and decide if we think they can make a significant difference. We have some size there. Once you give up a little bit of speed for size, the tempo in the game chances. So we’ve got to decide what we want to do.’’
Just guessing, but rugged winger Brad Winchester or checking center Michal Handzus could be potential options for McLellan. Neither has played yet in this series.
Adding size would be with the goal of wanting to earn more ice against the gritty and physical Blues.
"Every inch is important,’’ McLellan said. "You’ve got to scratch and claw to score goals and earn ice. It’s amazing what six inches of ice can do for you. When you lose it, you’re chasing the game. When you win those six or 12 inches of ice, you’re in the lead. That’s the kind of series it is and will be.’’
"I really don’t have any need to comment on it, to be honest,’’ Moore said after a brief practice.
Coach Todd McLellan, livid after Saturday night’s game, was more composed Sunday.
"I expressed myself last night with regard to what I felt was a sucker-punch,” he said. "I did that once and we’re going to leave it alone now and we’re going to move on.’’
McLellan said Moore would be fine for Game 3 but the Sharks coach did hint at possible lineup changes for Monday night’s game.
"Potentially, yes,” McLellan said. "We have to look at some of the players we haven’t used yet and decide if we think they can make a significant difference. We have some size there. Once you give up a little bit of speed for size, the tempo in the game chances. So we’ve got to decide what we want to do.’’
Just guessing, but rugged winger Brad Winchester or checking center Michal Handzus could be potential options for McLellan. Neither has played yet in this series.
Adding size would be with the goal of wanting to earn more ice against the gritty and physical Blues.
"Every inch is important,’’ McLellan said. "You’ve got to scratch and claw to score goals and earn ice. It’s amazing what six inches of ice can do for you. When you lose it, you’re chasing the game. When you win those six or 12 inches of ice, you’re in the lead. That’s the kind of series it is and will be.’’
Elliott gets the call, Sharks need to create
April, 15, 2012
Apr 15
12:38
AM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
ST. LOUIS -- Brian Elliott didn’t begin his day thinking he’d be seeing action in Game 2. But after starter Jaroslav Halak was hammered by teammate Barret Jackman and left the game 49 seconds into the second period, the Blues' backup netminder was pressed into action.
Elliott stopped all 17 shots he faced to preserve the win and the shutout.
"You never want to see anybody get hurt, especially Jaro is a big part of our team," said Elliott. "Just wanted to get in there, and try to feel good and get a couple of stops right off the bat to get into the game. The guys did a great job, I didn’t get a lot of work in the second period, that allowed me to slide into the game really unnoticed.’’
Elliott missed practice earlier this week with what the team called a minor upper-body injury.
"I felt good out there,” said Elliott. "Adrenaline kind of takes over and you forget about your body and you go out and just play.’’
Halak, meanwhile, has a lower-body injury, the team said. He appeared to favor his left knee when he left the game. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said Halak would make the trip to San Jose and would be re-evaluated Sunday.
Sharks need to create
The Sharks really didn’t generate much offense after the first period. They’ll need to find a way to penetrate the Blues’ suffocating defensive scheme.
"They close on you very quick and they close on you with numbers,” said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan. "If you can spread your zone out and get your eyes up and then get it to the net, you can get some opportunities off second chances and that type of stuff.
"If you’re slow or lethargic and not winning any of those battles quickly, they close and they’re very effective.’’
Lady Byng combatants
There was a lot of rough stuff in this game and even some unlikely combatants, like when Blues blueliner Kris Russell and Sharks forward Joe Pavelski fought in the second period.
"There’s a lot of emotion out there, guys are competitors, it’s the playoffs,’’ said Russell.
The Blues in the dressing room were buoyed by the way they responded on the night.
"Both teams were emotionally involved in the game,” said Blues forward Andy McDonald. "I thought in the first game we were lacking that a little bit. So that was nice to see tonight. We played with a lot of passion. There was a lot of fire in the guys and everyone stood up for each other. It was a great sign.’’
The Sharks plan to match that intensity in Game 3.
"They upped it a little bit with the physical play tonight and I think we need to respond better as far as ourselves being a little bit more physical,’’ said Sharks star blueliner Dan Boyle.
What could have been
Interesting to hear from team sources that when the Blues believed they might possibly play the Kings in the first round of the playoffs, the St. Louis front office discussed the possibility of going to a 2-3-2 best-of-seven format because of potential building conflicts in L.A.
There hasn’t been a 2-3-2 best-of-seven format used in the NHL playoffs since 1999, when Colorado-San Jose at the last moment switched to that setup following the Columbine shooting tragedy in suburban Denver.
Many, myself included, were under the impression that the 2-3-2 format had been legislated out of the NHL bylaws. But, in fact, a league source told ESPN.com that it has not been taken out of the official Playoff Regulations. Now, the league is not a fan whatsoever of the 2-3-2 format, but it’s clear based on the Blues contemplating it that if there were a tangible reason (long travel, building conflicts) to do so, it remains possible to go to 2-3-2. Something to keep in mind as these playoffs progress.
Elliott stopped all 17 shots he faced to preserve the win and the shutout.
"You never want to see anybody get hurt, especially Jaro is a big part of our team," said Elliott. "Just wanted to get in there, and try to feel good and get a couple of stops right off the bat to get into the game. The guys did a great job, I didn’t get a lot of work in the second period, that allowed me to slide into the game really unnoticed.’’
Elliott missed practice earlier this week with what the team called a minor upper-body injury.
"I felt good out there,” said Elliott. "Adrenaline kind of takes over and you forget about your body and you go out and just play.’’
Halak, meanwhile, has a lower-body injury, the team said. He appeared to favor his left knee when he left the game. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said Halak would make the trip to San Jose and would be re-evaluated Sunday.
Sharks need to create
The Sharks really didn’t generate much offense after the first period. They’ll need to find a way to penetrate the Blues’ suffocating defensive scheme.
