Game Notes: May 2010 Archives

* The Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup Final game since 1973 with a 6-5 victory over the Flyers on Saturday. The 11 combined goals by the two clubs were the most in any Game 1 of the SC Final since the Islanders (6) and the Canucks (5) combined to score 11 times in 1982.

* The Flyers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1997 when they were swept four straight by the Red Wings and are looking to raise the Cup for the first time since doing it in back-to-back seasons in 1974 and 1975.
* Chicago is making its first SC Final appearance since getting swept by the Penguins in 1992 and is looking to win its first Cup since beating the Red Wings, 4-2, in 1961.
* These two clubs met once during the regular season with Philadelphia taking that contest, 3-2. All five goals in that game were scored in the third period with Chris Pronger capping the Flyers' win by lighting the lamp with just three seconds left.
* Including a 5-game winning streak, the Blackhawks have an overall 2010 postseason record of 12-4. Chicago (12-0 when scoring two or more goals during the playoffs) has lost Game 1 in two of its first three series.
* Michael Leighton leads all postseason netminders in GAA (1.45), save percentage (.948) and tied a single-series playoff record with three shutouts vs. the Canadiens in the Conference Finals. Chicago hasn't been shutout at United Center since March 29, 2009 (61 straight games). Leighton was originally drafted by the Blackhawks with the 165^th pick in the 1999 draft.
* Antti Niemi has been between the pipes for all but 20 minutes during the 2010 postseason and, including the 2009-10 regular season, has a record of 38-11-4 (.755) - the best overall win percentage of any goalie in hockey this year. Niemi will be facing the Flyers for the first time in his career on Saturday.
* Dustin Byfuglien led all Blackhawks' skaters with four goals in the Conference Finals - three of which were game-winners. Byfuglien has lit the lamp in five straight games overall and including his hat trick vs. the Canucks in the Semis, has eight goals total during the 2010 playoffs - most of any Blackhawk.
* Jonathan Toews leads all 2010 postseason skaters with 26 points (7g, 19a) and has scored at least one point in 13 straight games - a new Blackhawk record for a single postseason.

* Mike Richards is second to Toews in scoring with 12 of his 21 points coming on the road. The last Flyers' player to post more than 21 points in a single postseason was Eric Lindros in 1997 (26 points).

* Tuesday's win in San Jose marked the first time the Blackhawks have won the first two games of a postseason series on the road since the 1992 Division Finals against Detroit. Chicago went on to sweep that series.

* The Blackhawks have posted a 17-2 record all-time in the postseason when winning the first two games of a series. Chicago is 11-0 all-time when winning the first three games of a postseason series, which happened most recently in the 1996 Conference Quarterfinals against Calgary.

* The Sharks have never come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in the playoffs.

* The Sharks have now scored a power-play goal in four consecutive playoff games. Unfortunately, they have scored just two even-strength goals in those four games (three losses).

* Tuesday's win in Game 2 in San Jose was the Blackhawks' seventh straight road victory in the postseason. Seven consecutive postseason road wins is a new franchise record, and ties the NHL record. Four other clubs have won seven straight road games in one postseason, most recently the 1998-99 Colorado Avalanche.

* Patrick Marleau scored two goals in Game 2, marking his first multi-goal game in the playoffs since April 20, 2007 against the Predators - a span of 37 games.

* Jonathan Toews posted a goal and an assist in Game 2 to extend his current point-streak to 11 games (7G,15A). His 11-game point-streak is the longest of his career (regular or post-season), and is tied for the longest in one postseason in Blackhawks history. Hall-of-Famer Stan Mikita compiled an 11-game streak (7G,15A) in the 1962 Playoffs.

* The Blackhawks took the first game of this matchup, 2-1, in San Jose on Sunday and have now won six straight postseason road games by a combined score of 27-11.

* Chicago had zero power-play opportunities in Game 1 - it marked the first time during the 2010 postseason that any club has been held without a PPG opportunity. The last team to win a playoff game without having a single man-advantage opportunity was Los Angeles on April 22, 2002 vs. Colorado.
* San Jose went down 1-0 to the Avalanche in the first round of the 2010 playoffs before winning that series (4-2) and has a best-of-7 series record of 4-8 all-time when losing Game 1. 
* This is the first time during the 2010 postseason that Chicago has won Game 1 (lost 4-1 to Nashville and 5-1 to Vancouver in first two rounds). The Blackhawks have a best-of-7 series record of 16-8 all-time when taking the first game.
* Dustin Byfuglien scored the game-winner for Chicago in Game 1 and including a hat trick vs. the Canucks in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semis, now has five goals in his last five skates overall. The Blackhawks are 17-1-2 overall when Byfuglien lights the lamp at least once in 2009-10 (3-0 in the postseason).
* Rookie Jason Demers scored the Sharks' lone goal on Sunday - his first ever postseason tally. Including the playoffs, Demers now has five career goals, three of which have come vs. the Blackhawks (the other two came vs. Minnesota on January 30).
* Jonathan Toews assisted on Dustin Byfuglien's game-winning goal Sunday and is now riding a 10-game point streak overall (6g, 14a during streak). With a point tonight, Toews will tie the Blackhawks' all-time record for the longest point streak in a single postseason (currently held by Stan Mikita who had an 11-gamer in 1962).

