2011 NHL Playoffs: A Night for the Underdogs

There was no lack of suspense on the second eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as six teams did battle for Game One of the playoffs, two of them for the first time ever.

The second seed Philadelphia Flyers took on the seventh seed Buffalo Sabres in the east along with third and sixth seed Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens respectively. In the west the high-powered San Jose Sharks battled the war-torn Los Angeles Kings in what turned out to be a much closer match than anticipated. 

The goaltenders were the stars of the highlight reels allowing only eight goals combined throughout all three games (five of them coming in one game). I'll be highlighting each game and who I thought played well and what this means for Game Two.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 14: Ryan Miller #30 of the Buffalo Sabres plays the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on April 14, 2011 in Phil

Through a sea of orange and black at the Wells Fargo Center last night one man stood out amongst all the rest. This man clad in the white, blue, and yellow jersey of the Buffalo Sabres and donning the mask of a cornered Buffalo, lead the Sabres to a game one upset in enemy territory.

Ryan Miller stunned the Flyers last night knocking away 35 shots from the favored second seed, allowing Buffalo to get away with a rare 1-0 win in the playoffs. This is exactly the start the Sabres needed against the dwindling Flyers.

Coming into the playoffs the Sabres were hot and the Flyers were not, and game two sees Buffalo with an advantage and the momentum. This could be a big shift in this years playoff story and we'll have to wait and see on Saturday when game two rolls around. But for now, the Sabres should be doing anything in their power to keep their goaltender happy as he single-handedly won them game one.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

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BOSTON, MA - APRIL 14: Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins cannot get the puck past Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 14, 2011

Any critics of Montreal's choice to stick with Carey Price and relieve Jaroslav Halak of his duties were silenced for good last night. This game didn't let anyone down as it was as physical and as exciting as everyone predicted. 

Price led the way to game one upset of the Boston Bruins with a 31-save performance allowing Brian Gionta to plug two pucks past Tim Thomas. This is two of three games last night that were "stolen" by goaltenders and by lower seed teams.

Looking ahead to game two I don't see any sign of Carey Price slowing down. He has three playoff shutouts in his career, all of which come against the B's. Saturday will see the second half of home ice advantage in BeanTown and I'd watch for Price to be just as solid this time around.

San Jose Sharks vs. Lost Angeles Kings

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SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 14: Joe Pavelski #8 of the San Jose Sharks celebrates after scoring the winning goal in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the HP Pav

One of three games in which the higher seeded team would take advantage of their home ice, however, I wouldn't call this game a total loss for the LA Kings. The Kings proved to the Sharks as well as themselves that they do have the ability to skate with one of the Western Conferences powerhouses.

Riding the 45-save performance of Jonathan Quick, the Kings pushed this one all the way into late overtime and gave the Sharks a few scares of their own pumping out 35 shots onto Antti Niemi. Joe Pavelski ultimately ended this one with a 3-on-2 wrist shot over the glove of Quick but only after Niemi was forced to make a series of saves earlier in the OT. 

Going into game two, I would watch for the Kings to have some more confidence and put up another good performance. Even though I don't think that L.A. will ultimately overtake the Sharks, they sure will wear them down for the second round.