Posted by E.J. Hradek
Didn't we just start the first round? Through Wednesday night's action, two teams are already gone and two more could disappear Thursday. Here are five things we spied on the eighth night of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
1. Rangers sophomore pivot Brandon Dubinsky was among the best faceoff men in the league during the regular season. His 53.6-percent success ratio ranked him 18th on the circuit. On Wednesday night, the Alaska native went from very good to dominant. He won a near-perfect 15 of 17 draws. For you non-math majors out there (count me in that group), that's an 88 percent percentage. His faceoff prowess proved particularly important in the second period, when he beat Caps center David Steckel clean in the offensive zone. That faceoff win led directly to Paul Mara's goal that gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead. On the ice, especially in the playoffs, little things can mean a lot. Dubinsky's faceoff success was another reason for the club's 2-1 win in Game 4.
2. On the flip side, the Caps were flat-out brutal in the circle. Steckel went 4-for-15 (27 percent) on the evening. During the regular season, the 6-foot-5, 222-pound forward ranked fifth among all centers, winning 57.9 percent of his draws. As a role player who likely prides himself for being quick on the draw, Steckel has to be wondering what went wrong Wednesday night. Second-year stud center Nicklas Backstrom, who was such a key part of the Caps' Game 3 win, also had a subpar night in the circle. He was just 3-of-13 (23 percent). On the season, Backstrom was much more consistent, winning a middle-of-the-road 48.7 percent of time. The Caps are a puck-possession team. In Game 4, they rarely got to possess the puck off the draw. A few more faceoff wins might have helped. Interestingly, this was the first of the four games in which the Rangers got the better of the Caps in the circle. In Game 1, the Caps won a whopping 70 percent of their faceoffs. In Game 4, they bottomed out at 33 percent.
3. The Bruins took full advantage of a physically and mentally dinged-up Canadiens squad, completing a four-game sweep with a 4-1 win at the Bell Centre. The Habs played the series without top defenseman Andrei Markov, who was injured in the final week of the regular season. They also got very limited help from veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who was dealing with his own injury issues. In goal, second-year stopper Carey Price was inconsistent throughout the series. Personally, I would've taken my chances with Jaroslav Halak in Game 3 or 4. GM/coach Bob Gainey seemed determined to stay with Price to the very end. Gainey did just that, and the end came a little quicker because of it.
In the next several weeks, I figure there will be a lot of news coming out of Montreal. The fabled franchise could be sold and, in the aftermath of a disappointing centennial season, there could be some significant changes. Several key players, including captain Saku Koivu, star right winger Alexei Kovalev and physical defenseman Mike Komisarek, can leave via free agency. There are some big decisions to be made. Meanwhile, some credible Habs watchers believe Gainey might opt to step aside. I think that's a 50-50 proposition. In the past, Gainey hasn't been a guy to walk away. In this case, however, he might think he needs some time away from the pressure cooker that is the Canadiens in Montreal. Stay tuned.
4. Boston now has some time to rest and get ready for the second round. Coach Claude Julien's team doesn't seem too much worse for the wear after its meeting with Montreal. After a day or two of rest, the club will try to stay sharp in preparation for the next challenge. The Bruins could have as many as eight days off until they open the second round. Right now, the Rangers seem to be the likely opponent. If New York can oust favored Washington, the Bruins would be locked into a series against the Blueshirts. It would be the first playoff meeting between the Original Six franchises since the 1973. In that case, the Rangers came out on top in the quarters. While no one wants to face a hot goaltender like Henrik Lundqvist, the B's probably would welcome the matchup. If this scenario were to play out, the Bruins could advance to the conference finals by beating the No. 8 and No. 7 seeds. For me, that's a road map for Cup success.
5. I have to offer a shout out to Flames forward Eric Nystrom, who scored the game-winner in the third period of a wild Game 4 against the Hawks. The 26-year-old Nystrom turned in a heck of performance, adding two assists and five hits in 17:29 minutes of ice time. He also finished with a plus-2. The son of dynasty-era Islanders power forward Bobby Nystrom, Eric might have playoff grit in his blood. During a distinguished career, Eric's dad was a clutch player who scored four playoff overtime game-winners. The younger Nystrom, who starred at the University of Michigan, has been continually improving over the past two seasons in Calgary. This season, he seems to be getting a bigger bite of the game from coach Mike Keenan. If he keeps playing like he did in Game 4, Nystrom can expect an even more prominent role in the lineup.
ESPN.com Stanley Cup playoffs blog