"They close on you very quick and they close on you with numbers,” said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan. "If you can spread your zone out and get your eyes up and then get it to the net, you can get some opportunities off second chances and that type of stuff.
"If you’re slow or lethargic and not winning any of those battles quickly, they close and they’re very effective.’’
Lady Byng combatants
There was a lot of rough stuff in this game and even some unlikely combatants, like when Blues blueliner Kris Russell and Sharks forward Joe Pavelski fought in the second period.
"There’s a lot of emotion out there, guys are competitors, it’s the playoffs,’’ said Russell.
The Blues in the dressing room were buoyed by the way they responded on the night.
"Both teams were emotionally involved in the game,” said Blues forward Andy McDonald. "I thought in the first game we were lacking that a little bit. So that was nice to see tonight. We played with a lot of passion. There was a lot of fire in the guys and everyone stood up for each other. It was a great sign.’’
The Sharks plan to match that intensity in Game 3.
"They upped it a little bit with the physical play tonight and I think we need to respond better as far as ourselves being a little bit more physical,’’ said Sharks star blueliner Dan Boyle.
What could have been
Interesting to hear from team sources that when the Blues believed they might possibly play the Kings in the first round of the playoffs, the St. Louis front office discussed the possibility of going to a 2-3-2 best-of-seven format because of potential building conflicts in L.A.
There hasn’t been a 2-3-2 best-of-seven format used in the NHL playoffs since 1999, when Colorado-San Jose at the last moment switched to that setup following the Columbine shooting tragedy in suburban Denver.
Many, myself included, were under the impression that the 2-3-2 format had been legislated out of the NHL bylaws. But, in fact, a league source told ESPN.com that it has not been taken out of the official Playoff Regulations. Now, the league is not a fan whatsoever of the 2-3-2 format, but it’s clear based on the Blues contemplating it that if there were a tangible reason (long travel, building conflicts) to do so, it remains possible to go to 2-3-2. Something to keep in mind as these playoffs progress.
Blues' Chris Stewart scratched for Game 2
April, 14, 2012
Apr 14
2:17
PM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
ST. LOUIS -- Once considered the centerpiece of a February 2011 blockbuster trade with Colorado, winger Chris Stewart will watch Game 2 of the St. Louis Blues' playoff series with the San Jose Sharks in the press box Saturday night.
It’s an eyebrow-raising move but one that’s been a long time coming.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock announced three lineup changes Saturday morning, with forwards Matt D’Agostini and B.J. Crombeen and blueliner Carlo Colaiacovo checking back into the lineup, but the decision to scratch Stewart was by far the headline grabber.
"We need more from him,” said Hitchcock. "It’s certainly not just based on one hockey game. We just need more. From that position on our hockey club, that third-line role, we need more tenacity, more determination, more second and third effort on the puck -- we need all of that from that position."
Stewart, who had 28-goal seasons in 2009-10 and 2010-11, found out he wasn't playing when he walked into the dressing room Saturday morning.
"My number wasn't on the board," said Stewart. "My play wasn't good enough last game. We're fighting for our lives every day. I had the opportunity to step up and didn't get the job done. At the end of the day, it is what it is. This isn't the time of the year to pout or get down on yourself. We're a team, we've got to stick together and they're going to need me eventually in this series, and when I get the chance again, I'll be ready."
Stewart said the right things, but he was visibly upset. It’s the first time all season Hitchcock has scratched him. Not that the coach hasn’t had countless meetings with the winger to try to communicate his concerns.
While Stewart conceded that he considered it might be a possibility Friday after the Blues lost Game 1 and he was ineffective, it still hit him hard Saturday.
"I understand the game well, so I do get where he's coming from,” said Stewart. "I do hope I get a chance to get back in there and show him that I can play. Now, I'll just wait for the time."
Jamie Langenbrunner will move up from the fourth line to replace Stewart on the third line with Jason Arnott and Vladimir Sobotka.
Stewart has spent most of his young NHL career as a top-six forward, so clearly all of this is troubling for him.
"There's obviously more to give,” he said. "Also, you do need the opportunity. I didn't get the most ice time in the world last game, but it's up to me to earn it. I've got to go out there with the ice time I do get and show them that I deserve more. You look at our team and our depth, there's guys that demanded the ice time and I wasn't one of them. That's why I am where I am right now."
So, I asked Hitchcock on Saturday, what’s happened to the star-power winger the Blues thought they were getting 14 months ago in that trade with Colorado?
"Evolution of a career. I’m not sure,” said Hitchcock. "My experience with him is really over the last six months. He’s had an off year. That doesn’t mean he’s going to have an off career. But I think if you consider him to be a second-line player, then maybe you can afford to have patience, which I think we’ve had all year.
"But from that position right now today, we need more. We’re expecting Chris to come back in this series and give us more. But you just can’t keep talking about it. You have to do it. We have other people who are hungry and want to do it, so they’ll get the opportunity."
Stewart doesn’t want to sulk about it.
"It's a pretty bad feeling, but like I said, this is the time of year that it's no time to pout or be down on yourself," he said. "We're all professionals here, and we're all a team."
Scott Nichol’s new linemates on the fourth line are D’Agostini and Crombeen.
"This is a very heavy series and we need our fourth line to give us really good minutes," said Hitchcock. "I expect our fourth line, the way it’s structured right now with Crombeen in it, can play against anyone’s third line in our eyes."
I think this is a reaction to the way San Jose’s bottom six forwards played in Game 1, particularly the fourth line of Andrew Desjardins, Daniel Winnik and Tommy Wingels. The trio tied the game late for the Sharks and was effective all night long. Hitchcock wants to have third and fourth lines that can match up better.
That’s a compliment to San Jose’s bottom six group. Dominic Moore centers the so-called third line between Torrey Mitchell and T.J. Galiardi, but by the end of Game 1, it was hard to know whether it was Moore’s unit or Desjardins’ unit that was really eating up third-line minutes.
