It was the most quiet of the big three, the man who had been so unassuming all game, that came through in the clutch.
All game, he looked lost, getting in foul trouble and barely registered on the score sheet at the half. But by games end, the Spurs made sure it was in his hands, and he came through.
If anything, Manu Ginobili earned his sixth man award tonight in San Antonio in a series-clinching 92-87 win over the Phoenix Suns.
At halftime, he had scored just two points and three fouls in 11 minutes of play. By games end, he would have only eight, four of those from the charity stripe.
But it was a big eight.
After Boris Diaw cut the Spurs lead to one, Ginobili came up strong. First, after a risky inbounds pass up the middle, he was fouled going for a lay up and hit one of two, giving the Spurs a two-point lead.
Phoenix called a twenty second timeout, advancing the ball to half court – but turned it over on the inbounds pass. Ginobili was fouled and went to the line with the chance to ice it.
He did, hitting both and giving the Spurs a commanding lead of four points and that was the ball game.
But it was far from just him tonight – he got a ton of help from a Phoenix team that collapsed down the stretch and a stellar night from both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
The Suns turned the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter and looked panicky down the stretch, forcing shots against a San Antonio defence that kept them outside.
And their big acquisition – Shaquille O’Neal – was a problem all game for the Suns, too. As early as the second quarter, San Antonio went into hack mode, fouling him away from the ball and sending him to the line, where he was far from effective.
He would miss 11 free throws in the game, more then the difference in the outcome. In the second quarter, he missed nine free throws, while San Antonio took a 54-45 lead at the half.
“We wanted to make Shaq work,” said Kurt Thomas at the half.
However, when Shaq sat for most of the third, Phoenix roared back, going on a 13-4 run that gave then a lead of five late in the third.
But this was a strategy that almost backfired for the Spurs. Going into the fourth quarter, they had three players with four fouls, and another two with three. And when Shaq entered the game again in the fourth, their strategy was much less effective, as he started hitting more of his free throws. Soon, he showed glimpses of his old self, driving to the basket over Duncan and getting the foul.
However, a glimpse was all the Suns would get.
As effective as Ginobili was late, it was Tony Parker, the point guard who had been taking flak all season, who exploded for the Spurs. In the first half, he had 20 points, five assists and was a perfect 8/8 from the line.
He finished with 31 points and eight assists and a number of clutch shots, including two late daggers that kept San Antonio in front late.
“We just treated it like a game seven,” he said after the game.
Indeed they did, with a defence that kept Phoenix away from the basket and ran down the clock. On the offensive boards, they were stellar too: three-time MVP Tim Duncan was a monster throughout, finishing with 29 points and17 rebounds in 41 minutes of play.
On the other side, two-time MVP Steve Nash was ineffective at best. He shot a dismal four of 16 and didn’t register an assist until late in the third quarter. He finished with just 11 points, three assists and turnovers, hardly his kind of stat line.
Even before this game, but especially as it finished, rumours were flying about the Suns. Is this the last game for head coach Mike D’Antoni? Are the missed free throws and riding the bench the last memory we will have of the force formerly known as the Diesel? And what of Nash? He looked ineffective all game and was completely outplayed by Parker.
Perhaps the only bright spot for the Suns here was the play of Boris Diaw. He finished with 22, eight rebounds and eight assists. Where Nash faltered, Diaw shined. He was the driving force that kept the Suns in the game early on.
On a night where two series ended – Dallas also fell, to New Orleans – it seemed a sober reminder of last year. The Suns, collapsing down the stretch. San Antonio, getting baskets when it counted. And a semi-final matchup that everybody’s set for: San Antonio vs New Orleans.
“It’s going to be a great series,” said Parker. “I can’t wait.”
Neither can anybody else.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Suns vs Spurs an OT Classic
It was a game that had everything: a comeback, a duel, buzzer-beaters and huge shots. It was a game you could write a thesis on.
