The Silver Shield, Vol. 21: Key themes from the first round

“The Silver Shield” is a column by Kasey Kazliner about the National Hockey League.

The playoffs this year have been nothing short of exciting so far. From road wins to overtime finishes, the quest for the Stanley Cup is brewing. Although the road ahead is still long and treacherous, it’s never too early to think about the themes materializing amid it all.

Two star netminders struggle in different ways

The first round has featured high-flying offense and an abundance of goals. But should offensive units take all the credit, or should they thank certain goaltenders who might be suffering from postseason fatigue?

Take Connor Hellebuyck for example. The Jets may have won Game 1 against the Avalanche, but Winnipeg’s Vezina-worthy veteran has allowed 10 goals through two games. With Avs netminder Alexandar Georgiev responding from a blunderous first game and winning Game 2, all of a sudden, Jets fans have a reason to be worried with the series tied and shifting to Colorado.

This also comes as a surprise considering Winnipeg swept the season series, blanked the Avalanche 7-0 during the last week of the regular season and won eight straight to close out its schedule. Nonetheless, the playoffs are a whole different landscape, and Colorado might’ve figured out the Jets.

In Vancouver, the Canucks’ goalie room is insecure, but for a different reason: Thatcher Demko is injured again. The injury is detrimental because Vancouver’s 28-year-old backstop has been a catalyst in the team’s newfound success this season. Without Demko in Game 2, the Canucks allowed four goals — including three against Casey DeSmith, who posted a lackluster .800 save percentage in the game.

Although the series is tied, Vancouver heads to Nashville with major inconsistency between the pipes. During the regular season, the Canucks, who finished with a record of 50-32-9, went a mere 15-9-7 without Demko and didn’t play well without him down the stretch. If the Canucks want to beat the Predators and even sniff a path to the Stanley Cup, they’ll need their offense to carry the load. That didn’t happen in Game 2, when they only posted one goal.

Is Vegas back?

The hockey world is livid because the Golden Knights are up 2-0 against the West-leading Dallas Stars. Fans have the right to be upset, but Vegas doesn’t care what they think; the Knights have been taking advantage of a cap loophole to bolster their roster and are in position to upset Dallas with the series shifting to Sin City.

Both games have been decided by two goals or fewer. Captain Mark Stone, a renowned playoff workhorse, has conveniently returned from long-term injury reserve and hasn’t missed a step. Stone’s lengthy absence allowed Vegas to free up cap room to acquire Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha at the trade deadline, which has provided depth and firepower to the team. Hanifin and Hertl have already recorded goals in the series along with Stone. The point is, the Knights look to have brand-new life after finishing the season off rocky.

Center Jack Eichel has posted four points in the series thus far and looks to be continuing his success from the end of the regular season into the playoffs.

But the Stars should’ve known that Vegas would be a tough matchup. The Golden Knights knocked out Dallas last year and have made significant roster updates since last season’s Cup run. The Stars were able to force a Game 6 following a 3-0 deficit last year, but they’ll need to find a way to light up their deep offense if they want to flip the script this time around.

The Panthers take command

The Lightning have owned their upstate rivals in the playoffs for multiple years, so the Panthers going up 3-0 in the series is definitely surprising. And with a Game 4 matchup in Tampa on the horizon, the Lightning’s six-game playoff home skid could continue into a Florida sweep.

The chilling part of this series is that Tampa Bay could very well be up 3-0 instead. The first two games ended in one-goal finishes, and while the third concluded in a two-score victory for the Panthers, the Lightning put up a good fight and fell apart in the third period.

Game 2 also finished in overtime. The series has really come down to Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky playing lights-out and making key saves when called upon.

The Panthers have a heated history with Tampa Bay and have an additional chip on their shoulders from falling in the Stanley Cup Finals last season. If Florida can make it out of the first round unscathed, it could be a massive threat to whoever comes its way. The Panthers wouldn’t play the New York Rangers next, but if both teams eventually make it to the conference finals, which seems likely, don’t count out Florida to continue the tradition of ruining the Presidents’ Trophy Winner’s season.

“The Silver Shield” runs every Thursday.