"I don’t know that you can put numbers on our third and fourth lines, which is a really good thing," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Saturday morning. "I can’t remember when we last had that. And the competition between a Moore and a Desjardins line is very competitive, it’s very strong. We have to realize as coaches who should have a few more minutes than others and reward them for that. But we’ve had that going for a little while and the combinations for those lines is pretty good. They have a speed element and they have a bit of a grit element as well."
On defense for St. Louis, Colaiacovo takes Kent Huskins out of the lineup, back alongside star blueliner Alex Pietrangelo as he’s been most of the season. Winger Ryan Reaves was also scratched from Game 2.
"He wasn’t healthy at the end of the year, he’s healthy now,” Hitchcock said of Colaiacovo. "So just get back to the game that he can play. They’re good tandem. They play well together. He’s a good puck-mover. They move the puck with each other well. He’s good on transition, he’s a good outlet player, he passes it well. By getting healthy and getting rested, I think we’ll get a good player."
Overall, three lineup changes might be seen as a bit of an overreaction by some given that the Blues played fairly well in a double-overtime loss. But Hitchcock said it wasn’t good enough.
"When you lose in a hockey game, whether you’ve lost by one goal or whether you’ve lost in overtime or whatever, if you go into the next competition thinking that everything should be the same and expect a different outcome -- I think that’s a huge mistake," he said. "I don’t believe in that statement, just keep doing it over and over again and don’t change anything. I think we’re obligated to change."
No changes were expected in the Sharks' lineup.
It’s an eyebrow-raising move but one that’s been a long time coming.
Blues coach Ken Hitchcock announced three lineup changes Saturday morning, with forwards Matt D’Agostini and B.J. Crombeen and blueliner Carlo Colaiacovo checking back into the lineup, but the decision to scratch Stewart was by far the headline grabber.
"We need more from him,” said Hitchcock. "It’s certainly not just based on one hockey game. We just need more. From that position on our hockey club, that third-line role, we need more tenacity, more determination, more second and third effort on the puck -- we need all of that from that position."
Stewart, who had 28-goal seasons in 2009-10 and 2010-11, found out he wasn't playing when he walked into the dressing room Saturday morning.
"My number wasn't on the board," said Stewart. "My play wasn't good enough last game. We're fighting for our lives every day. I had the opportunity to step up and didn't get the job done. At the end of the day, it is what it is. This isn't the time of the year to pout or get down on yourself. We're a team, we've got to stick together and they're going to need me eventually in this series, and when I get the chance again, I'll be ready."
Stewart said the right things, but he was visibly upset. It’s the first time all season Hitchcock has scratched him. Not that the coach hasn’t had countless meetings with the winger to try to communicate his concerns.
While Stewart conceded that he considered it might be a possibility Friday after the Blues lost Game 1 and he was ineffective, it still hit him hard Saturday.
"I understand the game well, so I do get where he's coming from,” said Stewart. "I do hope I get a chance to get back in there and show him that I can play. Now, I'll just wait for the time."
Jamie Langenbrunner will move up from the fourth line to replace Stewart on the third line with Jason Arnott and Vladimir Sobotka.
Stewart has spent most of his young NHL career as a top-six forward, so clearly all of this is troubling for him.
"There's obviously more to give,” he said. "Also, you do need the opportunity. I didn't get the most ice time in the world last game, but it's up to me to earn it. I've got to go out there with the ice time I do get and show them that I deserve more. You look at our team and our depth, there's guys that demanded the ice time and I wasn't one of them. That's why I am where I am right now."
So, I asked Hitchcock on Saturday, what’s happened to the star-power winger the Blues thought they were getting 14 months ago in that trade with Colorado?
"Evolution of a career. I’m not sure,” said Hitchcock. "My experience with him is really over the last six months. He’s had an off year. That doesn’t mean he’s going to have an off career. But I think if you consider him to be a second-line player, then maybe you can afford to have patience, which I think we’ve had all year.
"But from that position right now today, we need more. We’re expecting Chris to come back in this series and give us more. But you just can’t keep talking about it. You have to do it. We have other people who are hungry and want to do it, so they’ll get the opportunity."
Stewart doesn’t want to sulk about it.
"It's a pretty bad feeling, but like I said, this is the time of year that it's no time to pout or be down on yourself," he said. "We're all professionals here, and we're all a team."
Scott Nichol’s new linemates on the fourth line are D’Agostini and Crombeen.
"This is a very heavy series and we need our fourth line to give us really good minutes," said Hitchcock. "I expect our fourth line, the way it’s structured right now with Crombeen in it, can play against anyone’s third line in our eyes."
I think this is a reaction to the way San Jose’s bottom six forwards played in Game 1, particularly the fourth line of Andrew Desjardins, Daniel Winnik and Tommy Wingels. The trio tied the game late for the Sharks and was effective all night long. Hitchcock wants to have third and fourth lines that can match up better.
That’s a compliment to San Jose’s bottom six group. Dominic Moore centers the so-called third line between Torrey Mitchell and T.J. Galiardi, but by the end of Game 1, it was hard to know whether it was Moore’s unit or Desjardins’ unit that was really eating up third-line minutes.
"I don’t know that you can put numbers on our third and fourth lines, which is a really good thing," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Saturday morning. "I can’t remember when we last had that. And the competition between a Moore and a Desjardins line is very competitive, it’s very strong. We have to realize as coaches who should have a few more minutes than others and reward them for that. But we’ve had that going for a little while and the combinations for those lines is pretty good. They have a speed element and they have a bit of a grit element as well."
On defense for St. Louis, Colaiacovo takes Kent Huskins out of the lineup, back alongside star blueliner Alex Pietrangelo as he’s been most of the season. Winger Ryan Reaves was also scratched from Game 2.
"He wasn’t healthy at the end of the year, he’s healthy now,” Hitchcock said of Colaiacovo. "So just get back to the game that he can play. They’re good tandem. They play well together. He’s a good puck-mover. They move the puck with each other well. He’s good on transition, he’s a good outlet player, he passes it well. By getting healthy and getting rested, I think we’ll get a good player."