And it was only the first game of the series.
For four quarters and two heart-stopping overtimes, the Suns and the Spurs faced each other once again, in what is maybe the most heated – and most hotly anticipated – series in recent memory. It didn’t disappoint.
Leading by as many as 19 in the first half, and by as many as nine in the fourth, the Suns struggled late, under the oppressive settings of San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
But this wasn’t another Phoenix playoff collapse. They battled in OT and it came down to San Antonio taking the final shot, twice. Problem was, they hit it twice.
No, this was a duel. Steve Nash and Tim Duncan, battling again. Duncan would finish with 40, 15 rebounds and five assists. Nash finished with 25 and 13 assists. But the numbers almost don’t matter; it’s their shots that will be remembered.
Duncan, nails his first and only three of the game, tying it at the end of the first OT.
Nash, hitting a three while falling sideways, ties the game with 15 to play in the second OT.
It’s a cliché to say it’s a shame one team had to lose, that they both played so well nobody deserved to lose. And it’s surely a cliché that could be applied here.
But it’s another that fits a lot better: the team that wanted it more, won. It. The win.
Item: Late in the second OT, there was a struggle under the phoenix basket. One missed layup, then another. Bodies flying all over the place. Duncan reaches up and stuffs it in on the Spurs third chance.
Item: With 15 to play in the second overtime, San Antonio rolls the dice, taking the ball upcourt and went for the win. No timeout, no set plays. No waiting it out, going for a third OT. End it now.
Manu Ginobili hits a layup with 1.8 to play. Nash takes a half-court shot that sails wide as the final buzzer sounds.
It’s scenarios like that, where they had to grind it out, that showed how determined, how dedicated, how good San Antonio is. They played hard, they didn’t let up and they kept the pressure going, attacking the basket and Shaquille O’Neal, who with five fouls, often shied away from drawing contact under his own basket.
Yet it was O’Neal who tied the game in the second overtime, stuffing a rebound to make it 112 all.
About halfway through the game, ESPN flashed a little statistic. Over 80 per cent of the teams that win game one win the series.
But here’s something else. Last year, San Antonio won game one, 111-106, and won the series in six. In 2005, they won game one 121-114, and the series in five.
If this series goes to form, it should go to seven.
And if it goes that far, all bets are off. Especially if it’s as tense as game one.
And it was only the first game of the series.
For four quarters and two heart-stopping overtimes, the Suns and the Spurs faced each other once again, in what is maybe the most heated – and most hotly anticipated – series in recent memory. It didn’t disappoint.
Leading by as many as 19 in the first half, and by as many as nine in the fourth, the Suns struggled late, under the oppressive settings of San Antonio’s AT&T Center.
But this wasn’t another Phoenix playoff collapse. They battled in OT and it came down to San Antonio taking the final shot, twice. Problem was, they hit it twice.
No, this was a duel. Steve Nash and Tim Duncan, battling again. Duncan would finish with 40, 15 rebounds and five assists. Nash finished with 25 and 13 assists. But the numbers almost don’t matter; it’s their shots that will be remembered.
Duncan, nails his first and only three of the game, tying it at the end of the first OT.
Nash, hitting a three while falling sideways, ties the game with 15 to play in the second OT.
It’s a cliché to say it’s a shame one team had to lose, that they both played so well nobody deserved to lose. And it’s surely a cliché that could be applied here.
But it’s another that fits a lot better: the team that wanted it more, won. It. The win.
Item: Late in the second OT, there was a struggle under the phoenix basket. One missed layup, then another. Bodies flying all over the place. Duncan reaches up and stuffs it in on the Spurs third chance.
Item: With 15 to play in the second overtime, San Antonio rolls the dice, taking the ball upcourt and went for the win. No timeout, no set plays. No waiting it out, going for a third OT. End it now.
Manu Ginobili hits a layup with 1.8 to play. Nash takes a half-court shot that sails wide as the final buzzer sounds.
