It's time for the conference finals, and to get you prepared for the Eastern showdown between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, we've prepared a statistical breakdown to set the table. (Advanced stats at 5-on-5 courtesy: Corsica)
Lightning 1A vs. Capitals 1M
Lightning
Stat
Capitals
8-2
Playoff Record
8-4
11
Goal Differential
10
54.33% (1st)
5-on-5 Corsi
49.71% (8th)
7.76% (8th)
Shooting Percentage
8.14% (5th)
.943 (3rd)
Save Percentage
.930 (7th)
102.12 (2nd)
PDO
101.19 (5th)
Nikita Kucherov (12)
Leading Scorer
Alex Ovechkin (15)
After finally taking down the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals face another stiff test in the top-seeded Lightning. The main storyline, of course, is Alex Ovechkin, who after somewhat quietly producing 15 points in 12 games so far, gets his first-ever taste of playoff hockey beyond the second round.
If he wants to go even further, he and his teammates will need to be at their absolute best, as the Lightning enter the matchup as favorites after dismantling the Boston Bruins in a convincing series win. Tampa Bay heads into the showdown allowing just seven goals in the last four games of Round 2, while overwhelmingly controlling play at even-strength.
Both sides have excelled on the strength of their high-powered offenses, and have benefited from rock-solid goaltending from two world-class netminders. The Lightning appear to hold the edge in terms of defensive corps, but in three regular-season contests between the two clubs, Tampa Bay won twice by a combined score of 9-8, and with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line this time around, it's safe to expect an extended battle.
Game 1 begins Friday at 8 p.m. ET (View full schedule)
McAvoy's schedule opened up following a second-round elimination at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He joins Boston teammates David Pastrnak and David Krejci, who will represent the Czech Republic in Copenhagen.
The 20-year-old finished his first full NHL season with 32 points in 63 games, and added five more in 12 postseason contests. McAvoy suited up for the U.S. at last year's tournament as well, and won a gold medal at the world juniors in 2017.
Does any hockey family share a clearer on-ice resemblance than the Tkachuks?
They’re all cast from the same mold: offensive upside combined with the habit of being a real pain in the neck for opponents. Matthew Tkachuk’s lineage has already become obvious in his emergence with the Calgary Flames - he may take a lot of penalties, but he draws more (and puts up points besides), and it infuriates opposing teams.
With that in mind, each Tkachuk is his own player. Brady isn’t Keith, nor is he Matthew. Here’s who he is: a potential power forward with a nose for the net. Though he isn’t the best forward available in this draft, he should still make the NHL team that selects him very happy.
Year in review
Tkachuk spent the 2017-18 season playing for Boston University, where he was used mostly as a left wing (though he can play center). He curbed his tendency to take penalties, averaging just under two penalty minutes per game. He also put up 31 points, including eight goals, in 40 games. The Terriers won the Hockey East championship, and Tkachuk was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team.
Tkachuk also played for Team USA at the 2018 World Junior Championship. He and Quinn Hughes were the only first-time draft-eligible prospects on the roster. Tkachuk totaled nine points, including three goals, in seven tournament games, and took home a bronze medal.
It was recently reported that Tkachuk will return to BU in the fall. While things can certainly change (especially if, for example, he were to make his NHL team), it seems unlikely, as BU apparently stopped pursuing a graduate transfer student-athlete because Tkachuk would be back.
Areas of strength
When Tkachuk goes to the crease, everyone watching knows he’ll shoot as soon as he gets the opportunity - that’s why he crashed the net in the first place. His offensive strengths lie more in his creative playmaking ability, however. His hockey sense and passing ability are high-end. He can make the kind of perfect pass in a tight space that other players might not be able to execute, and his stickhandling is good.
Tkachuk is also effective away from the puck. In an echo of his brother Matthew, he is capable of driving his opponents up the wall. Brady goes about it a bit differently, however, constantly battling for the puck, staying in the faces of opposing goaltenders, and using his stick to cut down passing and shooting lanes. He’s also not shy about finishing his checks - or running his mouth.
Areas of improvement
Skating is frequently listed as an area where Tkachuk needs to improve, and with good reason. He has a powerful stride, good lower-body strength and balance, and his top speed is good. The problem lies in his first step. Acceleration and explosiveness off that first step are crucial when trying to reach top speed and win races. He could improve his agility as well.