Overall, three lineup changes might be seen as a bit of an overreaction by some given that the Blues played fairly well in a double-overtime loss. But Hitchcock said it wasn’t good enough.
"When you lose in a hockey game, whether you’ve lost by one goal or whether you’ve lost in overtime or whatever, if you go into the next competition thinking that everything should be the same and expect a different outcome -- I think that’s a huge mistake," he said. "I don’t believe in that statement, just keep doing it over and over again and don’t change anything. I think we’re obligated to change."
No changes were expected in the Sharks' lineup.
Oh, this is why we traded for that guy: Martin Havlat missed half the season after coming over last summer in a trade from Minnesota. It's not a deal (for Dany Heatley) that paid dividends early on for the Sharks. But with 28 points in his last 26 playoff games entering these playoffs, the point of it all was for San Jose to gain from his habit of rising to the occasion in the postseason. Um, good start. Havlat's two goals, including 3:34 into double overtime, led San Jose to a 3-2 Game 1 win in St Louis, fortifying his playoff reputation. -- Pierre LeBrun
The night of the Martins: Martin Hanzal did the trick as the Coyotes clipped the Blackhawks 3-2 in OT. Mike Smith stood on his head -- parlance for "he played well" -- as the higher-seeded Coyotes rolled at home. Dog days are not over, thank you very much, Florence.
In other OT news ... The Bruins struck quickly in OT, Chris Kelly firing home the winner with the Zamboni sauce still drying. Tim Thomas was sold for the B's in a duel with Braden Holtby, whom Thomas praised. Good to see Thomas return to pumping tires again.
Meanwhile, in Gotham: The Rangers, completely disregarding talk that they might be upset, wiped the rink with the Senators in a 4-2 win. Score was closer than the game indicated, blah-blah-blah. Don't be surprised if the Senators bounce back with a big game Saturday night. The NHL playoffs are funny like that.
The night of the Martins: Martin Hanzal did the trick as the Coyotes clipped the Blackhawks 3-2 in OT. Mike Smith stood on his head -- parlance for "he played well" -- as the higher-seeded Coyotes rolled at home. Dog days are not over, thank you very much, Florence.
In other OT news ... The Bruins struck quickly in OT, Chris Kelly firing home the winner with the Zamboni sauce still drying. Tim Thomas was sold for the B's in a duel with Braden Holtby, whom Thomas praised. Good to see Thomas return to pumping tires again.
Meanwhile, in Gotham: The Rangers, completely disregarding talk that they might be upset, wiped the rink with the Senators in a 4-2 win. Score was closer than the game indicated, blah-blah-blah. Don't be surprised if the Senators bounce back with a big game Saturday night. The NHL playoffs are funny like that.
• Martin Havlat's second goal of the game earned the Sharks a 3-2 double-overtime win in the opening game of their series against the Blues. All seven of the Sharks' playoff series openers over the last three years have been decided by a one-goal margin, including three in overtime. In fact, 13 of San Jose's last 15 Game 1s were one-goal games (six went to OT), and the two games that didn't fit the pattern were 2-0 final scores.
• The Bruins' victory against the Capitals marked only the eighth time in NHL playoff history that a team posted a 1-0 overtime win in the first game of a playoff series. It was the second such win by the Bruins, who posted a 1-0 double-overtime victory in Game 1 of a best-of-five series against the Maple Leafs in 1935.
Chris Kelly's goal 78 seconds into overtime gave the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins a 1-0 win in their 2012 playoff opener against the Capitals. Kelly's name in the goal column of the scoring summary was a guarantee of a Bruins victory during the regular season. Boston won all 18 regular-season games in 2011-12 in which he scored. Kelly's 20 goals this season made him the only one of the 246 NHL players with a double-figure goal total in the 2011-12 campaign who scored all of his goals in games his team won.
• The Bruins, Sharks and Coyotes all won in overtime on Thursday. It marked the first time since April 18, 2001, that 3 NHL playoff games went into overtime on the same day.
• The Rangers' top three goal scorers during the regular season, Marian Gaborik (41 goals), Ryan Callahan (29) and Brad Richards (25), each scored a goal in the Blueshirts' 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Senators. Gaborik, Callahan and Richards scored goals in the same game only twice during the 2011-12 season: Oct. 29 versus Ottawa and Nov. 29 against Pittsburgh.
• The Bruins' victory against the Capitals marked only the eighth time in NHL playoff history that a team posted a 1-0 overtime win in the first game of a playoff series. It was the second such win by the Bruins, who posted a 1-0 double-overtime victory in Game 1 of a best-of-five series against the Maple Leafs in 1935.
Chris Kelly's goal 78 seconds into overtime gave the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins a 1-0 win in their 2012 playoff opener against the Capitals. Kelly's name in the goal column of the scoring summary was a guarantee of a Bruins victory during the regular season. Boston won all 18 regular-season games in 2011-12 in which he scored. Kelly's 20 goals this season made him the only one of the 246 NHL players with a double-figure goal total in the 2011-12 campaign who scored all of his goals in games his team won.
• The Bruins, Sharks and Coyotes all won in overtime on Thursday. It marked the first time since April 18, 2001, that 3 NHL playoff games went into overtime on the same day.
• The Rangers' top three goal scorers during the regular season, Marian Gaborik (41 goals), Ryan Callahan (29) and Brad Richards (25), each scored a goal in the Blueshirts' 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Senators. Gaborik, Callahan and Richards scored goals in the same game only twice during the 2011-12 season: Oct. 29 versus Ottawa and Nov. 29 against Pittsburgh.
Sharks' depth makes difference in Game 1
April, 13, 2012
Apr 13
1:13
AM ET
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
ST. LOUIS -- By the end of Thursday night’s game, it was hard to tell just which unit was really the fourth line for the Sharks.
Andrew Desjardins’ line with Daniel Winnik and Tommy Wingels had another solid night, and it’s getting to the point that maybe it’s wrong to call them a fourth line.
