The top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks aren't off to a hot start this spring, dropping two home games to open their series against a stifling opponent in the Nashville Predators.
Even worse, the experience-laden Blackhawks' roster is yet to record a goal in the playoffs, losing 1-0 in Game 1, followed up by a 5-0 defeat Saturday at the United Center.
Predictably, head coach Joel Quenneville hasn't liked what he's seen.
"That was frustration to a different level," Quenneville told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times after the loss. "That wasn't fun to watch. We dug ourselves a tremendous hole. Not too many positives came out of tonight's game. Everybody was responsible, from the coaches down to every single player. We need to get out of this mess."
While recovering from such a deficit may be unlikely, a 2-0 hole isn't uncharted territory for the NHL's modern-era dynasty. Under Quenneville's tenure, the Blackhawks have faced the deficit three times, most recently in 2014 versus the St. Louis Blues - a series Chicago won in six games.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday, April 16 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
C Eric Staal (40K) & D Ryan Suter (28K), Wild (at Blues): Going with Staal at center will differentiate your lineup nicely, as most fantasy players will select either Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid. The playoff veteran has played 44 minutes through the first two games, firing six shots and picking up five hits. Suter has played a whopping 61 minutes. The cheap prices and hefty workloads are an economical play.
C Sidney Crosby (68K) & LW Conor Sheary (39K), Penguins (at Blue Jackets): Crosby and Sheary will be a much more common duo. With Sheary's friendly salary and spot alongside Crosby, he's a fantastic selection in any fantasy format. Crosby as three points through Pittsburgh's first two games as the Pens have potted seven goals against Sergei Bobrovsky.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Carey Price (94K), Canadiens (at Rangers): Price's price is too attractive for an elite level goalie. He has the individual skill set to take over any game and will be a major key should Montreal pick up a win away from home. Though he has surrendered five goals to open the series, Price's reputation and career body of work and should be trusted.
FADE - Sergei Bobrovsky (123K), Blue Jackets (vs. Penguins): On the other end of the pricing spectrum is Bobrovsky. While he had a fantastic season, the Pittsburgh offense is too dangerous to test at this price. Why pay top dollar to go against Crosby and co.?
Bargain Plays
LW Patrick Maroon (34K), Oilers (at Sharks): Like Sheary, Maroon plays alongside his team's most talented player and comes with a cheap price tag. Expect many to pair Maroon with McDavid, while others go with Crosby and Sheary. Maroon has four shots and is playing 16 minutes a night through the first two games.
D Justin Schultz (31K), Penguins (at Blue Jackets): Schultz has been Pittsburgh's most active defenseman, playing over 19 minutes per night, taking six shots, and picking up one assist thus far. With the Pittsburgh offense tallying seven goals through two games, cheap exposure to their back end is a smart play.
Top Fades
C Joe Pavelski (82K), Sharks (vs. Oilers): There's little reason to pay for Pavelski when Crosby and McDavid can be had for substantially less. With Cam Talbot coming off a Game 2 shutout, don't test your luck by grabbing the highest priced but not the most talented center available.
RW Nino Niederreiter (38K), Wild (at Blues): Niederreiter has struggled to open the series, taking just two shots despite playing 22 minutes. More importantly, he saw his minutes total slashed in half in Game 2, playing just 11 minutes. He's coming off a breakout season, but the playoff atmosphere may be impacting his confidence.
Contrarian Option
C Sam Gagner (29K), Blue Jackets (vs. Penguins): Gagner has a minus-3 rating in Columbus' opening two losses. He has, however, taken six shots and played nearly six power play minutes over those contests. With the Pittsburgh leading 2-0, Columbus will have to kick it into high gear on home-ice. If they're power play can click, Gagner should be involved.
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday, April 16 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
C Eric Staal (40K) & D Ryan Suter (28K), Wild (at Blues): Going with Staal at center will differentiate your lineup nicely, as most fantasy players will select either Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid. The playoff veteran has played 44 minutes through the first two games, firing six shots and picking up five hits. Suter has played a whopping 61 minutes. The cheap prices and hefty workloads are an economical play.
C Sidney Crosby (68K) & LW Conor Sheary (39K), Penguins (at Blue Jackets): Crosby and Sheary will be a much more common duo. With Sheary's friendly salary and spot alongside Crosby, he's a fantastic selection in any fantasy format. Crosby as three points through Pittsburgh's first two games as the Pens have potted seven goals against Sergei Bobrovsky.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Carey Price (94K), Canadiens (at Rangers): Price's price is too attractive for an elite level goalie. He has the individual skill set to take over any game and will be a major key should Montreal pick up a win away from home. Though he has surrendered five goals to open the series, Price's reputation and career body of work and should be trusted.
