Ten former Badgers begin quest for the Stanley Cup
April 12, 2017 | Men's Hockey, NHL Badgers
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At least one UW player features in all eight first-round playoff matchups
MADISON, Wis.—With the NHL playoffs set to begin on Wednesday, 10 former Wisconsin men's hockey players on eight different teams will hit the ice looking to claim the league's top prize.
In the Eastern Conference, Justin Schultz and the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to be the first team to go back-to-back since the Detroit Red Wings won in 1997 and 1998. The Penguins will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets starting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Schultz appeared in 78 games on Pittsburgh's blue line, tallying 12 goals while adding 39 assists, good enough for fifth on the team in points and first for a defenseman.
Should the Penguins advance, they will matchup with the winner of the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, a series which features defenseman Jake Gardiner. The Leafs are returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season, and Gardiner has been a key contributor to their success. He played in all 82 regular-season games for Toronto, scoring nine goals and 34 assists, a team-high for defensemen in all offensive categories.
The series begins on Thursday in Washington at 6 p.m. CT.
In the other half of the Eastern Conference bracket, Kyle Turris and the Ottawa Senators take on the Boston Bruins starting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. Turris played in 78 games for Ottawa, which finished in second place in the Atlantic Division, netting 27 goals, a career-high, and adding 28 assists.
If the Senators are able to defeat the Bruins in the best-of-seven series, they would take on the winner of the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers. New York contains a trio of Badgers who played together from 2008-10, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Brendan Smith, who was acquired from the Red Wings at the trade deadline this season.
McDonagh, who serves as the Rangers' captain, was named the team MVP last Sunday night. The defenseman scored six goals and 36 assists in 77 games played this season, a career-high in assists and points.
Stepan enjoyed a productive season for New York, appearing in 81 games while scoring 17 goals and contributing 38 assists. The 26-year-old forward ranked third on the team in points with 55 and second in assists.
Smith played in 33 games for Detroit, netting two goals and tallying three assists, before being traded to the Rangers on Feb. 28. In the 18 games after being acquired, the defenseman scored one goal and three assists while having a plus/minus rating of +2.
The series between the Rangers and Canadiens will begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT in Montreal.
In the western half of the playoffs, Craig Smith and the Nashville Predators will head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks for game one on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. Making the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the Predators will aim for their first playoff-series victory over Chicago, failing the previous two times in 2010 and 2015.
Smith appeared in 78 games this season, scoring 12 goals and 17 asssists. The Blackhawks won four out of five matchups between the two teams this season.
The winner of Chicago-Nashville will battle the winner of the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild and alternate captain Ryan Suter. The Madison-native appeared in every regular season game for the Wild and scored a career-high nine goals and accumulated 31 assists for the highest point total for a defenseman on the Minnesota roster.  Â
The Wild and Blues drop the puck on game one of the series on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Moving on to the Pacific Division portion of the bracket, the reigning Western conference champion, San Jose Sharks and Joe Pavelski take on the youthful Edmonton Oilers. After coming up just short in the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Sharks had another strong season with captain Pavelski at the helm. The forward from Plover, Wisconsin played in 81 games and was tied for first in scoring with 29 goals while contributing 39 assists.
The Sharks and Oilers begin their series in Edmonton on Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. CT.
The final series of the first round, beginning on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. CT, will be contested between the Calgary Flames, backstopped by goalie Brian Elliott, and the Anaheim Ducks. Elliott was traded from the St. Louis Blues last off-season during the 2016 NHL draft to Calgary and despite some early-season struggles, Elliott regained the starting job and guided the Flames to just their second playoff berth in the past eight seasons.
The 2006 national champion at UW finished the season with a 26-18-3 record in 49 games played, posting a 2.55 goals-against-average and .910 save percentage.
The Badgers have had 14 former players raise the Stanley Cup, with the most recent coming last season as Justin Schultz won with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four players have multiple championship rings, Chris Chelios with the Detroit Red Wings (2002 & 2008) and Montreal Canadiens (1985-86), Brian Engblom with the Montreal Canadiens (1977-79), Brian Rafalski with the New Jersey Devils (2000 & 2003) and Detroit Red Wings (2008) and Paul Stanton with the Penguins (1991-92). Chelios, Engblom and Rafalski are the only three-time champs, while Engblom is the lone Badger to win three cups with the same franchise.
Two other Badgers have been a part of Cup championships, with Dave McNab, a former goalie who played with the Badgers from 1973-78, serving as assistant general manager with the Anaheim Ducks when they won in 2007 and Bob Johnson with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. Although Johnson passed away before the Penguins won their second consecutive championship, the team still put his name on the Cup.
Stanley Cup Champion Badgers
Anaheim Ducks
Dave McNab^, 2006–07
Colorado Avalanche
Steve Reinprecht, 2000–01
Calgary Flames
Gary Suter, 1988–89
Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Burish, 2009–10
Detroit Red Wings
Chris Chelios, 2001–02, '07–08
Brian Rafalski, 2007–08
Los Angeles Kings
Davis Drewiske, 2011–12
Montreal Canadiens
Sean Hill, 1992–93
Chris Chelios, 1985–86
Dave Maley, 1985–86
Brian Engblom, 1976–77, '77–78, '78–79
Wayne Thomas, 1972–73
New Jersey Devils
Brian Rafalski, 1999–00, '02–03
Bruce Driver*, 1994–95
New York Rangers
Mike Richter, 1993–94
Pittsburgh Penguins
Paul Stanton, 1990–91, '91–92
Bob Johnson, 1990–91#
^ assistant GM; * alternate captain; # - head coach
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In the Eastern Conference, Justin Schultz and the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to be the first team to go back-to-back since the Detroit Red Wings won in 1997 and 1998. The Penguins will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets starting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Schultz appeared in 78 games on Pittsburgh's blue line, tallying 12 goals while adding 39 assists, good enough for fifth on the team in points and first for a defenseman.
