Top Shelf : Islanders Daily 6/22/2013

Jun 19, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing

(20) chases after the puck between Boston Bruins defenseman

(47) and center

(19) during the third period in game four of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

Middletown, N. J – With the last two-day break finally over we are ready to get back to business in the National Hockey League as the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks resume the Stanley Cup final tonight.

With the series tied 2-2, it now comes down to a best of three with two games at United Center in Chicago. Blackhawks bench boss Joel Quenneville reunited his two best players, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane last game and it paid dividends in the wild 6-5 overtime victory. Now, with neither team seemingly having the upper hand, you can be sure it will be a battle to the very end before a champion is crowned.

If there is one concern the Bruins it has to be their lack of being able to handle the Blackhawks speed. Boston struggled at various times on Wednesday to maintain Chicago’ s up-tempo pace. For Chicago, they better hope to not see a repeat from goaltender Corey Crawford, who looked to be fighting the puck all night and was beaten many times over the glove side.

In Islanders country, Arthur Staple tweeted yesterday that New York is not in the final three for Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier. General manager Garth Snow more than likely felt the cost did not justify the means in the end. You can be sure more phone calls will be made leading up to next weekend’s entry draft, which is looking more and more likely to be very active on the trade front.

Links

• I take a look at what potentially could be Garth’s summer shopping list (EyesOnIsles)
• Report card for beast in the making Kyle Okposo (EyesOnIsles)
• Mike Ristano looks at ‘what if’ Kris Letang made it to Long Island (EyesOnIsles)
• Valentin Zykov gets a look from our draft guru Chris T (EyesOnIsles)
• Blackhawks Bickell was once scouted by the NY Yankees (Edmonton Sun)
• Thoughts are with everyone in Calgary as floodwaters reach crazy heights and flood the Saddledome (USA Today)

Around The Twitter-Sphere

• The Islanders goaltending situation continues to be murky but that could just be because nobody ever knows what Snow is up to until something gets done. I really cannot comprehend why Toronto is so heavy into Bernier after the playoff performance we saw from Reimer. Between them and the Flyers, should be an interesting off-season.

• Another gem from Cappellini, always objective on the Isles. Snow has proven to have the ability to re-shape the Isles roster and do so with financial contraints in mind. Have faith Isles nation, we will be a better club heading into September when camp opens.

• An absolute must follow for any Isles fan, Tony has been around the club for 5 years and is fully credentialed. One of the most trusted on my list for sure, he never blows anything out of proportion and always looks at the glass half full before being half empty. He would also take Reimer as I am sure most Isles fans would at this point. It speaks volumes to the level of discomfort among the fan base with regards to Evgeni Nabokov.

• Spector proves to everyone just how ‘miserable’ Toews post-season HAS NOT been. He has been doing a lot of little things that captains do to lift their hockey clubs at times like this and the above stat goes a long way in proving that. More often than not, it’s not what you see on the scoresheet that really matters, for you cannot award points for heart.

Around The NHL

•  It would be irresponsible of me to not mention the horrific flooding occurring in the Calgary area in this mornings Top Shelf. The memories of last summer on the East coast when Sandy came plowing through our area are still fresh in our minds so we send all our positive thoughts and prayers to all those affected. It is amazingly destructive to see the power flood waters possess and the damage they can do. Word is, as of last night, the Calgary Saddledome, home to the Flames, was inundated up to the luxury boxes with water. Anyone looking to assist with whatever you can, please consider donating to the Canadian Red Cross today. I know it does not seem like much but any little bit can go a long way. Personally, I donated $20.
• Tonight, at 8pm EST, the Stanley Cup finals resume at United Center in Chicago with the Bruins and Blackhawks looking to take a gigantic step towards winning the championship.
• Some details on next Sunday’s NHL draft in Newark as the Devils are planning on putting on quite a show…..

WHERE: Championship Plaza (adjacent to Prudential Center) Between Edison Place and Market Street and on Mulberry Street
WHEN: Sunday, June 30th – 10:30AM – 2:30PM
WHAT: 2013 NHL Draft™ Fan Fest featuring music performance by the BSTREETBAND, carnival games, food vendors, and a Ferris Wheel!

-AG