2014 NHL Playoff Schedule, Standings, This Week's Predictions: Most Disappointments Players in the First Round
The first round of the NHL came to an end on Wednesday. Every tournament features a plethora of major successes, but also come with a share of disappointments. Here is a look at some of the teams and players that really disappointed in the first round of the 2013-14 Stanley Cup playoffs.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks are a perennial disappointment. Year after year, they are considered top contenders to win the Cup after a solid regular season, and every year they flop in the playoffs. This season was no different, but the manner in which the team imploded was the worst to date. San Jose held a comfortable 3-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Kings with two games to play at home in the event that the series went to seven games. The team blew the series in embarrassing fashion and became the fourth NHL team to lose a series after leading 3-0; there are only five professional teams in all of sports to fall victim to the same situation. The Sharks disappointments over the years may have gone unnoticed by some, but the team finally succeeded in cementing themselves in the history books for good.
Rick Nash
The Rangers paid a premium to acquire Nash; he currently costs the team a $7.8 million cap hit until 2017-18. For that rate, Nash put up a woeful 39 points in 65 games and did not score a single goal in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers. He only managed one goal in 12 playoffs games in 2012-13, and his current run may prove that he is simply not an elite player in major situations.
Sidney Crosby
Every player is entitled to a rough patch, but the reigning Art Ross winner did not score a single goal in Pittsburgh's six-game win over Columbus. Crosby is bound to find the back of the net, but it was disappointing to see him have a relatively mild performance in such a hotly-contested series.
Marc-Andre Fleury
The Penguins goalie survived the first round of the series, but not by a lot. He allowed three or more goals in all but one of the six games against the Blue Jackets and single-handedly blew a 3-0 Game 4 lead. He bounced back with a solid Game 5 performance but nearly blew another 4-0 lead in the decisive game. Fleury's .908 save percentage thus far is an improvement from the .883 save percentage he had in the 2012-13 playoffs, but it is far from the .915 save percentage that he had in the regular season. He must step up his play in the next round against the NY Rangers if the Penguins have any hopes of advancing in the postseason.
Tyler Seguin
After breaking out for 84 points in 2013-14, the Dallas Stars center registered one goal and three points in six playoff games. Jamie Benn, who also had a breakout year, managed four goals and five points in the series. There is no doubt that Seguin, who has a history of fading in the postseason, could have made a difference with a better showing against the Anaheim Ducks.
St. Louis Blues
During the 2012-13 season, the Blues managed to take a 2-0 series lead on the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. However, the team imploded in the final four games and saw its chance at being a contender come to an end. A season later, the team found itself in the same exact position: up 2-0 against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. But, true to form, the team did not learn from its mistakes and wound up imploding in four straight games. That is a huge disappointment for a team that looked like a legitimate contender throughout the season. But do you know what is even more disappointing?
Ryan Miller
The St. Louis Blues paid a ransom at the trade deadline to bring in the 33-year-old netminder. They seemed to think that he was the missing link to their Stanley Cup puzzle. But instead, Miller had a playoff run to forget. He only stopped 89.7 percent of the shots he faced and conceded three or more goals in all but one of the games. This was his worst playoff performance ever as he never seemed comfortable in the entire series and did not give St. Louis what the team expected him to provide. Will he be back next season? Probably not after this woeful playoff display.
What were your biggest disappointments from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2013-14?