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The Washington Capitals have seen just about everything in their 36 years of existence. They started life as the worst team in NHL history, and now they?re in first place overall going into the Stanley Cup playoffs as the 7-2 favorites. Will Washington survive the most gruelling postseason in pro sports and win that elusive Cup?
First they?ll have to put the puck past one of the best goalies in the league. Jaroslav Halak dragged the Montreal Canadiens into the playoffs with a .924 save percentage, posting a personal 26-13-5 record while splitting time with Carey Price (.912 SV%, 13-20-5). Halak?s record improves to 20-8-5 in games with top defenseman Andrei Markov on the ice ? he missed nearly 40 games after suffering a lacerated ankle in the season opener.
The Canadiens are near the bottom of the Stanley Cup odds list at 38-1, but Halak is good enough to make them a viable first-round upset candidate over the chalky Capitals. Washington?s No. 1 goaltender is Jose Theodore (.911 SV%), formerly with Montreal and Colorado. He?s shown occasional flashes of his Vezina-winning form of 2001-02, and the Caps are 30-7-7 with Theodore in goal, but that?s more a product of their league-best offense: 3.82 goals per game, well ahead of the Vancouver Canucks (3.27) in second place. Goals will be much harder to come by against Halak and the Habs.
Questionable goaltending could also cut down the top Cup favorite from the Western Conference. The Chicago Blackhawks (9-2) came into the 2009-10 season loaded for bear, but neither rookie Antti Niemi (.912 SV%) nor veteran Cristobal Huet (.895 SV%) was able to put a stranglehold on the No. 1 netminder position. Niemi is expected to get the start Friday against the No. 7 Nashville Predators (38-1), who will go with Pekka Rinne (.911 SV%) in a battle of two Finnish goalies making their NHL playoff debuts.
Niemi?s task will be made more difficult by the absences of defensemen Brian Campbell (plus-18) and Kim Johnsson (plus-10), the latter coming over from the Minnesota Wild just before the Olympic break. Nashville is a sound defensive team; although the Hawks won the season series 4-2, they only outscored the Predators 15-12 with the UNDER cashing in at 4-1-1. This was a Chicago team that finished third overall in scoring at 3.20 goals per game. You can almost hear the gnashing of teeth in the Windy City.
Here are the rest of the first-round matchups for this year?s Stanley Cup playoffs.
Eastern Conference
No. 2 New Jersey Devils vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers (45-1) needed a shootout victory over the New York Rangers in the season finale to get into the playoffs. They look like roadkill against Martin Brodeur (.916 SV%) and the Devils (12-1).
No. 3 Buffalo Sabres vs. No. 6 Boston Bruins: This classic Adams Division rivalry features the top two goalies in save percentage, Boston?s Tuukka Rask (.931 SV%) and Buffalo?s Ryan Miller (.929 SV%). Boston (32-1) was last in the NHL in scoring this year at 2.39 goals per game.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Ottawa Senators: The Sens (30-1) are back in the playoffs despite having a negative goal differential of minus-13 on the season. Goalie Brian Elliot (.909 SV%) will be thrown to the wolves against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (6-1).
Western Conference
No. 1 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 8 Colorado Avalanche: The Avs (50-1) were the big story of the early season, thanks in part to the goaltending heroics of Craig Anderson (.917 SV%). But Anderson may be suffering from overuse after playing 71 games and losing eight of his last 11 starts.
No. 3 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Kings: Fans in Vancouver (15-2) are always nervous about their goaltending, but Roberto Luongo (.913 SV%) has a career playoff save percentage of .930 and put in a brilliant performance for Team Canada at the Olympic Games.
No. 4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings (8-1) will try to make their third straight Cup final, but their first with Jimmy Howard (.924 SV%) in goal. He?s Detroit?s savior this year, just like Ilya Bryzgalov (.920 SV%) has been for the Coyotes (22-1). Goals will be few and far between.
