Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Morning Notes

06/12/2013 at 11:01am EDT

The following information was provided by the NHL PR department...

GAME 1 TRENDS
Teams winning Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the championship in 56 of 73 seasons (76.7%) since the League introduced the best-of-seven format in 1939. The Blackhawks and Bruins are a combined 6-0 in Game 1s during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

HOME-ICE DOMINANCE
The Blackhawks have won a League-high nine games on home ice this postseason, including five straight, and have outscored opponents, 33-17, at United Center.

Overall, home teams have won 56 of the 80 games (.700) contested in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL record for most wins by home clubs in one playoff year is 57, set in 92 games during the 1991 postseason (.620). The last time home teams had a winning percentage of .600 or higher during the playoffs was in 1993, when they went 52-33 (.612).

ROAD SUCCESS
The Bruins are 5-2 on the road this postseason – they are the only team in the playoffs with a winning record as visitors. Boston has outscored its opponents, 24-13, on the road, including a 9-1 margin in the Eastern Conference Final.

GAME 1 OFFICIALS
The referees for tonight’s game are Chris Rooney (#5) and Brad Watson (#23). The linesmen are Shane Heyer (#55) and Brian Murphy (#93).

DID YOU KNOW?
The Bruins (44) and Blackhawks (42) rank first and second, respectively, in playoff wins since 2009.

MEDIA DAY
The Blackhawks and Bruins participated in the annual Stanley Cup Final Media Day Tuesday at United Center. Video of interviews with players and management is available on NHL.com.

A sampling from Media Day:

“I think you try to soak it in a little bit more now. You certainly get a lot of messages and requests for tickets at a time like this. That’s cool because everybody wants to be a part of it, to see two special teams go up against one another, in a series that should be great. To compete for the Stanley Cup says it all right there.”
— Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane on the difference of playing in his second Stanley Cup Final

“It never gets old. It’s always fun to be here with you guys answering these questions. This is a great moment. It’s even better when you win the last game. It would be great again. I’m looking forward to it.”
— Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa on playing in his fourth Final in the last six years

“We’ve known each other for many years, from back home. Obviously, we cannot ignore that we know each other, we know the families. But we all know that right now our jobs are to play for our teams and compete and do whatever it takes to win games.”
— Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara on playing against his neighbor Marian Hossa

“He was probably one of my favorite players when I was a kid. I think I wore No. 68 when I was playing summer hockey a couple of summers, had his Koho Jagr stick. I looked up to him. Now here I am getting a chance to play against him in the Stanley Cup Final. That’s pretty amazing.”
— Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on playing against Jaromir Jagr

“When I had the long hair, I wouldn’t say it was a style, but I wasn’t the only one who had it. There was a lot of guys, maybe not that long, but a lot of guys wearing long hair, so . . . Now it’s a different style. But it’s going to come back. Everything is just coming back. Ten years later, you’ll see a lot of guys with long hair.”
— Boston Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr on his hair style during his last Final appearance in 1992

“We’re both agitators. We both play physical. He’s perfected it and that’s what I’m trying to do with my game. We both walk a fine line. I’ve always looked up to him and admired him kind of. It’s going to be great to actually play against him for once.”
— Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw on playing against Brad Marchand

“Original Six [teams] and wild fan bases that go back over generations, and this is going to be a thrill for us to be part of it and watch it all with you.”
— NBC announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick

“It’s going to be coaching star power, player star power, awesome goaltending, physical confrontations, two electrified buildings and cities.”
— NBC announcer Pierre McGuire

NHL NETWORK COVERAGE
NHL Network has three hours of live coverage from Chicago leading into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Cisco NHL Live airs from 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET, followed by the NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Pre-Game Show from 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET. The NHL Tonight: 2013 Stanley Cup Final Post-Game Show, featuring live post-game press conferences, will air immediately following the game.

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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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