Tuesday, June 9
Neil Parker
2015-06-09
Game 3, Victor Hedman’s ascent and more …
***
It doesn’t seem necessary to dig too deep into Game 3. The Lightning, and perhaps most significantly, Ben Bishop, weathered the storm when needed and found a way to score one more goal than Chicago. In a game that could have easily gone the other way, it didn’t.
Maybe I’m wrong on this point, but while Chicago was dominating the play, they were kept to the outside for the most part. Their scoring chances weren’t endless or high-end, and at no point did Bishop absolutely stand on his head.
That said, there were two missed nets with a wide-open cage, and Brandon Saad had a glorious chance in tight on a two-on-one rush with Marian Hossa. Still, it seemed like Tampa Bay were able to block or deflect a lot of pucks with a stick or body.
What gave the impression of Chicago’s dominance was their puck control and puck movement in the offensive zone, but again, it seemed like Tampa Bay clogged up the shooting lanes. And for the most part, the Lightning were able to stay disciplined and in position and not give up too many second chances.
It would likely be unfair to say Tampa Bay stole Game 3, but the series could very easily be 2-1 Blackhawks, too.
***
Ben Bishop looked extremely uncomfortable at times, and injured, but at the end of the game, he made all the big saves and allowed one fewer goal than his opposing netminder.
How much longer does Don Cherry have with Coach’s Corner?
I don’t watch faithfully, because those are precious minutes between periods to catch up on other scoreboards and whatnot. But when he had the top prospects on last night, it reinforced just how prominent he has been and for how long.
I couldn’t dig up too many old clips, but it feels like Don has been doing this since the 1900 draft with Owen Nolan, Petr Nedved, Keith Primeau and Mike Ricci. Maybe not or maybe it has been even longer.
Details? Anyone know?
There were some tough years for Don, but for the most part when he sticks to hockey, there is always an entertainment quality to add to his hockey take. If nothing else, Coach’s Corner has become part of the hockey experience for Canadians, and his prospects interview Monday reinforced that again for me.