Posted by E.J. Hradek
Here are five difference-makers from a weekend of second-round games:
1. Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward just loves spring hockey. He proved that again Sunday night in Boston. In the third period of Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series, Ward was brilliant in protecting a 2-0 lead. He made a jaw-dropping, left-pad save on a point-blank chance from Bruins sniper Michael Ryder. Three seconds later, he flashed the same pad to stop a blast off the stick of B's defenseman Dennis Wideman. Ward finished with 36 saves en route to his fourth career playoff shutout, a 3-0 victory that evened the series at 1. Ward's teammates were much better in Game 2 as the Canes' pressure game seemed to bother the Bruins. Ward probably bothered them even more.
2. It was just another ho-hum Sunday afternoon for Ducks star Chris Pronger. In the club's series-tying 4-3 triple-overtime win over the defending champion Red Wings, Pronger logged a game-high 46:21 minutes of ice time. As usual, he made life pretty uncomfortable for opposing forwards. And, as you know, the Wings have some darn good ones. For his part, Pronger fits perfectly in this series, which is a showcase of some of the game's most complete and accomplished players. It's a series that features two ultracompetitive teams that plan to battle to the very end. I think it could easily go the distance; at least, I hope it does. The games between these two teams are something special.
3. Wings coach Mike Babcock clearly doesn't have any problem sending rookie D Jonathan Ericsson over the boards. He took a team-high 60 shifts in Game 2. In 42:36 of playing time, Ericsson was credited with three shots, seven hits and five blocks and was plus-2. That's pretty special stuff from a guy who carried just 27 games of NHL experience into the playoffs. He's getting a bigger bite of the game with veteran Brian Rafalski sidelined by an "upper-body injury." In Game 1 against the Ducks, the 6-foot-5 Swede showed his physical side in a punch-up with Ducks winger Corey Perry. Ericsson earned a clear decision. It would seem the Wings' scouting staff has unearthed another late-round gem. Believe it or not, Ericsson was selected with the final pick (291st overall) of the 2002 draft.
4. Short-handed goals are monsters in the playoffs. With the score tied at 2 late in middle period of Game 2 of the Chicago-Vancouver series, Hawks center Dave Bolland made a very athletic play in netting a killer short-handed goal. On the play, he reached up to catch a high clearing pass from defenseman Duncan Keith. Bolland snared the puck, put it down in front of him and sprinted toward the Canucks' goal. He made a sharp move and quickly deposited the puck past Vancouver ace goalie Roberto Luongo, giving the Hawks their first lead of the series. Chicago didn't look back en route to a 6-3 win. The Hawks seem to have gotten under the Canucks' skin, and that's good news for coach Joel Quenneville's team.
5. In the first round, Caps' puck-mover Mike Green took a little bit of a beating from the pundits, who have come to expect a lot from the wildly talented defenseman. In the first game of his team's second-round series against the Penguins, Green seemed to be regaining his stride. During the 3-2 win, Green received a team-high 26:17 minutes and finished plus-1. He also was credited with three hits and three blocked shots. If the Caps are going to build on their series lead, Green will have to continue to elevate his performance in Game 2.
ESPN.com Stanley Cup playoffs blog
