By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. Kings, Bruins Miss; Ottawa and Pittsburgh Sneak In
In a surprising turn of events, two of the past four Stanley Cup champions will not be in this year’s playoffs.
The Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins could not edge out teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh Penguins to make the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Per theScore, this is the first time since 1969 that the reigning Stanley Cup champions and President’s Trophy winner have both missed the playoffs the following year.
For the Bruins, the simplest reason for their struggles this year was injuries. Throughout the season, the B’s lost captain Zdeno Chara, center David Krejci, and defenseman Dougie Hamilton, all for extended periods of time. Along with the injury troubles, the Bruins suffered from aging and a lack of speed. Chara has now hit 38, and it is clear that he isn’t as fast as he used to be. He’s beaten to the puck much more easily than he was in his prime, and the Bruins can only hope he can get his speed back, or he moves on from the organization.
As for the Kings, one of the biggest losses from their 2014 championship team was top-four defenseman Slava Voynov. Voynov is technically still a member of the Kings, but he has not played all season, after being charged for domestic assault. The details of the assault are very gruesome, and it’s a big question if Voynov will ever play in the NHL again.
Fans didn’t think that Voynov was that big of a piece to the team. But the problem this season for the Kings came in overtime, and afterwards. The Kings’ record this season, after regulation, was a poor 3-15, the worst out of all the teams. Also, in games decided by one goal, the Kings were 13-9-15. Those OT losses are a lot of points lost. With the loss of Voynov, all-star Drew Doughty was playing nearly 30 minutes per game on average, which can quickly fatigue the team.
One thing can be told from this: 2015 will feature a new Stanley Cup champion.
A team fans expected to easily make the playoffs was the Pittsburgh Penguins. Instead, it took a win in Game 82 in order to make it. Thanks in large part to star defensemen Kris Letang and Olli Maatta, as well as depth forwards like Pascal Dupuis and Beau Bennett, the Penguins had to rely heavily on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to lead them to the playoffs. Fleury had a league-leading 10 shutouts in the season, and he, along with superstar Sidney Crosby, dragged Pittsburgh into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators were towards last place in the Eastern conference around New Year’s. Then, they made the decision to call up The Hamburglar.
Hockey fans know that Andrew Hammond’s AHL stats were way below average, but the NHL stats are even more ridiculous. At the NHL level, Hammond posted a 20-1-2 record with a goals against average of 1.79, a save percentage of .941, and posting three shutouts.
He, with rookie Mark Stone, helped Ottawa to win in Game 82 to push Ottawa into a wild card spot. After an impressive final month to the season, Stone was tied with Johnny Gaudreau for most points scored by a rookie this season. Stone and Hammond are easily this season’s Senators MVPs.
2. Predictions for Each Matchup: Western Conference
St. Louis over Minnesota in six. Minnesota has been burning hot as of late, but I think that Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Shattenkirk, and T.J. Oshie will be too much for Devan Dubnyk and Zach Parise to handle.
Chicago over Nashville in seven. Oh, how fun this series will be. Chicago is currently without superstar Patrick Kane, but he has not been ruled out for the first round yet. If he comes back, the Hawks win this easily. Meanwhile, Nashville struggled down the homestretch, so the advantage goes to Chicago here.
Anaheim over Winnipeg in six. The fans in Winnipeg will be rocking, but Andrej Pavelec just does not have what it takes to win a playoff series. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will be the MVPs of this series.
Vancouver over Calgary in five. Even though Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau have been stellar for the Flames this year, Eddie Lack and Ryan Miller are one of the best one-two punches in goal in the league, so they have the advantage in this one.
3. Predictions for Each Matchup: Eastern Conference
Montreal over Ottawa in five. Even though Ottawa is hot at the moment, Carey Price is the MVP of the league, and he will be the difference-maker in this one. But Ottawa could give Montreal a run for their money.
Tampa Bay over Detroit in seven. After being swept in the first round last year, Tampa Bay is looking for revenge. Detroit’s young guns, like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyqvist, will make it tough on Tampa’s stars, and this one will be a fun one to watch.
New York Rangers over Pittsburgh in six. The Rangers clinched the President’s Trophy for the best record this season, so they have a big target on their back. The speed they bring, along with the lack of quick defensemen the Penguins have, give the Rangers the edge in this one. But it won’t be easy.
Washington over New York Islanders in seven. Potentially one of the best matchups in the first round, Alexander Ovechkin will be the difference-maker here. If the Islanders take a dumb penalty, and the Capitals go on the power play, it’s Ovechkin time, and he’ll make them pay. But, it will all come down to goaltending in this one: Jaroslav Halak versus Braden Holtby, and who can be more consistent.