It’s scenarios like that, where they had to grind it out, that showed how determined, how dedicated, how good San Antonio is. They played hard, they didn’t let up and they kept the pressure going, attacking the basket and Shaquille O’Neal, who with five fouls, often shied away from drawing contact under his own basket.
Yet it was O’Neal who tied the game in the second overtime, stuffing a rebound to make it 112 all.
About halfway through the game, ESPN flashed a little statistic. Over 80 per cent of the teams that win game one win the series.
But here’s something else. Last year, San Antonio won game one, 111-106, and won the series in six. In 2005, they won game one 121-114, and the series in five.
If this series goes to form, it should go to seven.
And if it goes that far, all bets are off. Especially if it’s as tense as game one.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Take Care, Air McNair
For a talent that seemed so explosive, so promising and so revolutionary, it was sad to see it end like this. Not with a bang – or in this case, with a long toss or a mad dash – but simply petering out.
It was injuries that did in Steve McNair, the end result of over a decade of fast-paced, physical quarterbacking. Unlike his college career, McNair was never much more then a marginal quarterback. In his lone superbowl appearance, his Titans came just shy, a half-yard short.
He wasn’t the first quarterback who could scramble, nor was he the first with a powerful arm.
But, when he was at his best, he was able to meld the two together and become hard to stop. He was a gritty, physical player who led his teams and played through the injuries that plagued his career.
In his best season, 2003, he averaged about eight yards a pass and threw for 24 touchdowns and over 3,200 yards. And he rushed for another four touchdowns on top of that. The Titans went 12-4 that season, good enough for a Wild Card birth.
They lost in the second round of the playoffs on a frozen Gillette Stadium that season, in a 17-14 thriller against the Patriots. It was the last time McNair played that late in the postseason.
In an era that will be remembered more for success of players like Tom Brady, Payton Manning or Brett Farve, McNair could prove to be the more influential, both in his style of play and in that he was one of the few Black starting quarterbacks in this decade.
Since he joined the NFL in 1995, quarterbacks such as Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Vince Young have followed in his path, a mobile threat style of play. The Black quarterback has become much more visible – when he was drafted in 1995, only Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham were starting.
He was maybe one of the first quarterbacks you could legitimately call a duel threat. There were five seasons where he rushed for 400 or more yards and two where he rushed for eight touchdowns. His QB Rating was constantly above 100, and maxed out at 127 in 2003, the season he won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.
However, it is his college numbers that really stand out.
While playing for Alcorn State in the early 1990s, McNair put up unbelievable numbers: in 1994, for instance, he passed for nearly 5,000 yards, for 44 touchdowns on top of his 936 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
In his final game, against Jackston State in November of 1994, McNair threw for five touchdowns and over 500 yards.
He was named to the first-team of the Division 1-AA All-America team that season, and was drafted third overall in 1994 by the Houston Oilers.
Is he a hall of famer? While he never won the big game, his numbers are pretty solid. He won an MVP trophy. He won 75 per cent of the games he started. He is one of only three QBs to have over 30,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
The other two? Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton. If they’re in hall, why shouldn’t McNair be?
It was injuries that did in Steve McNair, the end result of over a decade of fast-paced, physical quarterbacking. Unlike his college career, McNair was never much more then a marginal quarterback. In his lone superbowl appearance, his Titans came just shy, a half-yard short.
He wasn’t the first quarterback who could scramble, nor was he the first with a powerful arm.
But, when he was at his best, he was able to meld the two together and become hard to stop. He was a gritty, physical player who led his teams and played through the injuries that plagued his career.
In his best season, 2003, he averaged about eight yards a pass and threw for 24 touchdowns and over 3,200 yards. And he rushed for another four touchdowns on top of that. The Titans went 12-4 that season, good enough for a Wild Card birth.
They lost in the second round of the playoffs on a frozen Gillette Stadium that season, in a 17-14 thriller against the Patriots. It was the last time McNair played that late in the postseason.
