Game 1 excitement and follow through, Juuse Saros, all kinds of Stanley Cup narratives and more ..

 

In December, San Jose and Pittsburgh were both on the outside of the playoffs looking in and each 20-1 to win the Stanley Cup.

I'm more fired up for this series than any other. 

I'm writing this ahead of the game, and there are a number of links to solid reads all written ahead of the game.

Reading the below articles added to the excitement, and while I'll be sharing them after Game 1, I still recommend going through.

The star power and narratives of two powerhouse offenses with depth and solid goaltending makes this must-watch television. It's going to be fantastic.

 

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Here is a quick read about Phil Kessel's scoring during these playoffs, and throughout his career during the postseason.

"Kessel has produced 37 points in 36 career playoff games. Kessel trails only St. Louis phenom Vladimir Tarasenko in playoff goals per game. Tarasenko has outscored him by 0.03 goals per game.

Lambert also notes that Kessel has 12 primary goals (goals or first assists) this postseason. That ties him for third in the league with Brent Burns and Nikita Kucherov, behind only Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture.

Kessel’s primary points per 60 minutes is fourth in the league, behind Andrew Shaw, Jason Pominville and Couture."

 

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And a similar quick piece on Joe Pavelski.

"Only [Alex] Ovechkin and [Steven] Stamkos, both No. 1 picks over all, have more goals than Pavelski over the past five seasons and only Ovechkin has scored more since the start of the 2013-14 campaign."

"A look at Pavelski’s tally of 13 post-season goals reveals the variety: six slap shots, two tips, two wrist shots, one wraparound, one backhand and one snapshot."

 

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Here's what David Backes had to say about San Jose:

"There's not a lot of secrets in this league, but just the relentless commitment to the team game that San Jose has," Blues captain David Backes said over the phone Saturday. "Chicago is a great team and it was a tough series. But the way that San Jose has four lines that are all committed to getting the puck deep in the zone and just make you come 200 feet time and time again, then they skate and return and create turnovers. When you've got Joe Thornton willing to dump the puck in, you got a buy-in on your team that is going to be tough to deal with. I think that's going to give every team fits. And their size and their ability to just hunker down as a team, and wait for you to make a mistake, was really tough for us to counter."

"Well, you had [Sharks coach Peter] DeBoer come out and talk about officiating after the first game — I think they had more power plays every game after that than we did," Backes said. "That would be key, for me, for the whole series, keep it 5-on-5 and give yourself a chance. But if they're getting more time on the power play, those five guys have played together for so long, they have how many automatics? And they relieve the pressure so well. You can kill two or three a game and maybe still keep your head above water, but if you start taking more than that you're going to pay for it in a big way."

"With the two of them [Thornton and Joe Pavelski] being opposite hands and taking draws on their strong sides, and they're both pretty good on the dot, they were starting with the puck a lot," Backes said. "And they don't get give it up easy. On the back end, you've got [Brent] Burns, who is shooting everything. That group is going to be a handful for whoever Pittsburgh tries to counter with. I'd say the best way to try and counter them is to make them play in their own end. San Jose didn't spend a ton of time in their own end against us, so those guys didn't get exposed on the defensive side of things. They were able to kind of run free on the offensive side of things. And really put the gears to us."

Here's a link to the full article, which is a solid read beginning with the suggestion Western Conference players are able to see more games and watch the Eastern Conference teams more because of the time start times and time difference.

I don't buy it in 2016, though. And as the article highlighted, Sidney Crosby finds the time to watch.

 

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This is now a few days old, but it paints a picture of how dominant San Jose was against St. Louis, and particularly Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

"Let's actually circle back to where the numbers “four” and “zero” are concerned in Vlasic's 99:59 TOI at 5-on-5 in this series:

The Sharks gave up just four high-danger chances with Vlasic on. They gave up zero goals.

You can “small sample size” that all you want, but that's just dominant hockey."

 

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I'm not sure if we've touched on this yet, and there is likely limited fantasy value, but Chicago signed 25-year-old pivot Martin Lundberg last week.

Peter did hit it up in the Prospect Ramblings.

"Lundberg is a 6-0 25 year old who played for Sweden at the World Championship and posted two goals in eight games. While not an overwhelming offensive player, he is versatile and could provide good depth value as his high energy and physical style should lend to some hits."

Lundberg would need a few breaks to crack the roster, unless he really impresses in camp. Up the middle, Jonathan Toews, Artem Anisimov and Marcus Kruger are all ahead of him, and Teuvo Teravainen, Andrew Shaw and Andrew Desjardins have seen time in the middle, too.

Perhaps, earning a bottom-six role on the wing is an avenue for Lundberg to crack the roster.

 

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Make it happen, and retire Willie O'Ree's No. 22.

 

 

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Steven Stamkos is publically saying he wants to return to Tampa Bay, but this doesn't sound like a player committed to re-signing with the Lightning:

"I think for the people who are well informed about the situation and the business you see in a salary cap era, it’s tough," Stamkos said. "It's tough to build teams, it's tough to keep that team together especially when you have so many great young players who are on entry level deals who are going to get a raise. There are some tough decisions to be made, not only with this organization but with others around the league as well. I'm sure if both sides want to work something out, we'll work something out."

