Goals Under Review March 14th

Here we are with a look at some of the goals scored during yesterday’s games. Going to focus on the why and importance of the goals today rather than the specific actions during the goal. A little inside baseball for you. When I write these on game day I have the time to fill in the "play gaps. Scheduled life things happened yesterday and that brings us to this morning, where I’m playing catch up and don’t have time to fill in the actions. Anyways, on to the games! I recommend giving the highlight packages a watch before reading this.

Tampa Bay Lightning @ New Jersey Devils

What kind of statement are the Devils going for in this game?

Goal New Jersey by Severson: This was a lovely play run 5-on-5. The Devils made the Lightning look like they were a lesser team. This is the kind of goal you want to see from a team trying to announce that they have arrived. Devils 1-0

Goal Tampa Bay by Cirelli SHG: That’s a tough one for Devils’ fans. The team is up by one and they have a Power Play. The idea of taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission or at the very least keeping the lead because the Power Play will wind the clock down closer to the end of the period. The puck gets dug out, goes the other way, and the Lightning score. Deflating going into intermission but the Devils are playing well recently. you hope for an early goal in the second and keep the Lightning on the back foot er skate. Tied 1-1

Goal Tampa Bay by Hagel: Odd man rush on a play that probably should not have been. The period is half gone and as the minutes go by the veteran-ness of the Lightning is going to kick in at some point. Depending on the flow of the period, Devils’ fans might be ok with the momentum and this was just a play where a Devils player fell down but the team is pushing for a goal. Lightning 2-1

Goal Tampa Bay by Killorn: Just a few minutes later and the Lightning find a way to get another odd-man rush. The air feels out of the tires at this point and the opportunity to tell the rest of the Eastern Conference that “you mean business” feels like it is slipping away. BUT, one game is one game and the lead is only two goals. It’s one message to get ahead and stay there, it’s another message to come back and win against a team good at holding leads. Lightning 3-1

Goal Tampa Bay by Kucherov: Backbreaking. Kind of a softy goal and in the last second of the period. Any positive thoughts or good play the Devils took into the end of the period are now gone. We know the Lightning, they are a good team and have been for the last handful of seasons. The Devils are the real interest here. I’m hoping this is a one-game blip but when you’re at home and you’re playing well, you want to make this statement, not make the old guys feel better about themselves. Lightning 4-1

Winnipeg Jets @ Carolina Hurricanes

Are the Jets a serious team going into the playoffs?

Goal Carolina by Slavin: Turnover leads to ugly goal. There is no way to feel good about this as a Jets fan. The Hurricanes will thank you and take the goal into the lead. When the puck is on the Jets stick and it gets “cleared” right to the other team, that is just unacceptable. Hurricanes 1-0

Goal Winnipeg by DeMelo: What can you say about a goal when a player goes down hurt and there is a rush the other way? The shot was nice but there isn’t much to learn on a goal like this. Tied 1-1

Goal Carolina by Skjei: The Jets plays terrible defense off the draw. The entire team drifts away from the puck and leaves the entire left side of the ice open. This was about bad defense rather than a nice play. The Hurricanes are a good team and for the Jets, this was going to be a tough win, or point, but this is not the kind of goal you can be giving up and have any hope to get two points in the standings. Hurricanes 2-1

Goal Carolina by Kotaniemi: The Jets are geting outworked in this game. maybe they were at the end of a long shift but they were chasing the puck in their own zone. Credit to the Hurricanes, they made the goal look smooth and played good hockey. There is a pattern of bad play on the defensive end in this game where you wonder if the Jets just write this one off and come back in the next one. Hurricanes 3-1

Goal Winnipeg by Ehlers: This is the kind of goal that brings encouragement to the Jets. The problem is, how many nights can the offense outscore what the defense gives up? Granted, this is based on a small sample size, but the Jets are the team good enough to beat the bad teams all the time but when it comes to beating the top-end teams that play better defense or never allow the Jets to get into a flow, how are the Jets going to win a seven-game series late in the playoffs? Hurricanes 3-2

Goal Carolina by Drury: Just garbage to allow a one-man against three forecheck and a bad pass to lead to a turnover and a goal against. I’d be mad, I sort of am mad even as a fan of another team. Bad hockey happens, this game is very hard. This was terrible, avoidable, and scared hockey. Hurricanes 4-2

Goal Winnipieg by Niederreiter: The offensive instincts of the Jets is their only visible asset. A bouncing puck in the neutral zone, which they turn into a rush and they even get behind the Hurricane defense. It’s a fist pump worthy goal, but as the rest of the game has demonstrated, there isn’t much else to be optimistic about. Hurricanes 4-3

Goal Carolina by Kotkaniemi: ENG

Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks

What the hell happened?

