Home ice is not big advantage in first round of playoffs
Home ice hasn’t been an advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this year.
Road teams have posted a 14-12 record through the first week of the postseason.
Think about it. The Kings and Ducks both lost their first two games at home. The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks face elimination after dropping two at home to fall behind the St. Louis Blues 3-1.
The New York Rangers, who took home ice away from the Penguins by winning in Game 2 in Pittsburgh, quickly gave it back with a lackluster performance in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. New York has dropped four in a row at home in the postseason going back to last season.
Only the Capitals, Lightning, Stars swept the first two games at home.
In the 11 seasons since the 2004 lockout, home teams have only once had a sub-.500 record in the playoffs and that was a 39-47 mark in 2011-12, according to STATS. The best mark was .686 (59-27) in 2012-13.
Six of the 11 seasons the winning percentage was greater than .550.
“I think your mindset is a little different when you go on the road,” Rangers center Derick Brassard said Wednesday. “It’s kind of like the team against everyone, the crowd, the players, everything. You mindset is: ‘Let’s go steal one.’
“At home, you want to show off and you can get away from your game,” Brassard added. “It’s just the game of hockey. Once the puck is dropped, it does not matter who is there, you just have to play. Home ice doesn’t mean anything, to be honest.”
Penguins center Nick Bonino said that no matter what the won-lost record is at this point in the playoffs, you still want home ice. It gives you the last line change and the crowd can get behind a team.
“I feel like the last couple of years home ice has not meant a lot,” said Penguins forward Eric Fehr, who is in his 10th NHL season. “I think teams are so even, and going into any game, pretty much it’s a coin toss. It’s just how well can you play. Every rink is exciting and everybody brings the same every night. The home ice isn’t as big an advantage as it used to be.”
This series has been one of momentum shifts. The Penguins had it in Games 1 and 3, and the Rangers were the better team in Game 2.
“It’s a tight game, the difference here is not very big between these two teams,” Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said.
“You need that extra play at the right time. That’s what it is going to come down to. A few corrections and hopefully we can go out and have a strong game.”
Much of the talk Wednesday concerned a high-sticking incident involving Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Rangers forward Viktor Stalberg. It happened in the third period shortly after Matt Cullen’s goal gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.
Stalberg lost a couple of teeth. No penalty was called and the league held Letang blameless, leaving the Rangers unhappy.
“It was a fast play. I went in the corner to clear the puck and my stick was up,” Letang said Wednesday. “I got hit at the same time and was going forward, and unfortunately I hit him. Not in a million years would I try to hit someone in the face like that.”
The Rangers held an optional skate Wednesday, and injured defenseman Dan Girardi participated. He is day to day.