Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Updated Scores, Results for Round 1 Bracket Matchups
If the NHL put together an early script for the postseason, it couldn't have come up with one this good. Of the six series that have completed two games as of this writing, five of them are tied one game apiece and Montreal has a 2-0 lead over Ottawa with both games decided by one goal.
It's easy to pick on some aspects of the NHL, like the fact its postseason takes two months to complete, but when the games are so good and so competitive each night, fans become like zombies hunting for food and constantly needing more.
Before things kick into a higher gear the deeper each series goes, here's a look at how things have shaken out thus far and early storylines to keep an eye on.
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| Series | Results |
| No. 1 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 4 Minnesota Wild | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| No. 2 Nashville Predators vs. No. 3 Chicago Blackhawks | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| No. 1 Anaheim Ducks vs. No. 4 Winnipeg Jets | Ducks Lead Series, 1-0 |
| No. 2 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 3 Calgary Flames | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| No. 1 Montreal Canadiens vs. No. 4 Ottawa Senators | Canadiens Lead Series, 2-0 |
| No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 3 Detroit Red Wings | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| No. 1 New York Rangers vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins | Rangers Lead Series, 1-0 |
| No. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. 3 New York Islanders | Series Tied, 1-1 |
What to Watch
The Blues' Turnaround
It would be difficult to think of a team that did a quicker 180 from Game 1 to Game 2 than the St. Louis Blues. The Central Division champions looked lost in their first game against the Minnesota Wild, losing 4-2 even though that score doesn't indicate how lopsided it was.
Elisabeth Meinecke of Fox Sports Midwest wrote that the Blues almost seemed too passive for a team that ranked fifth in goals scored during the regular season:
"It was death by a thousand passes Thursday for the St. Louis Blues, who dropped Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup to the Minnesota Wild 4-2.
Although the Blues managed sustained time in the offensive zone, they left with little to show for it; the Wild dominated the middle of the ice for much of the game, keeping the Blues passing along the perimeter of the zone. By the end of the second period, the Blues had only 11 shots on goal to Minnesota's 21.
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The Wild did everything that one would expect in the Game 1 victory, shutting down St. Louis with a man advantage and using an efficient offensive attack to steal a win.
Game 2 was a nice turnaround for the Blues, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. Vladimir Tarasenko got a hat trick in the win, which is what he should be doing after leading the team in points (73) and goals (37) during the regular season.
Chris Johnston of SportsNet Canada wrote on Twitter why Tarasenko's presence is so vital for a rejuvenated St. Louis team:
The 23-year-old Tarasenko isn't a fully developed player at this point in his career, so to see him already lighting up the nets with a hat trick like this is a great step in his growth and the growth of the Blues franchise.
There is a long way to go in this series, but the Blues have to feel good heading to Minnesota all squared at one with the way things played out in Game 2.
The Unpredictable Team
Who are the Chicago Blackhawks?
It was one of the big questions coming into the playoffs, and through two games the answer might be even less clear. Joel Quenneville made the shrewd decision to pull Corey Crawford after giving up three goals on 12 shots in Game 1.
Scott Darling was fantastic in relief duty, pitching a shutout with 42 saves in nearly 68 minutes of ice time and allowing the offense to earn a comeback win. Yet Quenneville went back to Crawford in Game 2, with similar results as the Predators scored six goals on 35 shots.
Speaking to reporters prior to Game 2, per David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune, Quenneville said he had no interest in replacing Crawford with Darling permanently:
"A no-brainer (to start Crawford)," Quenneville said. "It was probably tougher to pull (Crawford) out. He's our starting goalie (and has) been our strength all year. It was one period."
Well, one period quickly became four with six more goals allowed in a hurry. The Blackhawks have done a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act this season, looking like a safe Stanley Cup threat early and borderline playoff team down the stretch.
Patrick Kane's injury certainly didn't help matters, though he did get a goal in the second period of Game 2 to provide hope as the series moves back to Chicago.
Yet, nothing that Kane, or anyone else, does on the offensive side matters if the Blackhawks don't have a goalie capable of stopping a shot. It would be a shock if Crawford starts a game again in this series.
The good news for Chicago is Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne hasn't been on his game down the stretch, as Adam Vingan of The Tennessean wrote after Game 1:
The Blackhawks are either going to play in the Stanley Cup Final or lose in the first round, because that's the kind of team they are. As things stand right now, the latter scenario seems more likely, but Sunday's Game 3 can swing the pendulum back.
Washington's Rise
The thing that drives sports analysis, whether it's on the radio, Internet or anywhere else, says it's impossible to be legendary if you don't win a championship. Dan Marino can't be the best quarterback ever because he never won a Super Bowl. Barry Bonds can't be the best baseball player ever because he never won a World Series.
Alex Ovechkin has a long way to go before he can get in the conversation for best player in NHL history, but there are still analysts who won't give him credit for being great because of his playoff shortcomings.
James O'Brien of Pro Hockey Talk wrote that things are looking up for Ovechkin this year, even though it has little to do with him:
"Braden Holtby‘s put together a borderline Vezina season; while Semyon Varlamov showed flashes of brilliance with Washington, the bottom line is that Holtby’s the best net option the Capitals have had since Ovechkin first put on that goofy eagle sweater.
The Capitals also invested big-time in their defense this offseason, and it’s paid off. Matt Niskanen is starting to feel it, with 11 of his 31 points pouring in since March. John Carlson‘s enjoying easily the best season of his career, and Mike Green hasn’t been too shabby as he chases a new deal, either.
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The key to that whole scenario laid out by O'Brien is this looks like the best and most complete team Ovechkin has been a part of during this run of playoff appearances Washington has gone on in seven of the last eight years.
Individual players don't win a championship. It's never happened in the history of team sports. As great as Michael Jordan was in his prime with the Chicago Bulls, he also played alongside one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history (Scottie Pippen) and high-level role players such as Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman.
That's the dirty little secret none of these sports analysts who talk about greatness being defined by the number of titles you have discuss: It's really, really hard to win a title and sometimes luck plays as much of a role as skill.
Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings, thanks to two of the luckiest throws going his way in NFL history.
The Capitals got off to a sluggish start against the New York Islanders, losing 4-1 in Game 1. Ovechkin didn't play well with no goals on eight shots. He bounced back nicely with a goal in Game 2, which Washington won 4-3.
No one should cry foul if the Capitals lose this series because the Islanders are a terrific team that finished with 101 points in the regular season. Yet the way Washington came back in Game 2, it's a step in the right direction for the franchise.
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