Stanley Cup Final Roundtable: Secondary scoring, underrated contributors

By May 27, 2019, 11:30 AM EDT

Leading up to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, NBC), Pro Hockey Talk will be looking at every aspect of the matchup between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues.

Which team is in bigger trouble if they fail to get secondary scoring?

SEAN: Tuukka Rask is going to make life difficult for any Blues player to score, and if the top line of Schwartz, O’Reilly and Tarasenko are slowed on any given night, the secondary scoring is essential. It’s been a huge part of their success. The same can be said for the Bruins, but their top line has been unstoppable and will give the Blues’ defense fits. Boston’s secondary scorers drying up won’t be as big of a death knell as it would be for St. Louis, who have stepped up in their own way this postseason.

JAMES: The Blues’ highest-end scorers are nothing to sneeze at … but unfortunately, the bar goes higher in the postseason, particularly when you’re facing arguably the best top line in the NHL in Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. Those three could carry Boston to a series win if need be, and they also boast the two-way acumen to win a strength vs. strength battle if St. Louis goes top-heavy.

ADAM: It’s the Blues, simply because I think Boston’s top-end players are a little better and they have more of them. Tarasenko and O’Reilly can definitely make an impact on their own, but the Bruins’ trio of Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak has carried them quite often over the past two years and I see no reason why they couldn’t do it again if needed.

JOEY: I’m going to go with the Blues. The Bruins have had 19 different goal scorers in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, so as important as Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak are, the rest of the team can still find a way to contribute offensively. St. Louis has made it this far without their top scorers contributing all that much, but the good news for them is that their high-end guys have started chipping in more. They’ll need Tarasenko and company to keep rolling if they’re going to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

SCOTT: There were stretches against Toronto and against Columbus where Boston’s otherwise dominant top line wasn’t as trigger happy. And it was then that the Bruins’ depth really showed. They’ve seen goal scoring come from 19 different players in this playoffs, from the top line right down to the guys on the fourth. The Bruins have a chance if those guys aren’t producing, is what I’m saying. I’m not sure the same can be said of the Blues if Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz aren’t lighting the lamp. There’s depth on the Blues roster, certainly, but this is the Cup Final against the hottest goalie in the playoffs and one of the best defensive teams in front of him. St. Louis can’t afford not to have their top guys running on all cylinders.

RYAN: The Blues. Boston’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak can carry the Bruins if needed. If this series turns into a battle of the top lines, then I don’t see St. Louis coming out on top. The Blues have gotten significant contributions from Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron, and Tyler Bozak in particular in the postseason and that needs to continue.

Who has been the most underrated contributor for each team?

SEAN: Do you know who has recorded the sixth-most playoff points since 2011? It’s David Krejci, who has 29 goals and 80 points in 98 games since the Bruins Cup run eight years ago. He’s been a reliable contributor in the shadows of Bergeron and Marchand, who typically lead the way and nab the headlines. This postseason he’s third on the team with 14 points and has gone consecutive games without recording a point only once since the end of January.

Another year, another Cup Final for David Perron. In his third stint with the Blues, Perron has already set a career high in postseason points with 13 in 19 games this spring. He scored a goal and added eight assists last season for the Vegas Golden Knights during their run to the Cup Final. This season he’s played a huge role as part of the team’s secondary scoring after netting 23 goals and 46 points.

JAMES: Defensemen for each side: Torey Krug for the Bruins; Colton Parayko for the Blues. Krug is a vital cog in the best power play of this postseason, and brings value beyond offense, too. Parayko, meanwhile, opens up Alex Pietrangelo to more scoring opportunities by being so stout defensively, and Parayko can also chip in on offense with a rifle of a shot.

ADAM: On the Boston side it is definitely David Krejci. He is like the forgotten man on that team but he has been around forever it seems and always has a knack for producing on these big stages. He has done it again in the playoffs and doesn’t really seem to be slowing down all that much even as he gets into his 30s. He’s been a workhorse for that team for years. For St. Louis, I think Alex Pietrangelo. He is their No. 1 defender but we really don’t talk enough about how good the Blues’ defense (and him especially) actually is. He has been great this postseason.

