Stick back: New York's Henrik Lundqvist blocks a shot from Washington in the third period of Game 5 on Monday night. The Rangers beat the Capitals 3-2 and lead the series 3-2. APThey celebrated in typical fashion: grinding out another victory.This one, though, will take them somewhere they've never been before: the Western Conference finals.Relying again on their grit and the superb goaltending of Mike Smith, the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Monday night to earn their first trip to the conference finals in 33 years as an NHL franchise."It feels great right now, a lot of hard work," Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle said. "It's been a battle the past few years, but it's a lot of fun and we're blessed to be where we are right now."The day started off with news the Coyotes and their fans had been anticipating for three years.Speaking as players from both teams warmed up in the hallway, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that a tentative deal had been reached to sell the Coyotes to former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison.Phoenix paid it no mind. The Coyotes had spent the previous three seasons with the uncertainty hanging over them and had learned to keep their focus on the ice, not what happens off it.Playing its usual counterpunching style, Phoenix withstood an early flurry by Nashville and followed with goals from Derek Morris and Martin Hanzal in the second period.And, as usual, the Coyotes gave up a late goal to make it interesting, this one by Colin Wilson with just under 6 minutes left.Phoenix has become accustomed to seat-of-their-pants victories, though, and they pulled out another one, nearly getting an empty-net goal by Smith before setting off a raucous celebration on the ice rink surrounded by desert.Next up for the Coyotes are the Los Angeles Kings, the first No. 8 seed to knock off Nos. 1 and 2 in the same playoffs. Rangers 3, Capitals 2 (OT)In New York, Marc Staal scored a power-play goal 1:35 into overtime after Brad Richards tied it in the dying seconds of regulation to lift the Rangers to a stunning victory over Washington in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.With goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, the Capitals' Joel Ward took a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left in the third period.Richards tied it on the first half of the power play with just 7.6 seconds to go, and Staal won it with a drive that appeared to deflect off a Washington player before beating goalie Braden Holtby.The top-seeded Rangers can advance to the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday in Washington.With the crowd still buzzing over the shocking tying goal, a din that held up through the long intermission, John Mitchell won a faceoff in the Capitals' end to start the winning play.Staal corralled the puck at the right point, glided to the center of the zone, and fired the drive that set off a wild celebration on the ice and in the seats at Madison Square Garden.John Carlson, who had given Washington a 2-1 lead in the third period, couldn't keep the puck out after he got in behind Holtby as a last line of defense.
Showing posts with label Predators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Predators. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Coyotes continue surge, close out Predators in Game 5
GLENDALE, Arizona — An hour before one of the biggest games in franchise history, the Phoenix Coyotes learned a deal was in place for a new owner, one they hoped would end three years of uncertainty.Stick back: New York's Henrik Lundqvist blocks a shot from Washington in the third period of Game 5 on Monday night. The Rangers beat the Capitals 3-2 and lead the series 3-2. APThey celebrated in typical fashion: grinding out another victory.This one, though, will take them somewhere they've never been before: the Western Conference finals.Relying again on their grit and the superb goaltending of Mike Smith, the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Monday night to earn their first trip to the conference finals in 33 years as an NHL franchise."It feels great right now, a lot of hard work," Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle said. "It's been a battle the past few years, but it's a lot of fun and we're blessed to be where we are right now."The day started off with news the Coyotes and their fans had been anticipating for three years.Speaking as players from both teams warmed up in the hallway, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that a tentative deal had been reached to sell the Coyotes to former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison.Phoenix paid it no mind. The Coyotes had spent the previous three seasons with the uncertainty hanging over them and had learned to keep their focus on the ice, not what happens off it.Playing its usual counterpunching style, Phoenix withstood an early flurry by Nashville and followed with goals from Derek Morris and Martin Hanzal in the second period.And, as usual, the Coyotes gave up a late goal to make it interesting, this one by Colin Wilson with just under 6 minutes left.Phoenix has become accustomed to seat-of-their-pants victories, though, and they pulled out another one, nearly getting an empty-net goal by Smith before setting off a raucous celebration on the ice rink surrounded by desert.Next up for the Coyotes are the Los Angeles Kings, the first No. 8 seed to knock off Nos. 1 and 2 in the same playoffs. Rangers 3, Capitals 2 (OT)In New York, Marc Staal scored a power-play goal 1:35 into overtime after Brad Richards tied it in the dying seconds of regulation to lift the Rangers to a stunning victory over Washington in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.With goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, the Capitals' Joel Ward took a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left in the third period.Richards tied it on the first half of the power play with just 7.6 seconds to go, and Staal won it with a drive that appeared to deflect off a Washington player before beating goalie Braden Holtby.The top-seeded Rangers can advance to the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday in Washington.With the crowd still buzzing over the shocking tying goal, a din that held up through the long intermission, John Mitchell won a faceoff in the Capitals' end to start the winning play.Staal corralled the puck at the right point, glided to the center of the zone, and fired the drive that set off a wild celebration on the ice and in the seats at Madison Square Garden.John Carlson, who had given Washington a 2-1 lead in the third period, couldn't keep the puck out after he got in behind Holtby as a last line of defense.