Goal Chicago by Entwistle: When all the worst possible outcomes lead to a goal. A poke check leads to a rush. The defender takes their eye off the play then a one-handed “shot” that goes under the goalie. The Bruins are too good a team to worry about being down to the Blackhawks early. Boston 1-0

Goal Boston by Lindholm: Good tough hockey. This is what you expect to see from the Bruins all game. A shot from the outside tipped and into the corner. The Bruins doing their “good hockey” type of scoring, back on track. Tied 1-1

Goal Chicago by Anderson: Somehow the Blackhawks played uglier hockey than the Bruins. This is the second game in a row where the Bruins are giving up goals I expect them not to give up. Granted, that’s based on all-time best team expectations to this point in the season. I’m not worried they are falling off the cliff, but for teams like the Red Wings and Blackhawks to score goals like what we’ve seen the last two games, the concerned thoughts of what good teams will do to the Bruins start to creep in. Blackhawks 2-1

Goal Boston by Frederic: An end-of-period goal and off a good bounce too, this is what gets a good team right when the weaker team comes out and plays well. The question now is, who comes out in the second and scores first? If the Bruins can get a lead, they put the clamps on the game and it’s probably over. Tied 2-2

Goal Boston by Zacha: Just a great goal, great hockey from a team that looks like they are going to take control of the game. The Blackhawks tried for half a period to hang with the Bruins and now the Bruins have scored a goal on a really pretty hockey play. I’m feeling like the Bruins are going to run away with it at this point. That, or they are going to suffocate the Blackhawks for the rest of the game. Bruins 3-2

Goal Chicago by Raddysh: I hate ugly hockey when my team is having to deal with it but when it’s other teams, I love it. This was the ugliest of ugly goals. My thought at this point is, why are the Bruins letting the Blackhawks stay in the game? Watching the full game would provide more context, but even with the full story, the score is now tied and I’d be sitting there wondering why this game is still in question. Tied 3-3

Goal Chicago by Katchouk: Wow, sloppy defense by the Bruins. They don’t score another goal in this game. Sometimes you just don’t have it but that normally happens against the better teams who are having a good game. Are these goals part of a regression to the mean or just a bad game? Blackhawks 4-3

Goal Chicago by Raddysh PPG: For the best Penalty Kill in the league, that was sloppy and hopefulness that the clock would run out for the last 15 seconds of the Power Play. Same questions as the last goal. What are we looking at, a bad game or a regression? Blackhawks 5-3

Goal Chicago by Raddysh: ENG Blackhawks 6-3

Dallas Stars @ Vancouver Canucks

What the hell happened?

Goal Vancouver by Giuseppe: Great job getting behind the defense. A very un-Dallas goal for them to surrender but one play is one play. Make note but there is a lot of game left. Canucks 1-0

Goal Vancouver by Kuzmenko PPG: The Canucks came to play. They were the better special teams unit on the ice and great passing led to an open goal from the sharp angle. It certainly looks like the run of good play the Stars have been on of late is running into a Canucks wall who is on a winning streak at the moment. Canucks 2-0

Goal Dallas by Johnston: Great way to start the period. sick goal, and great passing from the Stars. This is a reset goal that clears the air from the first period. The team had a good sit down and took a breath during intermission, the question now is, will they tie the game from here? Canucks 2-1

Goal Vancouver by Beauvillier: A great tip play, but a bad goal to give up. The Stars’ defense was almost set up after a broken play, but the Canucks got the shot and tip for the goal. The game is just passed halfway and the Stars have a 2 goal hill to climb against a team playing well. I’d be concerned but it’s Vancouver, the Stars should make a game of this. Canucks 3-1

Goal Dallas by Benn PPG: The goal you need to conquer the climb. A goal in the closing seconds from a nice shot. The Stars are going into the intermission on a high. Whoever scores first in the third period will have all the momentum. Canucks 3-2

Goal Vancouver by Brisebois: All credit to the Canucks on this goal. They played ugly to get control and generated a rush, got the puck to the open winger for the goal. Doesn’t feel like the Stars have a road to two points in regulation after that. Canucks 4-2

Goal Vancouver by Miller: Kind of a sad goal to give up. No effort from the Stars and the Cancucks went for the finishing goal and they got it while the goalie was still in the net. This was a Canuck win, they played great. Canucks 5-2