What more ? Five series that go to the limit of seven games, three of which are decided in overtime. It’s incredible. I’ve never seen such an exciting first round playoff and you can tell the National League is healthy.
It doesn’t matter if the games end 1-0 or 7-2, we see exciting shows every night and it promises for the second round with the battles of Alberta (Oilers against Flames) and Florida (Panthers against Lightning ), in addition to the Hurricanes who will face the Rangers and the Blues against the Avalanche.
Defenders are more mobile than ever, attackers are creative and goalkeepers are performing. There is something for every taste.
Shadow players
I think we can say that it is the best hockey we have seen in our lives. Even the third and fourth lines offer some electrifying play.
Saturday in Toronto, it was an anonymous player like Nick Paul who played the hero with two goals for the defending champions, and Sunday it was Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau who threaded the needle in overtime with a perfect shot for advance the Flames to the next round.
Too bad for 23-year-old Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, who made a name for himself in that matchup and especially in Game 7 with a remarkable 64-save performance.
Ground current solid
On the other hand, I am happy for his vis-à-vis and my former partner, Jacob Markström, who only received 28 shots, but who remained focused throughout the game. This is the kind of situation he had difficulty dealing with when he was younger. He has matured and we have seen why he is a finalist for the Vézina Trophy.
The Flames will be one to watch and even if the Oilers bet on the infernal duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisailt, in my opinion, this Alberta series will be played in net and Markström will have the best on the forty-something Mike Smith, who has everything even well done against the Kings.
Leafs misfortune
How can you not sympathize with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans? If the Leafs collapsed in 2021 against the Canadian after leading the series 3 to 1, they have nothing to be ashamed of their effort against the Lightning. This series was worthy of a Stanley Cup final. Everyone did their job in Toronto, including general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe.
This training is going in the right direction. They’re only missing one or two players.
Goalkeeper Jack Campbell did his job, but you can’t ask him to be better than Andrei Vasilevskiy. At $1.8 million he was a real bargain and I believe he deserves a new contract at around $4.5 million over a three or four year period.
The importance of a good goalkeeper
On the side of the Penguins and the Bruins, one wonders if this is not the end of an era. I can’t wait to see what happens to Patrice Bergeron in Boston.
The Penguins’ experience nearly gave them the win over the Rangers. With their goaltender Tristan Jarry healthy from the start of the series, the story could have been different.
The Capitals are still dangerous, but they will have to solve their problem in net. You can see how difficult it is to win without a number one goalkeeper and I applaud Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant’s decision to place his full trust in Igor Shesterkin without hesitation, even if he wasn’t at his best against the Penguins. He seemed confident in Game 7 and that could pay off against the Hurricanes.
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
Carey Price finaliste
It was not an easy year for Carey Price and he had to overcome a lot of adversity to return to the game at the end of the season. Congratulations and so much the better for him who finds himself among the finalists for the Bill-Masterton trophy! I have already expressed myself on the subject and I saw him more as a candidate for this trophy next season. Above all, let’s hope he can play a full campaign.
Peter DeBoer fired
I won’t cry over the firing of Peter DeBoer as Vegas Golden Knights driver. In my opinion, he needs to modernize and manage his keepers better. It was not easy with Marc-André Fleury in 2020-2021 nor this season with Robin Lehner. Injuries haven’t helped, but if the Knights missed the playoffs, general manager Kelly McCrimmon has to look in the mirror too.
My predictions
I predicted six of the eight first-round winners. I was wrong with the Bruins and the Wild. Now I see the Avalanche in five over the Blues, the Flames in seven over the Oilers, the Lightning in seven over the Panthers and the Rangers in seven over the Hurricanes. The Florida duel is the one that interests me the most. I believe Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will feel less pressure and deliver the goods. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The throne at Vasilevskiy
There is no longer any doubt that the title of best goalkeeper in the world belongs to Andrei Vasilevskiy. Okay, he didn’t have his best season, but against the Leafs he was there when it counted. The masked man from Tampa Bay is not only talented, he excels under pressure. He never loses two playoff games in a row and he wins his number seven games. Who says better?
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