They not only tied the game at 14:44 of the third period on Desjardins' goal, but the line had an effective night overall.
"The 13-14 minutes they played for us was very valuable,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "They played hard and they played smart."
What it’s done of late is allow McLellan to roll four units without doubt. That’s so important at this time of year in order to avoid overtaxing your top players.
"We tried to get those four lines rolling, and I think that will be an important facet in this series," McLellan said.
"We have to build on a lot of the good things we did tonight and then just get a bit more from a few other people," Hitchcock said.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk led the Blues with a whopping 11 shots on goal. He looked a little jumpy early on but, like most of his young teammates, settled down as the game went on.
What the Blues will need to do in Game 2, in my opinion, is generate more second-chance opportunities around the Sharks' net. San Jose did a decent job of keeping the Blues away from the blue paint for the most part.
Sharks coach Todd McLellan didn’t shy away from it and allowed the matchups to happen.
"We were OK with it,” McLellan said. "One of the things they have going for them is that their top two offensive lines are probably also their top two defensive lines as well. So if you try to get Jumbo away from a guy like Backes, he falls into Berglund’s lap. And they’re capable of doing that, too. So you can go through hoops to get away from it, and it takes your team out of rhythm. At this point, we’re just going to play head to head. Our guys can play there and have played there before."
A priority for the Sharks in this series is to be quicker in getting the puck out in transition and prevent the Blues from setting up shop on the cycle.
They did a pretty good job of it Thursday night.
"That’s the best I’ve seen San Jose move the puck out of their zone all year long," an NHL scout told ESPN.com during the game Thursday night. "Smart chips. It’s out of there in a hurry. That makes such a difference in their game. I’m really surprised after what I saw most of the year."
That’s exactly why McLellan chose to dress puck-mover Jason Demers over the rugged Colin White for his third defense pairing, wanting to have as many puck-movers as possible on his back end.
Andrew Desjardins’ line with Daniel Winnik and Tommy Wingels had another solid night, and it’s getting to the point that maybe it’s wrong to call them a fourth line.
They not only tied the game at 14:44 of the third period on Desjardins' goal, but the line had an effective night overall.
"The 13-14 minutes they played for us was very valuable,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "They played hard and they played smart."
What it’s done of late is allow McLellan to roll four units without doubt. That’s so important at this time of year in order to avoid overtaxing your top players.
"We tried to get those four lines rolling, and I think that will be an important facet in this series," McLellan said.
Hitchcock's message
The Blues can’t lose sight of the fact that they played a solid game despite losing. That’s going to be part of the message from coach Ken Hitchcock to his young players over the next few days leading into Game 2 on Saturday night."We have to build on a lot of the good things we did tonight and then just get a bit more from a few other people," Hitchcock said.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk led the Blues with a whopping 11 shots on goal. He looked a little jumpy early on but, like most of his young teammates, settled down as the game went on.
What the Blues will need to do in Game 2, in my opinion, is generate more second-chance opportunities around the Sharks' net. San Jose did a decent job of keeping the Blues away from the blue paint for the most part.
Line matchups
With the last line change, it’s clear the Blues wanted David Backes’ top line against Joe Thornton’s top line, as well as Patrik Berglund’s No. 2 line versus Logan Couture’s No. 2 line.Sharks coach Todd McLellan didn’t shy away from it and allowed the matchups to happen.
"We were OK with it,” McLellan said. "One of the things they have going for them is that their top two offensive lines are probably also their top two defensive lines as well. So if you try to get Jumbo away from a guy like Backes, he falls into Berglund’s lap. And they’re capable of doing that, too. So you can go through hoops to get away from it, and it takes your team out of rhythm. At this point, we’re just going to play head to head. Our guys can play there and have played there before."
Transition game
One of the things the Blues did so well in their four regular-season wins over the Sharks was pin them in their own zone and get all over San Jose’s blue-line corps.A priority for the Sharks in this series is to be quicker in getting the puck out in transition and prevent the Blues from setting up shop on the cycle.
They did a pretty good job of it Thursday night.
"That’s the best I’ve seen San Jose move the puck out of their zone all year long," an NHL scout told ESPN.com during the game Thursday night. "Smart chips. It’s out of there in a hurry. That makes such a difference in their game. I’m really surprised after what I saw most of the year."
That’s exactly why McLellan chose to dress puck-mover Jason Demers over the rugged Colin White for his third defense pairing, wanting to have as many puck-movers as possible on his back end.
ST. LOUIS -- Sharks head coach Todd McLellan is still not feeling 100 percent.
He suffered a concussion Feb. 26 when he was knocked out by a stick after a collision in front of the bench in Minnesota. Then, as he revealed Thursday morning, he got dinged a second time March 26 in a game against Colorado.
"We were in a game and the same thing happened, a collision in front of the bench, although I didn’t get hit by both guys, but Jumbo turned and whacked me,” McLellan said Thursday morning at Scottrade Center, referring to Sharks captain Joe Thornton. "I was bugging him afterwards about [Alexander] Radulov earlier in the year in Russia. Maybe that was Jumbo sending me a message."
McLellan was jokingly referring to Radulov whacking his coach in the KHL earlier this season. But in all seriousness, getting whacked a second time wasn’t pleasant.
"It wasn’t nearly as hard and didn’t knock me out or anything like that,” he said. "I don’t know if you’d even call it a concussion but I just got hit again is all."
McLellan still gets headaches.
"I’m fine," he said. "It’s not something I wish upon anybody. I understand now, and I really mean this, what the players go through. I was one of those guys that said, 'We all had them when we played and we played through it, suck it up and play.' Until you go through it, you don’t understand. I still have headaches at different points. Would I be playing if I was capable of playing? I don’t know. But I can coach. I think."
He’s kept his sense of humor, but he’s clearly not 100 percent.
"I have a tendency to get a headache later in the day," he said. "I don’t know if it’s fatigue, tired or stressed. It could just come with the coaching fraternity down the stretch. That could be causing headaches. But I’m OK."
