A Tale of Two Goalies and the Season

Vol. I, No. 81

Chicago faced two goaltenders in game five, and broke both of them down.  Three goals scored on Michael Leighton in the first period chased him from the Flyers goal.

But over the next two periods, Brian Boucher also allowed three goals, and by the time the game was over,  Chicago had put seven pucks into the Philadelphia net.

Over the five games, Philadelphia's goaltenders have a combined .857 save%.  Goaltending woes have been the story of their season. A potent offense can only go so far.  Tonight, the Flyers were able to score 4 goals. In most Stanley Cup final games, that would seal the deal.  But when a team has spotty goaltending, four goals (or five, as in game one) just cannot get the job done.

This series has now had two eleven goal games.  The first one was 6-5 in favor of Chicago.  Tonight's game was 7-4 in the Hawks' favor. I'm not sure if there has ever been a final series with two eleven goal games. It is fire-wagon hockey, exciting to watch.  But for the coaches, you can see the grey hairs about to sprout on Peter Laviolette's head.

The common wisdom is that defense and goaltending ultimately wins Stanley Cups.  But this series is turning that conventional thinking upside down. Maybe all the NHL rule changes have opened up the ice and are creating higher scoring games.  That's what the league wanted after the low-scoring trap style of the 90s and early 2000 years.  

The 2010 Stanley Cup series has been odd. High scoring games are not the norm, but in this series, teams have scored five or more goals in three games. The next game could easily go the other way - a low scoring defensive contest or even a shutout.  Which goaltender will Laviolette pick to put up a stone wall? My bet is Brian Boucher. But watch out for Antti Niemi. His play tonight was spectacular at times, but four goals got past him.  He knows what is on the line in game six.

Tuesday night in Philadelphia will be an elimination game. The Stanley Cup will be present, in case Chicago can end it all with a road game win. Until this series, the Hawks had astounding road success against the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks. Can Philly shut down Chicago for a third time at the Wachovia Center? On Tuesday, we will find out.

Hockey Rules.