JOEY: No one seems to talk about David Krejci. The big three in Boston get all the headlines, but Krejci always seem to elevate his game at the right time. The 33-year-old has quietly put up 14 points in the first 17 games of this year’s playoffs and he’s chipped in 101 points in 125 career postseason games.

SCOTT: For Boston, I believe it’s become Marcus Johansson. I think people will finally begin to notice his contributions with just one series left. He’s been stout offensively and contributed on a few key moments for the Bruins over the past two rounds. He’s become a key trade-deadline acquisition for Boston. For St. Louis, I still think Oskar Sundqvist has been a quietly good contributor on the fourth line. He ended the San Jose series with a goal and an assist over the final two games, including the game-winner in Game 5.

RYAN: I don’t think Jay Bouwmeester has gotten enough attention for his key role in getting the Blues this far. He doesn’t do much offensively anymore, but even at the age of 35 he’s been a workhorse for the Blues in the playoffs. He’s averaging 23:02 minutes per game and has blocked 36 shots in the playoffs. The Blues would be in a very tough spot without him playing such a big role on the blueline.

On the Bruins side, while Boston’s top line has understandably gotten a lot of attention, the third unit has been a significant part of their success, led in part by trade acquisitions Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson. I’ll single out Coyle as the most effective of that group with his six goals and 12 points.

Will the 11-day layoff help or hurt the Bruins early in the series?

SEAN: The Bruins have tried to keep the intensity up in practices during their break, including holding a full scrimmage last week in front of a sold out crowd. There’s no way to simulate an NHL playoff game, but there’s enough experience on that roster that such a break won’t have a long affect on the team, if at all. The first game of a Cup Final always features a feeling out process, so that could allow the Bruins to shake off their rust and get back to the style that saw them blow through the Eastern Conference to reach this point.

JAMES: The Blues have had a pretty ample breather in their own right, so the Bruins’ rest advantage isn’t as extreme as, say, the 1986 Canadiens, who had a week off versus the 1986 Flames only getting a day off. I tend to roll my eyes at certain rust talk, as I’d wager that most struggles (beyond maybe the first 20-40 minutes of Game 1) are probably more to do to getting fewer bounces or facing tougher opponents. Still, 11 days is pushing it, and I worry the most about Tuukka Rask, who was red-hot. Will he be less sharp? I still say take the rest when you can, but this feels like the hockey equivalent of an NCAA football team getting a month off before a big bowl game. So I’d say hurt, but just a paper cut.

ADAM: I honestly don’t think it is going to matter simply because the Blues have been off for a long time, too. I don’t think the Bruins are going to complain too much about having an extended rest at this time of year. Their first two matchups were really difficult and the break has probably done them some good. They might be a little rusty in the first 10 minutes, but the first period of the first game of the Stanley Cup Final tends to be a little choppy anyway because both teams are still getting a sense of what the other is all about.

JOEY: As much as their intra-squad game will help them, I think they’ll be rusty early on in Game 1. But I don’t think it’ll hamper them for an entire game. The Bruins found a way to overcome a quick turnaround and they’re good enough to figure things out after a long layoff. I don’t think the layoff will be a big factor either way.

SCOTT: Meh. I’m not a huge believer in the whole rest-equals-rust debate. The Bruins needed it to tend to some bumps and bruises. If anything, it’s probably a bigger issue for Tuukka Rask given the run he was on prior to it. I just don’t see how rest is a bad thing is something as grueling as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And let’s not forget, St. Louis is coming off an extended rest of their own here. If anything, they’ll need to survive the first period to get their groove back.

RYAN: Hurt. A moderate sized rest, like the one the St. Louis Blues are getting, would have probably done Boston some good. This rest is far too long though, especially for a team that was red hot. If any team can overcome it, it’s the Boston Bruins, but the long layover is nevertheless something to be overcome rather than something to be thankful for.

STANLEY CUP FINAL PREVIEW
• Who has the better forwards?
• Who has the better defensemen?
• Who has the better goaltending?
• Who has the better special teams?
• X-factors
• PHT Power Rankings: Conn Smythe favorites
• How the Blues were built
• How the Bruins were built
• Stanley Cup Final 2019 schedule, TV info

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    Maple Leafs hire Brad Treliving as team’s new general manager

    Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
    Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
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    TORONTO — Brad Treliving has a new job.

