Colorado Avalanche Win 2022 Stanley Cup

 

The Colorado Avalanche have dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning as Stanley Cup Champions, winning the Cup Final in six games. This is the Avs’ third Stanley Cup in franchise history and first Stanley Cup since 2001. 

In addition, Cale Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as this year’s playoff MVP. There wasn't a better choice for this award, as he had one of the best performances out of anyone in the playoffs this year and is currently the best young defenseman in the NHL.

 Here are quick recaps of every game in this year's Stanley Cup Final:

Game 1: Avalanche defeat the Lightning 4-3 in OT. Colorado scored three in the first period from Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, and Arturri Lehkonen, while the Lightning added one from Nick Paul in the first and tied the game at three in the second on goals from Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev, forcing overtime. It only took one minute and 23 seconds into OT for Andre Burakovsky to net the game-winner for the Avs. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves for the Bolts, while Darcy Kuemper made 20 saves for the Avs. In addition, this was Brayden Point's first game in action since May 14, collecting an assist in the Bolts' OT loss. 

Game 2: Avalanche blow out the Lightning 7-0 in a one-sided affair. 11 different Avalanche players recorded at least one point, and Darcy Kuemper had himself a 17-save shutout. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin led the way with two goals each, followed by Mikko Rantanen with three assists. In addition, Josh Manson, Andre Burakovsky, and Darren Helm each scored a goal, Andrew Cogliano and Alex Newhook each recorded two assists, and Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O'Connor, Andre Burakovsky, and Devon Toews each tallied an assist. 

Game 3: Lightning bounce back from the first two games and get back in this series, taking down the Avalanche 6-2. Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, and Pat Maroon each led the way for the Bolts with a goal and an assist in Game 3, while Anthony Cirelli scored an incredible goal to tie the game at one during the first period. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each recorded two assists, while Nick Paul and Corey Perry also scored goals. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a much better performance in net compared to the first two games, recording 37 saves. On the other hand, Gabe Landeskog scored the Avs' only two goals in Game 3. 

Game 4: Nazem Kadri nets the game-winner in overtime in his return to the lineup since the conference finals following hand surgery as the Avalanche win 3-2 to get within one win of the ultimate prize. Anthony Cirelli opened the scoring for the Lightning 36 seconds into the first period, while Nathan MacKinnon ties it at one early in the second period. The alternation of goal scoring continued through regulation, with a great goal from Victor Hedman near the middle of the second period and Andrew Cogliano tying the game at two early in the third period. 

Game 5: The Lightning force a Game 6 with their 3-2 win over the Avalanche in Game 5. Ondrej Palat scores another huge goal in the third period to win it for the Bolts and keep their quest for a three-peat alive. Jan Rutta and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy came through with 38 saves. Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar scored the Avs' only two goals. 

Game 6: The Avalanche defeat the Lightning 2-1 to capture the Cup. Steven Stamkos scored the first goal of the game for the Bolts in the first period, while the Avs scored the next two in the second period from Nathan MacKinnon and Arturri Lehkonen to win the series. Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves for the Avs, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for the Bolts. 

This year's Stanley Cup Final was a great series between two amazing teams that have earned their way to be in the biggest stage. The Lightning and Avalanche are my second and sixth favorite teams respectively, so I wasn't rooting too hard for either team and wanted both to perform well. I am happy with the final result, as I like many players on the Avalanche and it's always great to see a new Stanley Cup Champion. I am especially happy for Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, former San Jose Shark Andrew Cogliano, Gabe Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Erik Johnson to name a few. 

On the other hand, I would've rooted harder for the Lightning had they not won the previous two Stanley Cups. At the same time, if Tampa had come back in the Cup Final and completed the three-peat, it would've been a truly incredible feat to accomplish in the salary cap era. Still, the Lightning's Cup runs in the past three seasons have been nothing short of impressive. Another crazy stat I read was that Corey Perry played in each of the past three Cup Finals, including this year, and was on the losing side of each one. That's gotta sting, and I would feel bad for most players in that scenario. However, since I'm not a huge Corey Perry fan, I am okay with it being that way for him. 

