News and notes entering tonight’s Stanley Cup Final showdown in Chicago.
Game 5: Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m. ET (watch on NBC or live online) – Series tied, 2-2
For the fourth time in the last five years – and 23rd time since the best-of-seven playoff format was introduced in 1939 – the Stanley Cup Final is knotted at two games apiece after four games. (It is also the 10th time that each team has won at home and away in the first four games of a Cup Final series.) The team winning Game 5 has gone on to win the Cup 15 of the 22 previous times, adding weight to tonight’s Game 5 at the United Center.
There were as many goals scored in regulation (10) of Game 4 as the first three games of the series combined, before Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook ended it 9:51 into overtime, his second OT-winner of the postseason. Tuukka Rask’s home shutout streak reached a franchise-record 193:16, but then the Bruins goaltender proceeded to allow six goals for only the second time in his career. His league-leading goals-against average rose from 1.64 to 1.83 in the game. After giving up five goals, Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford’s GAA climbed from 1.74 to 1.86.
After combining for one assist in the first three games playing on separate lines, the Blackhawks’ reconstructed top line of Bryan Bickell – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane broke out in Game 4, combining for two goals and three assists. The Hawks improved to 3-0 all-time in the playoffs when Toews and Kane each scored a goal. On the flip side, the Bruins’ third line of Daniel Paille – Chris Kelly – Tyler Seguin, which lay behind three of four Boston goals in Games 2 and 3, were held off the scoresheet. Patrice Bergeron had two goals, his third and fourth of the series, which leads all skaters.
No major lineup changes are expected on either side for Game 5. Marian Hossa, who played 19:07 in Game 4 after being scratched the game before with an undisclosed injury, missed Friday’s practice, but will play. Nick Leddy, who had career-lows of four shifts and 2:37 ice time in Game 4, should also see an increase in ice time. Judging by Friday’s practice at TD Garden, the Bruins are expected to insert Carl Soderberg on the fourth line with Rich Peverley and Shawn Thornton, in place of Kaspars Daugavins. The Swedish first-year winger, who had two assists in six regular-season games, would be making his NHL postseason debut. You might recall that earlier this postseason, B’s defensemen Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug scored their first-career NHL playoff goals without having tallied a regular-season goal. Krug did so in his playoff debut.
DID YOU KNOW?
The cumulative overtime played in three games this series is 75:47. That is already the second-most overtime played in a Stanley Cup Final series, after the 1931 Final (Chicago vs. Montreal, 78:40), and the most played in any postseason series since 2008 (Dallas vs. San Jose, Western Conference Quarterfinals, 78:19).
DID YOU KNOW?
Jaromir Jagr, who became the 21st player (and 19th skater) to appear in 200 playoff games, assisted on both on Patrice Bergeron’s goals in Game 4 and now has 199 career postseason points. Jagr has waited 21 years and 21 days since his last goal in the Stanley Cup Final, but with ten assists, he reached double digits in points for the tenth time in postseason play. That is tied for the fourth-most in NHL history.
Player | # of seasons w/ 10+ points | Seasons | Career single-season high |
Wayne Gretzky | 14 | 1980-1997 | 47 (1985) |
Mark Messier | 14 | 1980-1997 | 34 (1988) |
Jean Beliveau | 11 | 1954-1971 | 22 (1971) |
Jaromir Jagr | 10 | 1991-2013 | 24 (1992) |
Glenn Anderson | 10 | 1981-1996 | 27 (1987) |
Paul Coffey | 10 | 1981-1999 | 37 (1985) |
LINKS
·Corey Crawford not worried about his ‘weak’ glove side [Yahoo]
·Tuukka Rask the ultimate straight shooter [Boston Herald]
·Jaromir Jagr’s career coming full circle in Boston [ESPN]
·No letter on sweater, Brent Seabrook emerging as Blackhawks’ natural leader [CBC]
·Patrick Sharp flying under the radar as goals leader [Chicago Sun-Times]
·Blackhawks trying to treat Zdeno Chara as invisible man [SportsNet]
·VIDEO: Bruins fans gather to wish team luck in sendoff [NESN]
·Jaromir Jagr’s Cup pursuit keeps fans in Prague awake [New York Times]