FADE - Sergei Bobrovsky (123K), Blue Jackets (vs. Penguins): On the other end of the pricing spectrum is Bobrovsky. While he had a fantastic season, the Pittsburgh offense is too dangerous to test at this price. Why pay top dollar to go against Crosby and co.?
Bargain Plays
LW Patrick Maroon (34K), Oilers (at Sharks): Like Sheary, Maroon plays alongside his team's most talented player and comes with a cheap price tag. Expect many to pair Maroon with McDavid, while others go with Crosby and Sheary. Maroon has four shots and is playing 16 minutes a night through the first two games.
D Justin Schultz (31K), Penguins (at Blue Jackets): Schultz has been Pittsburgh's most active defenseman, playing over 19 minutes per night, taking six shots, and picking up one assist thus far. With the Pittsburgh offense tallying seven goals through two games, cheap exposure to their back end is a smart play.
Top Fades
C Joe Pavelski (82K), Sharks (vs. Oilers): There's little reason to pay for Pavelski when Crosby and McDavid can be had for substantially less. With Cam Talbot coming off a Game 2 shutout, don't test your luck by grabbing the highest priced but not the most talented center available.
RW Nino Niederreiter (38K), Wild (at Blues): Niederreiter has struggled to open the series, taking just two shots despite playing 22 minutes. More importantly, he saw his minutes total slashed in half in Game 2, playing just 11 minutes. He's coming off a breakout season, but the playoff atmosphere may be impacting his confidence.
Contrarian Option
C Sam Gagner (29K), Blue Jackets (vs. Penguins): Gagner has a minus-3 rating in Columbus' opening two losses. He has, however, taken six shots and played nearly six power play minutes over those contests. With the Pittsburgh leading 2-0, Columbus will have to kick it into high gear on home-ice. If they're power play can click, Gagner should be involved.
With his 30-save shutout on Saturday night, Pekka Rinne became the first NHL goalie to record a shutout and two assists in a playoff game since Tom Barrasso did so for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Since Rinne also shut out the Blackhawks in Game 1, he now has more points than Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the entire Blackhawks team this postseason. Who saw this coming?
To answer the question: Nobody. Probably not even Rinne. He went 1-2 with a sub .900 save percentage against Chicago this season.
To make even more history, Rinne is the first NHL goaltender to earn back-to-back shutouts to open a playoff series in seven years, according to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. Rinne, though, has never been one to steal the limelight.
“I think as a team, we defend so well, they box out, let me see the puck - like tonight, there probably wasn’t one shot where I didn’t see it,” Rinne said, per Vingan, crediting a strong, mobile defense corps that features Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
What a difference a year makes for Rinne.
Many had written him off last season after allowing a league-high 161 goals against and posting a sub .910 save percentage for only the second time in his career.
It seemed as though the window of Rinne's dominant play and the window of Nashville being a complete team - thanks to the acquisition of a true No. 1 center in Ryan Johansen - wouldn't intertwine.
Even though Rinne bounced back in a big way this past season - despite being 34 - Nashville didn't quite live up to the hype of its lofty preseason expectations, getting into the playoffs as the second wildcard team.
Yet, the Predators have quickly silenced their critics, putting a stranglehold on their series with the Blackhawks, a team who has won three Stanley Cups since 2010, and seemed poised for another deep playoff run with a 109-point regular season. Still, the veteran goaltender doesn't want to look too far ahead, despite his early success.
"Coming into this building, playing against Chicago, a really good team, being up 2-0, it's great but we know what kind of team they have over there," Rinne said. "We've got to stay focused and stay on top of our game."
Nashville's combination of depth up front, mobility on the blue line, and Rinne in peak form has all the makings of a formula for a deep playoff run.
With his 30-save shutout on Saturday night, Pekka Rinne became the first NHL goalie to record a shutout and two assists in a playoff game since Tom Barrasso did so for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Since Rinne also shut out the Blackhawks in Game 1, he now has more points than Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the entire Blackhawks team this postseason. Who saw this coming?
To answer the question: Nobody. Probably not even Rinne. He went 1-2 with a sub .900 save percentage against Chicago this season.
To make even more history, Rinne is the first NHL goaltender to earn back-to-back shutouts to open a playoff series in seven years, according to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. Rinne, though, has never been one to steal the limelight.
“I think as a team, we defend so well, they box out, let me see the puck - like tonight, there probably wasn’t one shot where I didn’t see it,” Rinne said, per Vingan, crediting a strong, mobile defense corps that features Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
What a difference a year makes for Rinne.
