Day 2 Round 1 NHL Playoffs 2009

Things I noticed as the final 4 match-ups played their first games of the playoffs:

San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim won 2-0 (1-0 series lead)

The big California match-up ended in a huge upset that negated home ice advantage for San Jose, as Hiller made 35 saves and the defense of the Ducks completely shut down the offense of the Sharks. Sharks were 0-6 on the power play. Ducks were 1-4 and scored right after they killed off their 6th penalty. Nabokov's 5 hole was exploited, and he's had trouble with it all season long. The one good thing the Sharks did was shutdown the first line of Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan throughout the game. Getzlaf ended with a goal and assist, but it wasn't in dominating fashion by the first line as most teams saw at the end of the season from the Ducks.
Weird thing was the game lost the feel of the playoffs after the first period. I guess two scoreless periods will do that to a game, but both San Jose and Anaheim kind of settled in and laid back instead of play with vigor and intensity that other teams had in their first game of the playoffs. There was a plethora of hits, but nothing too crazy.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames: Chicago won 3-2 (1-0 series lead)

The first overtime game of the playoffs, yet it wasn't too big of a deal as the Flames turned it over 6 seconds in and Chicago scored 12 seconds in to win the game 3-2. Chicago never had a lead in the game until they won it, but they had one specific tactic: crash the net and make Kiprusoff uncomfortable. Similar to the Blues on Luongo (they just snow-showered him) and the Blue Jackets on Osgood (but it led to penalties, more on this later), and unlike the other two, the strategy worked for the Hawks. Great work by the Blackhawk defense in shutting down Iginla, Borque, and Jokinen. Both goaltenders were great and the game was pretty even. We'll see if Chicago can use this OT win momentum to dominate game 2, or if it'll be another close match-up. I'm still calling a game 7.

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens: Boston won 4-2 (1-0 series lead)

The Canadiens were the big surprise, even in losing. They were down 2-0 and Boston seemed to be rolling over them, then they had two huge goals off great passes from the high slot. Yet, the Canadiens were the least graceful losers so far in all the Game 1's, as they jumped Phil Kessel after he scored the empty-net goal with 13 seconds left, and they started all sorts of fights at the end of the game as the horn blew. Daniel Carcillo of the Flyers was suspended 1 game after a pretty mild shot to the head at the end of the Flyers/Penguins game, so look for tons of suspensions to be handed out, especially to Montreal. The Canadiens played a very solid game, but if they have a couple of guys suspended, Boston should take over the series easily in Game 2.

Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets: Detroit won 4-1 (1-0 series lead)

The score did not justify the game, as the Blue Jackets were playing very well for their first ever playoff game. Detroit went up 1-0 in the second and under a minute later Umberger tied it for the Blue Jackets. The shots were mostly even, both Osgood and Mason were terrific, and the game was very physical. Then Detroit scored their second goal to take a 2-1 lead, and the butterflies were exposed for the Jackets. They started turning the puck over, taking stupid penalties, and panicking in all sorts of ways, which led to the next 3 Detroit goals, 2 of which were deflections off Columbus defensemen trying too hard to block point shots. Steve Mason was the coolest head of the bunch, and he'd probably appreciate it if his D-men calmed down as well. The Blue Jackets had one plan in mind: crash the net. But that also drew two goalie interference penalties, and what looks to be a pretty smart idea may now change the entire complexion of the game for Columbus.
Osgood was HUGE in the game, and suddenly all questions about his ability to perform after his GAA went up an entire point this season since the last were erased. Osgood explained it convincingly, saying he was trying too hard to recreate what he did last postseason and it threw him off his comfort zone. If Osgood plays like this continuously, Detroit is suddenly the favorite to come out of the West.

Again, another day of very undisciplined hockey for Game 1. Calgary and Chicago kept the penalties to a minimum, but that was probably in part due to the leniancy of the refs in that game. They had a combined 5 power plays between them, with Chicago getting 3 chances with the man advantage to Calgary's 2. My Stanley Cup final predictions Washington and San Jose were both the only upsets in the first round. Either I know nothing about hockey or they like playing from behind. Before San Jose fans go into a panic, there are two things they need to realize. First, it's only game 1. A convincing game 2 win could go a long way as the series transitions to Anaheim in terms of momentum shift, but if the Sharks lose or they barely win, then it might be time to start pushing the panic button. But secondly, all the Stanley Cup experience roster changes that GM Doug Wilson made were made specifically for this situation. No, it wasn't so the Sharks can roll over everyone in the postseason. There is rarely a sweep for a Stanley Cup champion, so these guys were brought in for the leadership they can provide in the times when the Sharks lose, like tonight. If there is any ounce of fear in the San Jose locker room, which there shouldn't be in the first place, look for guys like Blake, Lukowich, Boyle, Coach McLellon, Moen, and Claude Lemieux, who didn't play in the game as his role during these playoffs will probably be that of a third assistant coach in the locker room, to calm their team down and get them reorganized for the next game. It's only been the first two days of the playoffs, and one can hardly pin a sure winner after just one game's worth of action. Go Sharks!