In an era that will be remembered more for success of players like Tom Brady, Payton Manning or Brett Farve, McNair could prove to be the more influential, both in his style of play and in that he was one of the few Black starting quarterbacks in this decade.
Since he joined the NFL in 1995, quarterbacks such as Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Vince Young have followed in his path, a mobile threat style of play. The Black quarterback has become much more visible – when he was drafted in 1995, only Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham were starting.
He was maybe one of the first quarterbacks you could legitimately call a duel threat. There were five seasons where he rushed for 400 or more yards and two where he rushed for eight touchdowns. His QB Rating was constantly above 100, and maxed out at 127 in 2003, the season he won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.
However, it is his college numbers that really stand out.
While playing for Alcorn State in the early 1990s, McNair put up unbelievable numbers: in 1994, for instance, he passed for nearly 5,000 yards, for 44 touchdowns on top of his 936 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
In his final game, against Jackston State in November of 1994, McNair threw for five touchdowns and over 500 yards.
He was named to the first-team of the Division 1-AA All-America team that season, and was drafted third overall in 1994 by the Houston Oilers.
Is he a hall of famer? While he never won the big game, his numbers are pretty solid. He won an MVP trophy. He won 75 per cent of the games he started. He is one of only three QBs to have over 30,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
The other two? Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton. If they’re in hall, why shouldn’t McNair be?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Is Marty Turco the new Rogie Vachon?
Is Marty Turco the new Rogie Vachon?
Think about it. They’re both great goalies that play in smaller hockey markets. They put up similar numbers. They’re both carbon-based life forms.
One other thing, too. They’ve both never backstopped their way to a Stanley Cup.
Sure, Vachon won two Cups early in his career with the Montreal Canadiens, but that was as a backup. In those two playoff runs, he only started 10 playoff games, playing behind Gump Worsley.
But Vachon took over as a starter he couldn’t produce. In 1970, his first season as a starter, the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs. The next spring, Montreal coach Al MacNeil went with rookie Ken Dryden over Vachon for the playoffs, which all but ended his career in Montreal.
So it was off to Los Angeles with Vachon. Despite posting some strong statistics for the Kings, Vachon did not see the playoffs until 1974, when they lost to Chicago in five games.
Twice the Kings finished second in their division, and three times they finished third. Under Vachon, they made five straight playoff appearances, although they never made it past the second round. In his five years with the Kings, Vachon would record 171 wins, 32 shutouts and was named a second-team all-star twice, in 1975 and 1977.
In August of 1978, Vachon signed with the Detroit Red Wings, a team that had gone 32-34-14 the season before. He did not meet much success with the team, winning just 30 games, and posting a GAA above 3.60 in his two seasons with the club. His finished his career with Boston, splitting starts with Marco Baron.
By career’s end, Vachon had won 355 games, a career GAA of 2.99 and recorded 51 shutouts. His postseason numbers weren’t too shabby, either: 23 wins, two shutouts and a GAA of 2.77. Vachon had his number retired by the Kings, played in three all-star games and a Canada Cup, winning six of his seven starts.
Yet, in the decade dominated by his Montreal replacement of Dryden, Vachon was often overlooked. Throughout the 70s, he never won a Vezina, never made it past the second round, which perhaps explains why he has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Which brings us to Marty Turco.
Since starting his career in 2000-01, two seasons after the Stars won the Stanley Cup, Turco has won 207 games for the Stars and his GAA is 2.15. In 2005-06, he won 41 games for the Stars. In 2002-03, he posted a league-leading GAA of 1.72.
But, like Vachon, Turco has never had success in the postseason. Only once has he made it deep into the playoffs, when he went to the second round in 2002-03. Since then, he has yet to make it out of the first round. Last year, for example, Turco posted a GAA of 1.30 in Dallas’ first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Twice he has played in the All-Star game, but he has never won any awards for his play. In an era dominated by better-known goalies – Marty Brodeur, Dominic Hasek, Mikka Kiprusoff – Turco has gone under-valued.