Many had written him off last season after allowing a league-high 161 goals against and posting a sub .910 save percentage for only the second time in his career.
It seemed as though the window of Rinne's dominant play and the window of Nashville being a complete team - thanks to the acquisition of a true No. 1 center in Ryan Johansen - wouldn't intertwine.
Even though Rinne bounced back in a big way this past season - despite being 34 - Nashville didn't quite live up to the hype of its lofty preseason expectations, getting into the playoffs as the second wildcard team.
Yet, the Predators have quickly silenced their critics, putting a stranglehold on their series with the Blackhawks, a team who has won three Stanley Cups since 2010, and seemed poised for another deep playoff run with a 109-point regular season. Still, the veteran goaltender doesn't want to look too far ahead, despite his early success.
"Coming into this building, playing against Chicago, a really good team, being up 2-0, it's great but we know what kind of team they have over there," Rinne said. "We've got to stay focused and stay on top of our game."
Nashville's combination of depth up front, mobility on the blue line, and Rinne in peak form has all the makings of a formula for a deep playoff run.
Considering the well-documented magnificence of the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie class this season, it's hard to imagine there's yet another dynamic freshman to add into the fold, right?
Wrong - enter Kasperi Kapanen, who's cemented his presence into Toronto's lineup, and his name into the minds of hockey fans everywhere in a mere matter of weeks.
Kapanen only played eight games for the Maple Leafs in the regular season, but those who follow the club closely knew his promotion from the AHL would help Toronto's balance in the stretch run, as the 20-year-old is a lightning-quick, offensively gifted winger who happened to rack up 43 points in 43 games with the AHL's Marlies in 2016-17.
Deployed on the fourth line alongside Brian Boyle and Matt Martin, Kapanen's full offensive potential appears untapped to this point, but he's undoubtedly staked his claim as a big-game player.
He earned the reputation first and foremost at the 2016 world juniors, where he clinched the gold medal on home soil for his native Finland with an overtime winner, and early in his NHL career, the clutch gene has transferred over.
With a playoff berth on the line, it was Kapanen that notched his first NHL goal versus the Pittsburgh Penguins to tie the game - setting the table for goals from fellow rookies Connor Brown and Auston Matthews to send the Maple Leafs to the dance.
Saturday night, it was Kapanen who stepped up again, first tying the game at 2-2, then following up with a double-overtime winner to send the series back to Toronto with a desperately needed split.
As the centerpiece of the Leafs' return in the Phil Kessel trade, Kapanen, drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014, is expected to grow into a more prominent role in Toronto's quest to become a consistent contender, and based on his early impact, it may come sooner than later.
Considering the well-documented magnificence of the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie class this season, it's hard to imagine there's yet another dynamic freshman to add into the fold, right?
Wrong - enter Kasperi Kapanen, who's cemented his presence into Toronto's lineup, and his name into the minds of hockey fans everywhere in a mere matter of weeks.
Kapanen only played eight games for the Maple Leafs in the regular season, but those who follow the club closely knew his promotion from the AHL would help Toronto's balance in the stretch run, as the 20-year-old is a lightning-quick, offensively gifted winger who happened to rack up 43 points in 43 games with the AHL's Marlies in 2016-17.
Deployed on the fourth line alongside Brian Boyle and Matt Martin, Kapanen's full offensive potential appears untapped to this point, but he's undoubtedly staked his claim as a big-game player.
He earned the reputation first and foremost at the 2016 world juniors, where he clinched the gold medal on home soil for his native Finland with an overtime winner, and early in his NHL career, the clutch gene has transferred over.
With a playoff berth on the line, it was Kapanen that notched his first NHL goal versus the Pittsburgh Penguins to tie the game - setting the table for goals from fellow rookies Connor Brown and Auston Matthews to send the Maple Leafs to the dance.
Saturday night, it was Kapanen who stepped up again, first tying the game at 2-2, then following up with a double-overtime winner to send the series back to Toronto with a desperately needed split.
As the centerpiece of the Leafs' return in the Phil Kessel trade, Kapanen, drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014, is expected to grow into a more prominent role in Toronto's quest to become a consistent contender, and based on his early impact, it may come sooner than later.
Ryan Getzlaf got credit for the eventual winning goal in Game 2 after his cross-ice pass attempt took a wild bounce off Calgary Flames center Lance Bouma's skate and in to give the Ducks a 3-2 lead with under five minutes to go.
The Ducks took a 2-0 series lead over the Flames, with Game 3 scheduled for Monday night in Calgary.