I touched on the daunting cap situation Tampa Bay is in Saturday, and Erik Erlendsson discussed it here. Erlendsson posited Stamkos hits the open market, and at this point, it seems inevitable.

Will Steve Yzerman deal him before July 1 and grab something of value? What would a team even give up to have exclusive negotiating rights with Stamkos?

It is extremely rare to have so many fantasy relevant players impacted by a single upcoming transaction. A Stamkos departure will open up significant offensive minutes and opportunities in Tampa Bay, and he'll boost the value of his entire new team, and especially his most common linemates.

There are so many pieces in play here, and Yzerman could make some interesting moves over the coming weeks, and I liked the way Erlendsson suggested there is no point sitting on the cap problems with a wait-and-see approach.

It might only become worse.

"Anything that has to be done eventually may as well be done now."

 

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You don't have to worry about the temptation of chasing Alex Semin this year.

He has re-upped with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

 

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Carter Hutton is an unrestricted free agent, and The Tennessean's Adam Vingan doesn't expect Hutton to return to Nashville.

Next up are Marek Mazanec and Juuse Saros to back up Pekka Rinne.

While on the surface, it's just Rinne's backup we're talking about, Rinne is declining in a hurry, and he has a lengthy track record of injuries, including a knee and a hip surgery.

Nashville is also a solid team, and No. 2 goalies on good teams have plenty of value. And we all know how quickly a No. 3 can grab fleeting fantasy value.

However, depth goaltenders are even more valuable when they're playing behind a questionable No. 1.

This is a situation to watch, and Nashville could also bring in a goaltender from outside the organization to push Rinne, which would further muddy the waters.

I wouldn't hesitate to take a swing for Saros right now, though. He likely has the highest ceiling and just gained some more international experience playing for Finland in the World Championships, where he posted two shutouts, albeit against Hungary and Slovakia.

Regardless, Saros also outplayed Mazanec in the American Hockey League statistically this season. And barring a significant change, Saros projects as the goalie of the future.

 

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Back to Game 1.

Pittsburgh exploded for two goals in the first period. The first was a fortunate bounce, and the second was more vintage No. 87.

It could have been worse, though. Brent Burns made a great stick check on Carl Hagelin's breakaway rush, and Martin Jones also stepped up and made an excellent save.

San Jose started the game well, but then it just went south for the remainder of the first period.

 

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The second period went exactly the opposite.

San Jose took control with two in-tight goals, which has to be somewhat reminiscent to struggles around the goal from playoffs past for Marc-Andre Fleury.

Still, like Jones in the first, Murray made a number of excellent saves.

The first goal from Tomas Hertl, and the second tally from Patrick Marleau.

The shiftiness from Logan Couture in the corner ahead of Marleau's goal was similar to the stop-and-spin move from Corsby on Sheary's goal — quickness rules.

The period ended with a jousting matchup between Joe Thornton and Malkin, and while I'd normally warn against firing up "Angry Evgeni," Thornton isn't exactly a plush doll, either.

 

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The third period went quick with Pittsburgh carrying the play, but it wasn't by a lopsided margin.

There were two significant plays worth hitting up.

Marleau hit Rust, and before you click the link, I'd highly recommend not delving into the proceeding tweets.

Marleau could be in trouble here, but I really hope not.

He is not reckless, off the ice or leading with anything other than his shoulder. Additionally, after Marleau commits to the hit, Rust made a second attempt to play the puck and leaves himself even more susceptible.

It's tough to say, but if Rust was aware of his surroundings and not lunging for the puck, there is likely limited contact, if any. Marleau's intent is cutting off Rust's lane because he's facing his own net when there is finally contact made.

Agree, disagree, whatever, but you can't be handing out a suspension for that, unless you're making a statement. 

Obviously, the second key event was Bonino's goal, and it was a fitting conclusion. With just over two and a half minutes left, it was a lost stick that likely made a passing lane available for Kris Letang to find Bonino.

The margin of error is so small, and that's why it is going to be the best Stanley Cup Finals since ____?

Fill in the blank, please.

 

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Brian Dumoulin continues to impress with his simple and effective game. He doesn't seem to chase the play or show a glaring weakness. Dumoulin has Vlasic-light upside, and with expanded minutes, he could be a valuable piece in deep rotisserie leagues and hit the century mark in shots, hits, and blocked shots with 25 points.

Add another point to the tally for Justin Schultz, too.

 

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What do we make of Bryan Rust for next season?

It's very likely that in a worst-case scenario, his center is Nick Bonino with Crosby and Malkin the other options. And at his cap hit, he is incredibly valuable to Pittsburgh's roster construction.

Dobber highlighted the behind-the-scenes dynamics that can have an impact on rosters well yesterday, and if Pittsburgh views Rust as a top-nine winger, he's a screaming value at just $640,000 the next two years.

And it is especially juicy if they're willing to utilize him in a top-six role.

Still, this looks to be a playoff breakout, and fantasy expectations should be kept in check. 40 points would have to be considered an excellent return, and in most setups, that's low-end production.

Hopefully he is good to go for Game 2.

 

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Thanks, Dobberheads.