2015 NHL Wrapup

2015 Stanley Cup Champions:  Chicago Blackhawks

As much as the players tried to brush off the question in the post game interviews, this team is certainly worthy of the label of dynasty.  Although they haven't been able to win a Cup in back to back seasons, they have been able to capture three in the past six years.  The last team to accomplish such a feat was the Blackhawks' long time rival Detroit Red Wings.  The Wings won three Cups from 1997-2002, and were the last team to repeat as Cup Champions when they won in 1997 and 1998.  It's not an easy feat to say the least, particularly with the yearly changes of personnel each team has to endure.  This year, the Hawks made two personnel acquisitions that were important reasons why they won the Cup.

The first acquisition was at the start of the season by picking up free agent Brad Richards.  The 35 year old forward had already won a Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, coincidentally with the Tampa Bay Lightning.   He was brought in to provide leadership, experience, and a relatively consistent scoring threat to the team.  While his regular season point total was the lowest in any season that he played at least 70 games, he was able to rise to the occasion in the playoffs, particularly in the series against Anaheim.  He registered seven points against the Ducks, in a series that required plenty of scoring against a loaded Anaheim team.  While his production dipped in the Cup Finals, he was able to assist on both goals in the clinching Game 6 against Tampa Bay.  Veteran guys who may not put up the numbers, but can just get it done, are always valuable down the stretch.

Speaking of veteran guys, the second acquisition that worked out was trading for forward Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline.  It is debatable if they would have even gone after Vermette had Kane not gotten injured, but it all worked out in the end.  To reap the rewards of this trade, however, would require a lot of patience.  Vermette, a point producer on a terrible Coyotes team, looked like a shell of himself with the Blackhawks, registering a mere three points in 19 regular season games.  It got even worse at the start of the playoffs, as he started out as a healthy scratch.  Like a stable veteran, however, he simply waited and remained prepared for his turn.  While his four goals won't wow anybody, they came at critical times.  His second goal came in Game 4 of the Anaheim series with the Ducks threatening to go up 3-1.  He scored in double overtime to even up the series.  His third and fourth goals came in the Stanley Cup Finals in Games 1 and 5, respectively.  Both were in the third period, and both were game winners.  Those are three big playoff wins at the cost of giving up a first round pick.  Worth it.

The last player I want to point out is Kimmo Timonen.  He certainly couldn't be called a key acquisition, as the Hawks could have likely won the Cup without him.  It's just always good to see old veterans who play the game right, finally get their chance to raise the Cup.  I was glad Toews gave it to him second, as the team urged Timonen to skate around with the Cup.  Most 40 year old players with blood clots in their legs would have just called it a career, but he put in the work to get back into playing shape, and I was glad that someone picked him up.  It just so happened to be the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.

A Storm Is Coming

Brent Seabrook mentioned in a post game interview after the Hawks won the Cup that the Lightning are a team that could enjoy the Hawks' type of success in the coming years.  He is absolutely correct.  Apart from the obvious name of superstar Steven Stamkos, other players have emerged from this team to become stars in their own right.  The Triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Nikita Kucherov was arguably the best line of any team in the playoffs this year.  None of them are over the age of 24.  Defenseman Victor Hedman, age 24, might have been the Conn Smythe winner if the Lightning had won the series, and did an excellent job of frustrating and limiting Patrick Kane.  Jonathan Drouin, inserted late in the Chicago series to try and produce more offense, was the third overall pick in 2013.  Unpolished now, he has the skills to be a star in the future.  While Seabrook and the Hawks won't have to worry about the Lightning until the Cup Finals, the entire Eastern Conference needs to be on alert as this Lightning squad have the players to dominate in the years to come.

MVP Curse

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the MVP of the NHL each year.  If your goal is to win the Stanley Cup, however, you might not want to win it.  In fact, no team that had the eventual Hart Trophy winner has even made it to the Cup Finals since 2004 when Martin St. Louis did it with the Lightning.  The three candidates this year are Carey Price (Montreal), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), and John Tavares (Islanders); all of whom were on teams that didn't even reach their Conference Finals.  This emphasizes the team aspect of hockey, and how great chemistry and depth will beat a superstar with out-of-place players around him any day of the week.

Canadian Drought Continues

Five Canadian teams made the playoffs this year, and while two of the matchups in the first round were all Canadian affairs, there was still a good shot for one of them to make the Cup Finals.  Winnipeg got the harshest draw as they had to face the top seeded Ducks.  They may have had the best environment in the playoffs for the two games that they hosted, but they were too young of a team and got swept.  The Calgary-Vancouver series was easily the feistiest series with plenty of hits and after the whistle dust ups.  I thought that series took a lot out of both teams as the also-young Calgary Flames were disposed of in five games by the Ducks.  The Montreal-Ottawa series provided the most hope, regardless of who won.  While Ottawa may have been the "seventh" seed, there were a lot of people that thought Ottawa would win the series, and for good reason.

Goalie Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere and dominated down the stretch, finishing the regular season with a 20-1-2 record and a 1.79 goals against average.  Rookie Mark Stone started playing like a rookie of the year and the Sens surged down the stretch to clinch a wild card spot.  Montreal, meanwhile, countered with Hart Trophy candidate Carey Price in net, PK Subban on defense, and an overall solid group of lines one through four.  The Habs won the series, as it was too much, too soon for this young Sens squad.  The next series saw the Habs get shelled in Games 2 and 6, and were ousted in six games in relatively easy fashion to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Even though the Lightning would go on to be the Stanley Cup runner up, I was expecting more fight from Montreal.

A Canadian team hasn't won a Cup since the Canadiens did it in 1993, and have only sent five teams to the Finals in that same time period.  The three Olympic gold medals for Team Canada in that same time period might have helped to ease the pain, but I'm sure Canadians are getting restless about their NHL squads.  I think it will be sooner rather than later as all five Canadian teams that made it this year will still be good next year, along with a Toronto team that I think could surprise some people with new head coach Mike Babcock.

Changing Of The Guard?

Boston, Los Angeles, and San Jose, three playoff mainstays in recent years, missed the playoffs in 2015.  Boston couldn't score enough, San Jose couldn't stop enough, and LA seemed to think their spot in the playoffs was reserved, and didn't have to be earned.  The Boston Bruins finished with 213 goals for, which was lower than six other teams that did not make the playoffs, despite the Bruins having the most points (96) of any team that missed the playoffs.  The San Jose Sharks finished seventh worst in goals against per game, despite facing the 15th most shots against.   The LA Kings didn't have any glaring statistical weaknesses, they just seemed to think they could coast into the playoffs.  Instead, they dropped five of their last eight games and allowed the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild to sneak in the back door and claim the two wild card spots.

Perhaps this was just an off season for these teams, with a few bad bounces here and there.  They should be aware of how quickly things can change, however, and attack their off seasons accordingly.  Seven teams that made the playoffs last year did not make it this year, including the division winning Colorado Avalanche, who wound up in last place in their division in 2015.  Less than ten years ago, the Stanley Cup Finals matchup was Edmonton and Carolina.  In 2015, Edmonton and Carolina have the first and fifth overall picks, respectively, in the upcoming draft.  I probably have the most confidence in Boston to bounce back, as they have played at a high level more consistently, but young teams like Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa aren't going anywhere.

Way Too Early Stanley Cup Finals Prediction For 2016:  Blackhawks vs Capitals

Matty O