Once again, congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche on a terrific season and winning the greatest trophy in sports, and I cannot wait for the day when the Sharks finally hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time ever!

Source: ESPN 

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Sharks News & Notes (5/11/22)

More significant Sharks headlines occurred Tuesday, specifically a big announcement and draft lottery results. Let's dive into them:

• Patrick Marleau has officially announced his retirement after 23 seasons in the NHL. 21 of his 23 seasons were spent with the Sharks during three separate stints with the team. Most notably, Marleau holds the NHL all-time games played record with 1,779 games under his belt and is 23rd on the all-time goals list with 566. He also holds the Sharks' franchise records in games played, goals, and points, and is second in assists behind Joe Thornton. Marleau is currently 42 and last played during the 2020-21 season, tallying four goals and five assists for nine points for the Sharks that year. Unfortunately, the only major thing missing from his hall-of-fame resume is a Stanley Cup. The best chance Patty had to win a Cup was the Sharks' first and only Cup Final appearance in 2016, in which the Sharks lost to the Penguins in six games. In addition, the Sharks announced that they would retire Patrick Marleau's jersey number and raise it up to the rafters at SAP Center sometime next season. Regardless, Patty had an amazing playing career with many records broken and is one of the greatest ever. I wish him nothing but the best in retirement. 

• The results from the draft lottery are in, and the draft order for this coming NHL Draft has been determined. To the surprise of no one, the Sharks stayed put in the initial draft projections and will be drafting 11th overall this year. This will be the second time in franchise history that the Sharks will be drafting 11th overall, the first being in 1994 when they drafted Jeff Friesen with that specific pick. The only team that moved up in the draft lottery was the New Jersey Devils, who will be selecting second overall and often gets incredibly lucky with the draft lottery in general. The 2022 NHL Draft will be taking place July 7 & 8 in Montreal, and it's only fitting that the Canadiens will be drafting first overall this year.  

Stay tuned to CPF Hockey for more news and updates throughout the offseason. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL App

Sharks News & Notes (5/9/22)

 Despite the Stanley Cup Playoffs getting all the attention in the hockey world right now and the Sharks in their offseason, there are a few noteworthy headlines surrounding the Sharks that occurred within the past week that are worth discussing. Let's get into them: 

• The Sharks announced that they have re-signed both pending UFAs Alexander Barabanov and Jaycob Megna to two-year contracts. Barabanov's contract carries an AAV of $2.5 million, while Megna's deal has an AAV of $762.5k. As for Barabanov, this was a deal that needed to get done since he was one of the Sharks' top forwards this past season, scoring 39 points in 70 games. On the other hand, Megna is an up-and-coming defenseman that showed flashes of brilliance this past season, recording eight points in 44 games. In addition, both of these new contracts are team-friendly, so they're a win-win for everyone involved. 

• Matt Nieto was named the Sharks' finalist for the King Clancy Trophy, which is given every year to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.  

Lastly, Patrick Marleau is expected to make an announcement tomorrow regarding the future of his hockey career, so stay tuned for coverage on that announcement very soon.

Sources: Multiple sources via Twitter

My 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Brackets

 The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow, and before the playoffs get underway, the NHL has released the bracket challenge for the playoffs. I have filled out two brackets: one based on who I want to see win and advance, and one based on who I think will win and advance. Both are different but intertwined at the same time. Some of you may notice a pattern or trend of teams and players I tend to favor and not favor in these brackets. 

