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Last night we were lucky to have three more awesome hockey games to watch. For my money the LA Kings/ San Jose Sharks game may have been the best game all year. There is so much drama going on in that series at this point and the intensity level is so high that fights are breaking out all over...legitimate fights, not staged fights. Real fights. It's the kind of fighting that I love in hockey. If I had the money or the time I would be at game seven in San Jose tomorrow. No question.
The Blue Jackets almost most pulled yet another miracle, but from their compete level alone the fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets left happy. The Jackets are the youngest team in NHL and I would have to take issue with anyone who thinks they won't be in the playoffs again for the next 10 years. They are built to keep building.
The Minnesota Wild are showing why people sometimes say you need to first lose in the playoffs before you can learn how to win. Last year the Wild played a tough series against Chicago but couldn't get over the hump. This year the Avalanche are playing a tough series against the Wild and might not get over the hump.
It has all been outstanding Theater.
Tonight's Solo Act
I tend to agree with the commentators who said in regard to Sunday's Flyers versus Rangers game, "the passion wasn't there." This series has, at times, seen both teams show deference to their fear of taking penalties over their ability to play with an edge. Neither team can play tonight with with any fear at all.
So far, in this series, I have been lucky to predict the outcome of each and every game. There is a definite ebb and flow to the series as so far the teams have alternated wins.
Tonight feels like the hardest game so far to predict. The one thing we know is this Flyers team has been incredibly resilient this year. They've shown ability to come back from being down in more games than any other team in Flyers history.
But so often the playoffs really comes down to matchups.
One of the reason the Flyers don't match up well against the Rangers is the Flyers have tended to be a slow starting team and the Rangers are the kind of team that if you don't score first on you're in trouble. The Flyers this year have lived and died by the sword and often depended on those late game heroics to get victories. The problem is the Rangers have one of the best in the business in Henrik Lundqvist and depending on late-game heroics to bail you out against King Henry is a fool's game.
The Rangers are a far different team when they are playing with a lead. This is the kind of team the Flyers hate to play against. Couple that fact with the Flyers fear of taking early penalties and you get a very tentative team that is suspect to giving up early goals.
The Rangers defense can hold a lead like no other but the Rangers offense doesn't have the snipers or fire power to assure a comeback either.
So whoever dictates the early play will likely win tonight.
I predicted Rangers in 7 going into this series and I still think a seventh game is happening tomorrow.
What are your thoughts?