BLUES’ ELLIOTT
Blues netminder Brian Elliott took part in the morning skate. He doesn’t talk on game days but head coach Ken Hitchcock said Elliott would dress as the backup to Jaroslav Halak on Thursday night for Game 1.
Elliott missed practice Wednesday with what the team called a minor upper-body injury.
"He feels good," Hitchcock said Thursday morning. "He's 100 percent, ready to go, so the two days off really helped him. If he had to play today, he could play, no problem."
LANGENBRUNNER’S EXPERIENCE
Blues veteran winger Jamie Langenbrunner, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, has been there and done that. On a young Blues team, his experience, along with that of the likes of Jason Arnott and Scott Nichol, will be important as the playoffs begin.
"I think that’s one of the reasons we are here," Langenbrunner said Thursday morning. "You hope to help during the peak and valleys you’re going to have and try to keep an even keel. I think we did a good job of that for the most part as a group this season. Now, it’s going to be a new experience for some, we’ve got a lot of guys playing in their first playoffs. It’s going to be a little nerve-racking at first, but this is a group that’s growing and keeps getting better and better. I think the group will respond very well."
DIFFERENT ROLE
The Sharks haven’t opened the first round of the playoffs on the road since 2007 when they got a split in Nashville and went on to eliminate the Predators in a 4-5 matchup.
They’re used to opening at home as a high seed.
"It’s definitely different, we’re used to having home ice," Joe Thornton said Thursday morning. "But it’s different and we’re excited. We’re looking to win Game 1 and put some pressure on them."
The Sharks know what it's like to feel pressure at home in the opening round, losing Game 1 to Calgary in 2008, Anaheim in 2009 and Colorado in 2010.
So they hope to turn the tables on the Blues and shift the pressure on the young home team.
"We’d like to come in here and win Game 1 and see how they react," Thornton said. "But we really just focus on ourselves. We need to get our game plan going and go from there."
SHARKS LINEUP
No changes expected in the Blues' lineup from what we reported Wednesday. The Sharks only had an optional skate but here’s the best guess at what’s expected for Game 1:
Marleau-Thornton-Pavelski
Clowe-Couture-Havlat
Galiardi-Moore-Mitchell
Winnik-Desjardins-Wingels
Vlasic-Boyle
Murray-Burns
Demers-Braun
Debate: Who will win the West?
April, 11, 2012
Apr 11
11:07
AM ET
By
Scott Burnside and
Pierre LeBrun | ESPN.com
Who will win the West? Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun know but don't always agree.
BURNSIDE: Well, my friend, you’re in St. Louis to start the playoffs. That’s as good a place as any to begin our discussion about what has to be the most difficult group of series to sort through in one conference in many a year. I took the coward’s way out when making my predictions and called for all four series to go the full seven games. That way I can always point out, hey, I missed by just one game if I happened to have predicted (guessed?) wrong. But seriously, I don’t think it’s overstating it to say you can make a significant case for all eight Western Conference teams to go right to the Stanley Cup finals. That includes 8-seed Los Angeles, which lost its grip on the Pacific Division crown by dropping both ends of a home-and-home with San Jose (one in a shootout, the other in overtime) to close out the regular season, a pair of losses that allowed the Sharks to jump over the Kings into seventh place. But the Kings have lots going for them, including netminder Jonathan Quick, who will get well-deserved consideration for the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender and the Hart Trophy as league MVP. The Kings also found offense under head coach Darryl Sutter in the second half and will face a Canucks team that might be facing its own goaltending dilemma, depending on which Roberto Luongo shows up, and will be waiting to see just how Daniel Sedin responds to trying to get back in playoff form after suffering a concussion last month. Before we get to the nitty-gritty of who wins the wild West, do any of the bottom three seeds have a shot to get out of the first round? I think I already know the answer.
LEBRUN: I think No. 6 Chicago, No. 7 San Jose and No. 8 Los Angeles all have a shot. The Blackhawks are seen by many as the favorite against No. 3 Phoenix because they finished with more regular-season points than the Coyotes. So, it's hardly a stretch to say the Hawks could get out of the first round. I would not sell the Coyotes short, however. They won three out of four games against the Hawks this season, and no NHL goalie is hotter than Mike Smith. And there's the matter of Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. He's been out since Feb. 19 with a concussion, and while he appears set to return for the playoffs, one has to monitor how he fares. He's the straw the stirs the Blackhawks' drink. He's the X factor in the series.
But, wait a minute, you wanted me to talk about my annual September Cup pick, didn’t you? Yes, certainly the Sharks are an interesting team to watch as an upset possibility. Picture it this way: If this were 12 months ago, how would you feel about a Blues-Sharks series? Well, last season St. Louis didn't make the playoffs and San Jose was the No. 2 seed in the West. Obviously, things have changed since then, with the Blues skyrocketing up the standings under new coach Ken Hitchcock, the Sharks struggling with consistency all season. The Blues play the kind of grind-it-out game that's perfectly suited for the playoffs, so they'll be mighty tough to beat. But the Sharks have a chance because of their vast playoff experience. You're talking about a club that's gone to back-to-back conference finals and, perhaps more notably, has eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in consecutive years. The Sharks are certainly the wild card among the bottom bracket teams in the West.
BURNSIDE: Agreed on Phoenix, although there’s always this nagging question about whether the Coyotes will have enough offense. And even if Toews isn’t available or isn’t 100 percent to start the postseason, this Chicago offense is still formidable and finished tied for the lead in the Western Conference in goals scored per game. Weird stat for that series? In spite of all that talent, the Hawks' power play tied for 25th in the league. Phoenix? It was worse, 29th on the power play. Something tells me at least one of these teams will get it right come playoff time, and that could be the difference in the series. The goaltending will be fun to watch in that series as well, given that Smith has virtually no playoff experience and Corey Crawford is coming off an up-and-down season for the Blackhawks. He was excellent, though, in the first-round loss to Vancouver a year ago.