    And the Maple Leafs have a new plan.

    Treliving was hired as Toronto’s general manager less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.

    The 53-year-old Treliving left the Calgary Flames in April following nine seasons that included five playoff appearances and two 100-point seasons.

    “Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a general manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “He has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers throughout his years in the NHL and has built excellent relationships at all levels within the game.”

    Treliving joins the Leafs at a crucial juncture in the wake of Shanahan’s stunning dismissal of Dubas on May 19.

    The Original Six franchise, whose Stanley Cup drought stands at 56 years, won a playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades with a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning this spring, but then lost to the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers in five games.

    Dubas, who had been Toronto’s GM since 2018 and didn’t have a contract beyond June 30, suggested at an end of season news conference May 15 he wasn’t sure he wanted to remain in the role – at least in part because of the stress on his young family.

    A roller coaster five days followed, with Shanahan ultimately firing the 37-year-old Dubas despite previously wanting to keep his GM, and the now-unemployed executive eventually indicating to his boss he wished to stay.

    Treliving is the third GM – joining Dubas and Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello – hired in Toronto by Shanahan, whose so-called “Shanaplan” aimed at getting the storied franchise back on its feet when he came on board in 2014 has seen unparalleled regular-season success, but just that one series victory in eight attempts.

    “I’m thrilled to join an Original Six team and recognize how much the Maple Leafs mean to this community,” Treliving said. “This is a very exciting day for my family and I.”

    Treliving has a lot to deal with as he settles into his new office at Scotiabank Arena.

    Treliving, who served in the Phoenix Coyotes’ front office for seven seasons before arriving in Calgary, will have to decide the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe, while stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander can sign contract extensions as of July 1.

    Matthews and Mitch Marner have full no-movement clauses ready to kick in the same day. Nylander will have a 10-team list.

    The NHL draft is also set for the end of June in Nashville, Tennessee, while the Leafs have 12 roster players primed to hit free agency at noon EDT on July 1.

    The Flames, who missed the playoffs this season, won the Pacific Division in 2021-22 under Treliving before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

    Johnny Gaudreau then stunned the organization by leaving Calgary for the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency last summer. Fellow star forward Matthew Tkachuk added another wrinkle by informing the team he didn’t plan to re-sign.

    Treliving subsequently dealt the winger to Florida as part of a package that included forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar heading to southern Alberta.

    Huberdeau then signed an eight-year, $84 million contract extension with the Flames that kicks in next season.

    Tkachuk, a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate as playoff MVP, and the Panthers open the Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

    Despite the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the Flames looked like contenders ahead of the 2022-23 season.

    The acquisition of Huberdeau and the signing of center Nazem Kadri was expected to fill the void left by Gaudreau and Tkachuk, but the mix wasn’t right for a group led by hard-nosed coach Darryl Sutter.

    Huberdeau and Kadri finished well off their career-high points totals of the previous season – the former went from 115 with Florida to 55 in Calgary – while subpar goaltending was an issue much of the season.

    Treliving now turns his attention to Toronto.

    Just like last summer, he has lots of work to do.

    Nashville Predators hire Andrew Brunette after firing John Hynes

    Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:54 AM EDT
    Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
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    NASHVILLE, Tenn.– The coaching shuffle in Nashville is complete, with Andrew Brunette officially hired as the Predators coach a little over 12 hours after the team announced that John Hynes was fired.

    The moves are the first being made by incoming general manager Barry Trotz and come about six weeks after the Predators missed the playoffs.

    The 49-year-old Brunette spent the past season as a New Jersey Devils associate coach under Lindy Ruff and has previous head-coaching experience.

    He was promoted to interim coach of the Florida Panthers during the 2021-22 season and oversaw a team that set franchise records for wins (58) and points (122) in claiming the Presidents’ Trophy before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Brunette finished second in the Jack Adams Award voting for the NHL’s coach of the year.

    He becomes just the fourth coach in the history of a Predators franchise and returns to Nashville, where Brunette played for the Trotz-coached team during its inaugural season in 1998-99. Their relationship goes back to 1993-94, when Brunette played under Trotz, who was head coach of the Washington Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine.

