WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL RECAP | ANA 3, CHI 4

The long-awaited Western Conference champion. The Western Conference has been a death trap for teams all season, as the level of skill is extremely high. The Hawks and the Ducks were the two teams that battled through all the adversity and found themselves in the WCF. It was the Chicago Blackhawks that fought off the persistent Ducks in a seventh game to win the highly-anticipated Western Conference Final. Let's take a look at how Chicago took out the Pacific Division champs in  a tight, seven game series.

Those Chicago Blackhawks. They really can never be doubted, no matter who they're put up against. I predicted that the Hawks win this series, as they did, because of one important fact: they are the Chicago Blackhawks. These guys are the closest things to a modern day dynasty. They've made the Conference Final 5 of the last 7 years, and have won 2, now possibly 3 cups in that span. It seems they just don't lose - they have enough of those guys that are all about leadership and winning, all of those good "Good old Canadian kids" Don Cherry always rants about. This team has been destined for greatness ever since they took Jonathan Toews 3rd overall and Patrick Kane 1st overall in 2006 & 07 respectively.

You have to give credit where it is due, and Bruce Boudreau's Anaheim Ducks put up a great fight against Toews & the boys. Anaheim showed they are a relentless forechecking team, lead by players like Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler, Matt Beleskey for goodness sakes! They have an incredibly young and mobile core of defense including the likes of Lindholm, Vatanen, Fowler & more. Chicago's defense withstood that relentless forechecking, as this series continued to show if the Hawks win the cup you have to give the Conn Smythe to Duncan Keith. The guy continued to log massive minutes this series, and was an absolute horse back there.

Every game except games 1 & 7 were decided by 1 goal, as the closeness of the series continues to be highlighted. The Ducks jumped to the 1-0 series lead with a 4-1 win, but the Hawks responded with the thrilling 3OT Andrew Shaw header controversy, and the Marcus Kruger GWG. Anaheim held on for the stingy 2-1 win in game 3, followed by a 5-4 Hawks OT win, thanks to Antoine Vermette. Game 5 was a big one with a 2-2 series, and it was won in OT fashion 5-4 by Anaheim, thanks to Matt Beleskey. They won this game despite being up 4-2 with 2 mins left, and blowing that lead to 2 Toews' goals, one of which I still have no clue on how it got past Andersen, who had a shaky series end after a great postseason run. Game 6 Chi-Town was on the ropes, but you know how that goes, as they broke out late to win 5-2. Game 7 was an outstanding performance by the Ducks, as they continued to forecheck hard, and play a great game, but not enough so to beat Jonathan Toews, who seems to ALWAYS show up in these big moments. His two goals put the Hawks ahead 2-0, as they went on to win 5-3.

Chicago beats the Ducks depth-wise & playoff experience-wise, and that in my opinion is another reason they were able to outlast the Ducks. Corey Crawford has a lot more playoff experience than Freddy Andersen, the Hawks group of horses Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson & Oduya (especially Keith tho) is a lot more experienced than the likes of Fowler, Lindholm, Vatanen, and even Beauchemin (with all-due respect those guys had a great postseason as well.) Even up-front, Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, the list goes on have a boatload more experience than Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler, they just do.

In the end, the team with the better playoff-roster won, but it really was a toss-up since game 1. I'd like to hear other opinion and thoughts, please leave them in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

~UWNHL TEAM

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL RECAP | NYR 3, TBL 4

One of the 2 infamous game 7's is over, with the underdogs coming out on top. The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to the Stanley Cup final after a 2-0 game 7 victory over the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers. Instead of doing a full game by game recap, I'll do a little more opinion-related pieces instead of just game-by-game coverage in series recaps from now on. Sorry this is late, but school, exams, you understand :/.