Stick back: New York's Henrik Lundqvist blocks a shot from Washington in the third period of Game 5 on Monday night. The Rangers beat the Capitals 3-2 and lead the series 3-2. APThey celebrated in typical fashion: grinding out another victory.This one, though, will take them somewhere they've never been before: the Western Conference finals.Relying again on their grit and the superb goaltending of Mike Smith, the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Monday night to earn their first trip to the conference finals in 33 years as an NHL franchise."It feels great right now, a lot of hard work," Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle said. "It's been a battle the past few years, but it's a lot of fun and we're blessed to be where we are right now."The day started off with news the Coyotes and their fans had been anticipating for three years.Speaking as players from both teams warmed up in the hallway, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that a tentative deal had been reached to sell the Coyotes to former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison.Phoenix paid it no mind. The Coyotes had spent the previous three seasons with the uncertainty hanging over them and had learned to keep their focus on the ice, not what happens off it.Playing its usual counterpunching style, Phoenix withstood an early flurry by Nashville and followed with goals from Derek Morris and Martin Hanzal in the second period.And, as usual, the Coyotes gave up a late goal to make it interesting, this one by Colin Wilson with just under 6 minutes left.Phoenix has become accustomed to seat-of-their-pants victories, though, and they pulled out another one, nearly getting an empty-net goal by Smith before setting off a raucous celebration on the ice rink surrounded by desert.Next up for the Coyotes are the Los Angeles Kings, the first No. 8 seed to knock off Nos. 1 and 2 in the same playoffs. Rangers 3, Capitals 2 (OT)In New York, Marc Staal scored a power-play goal 1:35 into overtime after Brad Richards tied it in the dying seconds of regulation to lift the Rangers to a stunning victory over Washington in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.With goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, the Capitals' Joel Ward took a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left in the third period.Richards tied it on the first half of the power play with just 7.6 seconds to go, and Staal won it with a drive that appeared to deflect off a Washington player before beating goalie Braden Holtby.The top-seeded Rangers can advance to the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday in Washington.With the crowd still buzzing over the shocking tying goal, a din that held up through the long intermission, John Mitchell won a faceoff in the Capitals' end to start the winning play.Staal corralled the puck at the right point, glided to the center of the zone, and fired the drive that set off a wild celebration on the ice and in the seats at Madison Square Garden.John Carlson, who had given Washington a 2-1 lead in the third period, couldn't keep the puck out after he got in behind Holtby as a last line of defense.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Coyotes top Predators in Game 1 on Whitney's OT goal
One that got by: Nashville's Martin Erat scores past Phoenix's Mike Smith in the third period of Game 1 on Friday night. The Coyotes edged the Predators 4-3 in overtime. APGLENDALE, Arizona — The Phoenix Coyotes have had a knack for withstanding nearly everything their opponent throws at them before landing the big blow.They know it can't keep going like this.Ray Whitney scored 14:04 into overtime and the Coyotes survived another late goal in regulation to open the Western Conference semifinals with a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night."The third period they cranked it up and we didn't respond," said Phoenix's Dave Tippett, who looked more like the losing coach than the winner. "We're fortunate to get the first one under our belt, but if we expect to have a chance to win this series, we're going to have to be far better than we were tonight."It's been like this pretty much throughout the playoffs for the cardiac Coyotes.Phoenix was 33-1 when leading after two periods during the regular season, but has struggled to close out playoff games. The Coyotes allowed four tying third-period goals against Chicago in the first round and did it again against the Predators, giving up one to Martin Erat on a power play with 4:42 left.Even with the Predators dominating the third period and overtime, the Coyotes wouldn't let them score, getting big saves from goalie Mike Smith and shuttling the puck out of their zone when they got tired — which was a lot.With a rare faceoff in Nashville's end in