It's also important to note that Tkachuk isn’t the elite goal-scorer that many people who rank him above prospects like Filip Zadina want him to be. That’s more an indictment of the person evaluating him than his skill level, however. He shouldn't be drafted based on what a team wants to believe he is, or simply hopes he’ll grow into. As one of the oldest players in this draft class, the trajectory of his development is more clear than it might be for others.
Scouting reports
“Skilled, two-way power winger with a soft touch who mixes physical play with elite vision and hockey sense. Brady with his helmet off may look like a teenager, but every aspect of his play on the ice makes you wonder how a kid so young can perform with such savvy and maturity.
Brady, whose father Keith was one of the NHL’s top snipers of the 1990s, is a relentless puck hound with decent speed and a long, smooth stride. His agility and exceptional stickhandling buy him more than enough time and space to create for his linemates. And although his zone entries are controlled and calculated, he has mastered the art of the soft dump-in and chase - Tkachuk has a long reach and finishes his checks with authority, and defenders appear wary to turn their backs for puck retrieval. Additionally, he is deadly from in close, using an array of moves and dekes to bury the puck. Want to talk hybrid? How about a physical, 200-foot winger with size who doubles as a top-line playmaker and is an outstanding penalty killer.” - Steve Kournianos, TheDraftAnalyst.com
“Brady Tkachuk plays the game as his name would suggest: physically, aggressively, and with a significant amount of skill. Tkachuk has a pro-ready game in most respects as he is physically mature and strong enough to play against men. His skating is an asset as he has good acceleration and top speed, and is very strong on his skates in terms of balance and can make power drives to the goal when he drops his shoulder ... He is dangerous in front of the goal as he uses his size and strength to plant himself as a screen in front of the goalie and has excellent hand-eye coordination for tips and rebounds. Tkachuk has a quick release on his shot, (and) has a variety of dangerous shooting options from a quick wrist shot to a powerful one-timer.” - Peter Harling, DobberProspects.com
Did You Know?
Tkachuk is blogging about his draft experience for NHL.com.
In his last season with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Tkachuk had 129 penalty minutes in 61 games.
According to Tkachuk himself, one of his best qualities is his versatility and ability to play in any situation.
It's only been 10 days since Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan announced the decision to transition Lou Lamoriello from his role as general manager into a senior advisor position.
However, the legendary front-office exec has no intention of filling that role, sources told The Athletic's Arthur Staple. Leading to "an avalanche of chatter regarding Lamoriello's inevitable arrival on Long Island."
The reports linking Lou to the Islanders come one month after New York's co-owner Jon Ledecky said he would be re-evaluating all aspects of the organization, including GM Garth Snow, who's not exactly a popular guy in New York hockey circles.
Since that presser, discussions surrounding a potential front-office shakeup have died down for the Islanders, with no further statements coming from either Ledecky or the team.
Although, it should also be noted Lamoriello's son, Chris, has been serving as the Isles' director of player personnel since August of 2016. Working side by side with his son might be too good of an opportunity for Lou to pass up.
Over half of Filip Forsberg's goals this postseason have been extraordinary.
Four out of seven, to be exact.
And as the Nashville Predators get set to host the Winnipeg Jets for Game 7 of their second-round series on Thursday, Forsberg could either be hanging up his skates for the last time this spring or he may get at least another four games to add to that highlight reel in the Conference finals.
For now, here's a look at Forsberg's memorable goals from the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, ranked in reverse order.
4. Sticking with it
In a season-saving Game 6 win over Winnipeg, Forsberg skated by the bench to retrieve a new stick after his had broken. He then proceeded to receive a pass from Craig Smith, get a lead on Ben Chiarot, and score on Connor Hellebuyck while being dragged to the ice by the trailing Jets defenseman.
As we shall see, it wasn't even his most impressive goal of the night.
Back in Game 3 of the opening round, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman was tasked with going man-on-man with Forsberg, and the result was utter domination on the part of the Predator.
In fairness to Siemens, he gave more of an effort than goaltender Jonathan Bernier on the play.
2. Between the legs, Part 1
In a goal previewed in the last clip, Forsberg had already made a mockery of the Avalanche defense earlier in the series.
In Game 1, he dangled past former teammate Samuel Girardi by putting the puck between his legs while in full motion. He then slid the puck between Girardi's legs before firing the puck past Bernier.