So the Lightning, who've only been to the final in '04 when they beat the Calgary Flames, are going back to the crowned land in 2015. It's well deserved as well, as these Lightning were consistent, they adapted to shut down the Rangers offense, and showed they're not just a team of in-experienced kids, but a team strong enough to win the Eastern Conference. One thing that continued to amaze me this series was 'the triplets' Kucherov, Palat & Johnson. Johnson lead all players with 4G and 9P in the series, this guy is unbelievable. Palat had the goal to seal the deal with a snipe coming off the wing in game 7, and Kucherov has been a relentless goal scorer all playoffs. Alex Killorn, who opened the scoring in game 7 is another one of those guys who is having a great postseason.

The big story line heading into game 7 was Henrik Lundqvist, and his outstanding resume. He has been great all postseason, but the Bolts potent offense was too much even for 'The King' which is just downright scary. Stamkos had a handful of goals, we saw some outstanding shot-blocking from Brian Boyle & Ryan Callahan, some great defending from Hedman & co, the Bolts are a real dangerous team, and I've really began to notice in these playoffs.

One player I'm sure you've noticed this series that in my opinion is one of the most underrated players in the game, Anton Stralman. The guy is a former Maple Leaf (shit!) that had blossomed into a two-way force at D, with a great outlet pass and the ability to play a shut-down defensive game. He's been a cornerstone on the Lightning blue line and has had a great postseason.

The Rangers won a tight 2-1 game 1, followed by a 6-2 thumping by the Bolts in game 2. Game 3 was a 6-5 gongshow win for Tampa in OT, while game 4 was a 5-1 stomping by NY. Bolts won the tight game 5  by a 2-0 margin, but the Rangers responded while on the brink with a commanding 7-3 win. This series was heading to game 7! Ben Bishop recorded his second game 7 SO of the postseason, and with the help of Palat & Killorn the Lightning came out on top. The Rangers had a total of 21 goals scored this series, while the Bolts had 21 also. It was a very tight series overall, and I really think it could've gone either way.

So it is the Tampa Bay Lightning who will go on, past NY to the Stanley Cup final. Stamkos elected not to touch the Prince of Wales, as expected. So how do the Lightning fare against the heavy west? We can only wait and see.

Cheers,

~THE UWNHL TEAM

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL SERIES PREVIEW | NYR VS TBL

Again, apologies this is late but school and blogging is sometimes rather difficult to juggle. We're already 1 game into the series, which was won by the Rangers so spoiler alert. Anyways, I think this is very interesting match-up we have here between NY and TB. You've got a quick offense-first team of kids in Tampa and a more veteran all-around powerhouse in New York. Let's take a look in depth.

OFFENSIVE COMPARISON

RANGERS
The Rangers are full of star-power up front, as they have 3 solid play-making centers down the middle in Brassard, Stepan and young Kevin Hayes. They don't have an eye-popping superstar but they have depth, which you need. On the wings you have vets Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis, as well as youngsters in Chris Kreider, Jesper Fast & J.T. Miller. There's speedy Carl Hagelin and then a two-way fourth line of James Sheppard, Tanner Glass & Dominic Moore. Up front the Rangers are very rounded, they have grit, play-making ability, goal scoring, youth, speed etc. I still think Tampa matches up better offensively, lets have a look.

LIGHTNING
The Bolts are very rounded, but also boast the star-power. You've got all-star Steven Stamkos, playing mostly with 'The Killer' Alex Killorn and gritty Ryan Callahan who literally has appendix surgery and then came back 4 days later saying put me in coach. Callahan, former captain of the Rangers definitely have something to prove in this series. Then, the kid line, the amazingly talented offensive line of Kucherov, Johnson & Palat. These 3 are good, and they've shown it all season. You still have Valterri Filppula, Brian Boyle, J.T. Brown, Cedric Pacquette, Brenden Morrow & Vladislav Namestnikov. Appearances from Jonathan Drouin and Jonathan Marchessault make this an offense-first extremely lethal and dangerous forward corpse, which NY must watch out for.

DEFENSIVE COMPARISON

RANGERS
The Rangers boast a great back-half, which they made even better at the trade deadline. Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Keith Yandle, Dan Boyle & Kevin Klein form a combination of defense and offense which is a force to be reckoned with. They have the Lightning cleanly beat in this category, as this D Glen Sather put together is one word - lethal. Mix that with The King in net, you have an outstanding d-force.

