MR CLUTCH

Daniel Briere shows what a clutch player he still is.

He was a healthy scratch for Montreal in Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I did voice my opinion as I thought that was a more stupid than bold move from coach Michel Therrien. In Game 7, Daniel Briere showed why he is considered one of the best players in the NHL come the playoffs. With a goal and a helper he made sure the Montreal Canadiens could clinch the second round series against their arch rivals, the Boston Bruins.

The big bad Bruins had problems solving a fast, skilled and organized Montreal from Game 1, and over a series of seven games, their undisciplined game became their undoing. Coach Claude Julien talked about "all the crap" they had to deal with, but as I see it most of this crap came from the Bruins themselves. The Habs played a focused game and never gave in to Boston's efforts to put them off balance. In the end, the Bruins' own game got away from them and so did the series.

NO DANNY BOY

When the Montreal Canadiens take on the Boston Bruins tonight, they will do so without Daniel Briere. He is a healthy scratch for the Habs as coach Michel Therrien favors Brandon Prust in Game 5. Briere has one goal and three assists in eight games so far in the playoffs while playing on the forth line. The fact is that Daniel Briere is as good a clutch player as they come and I think Therrien has wasted his clutch abilities putting him on the forth line against Boston. 113 points in 116 playoff games speaks volumes. If Game 5 goes to Boston, I'm pretty sure he will be back in the lineup for Game 6 in Montreal.

HABS COLLAPSE

The Boston Bruins completed a third period comeback in Game 2 to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. Down 3-2 late in the third frame, the Bruins once again got goals from their youngsters, Dougie Hamilton and Reilly Smith to turn it around to even the series at 1-1. Considering the way the Habs defense collapsed I would file it under lucky escapes. As the series continues in Montreal I am sure the Canadiens will be quite content with splitting the two first games in Boston. My prediction for this series is Montreal. This may go against most predictions but there is something about this team that makes me think they can actually go all the way. One thing they will definitely take away from this one is that they can't sit back and relax for a second. The Bruins are way to good to be given chances like that late in a game. The Habs have to play a full 60 minutes to have a chance to get past Boston.

On a second note; I'm not a fan of Milan Lucic's empty net goal celebration. Empty net goals are almost always fairly effortless and to celebrate it the way he did is just classless.

Prediction: Montreal in 6 games.

SEASON'S END

The Boston Bruins beat Detroit 4-2 in Game 5 to win the series 4-1

Detroit weren't able to fend off the Bruins in Game 5 and the season is over.

However...

"The sated day is never first.
The best day is a day of thirst.
Yes, there is goal and meaning in our path -
but it's the way that is the labour's worth.
The best goal is a night-long rest,
fire lit, and bread broken in haste.
In places where one sleeps but once,
sleep is secure, dreams full of songs.
Strike camp, strike camp! The new day shows its light.
Our great adventure has no end in sight."

- Karin Boye (translated by David McDuff)

...I am already looking forward to next season and a chance at a 24th straight playoff.

OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN

The Detroit Red Wings hope to get a welcome boost tonight against Boston when their captain, Henrik Zetterberg, returns to action after missing the last two months due to back surgery. The Wings are down 2-1 to the President's Trophy winners and can sure use the help. The Detroit youngsters have been excellent down the stretch of the regular season but, in the last two games they have struggled against the juggernaut that is the Boston Bruins. It remains to be seen if Zetterberg is fit to play. His playoff beard certainly is.

OFF TO BEANTOWN

Bring on those Bruins!

23RD STRAIGHT

Just a bunch of kids, but they pulled it off.

Even though the Detroit Red Wings lost in a shootout against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the point they earned was all they needed to secure a playoff berth. The 23rd straight. The Wings haven't missed the playoffs since the 1989-90 season. It is the longest active playoff streak of any of the four North American major professional sports leagues (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB).

The Boston Bruins hold the record for the longest playoff streak in franchise history making the cut from 1967-68 through to 1995-96 (29 seasons). So only six more seasons to go...