Perhaps, like Vachon, it is because he plays in a market that is easily overlooked by most fans or because of his lack of success in the post-season.
However, unlike Vachon, he still has a chance to turn it around. However, at the age of 32, these playoffs could be that chance. However, their first-round series against the Ducks will be a tough match.
But unless Turco wants to be remembered as his generations Vachon, this is a series he has to win.
Think about it. They’re both great goalies that play in smaller hockey markets. They put up similar numbers. They’re both carbon-based life forms.
One other thing, too. They’ve both never backstopped their way to a Stanley Cup.
Sure, Vachon won two Cups early in his career with the Montreal Canadiens, but that was as a backup. In those two playoff runs, he only started 10 playoff games, playing behind Gump Worsley.
But Vachon took over as a starter he couldn’t produce. In 1970, his first season as a starter, the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs. The next spring, Montreal coach Al MacNeil went with rookie Ken Dryden over Vachon for the playoffs, which all but ended his career in Montreal.
So it was off to Los Angeles with Vachon. Despite posting some strong statistics for the Kings, Vachon did not see the playoffs until 1974, when they lost to Chicago in five games.
Twice the Kings finished second in their division, and three times they finished third. Under Vachon, they made five straight playoff appearances, although they never made it past the second round. In his five years with the Kings, Vachon would record 171 wins, 32 shutouts and was named a second-team all-star twice, in 1975 and 1977.
In August of 1978, Vachon signed with the Detroit Red Wings, a team that had gone 32-34-14 the season before. He did not meet much success with the team, winning just 30 games, and posting a GAA above 3.60 in his two seasons with the club. His finished his career with Boston, splitting starts with Marco Baron.
By career’s end, Vachon had won 355 games, a career GAA of 2.99 and recorded 51 shutouts. His postseason numbers weren’t too shabby, either: 23 wins, two shutouts and a GAA of 2.77. Vachon had his number retired by the Kings, played in three all-star games and a Canada Cup, winning six of his seven starts.
Yet, in the decade dominated by his Montreal replacement of Dryden, Vachon was often overlooked. Throughout the 70s, he never won a Vezina, never made it past the second round, which perhaps explains why he has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Which brings us to Marty Turco.
Since starting his career in 2000-01, two seasons after the Stars won the Stanley Cup, Turco has won 207 games for the Stars and his GAA is 2.15. In 2005-06, he won 41 games for the Stars. In 2002-03, he posted a league-leading GAA of 1.72.
But, like Vachon, Turco has never had success in the postseason. Only once has he made it deep into the playoffs, when he went to the second round in 2002-03. Since then, he has yet to make it out of the first round. Last year, for example, Turco posted a GAA of 1.30 in Dallas’ first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Twice he has played in the All-Star game, but he has never won any awards for his play. In an era dominated by better-known goalies – Marty Brodeur, Dominic Hasek, Mikka Kiprusoff – Turco has gone under-valued.
Perhaps, like Vachon, it is because he plays in a market that is easily overlooked by most fans or because of his lack of success in the post-season.
However, unlike Vachon, he still has a chance to turn it around. However, at the age of 32, these playoffs could be that chance. However, their first-round series against the Ducks will be a tough match.
But unless Turco wants to be remembered as his generations Vachon, this is a series he has to win.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Habs vs Bruins has makings of a classic series
Ahh yes, the second season. A time when wins, losses and, yes, even shootout losses don’t matter.
A time when games start to take on a new intensity, a new sense of urgency and a greater sense of importance. It’s a time when enemies meet, where feuds start and rivalries are reborn.
Which is exactly what these NHL playoffs should bring.
The last, and perhaps the strongest, of the old original six rivalries is set to start once again this week when the number one seeded Montreal Canadiens take on the eighth seeded Boston Bruins. But first, a little history.
