It's only been three nights but it feels like there is so much to talk about. As usual the first round of the playoffs offers almost an unbearable amount of choice and a ton of logistics to figure out - where will I watch the game, how many games will I watch, should I go to the trouble of taping all the games, how do I break it to my wife I will be spending the night watching hockey, again?
First world problems.
So what do we think so far?
- As I may have already said, game one between St.Louis and Chicago has been the best game so far. I was skeptical that the NHL's new playoffs seeding system would produce a matchup like this, which, on the surface, seems unfair because these two teams are too good to have to play in the first round. But, you have to hand it to Colorado for being good enough to cause this, not to mention the Blues lost six in a row to end the season. These two teams are so well matched: the depth of St.Louis, and the Star Power of the Hawks. Too bad the NHL didn't seed 1-16 so this could perhaps be the Final, and not a first round match. These two teams play again in a couple hours and I can't wait.
- Carey Price has been great, but it sucks that Tampa comes all this way only to have their best goalie go down with an injury, which, let's be honest, tilts this series massively. No longer a 2-3 series, without Bishop it's more like a 1-8. I think the Canadiens are a deeper team than anyone gives them credit for, and they were my Stanley Cup pick on the pool I filled out before Wednesday.
- I wanted to go Devils Advocate on the Milan Lucic stick to the groin, but I can't. There is nothing I can say about this. The guy is one of the dirtiest players in the NHL. He's like a Matt Cooke who can score. That was one of the most blatant, disrespectful, dirtiest thing I have ever seen in a hockey game. I would give him multiple games if I was in charge.
But, according to recent Tweets, there is no discipline hearing for this. The NHL should be more concerned with getting this crap out of the game than in hurting a team's playoff chances. Which, speaking of Boston, my opinion is that they deserve to lose for trading Tyler Seguin.
At least the Leafs didn't know what they were trading. At least the Leafs got Phil Kessel. The Eriksson/ Smith for Seguin trade is brutal no matter how you look at it. Add in the two concussions suffered by Eriksson, and it even looks worse.
Funny enough, I remember in the third period of last years Leafs/Bruins series, when there was ten minutes left and the Leafs were up by three goals, the camera was showing Peter Chiarelli and it looked like there was about ten minutes to go in his career as GM of the Bruins.
Then, the Bruins make one of the most improbable comebacks in history, he keeps his job and then trades Seguin. I predict Boston will go out in the first round, and that that trade will haunt them for the next ten years.
- Finally, two quick thoughts to finish out: If Giroux shows up for the game tomorrow, the Rangers will be in trouble. I still think Philly has the firepower up front to overcome NYRs defense and goalie. Not enough was made that Giroux was basically the best player in the NHL since December first. If you consider where he finished in the scoring race relative to how few points he scored in October and November, it is rather amazing. How a guy can be as good as Claude Giroux is and still somehow be underrated is beyond me. It's like the guy plays for the Coyotes or something!
- I can't believe how good Nathan Mackinnon is this early and I was really surprised with Paul Stastny's play the other night. A question to those who watch Colorado regularly: Is he always that good and thus one of the most underrated players in the NHL, or did that game surprise even you?
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