    “I feel like this is coming full circle for my career – from pulling on the jersey for the first time 25 years ago to returning now to take care of some unfinished business,” Brunette said in a statement. “It has been awesome to see how this city and its fanbase have grown since I played here and I look forward to continuing the legacy and the culture behind the bench that Barry cultivated that inaugural season.”

    Trotz, meantime, has an eye on building on the Predators’ youth and offensively skilled players as he takes over as GM for David Poile, who is retiring at the end of June after 26 years overseeing the franchise.

    “We want to become more of an offensive team and Andrew specializes on that side of the ice – he lived it as a player, and he coaches it as a coach, Trotz said. “He is as good of an offensive teacher and power-play coach as there is in the game today. He will be great with our young players, and I know, because of his background as a player, he will connect well with our top, skilled players.”

    In Florida, Brunette coached a Panthers team that led the NHL with 337 goals and had the league’s fourth-best power-play unit.

    The Predators missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and the first under Hynes, who took over as coach during the 2019-20 season after Peter Laviolette was fired.

    Brunette, who is from Sudbury, Ontario, spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL, ending with a one-year stint with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12. He finished with 268 goals and 733 points in 1,110 career games split among six teams, including two separate stints in Minnesota. Brunette is one of 25 players selected in the seventh round or later to appear in more than 1,000 NHL games.

    Upon his retirement, Brunette spent seven seasons with the Wild in various off-ice roles, including assistant coach and assistant GM, before being hired by the Panthers as an assistant coach in 2019-2020.

    Spencer Carbery hired as Capitals coach after 2 seasons as Maple Leafs assistant

    Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 12:58 PM EDT
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    Spencer Carbery got his start in coaching in the minors with the Washington Capitals watching closely.

    They liked what they saw, and they brought him back to fill the job they envisioned he would get.

    The Capitals hired Carbery as their next coach, ending their search for Peter Laviolette‘s successor by landing on a favorite of the organization who in recent years had become one of the NHL’s most intriguing candidates. He now is tasked with getting Washington back in the playoffs with an aging roster and extending the organization’s run of success a few more years while Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s goals record.

    “Spencer is one of the best young coaches in the game who’s had success at every level at which he has coached,” general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “We feel his leadership, communication skills, ability to develop players and familiarity with our organization will be a tremendous asset as he makes this next step in his coaching career.”

    Carbery spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, running the power play that ranked second in the league over that time. Before the Leafs hired him, he was considered the heir apparent to Laviolette because of his time with the Capitals’ top minor league affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears.

    When Hershey VP of hockey operations Bryan Helmer was interviewing candidates for his head-coaching gig in 2018, he asked Carbery how long until he saw himself in that kind of role in the NHL. Carbery gave himself five years and nailed that projection.

    “He did an incredible job for us when he was here, and I knew that he would be an NHL coach at one point down the road,” Helmer told The Associated Press by phone. “He wanted to make sure that he was ready to make that step. He went through the steps, and I think he’s ready for the NHL.”

    Carbery coached Hershey for three years before getting the NHL promotion to Sheldon Keefe’s staff in Toronto. At the time, there wasn’t an opening for an assistant in Washington.

    There is now, and Carbery at 41 usurps Keefe as the youngest coach in the league after going from a Capitals’ homegrown prospect who began with their ECHL team in South Carolina to one of the hottest names on the market. He interviewed with the San Jose Sharks for their vacancy last year and multiple others this spring.

    The Capitals got him back before a rival team could scoop him up. They chose Carbery from a pool of candidates that also included former captain-turned-Tampa Bay assistant Jeff Halpern, Philadelphia associate coach Brad Shaw and others with more experience.

    “I would like to thank the Capitals organization for affording me the opportunity to lead this team,” Carbery said. “I look forward to working with this group of talented players and building upon the winning culture in place. I would also like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for all their support over the past two years.”

    Carbery’s job won’t be an easy one. Five years removed from Washington winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, the team is coming off missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade and could be on the verge of changes beyond coaching.

    MacLellan must decide how much to shuffle the roster, but in no way is he beginning the process of rebuilding. With Ovechkin, the 2018 playoff MVP and longtime face of the franchise, about to turn 38 and sitting 73 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s career record, the organization from owner Ted Leonsis down has set a goal of continuing to contend while the Russian star is under contract for three more seasons.

