NHL Playoff Notes...

There are many reasons why April and May are some of the best months of the year. 90% of the country stops having shitty weather. School is donezo until September. And for us sports fans, the amount of options is simply at its' peak. The NBA playoffs aren't the only event in town right now. Many people would argue that the NHL playoffs have, to this point, been more entertaining. In the Eastern Conference, the top three seeds lost, while in the West, you've got the four heavyweights battling it out (no disrespect to Phoenix, what they did was amazing considering they're currently owned by the NHL). Here's the low-down on what's happening:

Wow, Pittsburgh's path to repeating just got a whole lot easier. No Alex Ovechkin. No Martin Brodeur or Ryan Miller. Instead, they get a Canadiens team that squeaked into the playoffs and needed to win three in a row against the Capitals to even get to this point. The series is currently tied at 1-1, and the only way the Canadiens are going to better than that is if stud goalie Jaroslav Halak continues to be the Great Wall of Canada (and Slovakia). However, based on his current play, that might not be that much of a stretch. Still, no one can stop 36+ shots a night constantly. The Canadiens need more consistency on offense.

In the other East series, the Boston Bruins won Game One in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers. That game should serve as a good indicator of how the rest of the series should go, as these teams look to be pretty evenly matched. But the Bruins have a little more playoff experience, and a little bit more talent. Like Montreal, the Flyers need Bobby Boucher (the goalie, not Adam Sandler) to continue his recent hot play to stay in it.

Now, for West Coast observations...


The 2 vs. 3 matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks might not have the flair of the other West matchup (more on that to follow), but these are two teams that have gotten it done all year long. The Blackhawks have been scorching all year, and many have called them the most talented team, with young studs like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews playing alongside seasoned vets like Brian Campbell and Marian Hossa. But goalie Antti Niemi is unproven, and that unreliability was exposed in Game One as the Canucks punished the 'Hawks 5-1. The Canucks might not have the same amount of offensive firepower as the Blackhawks, but they do have the Sedin brothers, two of the best players in the game that happen to look almost the exact same. They also have the most proven goalie in the playoffs in Roberto Luongo. Coming off an impressive performance in the Olympics, his confidence is sky high and that's bad news for opposing teams. This matchup will be tight, and I don't think any team will get more than a one game lead on the opponent.

Finally, the most drama-filled and glamorous matchup of the playoffs. From sharks being thrown onto the ice to the questionable refereeing, the Sharks-Red Wings series is full of storylines. It's the most talented team against the best (playoff) team of the decade. For Sharks fans like myself, this series hopefully signals a changing of the guard. The Sharks are known as chokers in the playoffs, as they always seem to lose in the first round to less talented opponents. They struggled a bit in the first round with Colorado, but have been able to take the first two games in San Jose. Detroit fans are accustomed to winning and Stanley Cup trophies, so Joe Louis Arena will be packed to the brim and filled with energy tomorrow night in an attempt to right ship in the series. Even though the Sharks are up two, everyone and their mother knows that this series isn't even close to over. As long as Pavel Datsyuk and co. trust each other, the Red Wings will come around and make the series close.



I trust that, and you should too.