With every team having played at least one game in their second-round series, now is an excellent time to look at some teams that have started to establish themselves. This also provides a chance for some teams to look at some trends that may be troubling them.
Here’s a look at some NHL news and notes on May 19, 2022.
Where are the Rats?
When the Florida Panthers made their first successful postseason run as a franchise during the 1995-96 season, fans threw rubber rats on the ice after every goal scored. While the practice has long been banned due to the amount of time wasted during the cleanup, Florida’s best team in a generation built its reputation this season on its scoring acumen. The Panthers led the league by scoring 4.1 goals per game on their way to winning their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy.
However, that production from the offense has abandoned them for the most part in the season, as they have scored 21 goals in seven playoff games. The Tampa Bay Lightning stifled Florida’s offense in Game 1, which allowed the Lightning to go on six power plays. Tampa Bay converted three of those in a 4-1 win it managed to steal on the road.
Heavy Hitters
The Colorado Avalanche blitzed the St. Louis Blues in Game 1, outshooting the Blues 54-24 in a 3-2 home victory. However, Colorado still had to go to overtime to win the series-opener on the road. The Avalanche are now tasked with trying to maintain that pressure.
St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington showed his best form in three seasons during Game 1. Binnington will also be tasked with maintaining his excellent level of play. Colorado is still the betting favorite and has the advantage of sweeping St. Louis in the previous season to create some doubt the Blues can keep up.
Rising to the Occasion
St. Louis has been able to advance to the second round thanks to its balanced scoring. Ryan O’Reilly leads the Blues with six goals, while David Perron and Vladimir Tarasenko each have four apiece. St. Louis has been generating 30.4 shots per game during the postseason.
The Pain Doesn’t Bother Me
Tampa Bay has won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, which should come as little surprise to everyone. The Lightning’s players are willing to lay everything on the line to keep the other teams from scoring. Tampa Bay’s top five defensemen have blocked 72 shots from ever reaching goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Ryan McDonagh has taken the most punishment, turning away 25 shots. Victor Hedman is second on the team with 15.
Battle of Alberta
The Calgary Flames got one over on their old rivals when they beat the Edmonton Oilers 9-6 in Game 1 of their series Tuesday night. That success isn’t what the Flames have always found against Edmonton. In five previous playoff meetings, Calgary’s lone series win was a seven-game victory in 1986.
Edmonton won in seven games in 1984 and 1991, five games in 1983, and swept the Flames in 1988. In all-time postseason games between the two teams, the Oilers are 19-13.
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