LOS ANGELES: The NHL play-offs are set to begin with Chicago aiming to become the first team since 1997-1998 to win back-to-back Stanley Cups and Boston hoping to benefit from home-ice advantage throughout the postseason.
Captain Jonathan Toews and reigning Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Patrick Kane are expected to be back in the line-up for Chicago after missing time with injuries. The Blackhawks open defence of their title against the St Louis Blues on Thursday as they try to match the Detroit Red Wings who won consecutive NHL titles in 1997-98.
The Blues stumbled into the play-offs riding a six-game losing streak that cost them the Central Division title. They scored just five goals and were shut out three times in that stretch.
“I don’t think either team anticipated this,” said St Louis coach Ken Hitchcock. “I don’t think either team loves playing each other, which should make for a heck of a series.”
Defending Eastern Conference champion Boston will face Detroit in the lone Original Six first-round matchup. It is the first time since 1957 that Detroit and the Bruins will face each other in the playoffs.
Boston’s post-season path was made easier when they wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy with a victory over Buffalo on Saturday. It is the first time since 1990 the Bruins finished with the best record in the league which earns them home-ice advantage throughout the 2014 playoffs.
“The next step is we’ve still got to do some work here in order to get the trophy that we all really want,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien of going after the Stanley Cup.
The Red Wings are making their 23rd consecutive play-off appearance despite a spate of injuries to key players.
Canadian superstar Sidney Crosby wrapped up his second scoring title and veteran Finnish star Teemu Selanne was honoured on the last night of the regular season.
Crosby won the title despite sitting out the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 loss to Ottawa. He finished with 104 points, a whopping 17 points ahead of runner-up Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks.
Getzlaf is a teammate of Selanne, who announced at the start of the season that this would be the final one of his storied career.
Anaheim fans cheered loudly throughout the Ducks 3-2 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche each time Selanne jumped over the boards and touched the puck.
The Ducks open their best-of-seven series Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Crosby’s Penguins were frequently bitten by the injury bug, but still finished with a healthy lead atop the Metropolitan Division standings. Pittsburgh will face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Avalanche finished second in the West to Anaheim and will take on the Minnesota Wild starting on Thursday. The Wild clinched the first wild-card spot in the West.
An all-California series features the Los Angeles Kings against the San Jose Sharks, beginning Thursday.
The Blue Jackets are in the postseason for only the second time in club history after locking up the East’s first wild-card spot. Columbus was swept by Detroit in the opening round back in 2009.
A Metropolitan Division showdown between two long-time rivals sees the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers meeting in the play-offs for the first time since 1997.
The 11th play-off meeting between the two also marks the first time since 1982 that the Rangers have home-ice advantage.
The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched second place in the Atlantic Division, giving them the home-ice edge in a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens that starts tomorrow.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin claimed the Maurice Richard Trophy as the top goal scorer while Kings’ goaltender Jonathan Quick claimed the William M Jennings award for allowing the fewest goals in the season.
Ovechkin finished with 51 goals to earn his second straight Richard Trophy and fourth overall. Anaheim forward Corey Perry was second with 43.
Quick was honoured for allowing the fewest goals of any goalie who played at least 25 games. He had a 2.07 goals against average and a 27-17-4 won-loss record.
AFP