Let's first begin with the who I want bracket, followed by the who I think bracket: 

Who I Want: 

First Round: 

Lightning vs. Maple Leafs: Lightning in 6 

Rangers vs. Penguins: Rangers in 7

Bruins vs. Hurricanes: Bruins in 7

Panthers vs. Capitals: Capitals in 7

Wild vs. Blues: Wild in 7

Flames vs. Stars: Stars in 6

Avalanche vs. Predators: Avalanche in 6

Oilers vs. Kings: Oilers in 6

Second Round: 

Capitals vs. Lightning: Lightning 

Bruins vs. Rangers: Rangers 

Avalanche vs. Wild: Avalanche 

Stars vs. Oilers: Stars

Conference Finals:

Lightning vs. Rangers: Lightning 

Avalanche vs. Stars: Avalanche

Cup Final: 

Lightning vs. Avalanche: Lightning

Who I Think: 

First Round:

Lightning vs. Maple Leafs: Lightning in 6 

Rangers vs. Penguins: Rangers in 7

Bruins vs. Hurricanes: Hurricanes in 5

Panthers vs. Capitals: Panthers in 5

Wild vs. Blues: Blues in 6

Flames vs. Stars: Stars in 6

Avalanche vs. Predators: Avalanche in 6

Oilers vs. Kings: Oilers in 6

Second Round: 

Panthers vs. Lightning: Panthers

Hurricanes vs. Rangers: Rangers 

Avalanche vs. Blues: Avalanche 

Stars vs. Oilers: Stars

Conference Finals: 

 Panthers vs. Rangers: Panthers

Avalanche vs. Stars: Avalanche

Cup Final: 

 Panthers vs. Avalanche: Avalanche 

I'll try to watch as many playoff games as I can, but I know I won't be able to watch every game due to other priorities in life. Good luck to everyone in the playoffs!

Sharks 2021-22 Game 82 Recap: Kraken 3, Sharks 0 (4/29/22)

 The Sharks get shut out by the Seattle Kraken 3-0 in their final game of the 2021-22 season. 

Team Teal didn't have much going for them in their season finale. The main highlight for the Sharks was a nifty move by Thomas Bordeleau in the first period. Otherwise, it was all Seattle in this one. The first two goals by the Kraken were scored in the first period by Yanni Gourde and Adam Larsson respectively. The last Kraken goal came late in the third period on an empty-netter from Victor Rask. 

Kaapo Kahkonen was given the start in net in the Sharks' last game of the season, recording 28 saves in the Sharks' third-straight loss. 

The Sharks finished their 2021-22 campaign with a 32-37-13 record with 77 points, good for sixth in the Pacific Division and 22nd in the overall standings. Their final draft lottery odds sit at three percent in the Shane Wright sweepstakes after the Ducks lose to the Stars 4-2 to finish a point below the Sharks in the overall standings. 

Overall, despite the disappointing ending and dismal stretches of the season, this past season for the Sharks was still better than their previous two seasons, especially since goaltending improved significantly, the young players made strides, and Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl had all-star caliber performances. With that being said, changes need to be made to this team this offseason, and as long as those changes are made and they continue to improve, the future is bright for this Sharks team. 

It will be about four months before the Sharks hit the ice again. I will miss watching Sharks hockey, but at the same time, I am relieved that their season has come to a close with the way much of this season has gone for them. 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next week, and despite the Sharks missing the playoffs for the third-consecutive season, I am excited for the playoffs to get underway. I plan to fill out two playoff brackets: one consisting of who I want to see win and advance, and one consisting of who I think will win and advance. Once those are filled out, I will present those in the coming days leading up to the start of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, so be on the lookout for those. 

In the meantime, thank you for following along all season long, and I'll be back next season with more postgame recaps covering what will hopefully be a much better Sharks team. 

Sources: NHL App, Multiple sources via Twitter

Sharks 2021-22 Game 81 Recap: Oilers 5, Sharks 4 (OT) (4/28/22)

 The Sharks fought hard until the very end, but couldn’t get the win as the Oilers prevail in overtime 5-4. 

Despite the less-than-ideal outcome, there were plenty of positive aspects of this game from the Sharks' perspective, especially the younger players banding together and further proving themselves for the future. The Sharks scored the first two goals early in the first period, both of which were by Noah Gregor. Sasha Chmelevski assisted on the first Gregor goal, while Thomas Bordeleau assisted on the other Gregor goal. 

