Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

News Of The Day

05/22/2014 at 3:15pm EDT

Canada just lost to Finland 3-2 in the IIHF World Championship quarter finals and the USA did the same, going down to the Czech Republic 4-3 earlier today.

Plus the New York Islanders made their decision...

The New York Islanders announced today that they will retain their first round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft and transfer their first round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft to the Buffalo Sabres. The selection was packaged in the team’s deal for Thomas Vanek on October 27, 2013.

ALL TIED UP
This marks the fourth time in the last five years that the Stanley Cup Final has been tied 2-2 after four games, with 2012 being the lone exception (3-1 in favor of Los Angeles).

Teams have split the first four games of the Final 22 times since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939. The team winning Game 5 has captured the Stanley Cup 15 times (68.2%). However, the team losing Game 5 has rebounded to win the series on four of the past six occasions (all since 2001).

60 IS NOT ENOUGH
* This is the first Stanley Cup Final to feature three overtime games since 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings played three (all won by Montreal).

* Road teams have won 15 of the past 19 Stanley Cup Final overtime games, including two of the three in this series, and are 20-6 since 1990 (.769).

* Game 4 marked the 27th overtime game in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs (84 games), the second-highest total for one postseason. The record of 28 was set in 1993 (85 games).

* The Blackhawks improved to 5-2 in overtime during the 2013 playoffs, including a 1-1 mark on the road. The Bruins fell to 5-3, including a 3-1 record at home.

SHUTOUT STREAKS SNAPPED
Chicago forward Michal Handzus scored at 6:48 of the first period to end Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask’s shutout streak at 129:14 (dating to the first period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final).

The goal also ended Rask’s home shutout streak at 193:16 (dating to the second period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final). That marks the franchise record for one playoff year (surpassing the previous best of 188:51 set by Gerry Cheevers in 1969) and also ranks as the third-longest home shutout streak in one playoff year in NHL history. Detroit’s Terry Sawchuk holds the record at 240:00 in 1952, while Toronto’s Lorne Chabot went 195:03 on home ice without allowing a goal in 1933. (Elias)

1-2 PUNCH
Chicago forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each scored in Game 4. Since making their NHL debuts in 2007, the duo has recorded goals in the same game 41 times during the regular season, but Wednesday marked only the third time they have done so in the playoffs. The other times Kane and Toews scored in the same postseason game were Game 6 of the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals versus the Canucks and Game 6 of the 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Predators, both of which were series-clinching victories for the Blackhawks. (Elias)

Toews’ goal was his first since Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, snapping a 10-game drought. He has 2-8—10 in 21 games this postseason.

QUICK HITS
* The Blackhawks held leads by eight different scores in their Game 4 win: 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-4 and, finally, 6-5.

* The Bruins had not trailed by two goals since the third period of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Maple Leafs.

* The 11 goals scored in Game 4 were the most in a Stanley Cup Final game since the Blackhawks defeated the Flyers, 7-4, in Game 5 of the 2010 Final.

* Twenty-two of the 36 skaters registered at least one point, including six multi-point efforts. The 11 goals came from 10 different players. All but one Chicago player recorded at least one shot on goal.

* Game 4 featured the most goals both teams have allowed in a game during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins had not allowed six goals in a postseason game since a 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on April 22, 1996, a span of 121 games. The Blackhawks had not allowed five goals in a playoff game since a 5-3 loss to the Flyers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 4, 2010, a span of 35 games.

* The Blackhawks improved to 9-0 when leading after two periods this postseason. The Bruins dropped to 2-3 when trailing after 40 minutes.

* The Bruins fell to 11-3 in their last 14 games, with all three losses coming in overtime.

SPECIAL TEAMS
* The Blackhawks allowed two power-play goals in a game for the first time since March 10 vs. Edmonton (when they yielded three), a span of 42 games.

* The Blackhawks have allowed four power-play goals in 14 times shorthanded versus the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final (71.4%). They yielded three power-play goals in 58 times shorthanded through the first three rounds of the postseason (94.8%).

* The Blackhawks snapped a 0-for-23 slump on the power play when Patrick Sharp scored at 11:19 of the third period to give the team a 5-4 lead.

* Sharp’s goal ended a streak of 30 consecutive penalty kills by the Bruins dating to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

* Michal Handzus scored Chicago’s second shorthanded goal of the 2013 playoffs, tied for second in the League. The other was scored by Michael Frolik in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals versus the Wild.

JAGR HITS MILESTONE
Boston forward Jaromir Jagr appeared in his 200th career postseason game, becoming the 19th skater and 21st player in League history to reach the milestone. Jagr collected two assists to increase his career playoff total to 121, tying him with Al MacInnis and Glenn Anderson for ninth all-time in that category.

BERGERON REMAINS HOT
Boston forward Patrice Bergeron scored his eighth and ninth goals of the postseason, ending the night tied with teammate David Krejci for second place in the NHL – one goal behind leader Patrick Sharp of Chicago. Bergeron now has 6-2—8, including one game-winning goal, in his last seven games.

FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
Chicago forward Michal Handzus gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal in the first period, his first career shorthanded goal in his 95th postseason game.

Boston forward Rich Peverley tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal in the first period, his first career power-play goal in his 57th playoff game.

BIG MINUTES
Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith played a game-high 32:37 while posting an assist and +3 rating. Keith has logged at least 30 minutes in four of his past five games (each of the four decided in overtime), averaging 36:00 per game over that span.

AROUND THE TWITTERVERSE
Lee Westwood (‏@WestwoodLee)
This is a proper game of ice hockey!

Chris Jericho (‏@IAmJericho)
WHAT A GAME! Being a neutral party I don’t care who wins but this is why hockey is the best damn sport on the planet! @NHL

Denis Leary (‏@denisleary)
These Blackhawk/Bruin games are so close I need Crestor after each one. #agida

Graham Rahal ‏(@GrahamRahal)
What an insane game this is. This is the type of hockey that is simply incredible. Love it! #StanleyCup

Rob Rossi ‏(@RobRossi_Trib)
The #StanleyCupFinal to #nbafinals – ‘we see, and we raise’

Daryl Reaugh (‏@Razor5Hole)
These two teams are pretty good at hockey. Pretty, pretty good. Great showcase for sport/league. #bruins #hawks

Sam Gagner (‏@89SGagner)
This has been an unreal hockey game. #Hawks #Bruins

Brian Elliott (‏@KidElls1)
That was entertaining. great game @NHL

LOOSE PUCKS
Chicago forward Patrick Kane was mic’d up for Game 4 . . . Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk scored his sixth goal of the postseason, tying Los Angeles’ Slava Voynov for the most among blueliners . . . The Bruins’ Game 4 loss snapped their seven-game home winning streak and marked their first Stanley Cup Final defeat at TD Garden . . . Chicago forward Bryan Bickell penned his latest blog entry following the Game 4 victory . . . The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed “Chelsea Dagger” in honor of the Blackhawks . . . The National Hockey League general managers voted in favor of recommendations made by the NHL Competition Committee during a meeting Wednesday.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

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