LIGHTNING
Victor Hedman has found his way in the NHL this year as a top-flight defenseman, but his supporting cast is only decent. Stralman, Garrison, Coburn, Sustr and Carle are decent, but not comparable to the Rangers. Bishop has been good these playoffs, but he's no Lundqvist which is why the Rangers win this matchup.

PREDCTION
It's a close series, as we wait to see when the Rangers one goal game streak ends. I think it ends this series, but I also think the Blue Shirts prevail. Expect a 7-game grueling series from these 2 Eastern Conference power-houses.

Thanks for reading,

~UWNHL TEAM

SECOND ROUND SERIES RECAP | NYR 4, WSH 3

First off, I apologize for this being so late - if you didn't already know I am in school and the year is coming to and end and that means exams.. yeah. I'll do my best to make sure this doesn't happen again. Anyways, back to hockey. Washington blew a 3-1 series lead to the relentless Rangers, who rally from 3-1 down for the second straight year to win in 7. Ovechkin's game 7 guarantee wasn't enough to get those Capitals by - let's look at in in some depth.

GAME 1 - NYR 1, WSH 2 (FINAL)
The Rangers were upset by a chippy Capitals team in game 1, as Joel Ward's late game heroics sparked the Caps. Alex Ovechkin's rocket wrist shot opened the series in the 1st, and you could already tell this was going to be a hard-fought, tight series. A deflection from Jesper Fast tied the game relatively late in the 3rd, and OT looked certain. Joel Ward would argue that, after Backstrom's controversial hit on Dan Boyle led to a stuff-in goal from Ward with under 2 seconds to go in the game. A great performance by Braden Holtby, who continues to show he is an elite goaltender. In game 1 we saw more of the new-look chippy Capitals, and they were able to outlast NY. Onto game 2.

GAME 2 - NYR 3, WSH 2 (FINAL)
The one-goal games continued for the Rangers, as they held off the Caps in another close game. They were able to get off to a 2-0 lead after Kreider & Boyle (PP) goals respectively. Evgeny Kuznetsov responded for the Caps in the 2nd, as he continues to cement his spot as the #2 center over there in Washington. Derick Brassard put home his 4th of the postseason in the 3rd, followed by an Ovi goal from the Caps. That was all they could muster, as the 3-2 score stood. These chippy games continue, as they do all series.

GAME 3 - WSH 1, NYR 0 (FINAL)
You think those chippy 1-goal games are going to continue? Yeah. Jay Beagle's second period goal was the only one in a 1-0 defeat. Holtby played absolutely stellar for Washington, as they took a 2-1 series lead here. I really like the new Capitals, the team that finishes every check, and plays these type of games - all kudos to Barry Trotz. Don't count out those Rangers, who continue to battle hard against this stingy Washington team.

GAME 4 - WSH 2, NYR 1 (FINAL)
This has to be the stingiest series I've ever witnessed. Another 1 goal game, and another goaltender battle. Holtby out-dueled Lundqvist once again, as the Caps took a commanding 3-1 series lead (will it hold though? Mmhmhm idk.) Derick Brassard opened the scoring in the second, followed by a response from Caps youngster Andre Burakovsky. Then 28 seconds into the 3rd, who else but Burakovsky to put the Caps up 2-1, as they held off the Rangers. Don Cherry did a piece on Burakovsky the following day, and that must feel good as Don doesn't usually praise Europeans. Andre blocked shots, scored goals, did all he could to make his presence felt in this one, and make his presence felt he did.

GAME 5 - NYR 2, WSH  1 (FINAL OT)
Heading back to NY, the caps had a chance to eliminate the Rangers, but they were unable to. Another 2-1 game, jeez this has to be some sort of record. It was scoreless until the 3rd, where the Caps depth stepped up as Curtis Glencross opened the scoring. Just when it looked like the Glencross goal might stand, Chris Kreider tied the game with under 2 minutes to go. We have OT folks! Less than halfway through, who else but the captain Ryan McDonagh to end it with a bomb from the line. This game the Rangers seemed to dominate a bit more, as Holtby just couldn't hold these guys off. Could the Caps respond back home in game 6?

