NEWSLETTER
So I won’t lie to you, for the first time this postseason, I watched zero minutes of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey last night. But I have a good reason (more down below).
Before that … bullets.
• In Game Three of the Stanley Cup Semifinal series between Vegas and Montreal, it took extra time, but the Canadiens were able to come up huge at home in overtime with a 3-2 win to take a 2-1 series lead. I know we’ve gone back and forth on this all postseason, but I think we can call the Canadiens for real. Like, they are for real a Cup contender after taking more wins from the Golden Knights than I, and the majority of people expected.
• Cole Caufield’s first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal. Enough said.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1406062096723361794?s=20
• Caufield and Alex DeBrincat are going to be compared to each other for pretty much their entire playing careers because of their skills and their style and their size. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but Caufield might surpass DeBrincat as a star in the NHL. Kid’s damn good.
• Montreal had to come back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to force overtime last night. After having one of the best runs in the postseason for any goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury is going to have nightmares about this giveaway that led to Josh Anderson tying the game with less than two minutes to play in regulation.
Josh Anderson ties it with two minutes left
Omg…what a mistake pic.twitter.com/GthhmCgblu
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) June 19, 2021
• What a gift.
• In the overtime period, he had to work a bit harder for it, but Anderson was fed a beautiful cross-ice pass from Paul Byron for the 3-2 overtime winner.
https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1406089184188719108?s=20
• It’s been a while since the Canadiens have heard from Josh Anderson. But he picked a great time to show back up on the scoresheet.
After being held off the scoresheet since Game 1 of the 2021 First Round, @joshanderson_77 became the ninth player in NHL history to tie a playoff game in the final two minutes of regulation and score in overtime. #StanleyCup #NHLStats: https://t.co/odUf7CuzXR pic.twitter.com/8jxWSqrWIa
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 19, 2021
• Carey Price continues to be the backbone of the Canadiens through this postseason, much like he has been for nearly his entire NHL career. He made 43 of 45 saves last night for his tenth win of the postseason, the most of his career in a single Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Carey Price made 43 saves for his 10th win of the 2021 #StanleyCup Playoffs. @CP0031 became the fourth different @CanadiensMTL goaltender to post 10+ wins in a single postseason and first since Patrick Roy (16-4) in 1993.#NHLStats: https://t.co/odUf7CuzXR pic.twitter.com/QdoGIZNmsk
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 19, 2021
• The Canadiens take their 2-1 series lead into Game Four in Montreal on Sunday night for a 7:00 p.m. CT puck drop. Tonight we will be treated to Game Four between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning, a 7:00 p.m. CT puck drop for the game being played at Nassau Coliseum. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Lightning hold a 2-1 series lead over New York.
• Shortly before Josh Anderson scored the overtime winner, the Golden Knights should have been given at least a four-minute minor penalty against Jonathan Marchessault for two-hand slashing Corey Perry right in the face. But no call was made as Perry left the ice, instantly gushing blood from his nose after the slash.
The NHL should be embarrassed https://t.co/uoF6f5g70F
— Jesse Blake (@JesseBlake) June 19, 2021
• It wasn’t malicious in intent by Marchessault, clearly he is trying to hit the puck and not Perry. But something that clear and obvious of a call should not be missed. I don’t care that it’s overtime of a Stanley Cup Playoff game, call it. Even the saying “no blood, no foul” doesn’t apply here because Perry was bleeding! The NHL really needs to review the officiating this postseason and make changes. It’s getting out of control.
• Here’s a crazy Canadiens stat:
Most insane stat of the playoffs:
Montreal has been short handed 40x. They have allowed 3 power play goals and scored 4 short handed goals.
— David Amber (@DavidAmber) June 19, 2021
• And here’s a crazy Canadiens stat that ties them to the Blackhawks:
https://twitter.com/jcgreenx/status/1406243055276068878?s=20
• I don’t know why Jimmy decided to wake up this morning and choose violence. But he did.
• Elsewhere around the league yesterday, the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the league’s best defensive forward was handed out to Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov.
Your 2021 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner, Aleksander Barkov (@Barkovsasha95)! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/2u2yC7oJkX
— NHL (@NHL) June 18, 2021
• Newly retired former Blackhawks defenseman Stephen Johns continues his rollerblading cross-country trip today in Chicago. Johns is blading across the country to bring awareness to mental health and will be at Ohio Street Beach in the City this morning. Try and see him if you can!
Ohio Street Beach. 10:30 tomorrow morning. Come rip a few #MentalMiles pic.twitter.com/cKikUhWLe0
— Stephen Johns (@stjohns28) June 19, 2021
• God that’s a beautiful city.
• Speaking of beauties, eight years ago today, Brent Seabrook had an overtime-winner of his own…
https://twitter.com/BN_Blackhawks/status/1406239546891812865?s=20
• Remember what having top-tier defensemen was like in Chicago? Those were good times.
• The Blackhawks have a need for top-tier defensemen in present-day, and apparently will be in the running for the two top blue-liners to hit the free agency and trade market this summer: Dougie Hamilton and Seth Jones. Although the likelihood of the Blackhawks landing either of those players is low in my eyes.
• Now I said I didn’t watch any hockey last night and I had good reason. The Bleacher Nation gang hit Wrigley Field last night for the Cubs-Marlins game.
Baseball pic.twitter.com/LUojUekpWW
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 18, 2021
• I love baseball, in person. I don’t follow it with the same depth and vigor as I do hockey, I just don’t have that kind of energy. But last night was a perfect night at the ballpark, even if the action on the field was sub-par.
• I tried to go back to New Year’s Day 2009, but my artistic skills leave something to be desired.
Hmmm this looks odd….
Ah, that's more like it pic.twitter.com/odhffAdqlT
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 19, 2021
• Meh, close enough.
• I hear these cup snakes are pretty popular…I don’t get it but hey, whatever floats your boat.
A snake made of cups… pic.twitter.com/Qhk965ZTt9
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 19, 2021
• I had a blast meeting everyone who stopped by us in the bleachers last night and said hi. It was quite the experience to be out in the world, at a full capacity sporting event after what the world has gone through for the 15-16 months.
• The sights, sounds, and sausages couldn’t be beat last night. After last night, I want to be out in the world even more. I’m ready for it.
• Oh, and if you wanted to know what a Bleacher Nation Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls meeting looked like, here is a glimpse…
Caption contest:
"Oh, Habs and Vegas went to overtime huh?" pic.twitter.com/Xz4wPmePlx— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) June 19, 2021
• Hey, the game was going to overtime, what was I supposed to do? Plus the Cubs were down by 8 at this point.
• That will do it for today, go enjoy your Saturday!
• REMINDER: Be sure to send in your questions for Monday’s Mailbag segment! Use the hashtag #BNHawksMailbag on Twitter or send them to Mario.tirabassi at bleacher nation dot com! Can’t wait to see what you have for me this week.