Talk about hitting the ground running.
1. Between the legs, Part 2
Back to Game 6 in Winnipeg.
Early in the third period, Forsberg took a centering pass from Viktor Arvidsson and once again put the puck between his legs.
This time, he fired off a shot directly from that vantage point in front of the net after gathering himself following a bump from defenseman Jacob Trouba.
Does Forsberg have any magic left for Game 7 and beyond? All signs point to yes.
Puck drop in Nashville is set for shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.
That the NHL's two best teams during the regular season are going to a Game 7 on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., isn't a big surprise.
That the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators have mirrored each other statistically in several key areas speaks to how equal -- and good -- they are and were in combining for 231 regular season points.
In their Western Conference semifinal, they have each attempted 338 shots and put 177 shots on net during 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. Nashville has a 12-11 edge in 5-on-5 goals, while Winnipeg owns a 66-65 advantage in high-danger chances.
The teams have also alternated wins, with the Jets taking the odd-numbered games. Both are 2-1 on the road in the series, so one could say that the Predators have home-ice disadvantage for a win-or-die showdown.
But there is one big factor in Nashville's favor -- Game 7 experience. Its roster has a combined 45 games of Game 7 experience, as opposed to Winnipeg's 12. Only seven Jets have ever played in a Game 7, none with this franchise.
It is Winnipeg's first Game 7 since the franchise moved from Atlanta following the 2010-11 season, and the Predators' third in franchise history. It's also the first Game 7 Nashville has ever played at home.
"I would expect that the way we play matters the most," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "We're certainly glad to be back in our building with our fans, they've been incredible all year long, but we really need to focus on the game. Just make sure we're ready to play the game and do the right things on the ice."
Nashville certainly did all the right things in Game 6, other than take three first period penalties. But its penalty-killing and Pekka Rinne's play in net were matchless as it captured a 4-0 win, preventing the Jets from reaching a conference final for the first time.
Rinne bagged 34 saves for his fifth career postseason shutout, while Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg each scored two goals. Forsberg made the highlight clips with his second goal, a between-his-legs wrister at point-blank range early in the third period that essentially ended the game's competitive phase.
Winnipeg vows it won't do anything different in preparation for the biggest game in franchise history.
"There's no big speech or departure from our game," Jets coach Paul Maurice said following practice Wednesday. "The important one that was delivered all year is to enjoy what we do. Have the confidence that you're going to go out and perform at your best. You can't be on pins and needles."
Winnipeg has outscored the Predators 22-18 in the series and seems to be the healthier team going into Game 7. While the Jets should be able to ice their regular lineup, Nashville might have to play without center Mike Fisher, who left Game 6 in the first period because of an undisclosed injury and never returned. Fisher didn't practice on Wednesday.
The series survivor will host Vegas in Game 1 of the conference finals on Saturday night.
Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Alex Lyon made 94 saves Wednesday as the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms defeated the Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in quintuple overtime, setting the record for the longest game in league history.
Lyon smashed the franchise save record, eclipsing Scott Munroe's mark of 65, which was set in a five-OT loss in 2008. Michael Leighton stopped 98 shots for the Albany River Rats that night, setting the AHL record in what previously stood as the longest game in league history (142:58).
Alex Krushelnyski ended the affair at 6:48 of the fifth overtime (146:48 into the game).
When it comes to coaching, Tom Dundon doesn't believe the Xs and Os are as critical as the mindset of the Jimmys and Joes.
The Carolina Hurricanes owner downplayed the importance of game-planning and emphasized unquantifiable traits when asked whether strategy or personality was a bigger factor in the hiring of new bench boss Rod Brind'Amour.
"I've come to the conclusion that the strategy is pretty overrated," Dundon told reporters at Brind'Amour's introductory press conference Wednesday.
"I don't believe the strategy differences (between coaches) are nearly as important as getting the most out of the culture and the attitude, and I think he can do both," the owner clarified. "But the important one here in this organization is going to be effort and I think he gives us the best chance at getting the most out of these players."
As an assistant coach with the Hurricanes, Brind'Amour ran a power play that ranked 22nd in the NHL this season in terms of efficiency, and 21st in 2016-17.
He was named a Carolina assistant ahead of the 2011-12 campaign, but the club hasn't made the playoffs since his penultimate season as a player, when it reached the conference finals in 2008-09.