Should the Penguins advance, they will matchup with the winner of the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, a series which features defenseman Jake Gardiner. The Leafs are returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season, and Gardiner has been a key contributor to their success. He played in all 82 regular-season games for Toronto, scoring nine goals and 34 assists, a team-high for defensemen in all offensive categories.
The series begins on Thursday in Washington at 6 p.m. CT.
In the other half of the Eastern Conference bracket, Kyle Turris and the Ottawa Senators take on the Boston Bruins starting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. Turris played in 78 games for Ottawa, which finished in second place in the Atlantic Division, netting 27 goals, a career-high, and adding 28 assists.
If the Senators are able to defeat the Bruins in the best-of-seven series, they would take on the winner of the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers. New York contains a trio of Badgers who played together from 2008-10, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Brendan Smith, who was acquired from the Red Wings at the trade deadline this season.
McDonagh, who serves as the Rangers' captain, was named the team MVP last Sunday night. The defenseman scored six goals and 36 assists in 77 games played this season, a career-high in assists and points.
Stepan enjoyed a productive season for New York, appearing in 81 games while scoring 17 goals and contributing 38 assists. The 26-year-old forward ranked third on the team in points with 55 and second in assists.
Smith played in 33 games for Detroit, netting two goals and tallying three assists, before being traded to the Rangers on Feb. 28. In the 18 games after being acquired, the defenseman scored one goal and three assists while having a plus/minus rating of +2.
The series between the Rangers and Canadiens will begin on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT in Montreal.
In the western half of the playoffs, Craig Smith and the Nashville Predators will head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks for game one on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. Making the playoffs for the third consecutive season, the Predators will aim for their first playoff-series victory over Chicago, failing the previous two times in 2010 and 2015.
Smith appeared in 78 games this season, scoring 12 goals and 17 asssists. The Blackhawks won four out of five matchups between the two teams this season.
The winner of Chicago-Nashville will battle the winner of the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild and alternate captain Ryan Suter. The Madison-native appeared in every regular season game for the Wild and scored a career-high nine goals and accumulated 31 assists for the highest point total for a defenseman on the Minnesota roster.  Â
The Wild and Blues drop the puck on game one of the series on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Moving on to the Pacific Division portion of the bracket, the reigning Western conference champion, San Jose Sharks and Joe Pavelski take on the youthful Edmonton Oilers. After coming up just short in the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Sharks had another strong season with captain Pavelski at the helm. The forward from Plover, Wisconsin played in 81 games and was tied for first in scoring with 29 goals while contributing 39 assists.
The Sharks and Oilers begin their series in Edmonton on Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. CT.
The final series of the first round, beginning on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. CT, will be contested between the Calgary Flames, backstopped by goalie Brian Elliott, and the Anaheim Ducks. Elliott was traded from the St. Louis Blues last off-season during the 2016 NHL draft to Calgary and despite some early-season struggles, Elliott regained the starting job and guided the Flames to just their second playoff berth in the past eight seasons.
The 2006 national champion at UW finished the season with a 26-18-3 record in 49 games played, posting a 2.55 goals-against-average and .910 save percentage.
The Badgers have had 14 former players raise the Stanley Cup, with the most recent coming last season as Justin Schultz won with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four players have multiple championship rings, Chris Chelios with the Detroit Red Wings (2002 & 2008) and Montreal Canadiens (1985-86), Brian Engblom with the Montreal Canadiens (1977-79), Brian Rafalski with the New Jersey Devils (2000 & 2003) and Detroit Red Wings (2008) and Paul Stanton with the Penguins (1991-92). Chelios, Engblom and Rafalski are the only three-time champs, while Engblom is the lone Badger to win three cups with the same franchise.
Two other Badgers have been a part of Cup championships, with Dave McNab, a former goalie who played with the Badgers from 1973-78, serving as assistant general manager with the Anaheim Ducks when they won in 2007 and Bob Johnson with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. Although Johnson passed away before the Penguins won their second consecutive championship, the team still put his name on the Cup.
Stanley Cup Champion Badgers
Anaheim Ducks
Dave McNab^, 2006–07
Colorado Avalanche
Steve Reinprecht, 2000–01
Calgary Flames
Gary Suter, 1988–89
Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Burish, 2009–10
Detroit Red Wings
Chris Chelios, 2001–02, '07–08
Brian Rafalski, 2007–08
Los Angeles Kings
Davis Drewiske, 2011–12
Montreal Canadiens
Sean Hill, 1992–93
Chris Chelios, 1985–86
Dave Maley, 1985–86
Brian Engblom, 1976–77, '77–78, '78–79
Wayne Thomas, 1972–73
New Jersey Devils
Brian Rafalski, 1999–00, '02–03
Bruce Driver*, 1994–95
New York Rangers
Mike Richter, 1993–94
Pittsburgh Penguins
Paul Stanton, 1990–91, '91–92
Bob Johnson, 1990–91#
^ assistant GM; * alternate captain; # - head coach
Â
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