15 early takes from Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the storm before the calm. In just over a week we’ll be down to four series, a couple games a night, and honestly it’ll be a little sad for most hockey fans.

But for now, it’s the good stuff. There’s so much going on I couldn’t cover it all in one post, nor could I bring myself to focus on just one thing, so today we’ll do an Eastern Conference notebook, and Friday we’ll go west.

1. Puck don’t lie for Martinook

It was Mark Jankowski whose goal was taken off the board in overtime during Game 2 of the Senators-Hurricanes series, but it was Jordan Martinook who earned it for his team. He got the breakaway (and drew the penalty shot), but what impressed me was that he then had the foresight to help the Canes keep the puck in the offensive zone and then change while they had the delayed penalty, all of which helped lead to the Jankowski goal. Despite all that awesome play, Martinook then missed the penalty shot, and spent the fourth intermission feeling like he let his team down somehow, which was a shame.

So, it was poetic justice when he later scored the winner.

Also while we’re here: Jordan Staal was onside. “Possession but not control” is way too subjective a read to take a goal off the board that had been counted on the ice. 

So yeah: puck don’t lie, etc.

2. Ottawa and Carolina is extremely well played and fast

Travis Green and Rod Brind’Amour are similar coaches, and they’re standing behind similar teams. Neither one is laden with elite star talent (though they both have some extremely good players), but both are deep and fast and competitive. I can’t get over the pace of the games so far, and it’s brought to light two thoughts.

One was the question: “Is that feeling backed up by the numbers?” And the answer is yes. NHL Edge tracks speed bursts, and one of the categories is 29-32 m.p.h. bursts. Ottawa is first with 267, Carolina is second with 243, and most teams have played two games by now. There are two faster speed burst categories, but they tend to just highlight teams that have a fast guy or two (Colorado has the most 35 m.p.h.-plus bursts with eight), so I find this category more informative. Everyone is flying out there.

Thought No. 2 came up from a conversation with Mike Kelly: is it just me, or is the disparity between regular-season pace and playoff pace growing larger? Like I can’t remember many games, let alone periods or even shifts, that look like this from the regular season. It is fast out there.

3. Ullmark’s early-season struggles may have buried a legit Cup shot

The Senators are not done. Carolina held court at home, and if Ottawa can do the same, we’ll be all square in a best-of-three. But it’s hard to beat a 113-point team in four of five games, so with that in mind, it kills me how good Ottawa is. They might waste that, and they never should’ve had to play this Carolina team in Round 1.

Yes, Linus Ullmark has been awesome through two games. Maybe their best player, even. But that makes it frustrating, because if he was even average this year, Ottawa would have had an easier first-round draw and a better chance to go deep in the playoffs. Now that he’s found his game, it feels like it might be too late.

4. Tkachuk has to settle into the moment

Last Ottawa thought is that they’ve got lots of guys going. Tim Stutzle is all over it, Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig, these guys should’ve scored more than they have, but it’s like there’s a forcefield at the net. However, Brady Tkachuk hasn’t been on the ice for a goal for yet, and to me, it’s because he’s just so damn over-eager. He looks like he’s in a fist-fight with the puck out there and it’s blowing up on his stick way too often. He needs the opposite of smelling salts pre-game. He needs a chai tea and a fiction novel in the dressing room. He’s one of the rare guys you’d like to see calm down, rather than rev up.

5. Stankoven’s a dawg

The Hurricanes have a lot of dawgs — Martinook is one too — but Logan Stankoven deserves the title in his own way. Three goals through two games, not afraid of the moment, and his line with Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake is relentless. They’ve got an expected goal rate around 75 per cent at 5-on-5 so far.

6. Hagel’s a dawg, Slafkovsky’s a dawg, Montreal/Tampa Bay is a whole pound

Through two games, Brandon Hagel has three goals and one assist for four points, he’s plus-4, he’s got nine PIMs including a fight after which he gave the “too small” celebration about a giant of a player, and he leads Tampa’s forwards in ice time.

For Montreal, Juraj Slafkovsky’s Game 1 hat trick highlighted his dawg status — as have his Olympic performances — and even his willingness to fight Hagel in Game 2 drove the truth home further. These guys aren’t done leaving their mark on this series.

7. Montreal's top line can do more

Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Slafkovsky haven’t scored at 5-on-5 yet, and they scored a ton there in the regular season. There’s more to come.

8. Montreal looks like the better team

Crazy to say, but it feels like the Lightning are hanging on for dear life against a better Montreal team. The Habs look faster (which is backed up by the speed burst data), and even though Tampa Bay has more puck possession time, Montreal has a slight edge in dangerous chances created. That’s a tough combo to goaltend against, so we’ll see how Andrei Vasilevskiy can hold up against a Habs team that feels like it could break out at any given moment.

Part of this is…

9. Tampa needs Hedman more than Montreal misses Dobson

Both teams are missing a critical defenceman, but the Lightning missing Victor Hedman has meant just a bit more Declan Carlile and Emil Lilleberg than they’d prefer. I'd argue the Habs' “next up” players are more capable (I like Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj serves a clear purpose), so when Hedman is out, the Bolts really feel it. Carlile and Lilleberg are both below 40 per cent expected goals at 5-on-5.

10. Anderson is just built for the playoffs

I’m never sure what to think when a guy steps up and plays like Josh Anderson has through the past couple playoff games after you’ve watched him sleep through so many games in the regular season. Does it make him more valuable that he’s able to turn it up when it really matters? Or should you be retroactively annoyed that he doesn’t do it more? Either way, he’s a post-season force, which is why Scott Sabourin is out there chasing him around (and taking one poorly timed penalty) in the first place.

11. Luukkonen and the Sabres lack experience

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is a very good goalie, and the long dump-in goal he allowed from centre last game is not who he is, obviously. But good lord man, was that atrocious and at the worst possible time. In a game where Buffalo was in tough to begin with, it just sunk them. Be aggressive, or back off and wait for it to bounce, or get behind it like an infielder, you just can’t leave it to chance like that.

It puts Buffalo in a tough spot now, choosing who to start next game. They’d have loved for him to just start red hot, and for it to be an obvious “ride the hot hand” thing, but alas. They head back to Boston and Jeremy Swayman looks rock solid at the other end.

12. Buffalo is a hockey city

We know they’ve got great football fans, but it’s great to be reminded how awesome Buffalo is for hockey. The fans on rollerblades out there make me particularly happy, and it’s just so great to see those who’ve stuck with them through um, thin and thin, finally get some rewards.

13. Tage wraparound in Game 1 was so nasty

I just need to once again remind people how awesome this Tage Thompson goal was:

It’s a good sign for Buffalo that in a big moment, their best goal scorer still showed that composure and skill. Success in big moments breeds confidence, which breeds success in big moments.

14. Martone: our final 'is a dawg' entry of the day

Porter Martone has made an immediate impact for the Flyers, but the best part of it all is realizing that Team Canada could have another Annoying Skill Guy on their international teams in the future. We’ve had Brad Marchand for years, Hagel might sort of qualify, but it feels like Martone will happily fill that void for the country in the future. 

He’s already playing nearly five minutes more per game than Matvei Michkov, which speaks to how much Rick Tocchet has embraced what the rookie brings to the table in a very short amount of time.

And finally…

15. Crosby and Co. need a big one

After losing both their home games, the Penguins' aging stars are the first group under “must-win” pressure this post-season. Lose tonight, and Philly could find itself waiting for the winner of Carolina/Ottawa for what could be a week. I just can’t see it happening that easily for the Flyers though, can you?