* This will be the first time the Blackhawks and Sharks have met in the playoffs. The Blackhawks have won five of their last six games against San Jose.

* The Sharks have advanced to the conference finals for the second time in franchise history. Their previous appearance came in 2004, when they lost in six games to the Flames.

* The Blackhawks have advanced to the conference finals in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1989-90.

* While the Blackhawks have gone 7-1-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, the Sharks have entered the third period with a lead just twice (2-0-0). During the third period this postseason, the Sharks have outscored their opponents 14-5.

* The Sharks have outscored their opponents 9-1 on the power play over their last five home games.

* The Blackhawks have won five consecutive road playoff games, after winning just four of their previous 18 playoff games away from home.

* With nine goals this postseason, Joe Pavelski has already tied Patrick Marleau (2006) for the most goals in a single postseason by a Sharks skater.

* With 14 assists this postseason, Jonathan Toews needs two more assists to move into sole possession of second place on the Blackhawks' single postseason assists list. Denis Savard (1985) holds the Blackhawks single postseason record with 20 assists.

* Vancouver took a 4-1 victory in Chicago on Sunday - its second in three games at United Center during this series. With two losses to the Blackhawks in Games 3 and 4, the Canucks are just 2-3 at home during the 2010 playoffs.
* Including four straight wins, the Blackhawks are 4-1 on the road in the 2010 postseason. Chicago is averaging league-high 4.2 goals per game away from home during the playoffs, scoring at least one power-play goal in all five of those games (9-for-26, 34.6%).
* Jonathan Toews scored the Blackhawks' lone goal Sunday and now has 18 points (6g, 12a) during his current 8-game scoring streak. Including his second career hat trick in Game 4 (also had three goals vs. the Pens on February 27, 2009), Toews had eight points (3g, 5a) in the first two contests of this series in Vancouver.
* Canucks' blueliner, Kevin Bieksa lit the lamp twice and had one assist on his way to first-star honors in Game 5. Entering Sunday's contest, Bieksa had just one goal in his previous 29 career postseason games and the 3-point performance was his first ever in the playoffs.
* Vancouver was down 3-2 to the Blackhawks in last season's semifinal matchup and dropped Game 6 by the score of 7-5. The Canucks have a series record of 3-9 all-time when facing a 3-2 deficit (last win vs. Blues in 2003).
* Chicago is 15-3 all-time when holding a 3-2 series lead. The Blackhawks last dropped such a matchup in the 1971 Stanley Cup Final (vs. Montreal) and have won 11 consecutive since.

* Since the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blackhawks have been ahead 2-games-to-1 in a best-of-7 series six times now. Bad news: The Blackhawks have lost Game 4 the previous five times they were ahead 2-1; Good news: The last time they were ahead 2-1 was the 2009 first round versus Calgary when they lost Game 4 but went on to win Games 5 & 6.

* The Canucks find themselves in a similar position to the first round versus the Kings. Vancouver trailed 2-games-to-1 versus LA and went on to win games 4, 5, and 6 to advance to play Chicago. The major difference is that Vancouver held home-ice advantage in the first round series while Chicago enjoys it in this series.

* The Blackhawks have been shorthanded 40 different times in the 2010 postseason, and Chicago has allowed only one more goal than it has scored during this time. (Chicago 2 SHG, Opponents 3 PPG)

* Vancouver dominated the third period in the first-round series with Los Angeles, outscoring the Kings 11-3 (and 10-2 in the last three games). In this series, the Canucks are still looking for their first third-period goal, while they have already conceded six to the Blackhawks.

* Jonathan Toews has five points (all assists) in this series and has a six-game point scoring streak against the Canucks dating back to the regular season (9 points; 1 goal, 8 assists during 6-game streak).

* Henrik (1 goal, 1 assist) and Daniel (1 assist) Sedin have combined for just three points in the first three games of this series, after combining for 18 points in their first-round, six-game series with Los Angeles.

* The Blackhawks came back from a 2-0 deficit and beat the Canucks, 4-2, to knot this series at one game apiece on Monday. Including its first-round matchup vs. the Preds, Chicago has a best-of-7 series record of 14-10 all-time when tied 1-1.

* This marks the second straight year that the Blackhawks and Canucks have been tied 1-1 after two games in the Western Conference Semifinal - Chicago beat Vancouver in six games last season.
* Including its first-round series win over the Kings, the Canucks have been tied 1-1 in a best-of-7 twenty times and have a series record of 9-11 in those matchups.
* Patrick Kane scored an empty-netter on Monday and has now lit the lamp in four straight games for the Blackhawks. Kane has 15 goals total in the last two postseasons - second-most of any Western Conference skater (Zetterberg - 18).
* Mikael Samuelsson lit the lamp for the Canucks in Game 2 and now has at least one point in seven of his eight 2010 postseason games (8g, 5a). Samuelsson is a +8 in the playoffs - tied with teammate Alexander Elder and the Sharks' Joe Pavelski for best in the Western Conference.
* Dating to February 2008 and including last year's playoffs, these two clubs have split their last eight meetings in Vancouver, each winning four times.

* The Canucks took the first game of this matchup, 5-1, in Chicago and dating to the first round vs. the Kings, have now won four straight games overall by a combined score of 22-9.