overtime, Phoenix won its first second-round playoff game as an NHL franchise when Whitney flipped a backhander between Pekka Rinne's pads after Martin Hanzal slipped a pass to him just outside the crease.Smith made 39 saves, Rostislav Klesla had a goal and an assist, and Phoenix won despite being outshot 25-7 after the second period. Radim Vrbata and Mikkel Boedker also scored for the Coyotes, the first team in NHL history to have six of their first seven playoff games go to overtime.Game 2 is Sunday in the desert."When we are up by a goal we seem to sit back and let teams come at us," said Whitney, who also had an assist on Vrbata's goal. "It is frustrating. It is something we discussed and tried to fix, tried to change."Nashville started slow, fought back every time Phoenix scored and mostly controlled the game after the second period.The Predators couldn't finish it off, though, unable to beat Smith after Erat's goal to lose a game they probably should have won.Brandon Yip had his first goal of the playoffs and Andrei Kostitsyn also scored for Nashville, which had a 42-24 advantage in shots."We had lots of chances," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "We just didn't have that one extra puck that went in."This mirror-image matchup was expected to come down to which team could play the same style best.Both teams have superb goaltenders, smart coaches and a defense-first style — attributes they used to get by more-skilled opponents in the first round.After winning their first division title as an NHL franchise, the Coyotes survived a rash of injuries and five overtime games to beat the Chicago Blackhawks and advance in the playoffs for the first time since 1987, when the team was still in Winnipeg.Nashville finished six wins and seven points ahead of Phoenix, but was the Western Conference's fourth seed because the Coyotes won the Pacific Division.The Predators beat nemesis Detroit in a five games in the first round behind Rinne, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second straight year. That gave Nashville a week off, plenty of time to heal and rest up — and gather some rust, apparently.Sluggish and out of synch, the Predators were on their heels early, leading to a power play midway through the first period. Vrbata capitalized, flipping a wrister from the left circle that skipped off Rinne's mask and over his stick shoulder.Sunday, April 24, 2011
Predators make dramatic comeback, drop Ducks in OT
Decisive score: Nashville's Jerred Smithson scores the winning goal past Anaheim goalie Ray Emery in overtime of Game 5 on Friday night. The Predators beat the Ducks 4-3 and lead the first-round playoff series 3-2. AP PHOTO
Anaheim, calif. — The Nashville Predators have known nothing but heartbreak in their brief playoff history, and the Anaheim Ducks were only a few seconds away from adding to the pain as they nursed a lead in Game 5.
That's when captain Shea Weber scored on a slap shot that suggested these Predators might be different — and early in overtime, Jerred Smithson put Nashville into uncharted postseason territory.
Smithson scored 1:57 into overtime, and the Predators moved to the brink of winning a playoff series for the first time, stunning the Ducks 4-3 on Friday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Weber tied it on a long slap shot with 35.3 seconds left for the Predators, who had never won an overtime playoff game, never won a Game 5 — never even won three games in a series — before their dramatic comeback.
"It's an amazing feeling to be one step closer," said Jordin Tootoo, whose second assist set up Smithson's one-timer past Ray Emery. "The playoffs are all about momentum swings, and we've done well with that throughout the year."
The Predators can close it out in Game 6 on Sunday in Nashville.
Defenseman Kevin Klein scored his first career playoff goal and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for Nashville, which even managed to reverse its ugly fate in Game 5 against Chicago last season.
Most of the key veterans in the jubilant Predators dressing room remembered giving up the Blackhawks' tying goal with 13.6 seconds left in regulation before losing the game — and the series one game later.
"It's a different feeling than Game 5 last year," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Last year, in Game 5, it was a devastating thing that happened to us. . . . This year, it's the polar opposite. I think we're mature enough to know there's a very good hockey team on the other side, and we're going to have to be absolutely at our best in Nashville."
Both teams scored two goals apiece in a thrilling third period, with Anaheim blowing two leads. Bobby Ryan scored a spectacular goal early in the third in his return from a two-game suspension, but Joel Ward tied it with 8:40 left in regulation.