As far back as the 1950s, the Bruins faced the Habs in heated series. They met in the finals three times that decade, with the Habs winning all three.
In 1971 they played an epic seven-game series that went right down to the wire. Led by Bobby Orr, the Bruins were clear favourites to win the Cup that season, posting a 57-14-7 season, by far the best in the league. However, the Canadiens, backstopped by a young Ken Dryden, would win in seven games, the last a 4-2 thriller. They would go on to beat Chicago and win the Cup that season.
In 1977 the two teams met again, the first of two consecutive Finals meetings. The Canadiens would roll over them, sweeping the series. The next year, the Canadiens would win again, this time in six games, two of which went into overtime.
But an alignment in the playoff format would lead to them meeting Stanley Cup Semifinal the next season. This series would go the distance, with neither team taking a stronghold in the series. Neither team lost on home ice for the first six games of the series, forcing a climatic game seven in the Montreal Forum.
And was it ever a classic. All night it was back and forth, with neither team taking a strong lead. But s goal by Rick Middleton gave the Bruins a lead of 4-3 late in the third and the Bruins looked to upset the Canadiens.
However, with victory looking imminent, the Bruins fouled up a line change and took a too many men on the ice penalty in the final minutes of play.
The Canadiens would score on the ensuing power play, forcing overtime, and would score again, putting a dramatic cap on the series. The Canadiens would beat the New York Rangers in the next round, winnng their fourth Cup in a row and their sixth of the decade.
It was the fourteenth time that the Bruins had lost to the Canadiens, and the rivalry increasingly looked one-sided. After all, the Bruins had been a great team in the 1970s. Eight times they had finished with 100 points or more and had won their division seven times. They had won two Stanley Cups and had hall of fame players like Orr, Phil Esposito, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park. Yet still, they couldn’t past the Canadiens in the playoffs, who dominated the decade.
They wouldn’t meet in the playoffs again until 1984, when they met for the first of four first-round meetings. While the Canadiens would win all four, the Bruins forced a game five in 1985 and lost 1-0.
However, 1988 was a turning point. Meeting in the Adams final – then the second round of the playoffs – they beat the Canadiens in five games. It was the first time they had beaten the Canadiens in the playoffs since 1943 and was the first of four series wins they would have over the next five seasons, including their first ever seventh-game win in 1991.
They met only once more that decade, in a 1994 series that again went seven games.
Since then they have met twice, in 2002 and 2004, with Montreal winning both times.
So, what then of this series? The Bruins sneaked into the playoffs finishing just one win above Carolina for the final spot. Their record, 41-29-12, puts them basically at .500, and they were outscored this season – the only playoff team to have been so.
But in most statistics, their goalie, Tim Thomas ranks higher then Carey Price, the Habs netminder. Thomas won 28 games this season, three of them shutouts, and his save percentage of .921 is the fourth-best in the league. His GAA is lower then Price’s and he’s stopped over 400 more shots, too.
And he’ll need to keep that up against a greay Canadiens offense. Right-winger Alex Kovalev led the team with 35 goals and 84 points. Four players scored 25 or more goals and six had fifty or more points. As a team they scored 262 goals, the most in the league.
However, injuries have taken their toll on them. Saku Koivu is out and Mike Komisarek is questionable. They’re two players the Habs will miss.
If this analysis sounds a little one-sided, that’s because the series mostly will be. It’ll come down to how well Boston’s defence and goaltending can handle the onslaught of Montreal’s multi-tiered offence, not the other way around. If Boston wants to win, they’ll have to keep Montreal on the defensive, where they’re not as sharp.
It’ll be tough, but it’s possible. Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling of a Montreal victory as anything but inevitable, especially given the history involved.
A time when games start to take on a new intensity, a new sense of urgency and a greater sense of importance. It’s a time when enemies meet, where feuds start and rivalries are reborn.