The Washington Capitals have seen just about everything in their 36 years of existence. They started life as the worst team in NHL history, and now they?re in first place overall going into the Stanley Cup playoffs as the 7-2 favorites. Will Washington survive the most gruelling postseason in pro sports and win that elusive Cup?
First they?ll have to put the puck past one of the best goalies in the league. Jaroslav Halak dragged the Montreal Canadiens into the playoffs with a .924 save percentage, posting a personal 26-13-5 record while splitting time with Carey Price (.912 SV%, 13-20-5). Halak?s record improves to 20-8-5 in games with top defenseman Andrei Markov on the ice ? he missed nearly 40 games after suffering a lacerated ankle in the season opener.
The Canadiens are near the bottom of the Stanley Cup odds list at 38-1, but Halak is good enough to make them a viable first-round upset candidate over the chalky Capitals. Washington?s No. 1 goaltender is Jose Theodore (.911 SV%), formerly with Montreal and Colorado. He?s shown occasional flashes of his Vezina-winning form of 2001-02, and the Caps are 30-7-7 with Theodore in goal, but that?s more a product of their league-best offense: 3.82 goals per game, well ahead of the Vancouver Canucks (3.27) in second place. Goals will be much harder to come by against Halak and the Habs.
Questionable goaltending could also cut down the top Cup favorite from the Western Conference. The Chicago Blackhawks (9-2) came into the 2009-10 season loaded for bear, but neither rookie Antti Niemi (.912 SV%) nor veteran Cristobal Huet (.895 SV%) was able to put a stranglehold on the No. 1 netminder position. Niemi is expected to get the start Friday against the No. 7 Nashville Predators (38-1), who will go with Pekka Rinne (.911 SV%) in a battle of two Finnish goalies making their NHL playoff debuts.
Niemi?s task will be made more difficult by the absences of defensemen Brian Campbell (plus-18) and Kim Johnsson (plus-10), the latter coming over from the Minnesota Wild just before the Olympic break. Nashville is a sound defensive team; although the Hawks won the season series 4-2, they only outscored the Predators 15-12 with the UNDER cashing in at 4-1-1. This was a Chicago team that finished third overall in scoring at 3.20 goals per game. You can almost hear the gnashing of teeth in the Windy City.
Here are the rest of the first-round matchups for this year?s Stanley Cup playoffs.
Eastern Conference
No. 2 New Jersey Devils vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers (45-1) needed a shootout victory over the New York Rangers in the season finale to get into the playoffs. They look like roadkill against Martin Brodeur (.916 SV%) and the Devils (12-1).
No. 3 Buffalo Sabres vs. No. 6 Boston Bruins: This classic Adams Division rivalry features the top two goalies in save percentage, Boston?s Tuukka Rask (.931 SV%) and Buffalo?s Ryan Miller (.929 SV%). Boston (32-1) was last in the NHL in scoring this year at 2.39 goals per game.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Ottawa Senators: The Sens (30-1) are back in the playoffs despite having a negative goal differential of minus-13 on the season. Goalie Brian Elliot (.909 SV%) will be thrown to the wolves against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (6-1).
Western Conference
No. 1 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 8 Colorado Avalanche: The Avs (50-1) were the big story of the early season, thanks in part to the goaltending heroics of Craig Anderson (.917 SV%). But Anderson may be suffering from overuse after playing 71 games and losing eight of his last 11 starts.
No. 3 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Kings: Fans in Vancouver (15-2) are always nervous about their goaltending, but Roberto Luongo (.913 SV%) has a career playoff save percentage of .930 and put in a brilliant performance for Team Canada at the Olympic Games.
No. 4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings (8-1) will try to make their third straight Cup final, but their first with Jimmy Howard (.924 SV%) in goal. He?s Detroit?s savior this year, just like Ilya Bryzgalov (.920 SV%) has been for the Coyotes (22-1). Goals will be few and far between.
