2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs (predictions and discussions)

All LA in the first period. Three goals. And Quick stops Corey Perry on a penalty shot.

 

Sure helps. It's amazing how brilliant coaches are when they have great goaltending.

 

Who knows? But if the Ducks lose tonight, it will be FIVE times in seven years, going back to his tenure in Washington. That has to be more than coincidence.

Never considered Boudreau to be a terrific tactical coach like a Babcock or Quenneville, but that record is hard for anyone to amass.

 

The Kings and Blackhawks were 1 and 2 in the NHL in Corsi and Fenwick this year. Perhaps these newfangled stats do know a little bit.

 

Now we know what a Duck egg looks like. I didn't expect Anaheim to win, but I thought they would be a little more competitive than 6-2.

LA looks REALLY good. Quick seems to have found his game again and Marian Gaborik fits so well with Anze Kopitar.

 

Kings schooled the Ducks' youngsters --- Gibson, Vatanen, Lindholm seemed lost and intimidated.
Quick flat-out embarrassed Perry on the penalty shot. That took away any steam the Ducks might have had.

 

Do you need those stats to tell you the last two Stanley Cup champs are good teams?

 

Could there be a better final four from a league-interest standpoint? The top three TV markets in the US and the most-fabled franchise in league history.

 

I was thinking the same thing, Tony.

 

Kings face off against the Blackhawks in Game 1 about 39 hours (and a two time-zone flight) after the end of Game 7 against the Ducks.

 

Yeah, the perils of going seven games in the previous series. They'll get two days off before Game 2.

This is part of wanting a network TV contract --- you have to be flexible for their needs, too. I can remember back in the 1980s, twice the LA Lakers clinched the Western Conference title late on a Friday night and then had to fly cross country to start the NBA Finals in the east on a Sunday afternoon.