Back to St. Louis, though: I liked the Blues to get past San Jose, although, like you, I was impressed with the way the Sharks really got it going down the stretch. The Blues, meanwhile, wobbled a bit, winning just one of their last five games to give up the top seed in the conference and a shot at the Presidents’ Trophy. I'm curious to see how Hitchcock handles his goaltending, given that Brian Elliott has the superior numbers and Jaroslav Halak has the playoff experience and was so good for Montreal in their run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.
As for the best series of the bunch, in my opinion, with Detroit starting in Nashville, has there been a more important series for the Predators? They made important moves at the trade deadline in acquiring Andrei Kostitsyn, Paul Gaustad and Hal Gill, then got Alexander Radulov and now have to get past their old nemesis, the Red Wings, if they want to duplicate last year’s first-ever playoff series victory. The outcome is so important as it relates not just to this spring but also to the team’s ability to lock up Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.
LEBRUN: Oh, not much on the line at all in Nashville. Just the very existence of its franchise. OK, I'm exaggerating. But as you point out, so much is tied to the futures of Suter (slated to be a UFA on July 1) and Weber (RFA on July 1) and the playoff performance of this team this spring as it pertains to whether they decide to commit long-term to the Predators. I think you can't underestimate how much finally winning a playoff series last spring, the first in Nashville franchise history, has helped the team's psyche. I talked to head coach Barry Trotz about this earlier this season, and he couldn't stress enough how beating Anaheim in the playoffs last season kicked a giant elephant out of the Preds' room. Whether they would admit or not before they won, there's self-doubt that creeps into your mind, as players and coaches, when year after year you keep losing in the first round -- even if you were the small-payroll, plucky underdog most of those years. You still want to get one under your belt to build a belief in your room. Now that's there. It's why I picked the Preds to win a difficult series in seven games. They know what it's like to win a series, and that's paramount as they prepare to face the NHL's most consistent, winning franchise of the past two decades.
BURNSIDE: OK, we haven’t really talked about the Presidents’ Trophy winners, last year’s Stanley Cup finalists, the Vancouver Canucks. They look to get Daniel Sedin back, and I think their experiences of a year ago will carry them past a Los Angeles Kings team that looked at times during the last third of the season like it could be capable of a couple of playoff series wins. But who will be tending goal by the end of that series for the Canucks? That’s a toss-up. GM Mike Gillis said earlier that Roberto Luongo will be the team’s starter in Game 1, but you have to believe that coach Alain Vigneault won’t wait long to go to Cory Schneider, who was terrific this season, turning in a sparkling 1.96 GAA and .937 save percentage. So, let’s get down to brass tacks here. The way I have my grid working out in the Western Conference: the Blackhawks and the Canucks in the second round with Nashville and St. Louis battling in the other semifinal. Then, I’ve got Chicago and Nashville in the conference finals, and going back to my preseason prediction for consistency (and because I really had no clue other than that), I have Chicago advancing to the Cup finals. Regardless of how this shakes down, the route through the Western Conference promises to be one hellacious journey. What does your crystal ball tell you, my friend?
LEBRUN: After I conversed with my 3-year-old daughter, Melanie, we decided we’d go with a Vancouver-Nashville Western Conference finals. Because I like to go against the grain of society, I’m going to take the plucky Preds to make it the Cup finals. Of course, now you know that means they’re out in the first round against Detroit. Which wouldn’t surprise me a bit. That’s the West this season for you, eight teams with a real shot at it. But you’re right on the Canucks’ goalie situation. I guarantee you, and so does Melanie, that both Luongo and Schneider will see action in these playoffs. And as much as Luongo is on a short leash, so is Schneider. Vigneault feels he has two 1A netminders to choose from. And it's no different from swapping a player from his power-play unit. I think the Canucks head coach is going to swap netminders without reservation knowing he has full confidence in both of them.
Well, sir, enjoy your playoffs in the East. I think I’ve got my hands full here in the West.
BURNSIDE: Well, my friend, you’re in St. Louis to start the playoffs. That’s as good a place as any to begin our discussion about what has to be the most difficult group of series to sort through in one conference in many a year. I took the coward’s way out when making my predictions and called for all four series to go the full seven games. That way I can always point out, hey, I missed by just one game if I happened to have predicted (guessed?) wrong. But seriously, I don’t think it’s overstating it to say you can make a significant case for all eight Western Conference teams to go right to the Stanley Cup finals. That includes 8-seed Los Angeles, which lost its grip on the Pacific Division crown by dropping both ends of a home-and-home with San Jose (one in a shootout, the other in overtime) to close out the regular season, a pair of losses that allowed the Sharks to jump over the Kings into seventh place. But the Kings have lots going for them, including netminder Jonathan Quick, who will get well-deserved consideration for the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender and the Hart Trophy as league MVP. The Kings also found offense under head coach Darryl Sutter in the second half and will face a Canucks team that might be facing its own goaltending dilemma, depending on which Roberto Luongo shows up, and will be waiting to see just how Daniel Sedin responds to trying to get back in playoff form after suffering a concussion last month. Before we get to the nitty-gritty of who wins the wild West, do any of the bottom three seeds have a shot to get out of the first round? I think I already know the answer.
LEBRUN: I think No. 6 Chicago, No. 7 San Jose and No. 8 Los Angeles all have a shot. The Blackhawks are seen by many as the favorite against No. 3 Phoenix because they finished with more regular-season points than the Coyotes. So, it's hardly a stretch to say the Hawks could get out of the first round. I would not sell the Coyotes short, however. They won three out of four games against the Hawks this season, and no NHL goalie is hotter than Mike Smith. And there's the matter of Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. He's been out since Feb. 19 with a concussion, and while he appears set to return for the playoffs, one has to monitor how he fares. He's the straw the stirs the Blackhawks' drink. He's the X factor in the series.