Sabres 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
In Philadelphia, Tyler Ennis scored off a rebound 5:31 into overtime to give Buffalo a victory over the hosts and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.
Mike Webber's shot hit Michael Leighton's pad, before Ennis swooped in from the right side and scored his second goal of the game.
The Sabres survived despite blowing a 3-0 lead, after Ennis, Thomas Vanek and Marc-Andre Gragnani had scored in the first period.
Ryan Miller made 36 saves.?James van Riemsdyk and Andrej Meszaros scored in the second period, before Danny Briere tied it for the Flyers at 3:36 of the third period.
"All I know, is I wanted to score the winner," Ennis said. "I just wanted to be the guy who ended it."
Philadelphia, the No. 2 seed in the East, is missing Jeff Carter and Chris Pronger and is on its third goalie of the series. The Flyers biggest problem could come on Sunday, when Buffalo is poised to send the defending Eastern Conference champions home for the offseason.
Staked to the early lead, it seemed over Philadelphia. Miller has two 1-0 victories in the series and appeared to again stump the Flyers. Not for long.
After van Riemsdyk and Meszaros scored in the second, Briere stuck it to his former team when his backhander off a behind-the-net feed from Mike Richards tied it 3-3.
Anaheim, calif. — The Nashville Predators have known nothing but heartbreak in their brief playoff history, and the Anaheim Ducks were only a few seconds away from adding to the pain as they nursed a lead in Game 5.
That's when captain Shea Weber scored on a slap shot that suggested these Predators might be different — and early in overtime, Jerred Smithson put Nashville into uncharted postseason territory.
Smithson scored 1:57 into overtime, and the Predators moved to the brink of winning a playoff series for the first time, stunning the Ducks 4-3 on Friday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
Weber tied it on a long slap shot with 35.3 seconds left for the Predators, who had never won an overtime playoff game, never won a Game 5 — never even won three games in a series — before their dramatic comeback.
"It's an amazing feeling to be one step closer," said Jordin Tootoo, whose second assist set up Smithson's one-timer past Ray Emery. "The playoffs are all about momentum swings, and we've done well with that throughout the year."
The Predators can close it out in Game 6 on Sunday in Nashville.
Defenseman Kevin Klein scored his first career playoff goal and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for Nashville, which even managed to reverse its ugly fate in Game 5 against Chicago last season.
Most of the key veterans in the jubilant Predators dressing room remembered giving up the Blackhawks' tying goal with 13.6 seconds left in regulation before losing the game — and the series one game later.
"It's a different feeling than Game 5 last year," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Last year, in Game 5, it was a devastating thing that happened to us. . . . This year, it's the polar opposite. I think we're mature enough to know there's a very good hockey team on the other side, and we're going to have to be absolutely at our best in Nashville."
Both teams scored two goals apiece in a thrilling third period, with Anaheim blowing two leads. Bobby Ryan scored a spectacular goal early in the third in his return from a two-game suspension, but Joel Ward tied it with 8:40 left in regulation.
Sabres 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
In Philadelphia, Tyler Ennis scored off a rebound 5:31 into overtime to give Buffalo a victory over the hosts and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.
Mike Webber's shot hit Michael Leighton's pad, before Ennis swooped in from the right side and scored his second goal of the game.
The Sabres survived despite blowing a 3-0 lead, after Ennis, Thomas Vanek and Marc-Andre Gragnani had scored in the first period.
Ryan Miller made 36 saves.?James van Riemsdyk and Andrej Meszaros scored in the second period, before Danny Briere tied it for the Flyers at 3:36 of the third period.
"All I know, is I wanted to score the winner," Ennis said. "I just wanted to be the guy who ended it."
Philadelphia, the No. 2 seed in the East, is missing Jeff Carter and Chris Pronger and is on its third goalie of the series. The Flyers biggest problem could come on Sunday, when Buffalo is poised to send the defending Eastern Conference champions home for the offseason.
Staked to the early lead, it seemed over Philadelphia. Miller has two 1-0 victories in the series and appeared to again stump the Flyers. Not for long.
After van Riemsdyk and Meszaros scored in the second, Briere stuck it to his former team when his backhander off a behind-the-net feed from Mike Richards tied it 3-3.
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