GAME 6 - WSH 3, NYR 4 (FINAL)
No, as another 1 goal game goes by in favour of New York once again, as a game 7 is forced (exciting!) 2 first period goals from Chris Kreider (1 on the PP with 1 second left) game the Rangers a commanding 2-0 lead after 20. Jason Chimera responded for Washington in the second, cutting the lead in half. Now into the 3rd, a couple quick goals from Dan Boyle and Rick Nash put the Rangers up 4-1. Those Caps refused to give up, as they completely DESTROYED the Rangers in the final half of the 3rd, as Evgeny Kuznetsov and Joel Ward goals put them back within 1. I really thought they were going to tie it, but The King shut the door, as those relentless Rangers forced a 7 at Madison Square Garden.

GAME 7 - NYR 2, WSH 1 (FINAL OT)
Every goal in this series was won by 1 goal, that's chippy if I've ever seen it. The Rangers came all the way back from 3-1 down just like they did last year against Pittsburgh, and sent Ovi and the Caps home crying. The Caps did open the scoring, as it was the man himself Alex Ovechkin who dented the scoreboard first. The kid Kevin Hayes responded on the PP in the 2nd, as the game remained tied 1-1 until the end of regulation. A hard fought, close game and series as a whole was going to overtime. Game 7 OT is so fun to watch, I can't begin to explain it. Washington was dominating early in OT, and for a second I thought they might win. You can never count out those Rangers, as a Dan Girardi screen shot failed to get through, and it came right to Derek Stepan who ripped it past Holtby to win the series.

This series was so close and hard-fought, even though they blew the 3-1 series the lead the Caps exceeded all expectations made for them. Every game was so chippy (I've said that word more in this post than in my life) and so exciting but non-exciting at the same time to watch. In the end, the Rangers outlasted the Caps, as they continue to show why they won the Presidents Trophy. New York, we'll see you my friends in the Eastern Conference final vs. Tampa Bay.

Thanks for reading,

~UWNHL TEAM

SECOND ROUND SERIES RECAP | MTL 2, TBL 4

The Atlantic Division champions are packing up, as their run to try and come back from 3-0 down has failed in the 6th game. Ryan Callahan was absent for game 6 because of an emergency appendectomy, rookie Jonathan Marchessault was fine in relief. My reasoning behind Tampa winning this series is one simple point - Montreal isn't that good. I know that's pretty bold to say. considering they made it here, but seriously - Carey Price may have back problems this offseason because he pretty much dragged this team into round 2. Their offense is nothing to drop your jaw at, as other than Pacioretty and MAYBE Gallagher, they aren't dangerous. They finished 25th in goals per game this season, horrendous for a round 2 playoff team. Subban's in charge of the D, but even though he's great to watch he gives away his fair share of pucks, and everyone else is relatively slow and weak defensively (some exceptions). The reason they're here is the work of Carey Price, who in my opinion is the surefire Hart Trophy winner. This series Tampa's lethal offense was able to solve him, and because of that, they're off the Eastern Conference Final.

GAME 1 - TBL 2, MTL 1 (FINAL 2OT)
Game 1 of the series in Montreal was a chippy game, as there wasn't a goal through 2 periods, some good goaltending from both sides. Tyler Johnson's 7th of the postseason (impressive) opened the scoring 2 and a half into the third. Max Pacioretty would tie the game a bit later, and we head to OT squared up at 1. In OT Nikita Kucherov thought he won the game, but upon review he pushed Carey Price into the net with the puck, and his bid was waived off - but as we head into double OT who's the hero? Nikita Kucherov of course. His snapper beat Price low, and Tampa wins game 1. There was controversy with this goal, as the refs missed an offside call on the play, but that can't be changed now. I still believe Tampa would have won nonetheless, so it doesn't change my perspective.