But, wait a minute, you wanted me to talk about my annual September Cup pick, didn’t you? Yes, certainly the Sharks are an interesting team to watch as an upset possibility. Picture it this way: If this were 12 months ago, how would you feel about a Blues-Sharks series? Well, last season St. Louis didn't make the playoffs and San Jose was the No. 2 seed in the West. Obviously, things have changed since then, with the Blues skyrocketing up the standings under new coach Ken Hitchcock, the Sharks struggling with consistency all season. The Blues play the kind of grind-it-out game that's perfectly suited for the playoffs, so they'll be mighty tough to beat. But the Sharks have a chance because of their vast playoff experience. You're talking about a club that's gone to back-to-back conference finals and, perhaps more notably, has eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in consecutive years. The Sharks are certainly the wild card among the bottom bracket teams in the West.
BURNSIDE: Agreed on Phoenix, although there’s always this nagging question about whether the Coyotes will have enough offense. And even if Toews isn’t available or isn’t 100 percent to start the postseason, this Chicago offense is still formidable and finished tied for the lead in the Western Conference in goals scored per game. Weird stat for that series? In spite of all that talent, the Hawks' power play tied for 25th in the league. Phoenix? It was worse, 29th on the power play. Something tells me at least one of these teams will get it right come playoff time, and that could be the difference in the series. The goaltending will be fun to watch in that series as well, given that Smith has virtually no playoff experience and Corey Crawford is coming off an up-and-down season for the Blackhawks. He was excellent, though, in the first-round loss to Vancouver a year ago.
Back to St. Louis, though: I liked the Blues to get past San Jose, although, like you, I was impressed with the way the Sharks really got it going down the stretch. The Blues, meanwhile, wobbled a bit, winning just one of their last five games to give up the top seed in the conference and a shot at the Presidents’ Trophy. I'm curious to see how Hitchcock handles his goaltending, given that Brian Elliott has the superior numbers and Jaroslav Halak has the playoff experience and was so good for Montreal in their run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.
As for the best series of the bunch, in my opinion, with Detroit starting in Nashville, has there been a more important series for the Predators? They made important moves at the trade deadline in acquiring Andrei Kostitsyn, Paul Gaustad and Hal Gill, then got Alexander Radulov and now have to get past their old nemesis, the Red Wings, if they want to duplicate last year’s first-ever playoff series victory. The outcome is so important as it relates not just to this spring but also to the team’s ability to lock up Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.
LEBRUN: Oh, not much on the line at all in Nashville. Just the very existence of its franchise. OK, I'm exaggerating. But as you point out, so much is tied to the futures of Suter (slated to be a UFA on July 1) and Weber (RFA on July 1) and the playoff performance of this team this spring as it pertains to whether they decide to commit long-term to the Predators. I think you can't underestimate how much finally winning a playoff series last spring, the first in Nashville franchise history, has helped the team's psyche. I talked to head coach Barry Trotz about this earlier this season, and he couldn't stress enough how beating Anaheim in the playoffs last season kicked a giant elephant out of the Preds' room. Whether they would admit or not before they won, there's self-doubt that creeps into your mind, as players and coaches, when year after year you keep losing in the first round -- even if you were the small-payroll, plucky underdog most of those years. You still want to get one under your belt to build a belief in your room. Now that's there. It's why I picked the Preds to win a difficult series in seven games. They know what it's like to win a series, and that's paramount as they prepare to face the NHL's most consistent, winning franchise of the past two decades.
BURNSIDE: OK, we haven’t really talked about the Presidents’ Trophy winners, last year’s Stanley Cup finalists, the Vancouver Canucks. They look to get Daniel Sedin back, and I think their experiences of a year ago will carry them past a Los Angeles Kings team that looked at times during the last third of the season like it could be capable of a couple of playoff series wins. But who will be tending goal by the end of that series for the Canucks? That’s a toss-up. GM Mike Gillis said earlier that Roberto Luongo will be the team’s starter in Game 1, but you have to believe that coach Alain Vigneault won’t wait long to go to Cory Schneider, who was terrific this season, turning in a sparkling 1.96 GAA and .937 save percentage. So, let’s get down to brass tacks here. The way I have my grid working out in the Western Conference: the Blackhawks and the Canucks in the second round with Nashville and St. Louis battling in the other semifinal. Then, I’ve got Chicago and Nashville in the conference finals, and going back to my preseason prediction for consistency (and because I really had no clue other than that), I have Chicago advancing to the Cup finals. Regardless of how this shakes down, the route through the Western Conference promises to be one hellacious journey. What does your crystal ball tell you, my friend?
LEBRUN: After I conversed with my 3-year-old daughter, Melanie, we decided we’d go with a Vancouver-Nashville Western Conference finals. Because I like to go against the grain of society, I’m going to take the plucky Preds to make it the Cup finals. Of course, now you know that means they’re out in the first round against Detroit. Which wouldn’t surprise me a bit. That’s the West this season for you, eight teams with a real shot at it. But you’re right on the Canucks’ goalie situation. I guarantee you, and so does Melanie, that both Luongo and Schneider will see action in these playoffs. And as much as Luongo is on a short leash, so is Schneider. Vigneault feels he has two 1A netminders to choose from. And it's no different from swapping a player from his power-play unit. I think the Canucks head coach is going to swap netminders without reservation knowing he has full confidence in both of them.
Well, sir, enjoy your playoffs in the East. I think I’ve got my hands full here in the West.
WHO'S DELIVERING THE CHECKS
Scott Burnside
Scott Burnside covers the NHL for ESPN.com. Before joining the website in 2005, he was a reporter for The Windsor Star and Toronto Sun. Burnside also co-authored the best-selling true crime book "Deadly Innocence."
• Follow on Twitter (@ESPN_Burnside)
Pierre LeBrun
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com, joining the website in Sept. 2008 after spending 13 years with The Canadian Press as its national hockey columnist. He is also a regular panelist for TSN of Canada.
• Follow on Twitter (@Real_ESPNLeBrun)
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in Sept. 2011 to cover the NHL for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. Previously, he covered hockey for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Sporting News.
• Follow on Twitter (@CraigCustance)
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