Which is exactly what these NHL playoffs should bring.
The last, and perhaps the strongest, of the old original six rivalries is set to start once again this week when the number one seeded Montreal Canadiens take on the eighth seeded Boston Bruins. But first, a little history.
As far back as the 1950s, the Bruins faced the Habs in heated series. They met in the finals three times that decade, with the Habs winning all three.
In 1971 they played an epic seven-game series that went right down to the wire. Led by Bobby Orr, the Bruins were clear favourites to win the Cup that season, posting a 57-14-7 season, by far the best in the league. However, the Canadiens, backstopped by a young Ken Dryden, would win in seven games, the last a 4-2 thriller. They would go on to beat Chicago and win the Cup that season.
In 1977 the two teams met again, the first of two consecutive Finals meetings. The Canadiens would roll over them, sweeping the series. The next year, the Canadiens would win again, this time in six games, two of which went into overtime.
But an alignment in the playoff format would lead to them meeting Stanley Cup Semifinal the next season. This series would go the distance, with neither team taking a stronghold in the series. Neither team lost on home ice for the first six games of the series, forcing a climatic game seven in the Montreal Forum.
And was it ever a classic. All night it was back and forth, with neither team taking a strong lead. But s goal by Rick Middleton gave the Bruins a lead of 4-3 late in the third and the Bruins looked to upset the Canadiens.
However, with victory looking imminent, the Bruins fouled up a line change and took a too many men on the ice penalty in the final minutes of play.
The Canadiens would score on the ensuing power play, forcing overtime, and would score again, putting a dramatic cap on the series. The Canadiens would beat the New York Rangers in the next round, winnng their fourth Cup in a row and their sixth of the decade.
It was the fourteenth time that the Bruins had lost to the Canadiens, and the rivalry increasingly looked one-sided. After all, the Bruins had been a great team in the 1970s. Eight times they had finished with 100 points or more and had won their division seven times. They had won two Stanley Cups and had hall of fame players like Orr, Phil Esposito, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park. Yet still, they couldn’t past the Canadiens in the playoffs, who dominated the decade.
They wouldn’t meet in the playoffs again until 1984, when they met for the first of four first-round meetings. While the Canadiens would win all four, the Bruins forced a game five in 1985 and lost 1-0.
However, 1988 was a turning point. Meeting in the Adams final – then the second round of the playoffs – they beat the Canadiens in five games. It was the first time they had beaten the Canadiens in the playoffs since 1943 and was the first of four series wins they would have over the next five seasons, including their first ever seventh-game win in 1991.
They met only once more that decade, in a 1994 series that again went seven games.
Since then they have met twice, in 2002 and 2004, with Montreal winning both times.
So, what then of this series? The Bruins sneaked into the playoffs finishing just one win above Carolina for the final spot. Their record, 41-29-12, puts them basically at .500, and they were outscored this season – the only playoff team to have been so.
But in most statistics, their goalie, Tim Thomas ranks higher then Carey Price, the Habs netminder. Thomas won 28 games this season, three of them shutouts, and his save percentage of .921 is the fourth-best in the league. His GAA is lower then Price’s and he’s stopped over 400 more shots, too.
And he’ll need to keep that up against a greay Canadiens offense. Right-winger Alex Kovalev led the team with 35 goals and 84 points. Four players scored 25 or more goals and six had fifty or more points. As a team they scored 262 goals, the most in the league.
However, injuries have taken their toll on them. Saku Koivu is out and Mike Komisarek is questionable. They’re two players the Habs will miss.
If this analysis sounds a little one-sided, that’s because the series mostly will be. It’ll come down to how well Boston’s defence and goaltending can handle the onslaught of Montreal’s multi-tiered offence, not the other way around. If Boston wants to win, they’ll have to keep Montreal on the defensive, where they’re not as sharp.
It’ll be tough, but it’s possible. Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling of a Montreal victory as anything but inevitable, especially given the history involved.
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