Morning Skate: April 22

The Morning After:

Yesterday’s results:

Capitals 4, Bruins 3

Panthers 3, Devils 0

Senators 2, Rangers 0

Blues 3, Sharks 1

Blackhawks 2, Coyotes 1 (OT)

RLD 3 stars of the night:

1. Craig Anderson, OTT (41 saves, shutout)

2. Jose Theodore, FLA (30 saves, shutout)

3. Jonathan Toews, CHI (1 goal)

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Today’s slate:

Penguins @ Flyers, 12:00 ET, Game 6

Bruins @ Capitals, 3:00, Game 6

Kings @ Canucks, 8:00, Game 5

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins @ #5 Philadelphia Flyers

Game 6… 12:00 ET… TV: NBC, TSN

Series: 3-2 Flyers

Projected starting goaltenders:

PIT-    Marc-Andre Fleury (Playoff stats: 2-3, 4.70 GAA)

PHI-   Ilya Bryzgalov (Playoff stats: 3-2, 4.54 GAA)

Injury report:

PIT-    Paul Martin (undisclosed, doubtful)

PHI-   Nicklas Grossmann and Marc-Andre Bourdon (upper body, doubtful), Chris Pronger (concussion, out), Andrej Meszaros (back, out), Blair Betts (knee, out)

Game thoughts:

The Penguins are halfway to history.  They have put together back-to-back solid efforts, including Fleury between the pipes.  They finally look like a team that is backing up all the pre-playoff news clippings.  However, this is usually the point in the series in which the opponent shows the team coming back from an 0-3 deficit just how difficult it is.

You can make a fair argument that the Penguins can easily win four in a row when playing their best.  You can also say that the Flyers are too good to lose four straight.  Let’s make it clear, though: the pressure is on Claude Giroux and company to close out their rivals today.  If it doesn’t happen now, they’ll be staring at the possibility of being the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead.  But there’s a reason why it has happened just three times previously.

Applying to both teams, the winner of today’s game wins the series.  It sounds simple, but it’s probably true.  I picked the Penguins in seven before the series, but the feat they’re trying to pull off is too tough.  Philadelphia gets it done today, uncomfortably.

Prediction: Flyers 4, Penguins 3 (OT)

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#2 Boston Bruins @ #7 Washington Capitals

Game 6… 3:00 ET… TV: NBC, CBC

Series: 3-2 Capitals

Projected starting goaltenders:

BOS-  Tim Thomas (Playoff stats: 2-3, 2.05 GAA)

WSH- Braden Holtby (Playoff stats: 3-2, 1.86 GAA)

Injury report:

BOS-  Joe Corvo (lower body, questionable), Adam McQuaid (head, out), Tuukka Rask (lower body, out), Nathan Horton (concussion, out)

WSH- Tomas Vokoun and Tom Poti (groin, out)

Game thoughts:

Just 24 hours after the Capitals edged the Bruins in Game 5, the two teams will go at it again in the nation’s capital.  Troy Brouwer scored late in regulation yesterday to give the Capitals an emotional 4-3 win and a 3-2 series lead.  Now they have a chance to eliminate the defending champions on home ice.

Boston won’t go down easily, though.  Despite getting banged up yesterday, they won’t go down without a fight.  To force a Game 7, Thomas will have be more excellent than Holtby in net.  Holtby has outplayed Thomas for most of this series.  If that happens again today, the Capitals will finish the upset.

Every game in this series has been decided by one goal.  There’s no reason to believe that will change today in Washington.  It will be electric in Verizon Center, but the Bruins have been a good road team all season.  Their season won’t end today.

Prediction: Bruins 3, Capitals 2

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#8 Los Angeles Kings @ #1 Vancouver Canucks

Game 5… 8:00 ET… TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, Local Networks

Series: 3-1 Kings

Projected starting goaltenders:

LA-     Jonathan Quick (Playoff stats: 3-1, 1.77 GAA)

VAN-  Cory Schneider (Playoff stats: 1-1, 1.01 GAA)

Injury report:

LA-     Kyle Clifford (upper body, doubtful), Simon Gagne (concussion, out), Scott Parse (hip, out)

VAN-  None

Game thoughts:

Vancouver is trying to pull off the same comeback as Pittsburgh – they are just one step behind.  Due to the Coldplay concert at Rogers Arena, there was a staggering three days in between Game 4 and tonight’s Game 5.  This comes after the Canucks saved their season with a 3-1 win in Los Angeles with their backs against the wall.

The Canucks will need another big effort from Schneider; more so just to give the team confidence that they can still win this series.  The return of Daniel Sedin helps, but if Schneider outplays Quick, they have a shot here.  With a healthy lineup, I think the Canucks will live to see another day and force a Game 6 on Tuesday.

Prediction: Canucks 3, Kings 2

Video of the day:

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