The Oilers scored the next two goals via Ryan McLeod and Kailer Yamamoto in the second period to tie the game at two before Scott Reedy followed those up on the power play to get the Sharks back within one on his seventh goal of the season and at the NHL level. This one was redirected in, with Brent Burns and Logan Couture picking up assists. 

Derek Ryan scored the next goal for the Oilers in the third period to tie it at three, while Nick Bonino regained the lead for the Sharks from Logan Couture and Matt Nieto shortly after. About a minute later, Philip Broberg scored his first NHL goal to tie the game at four for the Oilers to force bonus hockey. Edmonton hadn't led the entire game until OT, when Zach Hyman would score the game-winner to win it for the Oilers. 

James Reimer was solid in net in this game despite not getting his 20th win of the season, recording 26 saves. 

In other news, the Golden Knights were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in their franchise history with their third straight shootout loss, this time to the Blackhawks, and the Stars earning a point against the Coyotes. Thank goodness. Also, the Sharks displayed a hidden message on their jumbotron during their final home game this season on Tuesday, which read "Fans unite! Celebrate! Keep the hockey energy kicking! Now imbibe generously, honor the Sharks!" Based on the first letter of every word in this message, it was interpreted as "F*ck the Knights," which was hilarious, savage, and brilliant.

The Sharks wrap up their 2021-22 season tonight in Seattle against the Kraken tonight at 7 pm PT.

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App

Sharks 2021-22 Game 80 Recap: Ducks 5, Sharks 2 (4/26/22)

 The Sharks drop their home finale of the season to the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. 

Team Teal crapped the bed in their latest game compared to their previous few. They fell behind early, mounted a comeback late in the second period, but the next goal to tie or possibly lead was out of reach for them unfortunately. The Ducks struck first early in the first period via Trevor Zegras on the power play; luckily he didn't pull off the lacrosse goal this time. Troy Terry nearly scored another one for Anaheim, but it was overturned after the replay review determined that there was a distinct kicking motion on that particular play.

The Ducks extended their lead to 3-0 early in the middle frame with goals from Max Comtois and Sonny Milano. The Sharks' comeback began late in the second period with a goal by Brent Burns on the man advantage followed by Scott Reedy's sixth goal of the season and at the NHL level. Logan COuture, Thomas Bordeleau, Jaycob Megna, and Sasha Chmelevski each picked up assists on the Sharks' only two goals of the game. 

San Jose had opportunities to tie and go ahead early in the final frame but hit a few posts in the process. In addition, Jonah Gadjovich and Hunter Drew fought due to a hit laid on Noah Gregor by Drew. Later in the third, the Ducks capped this one off with a goal from Josh Mahura and an empty-netter from Zach Aston-Reese, taking the season series with the Sharks three games to one. 

Kaapo Kahkonen didn't have his best performance last night, recording 26 saves and giving up four goals in the loss. 

In other news, Rudolfs Balcers announced after the game that he will be competing for Team Latvia in the World Championships in Finland next month. Also, the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout last night, putting the Knights on the brink of missing the playoffs once more. The great part now is that the only way the Golden Knights can make the playoffs this season is if they win out the rest of the season and the Stars lose the remainder of their regular season games. Considering this scenario and who each of these teams are facing in their last two regular season games, the odds of Vegas pushing through and extending their season are quite slim. The rest of the NHL and I are begging for this unlikely outcome to not occur, and I am very confident that things won't play out that way. Vegas missing the playoffs for the first time in their franchise history is necessary for the sanity of the NHL and to maintain parity throughout the league. 

As for this game, it wasn't how we wanted the last home game of the season to end, but we shouldn't be all that shocked that it ended this way with how this season has gone as a whole. The Sharks' next-to-last game of the season is Thursday in Edmonton against the Oilers at 6 pm PT. 

Sources: NBC Sports Bay Area/California, NHL App