The start of a new Stanley Cup playoffs series is always entertaining. Getting to see a new opponent after, typically, about two weeks of only seeing one other team is refreshing for fans and players. But Game 1s can often be feeling-out affairs where teams don’t want to make mistakes and drop the all-important opener.
More From Blackhawk Up – Maximizing A United Center Experience The first game of the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2010 series against the San Jose Sharks was not like that. The teams combined for 86 shots on net, and goaltenders Antti Niemi and Evgeni Nabakov had to stand on their heads to keep their respective teams in it.