GAME 2 - TBL 6, MTL 2 (FINAL)
This is the type of game where Montreal tries to let Carey carry them (see what I did there) but he showed he was, well, human. Montreal d-man Jeff Petry opened the scoring in the 1st, but a PP goal from Val Filppula tied it with little to go in the frame. Stamkos 'shake and bake' breakaway goal put Tampa ahead, followed by a pair of PP goals from Kucherov, and a late one from Victor Hedman respectively. 4-1 was the score heading to the 3rd, and it only got worse for the Habs. Kucherov's second of the game on the PP made it 5, followed by a Tom Gilbert retaliation, and finally TB winger J.T. Brown put up the 6th goal, as the game finished 6-2. Again, this game showed Price is NOT in fact a superhuman (though arguable) and Tampa found a way to light him up.

GAME 3 - MTL 1, TBL 2 (FINAL)
This was the game Tampa stole, as I think Montreal deserved the 2-1 series, not 3-0 after this one. Tampa's Alex Killorn opened the scoring in the 1st. and that goal stood on the board up until halfway through the 3rd, when Brendan Gallagher's hack & wack rebound goal tied things up. Then, the infamous goal with less that 1 second left on the clock, a nice sequence of passing by the Bolts, coming off the stick of Tyler Johnson, who's 8th of the postseason won game 3. Tampa looked slow this game, and  I do believe Montreal badly wanted it, but the late goal was an absolute stab in the back for the Habs.

GAME 4 - MTL 6, TBL 2 (FINAL)
Montreal refused to get swept, coming out with an exceptional game 4 effort, outplaying and beating the Lightning. Tampa looked absolutely unwilling and lazy this game, and Le Canadiens du Montreal took advantage. Andrei Markov and Max Pacioretty (shorthanded) put the Habs up 2-0 after 20. Then a sequence of goals in the second, David Desharnais, Jeff Petry (PP), and Brendan Gallagher respectively put the Habs up 5-0! After the Desharnais goal Bishop was yanked and rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy was in. A PP goal, Nikita Kucherov's 4th of the series made it 5-1 heading to the final frame. Then another PP goal just 17 seconds into the 3rd from Ondrej Palat made it 5-2. Brandon Prust quickly responded with his 1st of the playoffs, capping off a 6-2 beating. Tampa looked not at all prepared to handle a desperate team, and looked as if they thought this was going to be a breeze, they now know differently.

GAME 5 - TBL 1, MTL 2 (FINAL)
This was a tight game, though I again thought the Lightning were outplayed. Bishop was back in the cage, but it was Devante Smith-Pelly's top corner snipe that opened the scoring for the home team, and that stood through 40 minutes. Steven Stamkos' mere 2nd of the postseason tied things at around the halfway point of the 3rd, but an unlikely hero P.A. Parenteau scored with just under 5 to go in the game, as the Habs held on for the W. The Bell Centre was VERY loud, as the French fans were desperate to hold on while on the ropes. The Lightning had cleaned up their game somewhat, but were still outplayed, and the end result, a loss.

GAME 6 - MTL 1, TBL 4 (FINAL)
This was Tampa's game to eliminate Montreal. They showed they wanted to win, in my opinion the first time since game 2. Montreal was unable to cope with the fast paced Lightning, as the speedy group of youngsters came to play in game 6. Nikita Kucherov solved Price with a nice tip-in late 1st, to put the Bolts up 1-0 after 20. Stamkos notched #3 of the series, while Ondrej Palat put up a PP goal, to make it 3-0 after 40. A late goal from Max Pacioretty gave the Habs some hope, but it would only end up being the last goal of their 2014-15 season. Kucherov's second of the game was an empty netter to seal the deal on this one.

If it seems I've been bashing on Montreal a bit here, in their defense they did well to force a game 6 after falling down 3-0. If they won game 3, who knows how this series would have played out. They also hit a boatload of posts, a bomb dodged by Tampa. Despite those posts, Bishop played a good series despite being yanked in game 4, and maybe showed the world he's in the elite of NHL goaltenders. Carey's series was only decent, and that isn't enough to get the Habs by. Tampa Bay, we'll see you in the Eastern Conference Finals against either the Caps or Rangers.