    Helmer, who played with Ovechkin briefly in 2008-09, said Carbery’s relationships with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and other Leafs stars will only help him moving forward.

    “It’s going to be a great mix,” Helmer said. “Spencer really stays on top of it. He expects a lot out of his players and he holds them accountable, which is a great thing. I see big things coming from Spencer and what he can do with the Caps.”

    Golden Knights reach second Stanley Cup Final after Game 6 win over Stars

    Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 1:20 AM EDT
    Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
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    DALLAS — William Karlsson scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 rout over the Dallas Stars, who had extended the Western Conference Final to six games after losing the first three.

    William Carrier, Keegan Kolesar and Michael Amadio each had a goal and an assist for the Knights, and Jonathan Marchessault had a goal. Carrier, Marschessault and Karlsson were all part of the inaugural 2017-18 Knights season that ended in their Cup Final.

    Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for his second career playoff shutout – both against the Stars. The other was 4-0 in Game 3 last Tuesday, when the Knights were already within one win of clinching the series before Dallas overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits in both Games 4 and 5.

    Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against Florida will be Saturday night in Las Vegas.

    Vegas led the Western Conference in the regular season with 51 wins and 111 points. The Panthers completed a four-game sweep of Carolina in the East final last Wednesday, but their 40 wins and 92 points in the regular season were the fewest among the 16 teams that began these NHL playoffs.

    Instead of having to face a do-or-die Game 7 at home against the Stars, coach Bruce Cassidy and the Knights got off to another fast start and never left any doubt about the outcome of this series that included three overtime games.

    It was the most lopsided playoff loss for the Stars since the franchise moved south from Minnesota before the 1993-94 season.

    “You just expect more from yourself in a game like this,” said Stars forward Joe Pavelski, the 38-year-old veteran still without a Stanley Cup after 17 seasons.

    The Stars got captain Jamie Benn back after his two-game suspension for a cross-check to the neck area of Vegas captain Mark Stone early in Game 3. But Benn already had a minus-2 rating without a shot after playing only 3:46 in the first period, and finished minus-2 with only one shot his 12 1/2 minutes on the ice.

    Vegas led for good when Carrier scored 3:41 into the game after a puck poked from behind the net in the vicinity of three Dallas players. Carrier skated across the front of the crease and put a backhander in the net, the ninth time this postseason the Knights scored in the first five minutes of a game.

    Karlsson’s power-play goal came midway through the first period made it 2-0, and after a penalty that likely had prevented him from scoring.

    Nicolas Roy took a shot that deflected off Jake Oettinger’s glove and popped up in the air behind the goalie. Karlsson was charging into the crease when Stars defenseman Esa Lindell raised his stick and swatted the puck out of play, drawing a delay of game penalty.

    With the man advantage, Reilly Smith took a shot from the circle to the left, which was deflected in front by Roy and then off Oettinger’s extended skate before Karlsson knocked in the rebound.

    After Kolesar made it 3-0 in the first, and Marchessault scored his ninth goal in the second, Karlsson’s franchise record 10th goal for a playoff series extended the lead to 5-0 only two minutes into the third period.

    Oettinger had been 3-0 when the Stars were facing elimination this postseason, including Game 7 in the second round against Seattle before stopping 64 of 68 shots the past two games against the Knights.

    That was after Vegas had scored three goals on five shots in the first 7:10 to chase him from Game 3, which was the only lopsided game in the series until the finale. Two of their three regular season game went to shootouts.

    Dallas was only the fifth team to force a Game 6 in an conference final or NHL semifinal after being down 0-3, and the first since the Stars lost to Detroit in a sixth game in 2008. Only two teams got to a Game 7, which both lost – the New York Islanders to Philadelphia in 1975; and the New York Rangers to Boston in 1939.

    Vegas avoided a Game 7 at home against the Stars and coach Peter DeBoer, who is 7-0 in such do-or-die games, including the Seattle series finale two weeks ago. DeBoer was the Vegas coach for its only Game 7 wins – in the second round in 2020 against Vancouver and 2021 in the first round against Minnesota. But he was fired by the Golden Knights after they missed the playoffs last season for the only time in their short existence.