Searching for Stanley
Sixteen teams have forged a path to a playoff berth. The marathon regular season revealed important strengths and weaknesses that, if carefully parsed, can help project which teams are headed for a...
View ArticleSpeed kills
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost in the first round because of their one-dimensional play. Partially this was the result of injuries, but a portion of blame goes to the roster construction. They were a...
View ArticleBolts from the blue
Fueled by three power-play goals, Tampa Bay finished the second period of Game 2 with a 4-1 lead over Montreal en route to a 6-2 win. Yet it was the lone even-strength goal by the Lightning during that...
View ArticleHow the West will be won
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks both have superstars at the height of their powers who have led them to the Western Conference finals. Unfortunately, age will cause these stars to decline,...
View ArticleLightning in a bottle
Lightning center Tyler Johnson has thrust himself into the national spotlight by notching 11 goals and five assists in 15 games during the playoffs. The diminutive Johnson is carrying the highest...
View ArticleSeventh heaven
The Western Conference final has been an anthology instead of a novella. Familiar lessons have been woven throughout each game/story (comfort in one’s identity, perseverance, accountability, success as...
View ArticleFinal exam
The Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final because both were able to combine an extremely talented roster with a supercharged, aggressive playing style. Essentially,...
View ArticleIt’s a trap!
The stretch pass is the Chicago Blackhawks’ preferred tool for catching opponents on their heels. The Blackhawks use the stretch pass to accelerate the pace of a sequence and try to place the puck on...
View ArticleBack in Black
The Chicago Blackhawks’ series against the Tampa Bay Lightning was full of surges back and forth. The Blackhawks were most consistent in Game 6, but even then, they had stretches where they were on...
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