Cheers,

~UWNHL TEAM

**NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO - CALGARY FLAMES | A RUN TO REMEMBER**

Please check out our second YouTube video, this one regarding the Calgary Flames. Leave feedback, questions & requests in the comment section below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTEfwKBIotA&feature=youtu.be

Thanks,

~UWNHL TEAM

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL SERIES PREVIEW | ANA VS CHI

The 2015 Western Conference Final is officially between the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks. Anaheim will get home-ice advantage, something I really don't think will affect the way the Hawks come into this series. The Hawks are down Michal Roszival, meaning Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Johnny Oduya & Nicklas Hjalmarsson will be relied heavily upon. Let's take a look at this matchup.

OFFENSIVE COMPARISON

DUCKS
On the offensive side of things, the Ducks have been rolling with a top 6 of Maroon - Getzlaf - Perry, Beleskey - Kesler - Silfverberg. In the bottom 6 they have speedy Andrew Cogliano, and depth goal scoring from Rickard Rakell, Kyle Palmieri & Emerson Etem. They have gritty two-way forward Nate Thompson and grinder Tim Jackman filling out a versatile bottom 6. With Getzlaf and Kesler as their one-two punch down the middle they look like a much better playoff-prepared team, and will match up against the Hawks quite nicely in that category. Beleskey had the second round of his life, we'll have to see if he can continue that vs the Hawks. One thing that concerns me about the Ducks is the lack of grit in their bottom 6, in hard-fought playoff hockey sometimes guys like Rakell, Palmieri and Etem are insufficient especially if they go quiet. That's where I think the Hawks may be able to take advantage of Anaheim. Even their subs, Tomas Fleishcmann(may have misspelled that) and Jiri Sekac don't help. We'll have to see how it plays out.

HAWKS
The Hawks also boast a very talented top 6, going with Saad - Toews - Hossa, and Bickell - Richard - Kane. Patrick Sharp is playing on the 3rd line, in case you didn't know. Wow. The Hawks have their superstars in Kane, Toews, Hossa, Sharp upfront, and those were the guys that really showed up in round 2. Then you have guys like trade deadline pickups Antoine Vermette & Andrew Desjardins, the gritty Andrew Shaw, Swede Marcus Kruger and young phenom Teuvo Teravainen, this team is deep. They have their skill, and their two-way grit, which always makes them a tall task as an opponent.

DEFENSIVE COMPARISON

DUCKS
At defense the Ducks have a very gifted offensive group - Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm & Cam Fowler were all good in round 1. Then you have veterans Francois Beauchemin & Clayton Stoner, young Simon Despres, James Wisniewski is riding pine right now! (Just though I'd throw that in there.) They have a great mix of defensive players and offensive players on the back end, and they definitely have the Hawks beat on the ability to be confident on whichever line is out there, and not overuse guys. Then they have Frederik Andersen in the net, who's been good through the first 2 rounds, but yet to be tested by a team like the Hawks, so we'll see.

HAWKS
As we know, the Hawks heavily rely on workhorse d-men Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. They've mixed them up this playoffs, throwing Johnny Oduya and Nicklas Hjalmarsson around as well. Kimmo Timonen has seen VERY limited time as a veteran, but will probably see more with the loss of Michal Roszival. David Rundblad will see some action with Roszival down and out. Again, the Hawks have Keith & Seabrook, but the Ducks have the ability to roll all lines. In net Corey Crawford was amazing in round 2, but if he runs into trouble again, expect that to be the x-factor of the series.

PREDICTION
On my last round predictions (which you don't know because  I didn't have the blog) I predicted Ducks in 6 games, and Wild in 7. So my Ducks was almost there, but wow, the Wild let me down. My prediction for this series has the Hawks going back to the cup final, after dealing with the Ducks in a hard-fought 6 games. Please comment your predictions, it's shaping up to be a great end to the 2015 playoffs.

Thanks,

~UWNHL TEAM