Crunch time

The fact that the Montreal Canadiens won all eight games against the Boston Bruins during the regular season means very little in the playoffs, this is especially true now that their first round series has come down to a deciding Game 7. The Habs, heavy favourites at the start of the series, have seen a 2-0 slip away and at the chance of wrapping things up at 3-1 they lost two straight. Young Carey Price gave up five goals in each of those games, which were his first consecutive losses since being called up from the minors in February. Momentum is clearly with the B's even if stats still favour the Canadiens. The Bruins have never won a series in which they trailed 3-1. On the other hand, this is the first time they have forced a Game 7 in that situation. Be that as it may, I'm going to stick with my original pick. This will be the ultimate test to see if Price can perform at crunch time, I think he can.

* * *

The Philadelphia Flyers don't have their backs against the wall, at leaste not yet. Though the Washington Capitals took home Game 5 and avoided elimination, the Flyers still have two shots at clinching their first playoff series since 2004. Ovechkin didn't have any goals or assists in Game 5 but he did play perhaps his best game in the post season. Question is if the Caps can win the next one as well without his contribution the scoresheet. The Flyers will have to do without forward Mike Knuble, but they are more than familiar to playing without their stars, they have gotten through most of the season without several of them. I'm not changing my pick here either, Philadelphia look way too tough and if they lose tonight they will win in Game 7. There is something special about these Flyers and, much like those Canadiens of 1993, they will surprise a lot of people on their way through these playoffs.

* * *

Nice to see that Henrik Lundqvist got nominated for the Vezina Trophy. Early on in the season he carried the non-scoring Rangers on his back and, even though he lost his touch around the halfway pointone point, a late push by the Rangers saw him return to his old form. The nomination is his third in a row. Will the third time be the charm for The King?

The other two nominees are Martin Brodeur, who will try to win his fifth Vezina, and Evgeni Nabokov who posted a league leading 46 wins this season and was third in the league with a 2.14 goals-against-average and tied for third with six shutouts. Lundqvist, who despite his mid-season struggle, posted a 2.23 goals-against-average and a .912 save percentage, also led the league with 10 shutouts.

I would have to say that Nabokov looks like the favourite to win his first trophy as the best goalie in the NHL.

* * *

The Flyers - Capitals game just started so I'll have to wrap this up now.

The Bruins - Habs series

Phil:

About game 2 of the B's-Habs series, that's exactly what the Bruins did. They came out of the gates hitting everything in red. A ferocious forecheck was put into works too but to no avail. They are simply snake-bitten by the dreaded Habs this year. Hopefully, the tide will turn for the better in three hours from now.

Apparently, Kessel was a healthy scratch(!)last night. I'm still trying to figure out why Wideman wasn't dressed.


Niklas:

Well, my friend, the Boston Bruins continued to forecheck and play the body hard against the Habs in Game 3 and it payed off. I guess this is they only way they can beat Montreal and, like Marc Savard said, "We don't have a lot of dancers over here, we're a lunch-bucket team." That comment hits the nail on the head, you have to accept what you are and play the game there after.

Unfortunately, this leaves a great player like Phil Kessel on the outside. He was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row.


Phil:

Savard is right, at least in comparison to the Canadiens. But this is the most talented Bruins team I've seen in years. I know this series could be wrapped up in a couple of nights but the Bruins are not supposed to be in the playoffs this year in the first place. And if this is a preview of what's the come in the next two years, I'll be laughing.

Wideman, Krejci, and Lucic are awesome. The latter is the most exciting skater to hit Beantown since Sinden stole Neely from Vancouver. Lucic is a bigger and "badder" Bruin as a 19-year old than Joe Thornton ever was. No pun intended though. We'll see if Julien still thinks Kessel is too soft tomorrow. Allez Bruins de Boston!


Niklas:

I think you're right and, while I still think trading off Big Joe to San Jose is one of the dumbest moves in resent history, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for these young and talented Bruins. The future looks bright and the Montreal-Boston rivalry might take centre stage once again. Carey Price against Tukka Rask could be a classic. But for now, the Canadiens are too good for the B's.