I'm starting to wonder if we were overreacting to all the Canucks' blown leads this season.
Watching the playoffs, it looks like late-game collapses have evolved into a league-wide trend. Everybody's doing it!
After watching the Bruins emerge from their slumber on Saturday to steamroll the Habs, then seeing the Kings work their magic against the Ducks, I'm wondering why no lead is safe anymore in today's NHL.
It makes for some very entertaining hockey, but how do we explain it? Parity?
It won't happen every game—the Pens and Blackhawks had no trouble hanging onto their leads on Sunday—but I expect we'll see more drama going forward. Even the last game of the Stanley Cup Final was decided in the dying seconds last season.
I'm liveblogging the Rangers/Penguins series this round, which is a big dip in entertainment value from the Kings and Sharks in Round 1. The Rangers can't get their power play going: sound familiar?
World Championships Start Friday:
We will have some Canucks to watch on the ice later this week, as the World Championships kick off on Friday from Minsk, Belarus.
Jason Garrison, Alex Burrows and Kevin Bieksa are representing for Team Canada, and Garrison has written a blog about his preparations. Click here to read.
For all the travel these guys do, it's funny to hear Garrison so wide-eyed about the challenges of flying business class and dealing with layovers. Imagine if they had to squeeze into economy!
Burrows made his Team Canada debut last year, but was injured early in the tournament. Like Garrison, this will be Bieksa's first Team Canada appearance—he's never even been to Europe before.
Team Canada just announced that Nathan MacKinnon will be joining the team, along with Matt Read and Brayden Schenn. Click here for the complete roster from TSN.ca.
As for the players staying in town, Henrik Sedin played the role of the dutiful parent as he climbed into the dunk tank at the St. George's School Fair this past weekend:
H. Sedin about to take the plunge. pic.twitter.com/c5mBMr9OH2
— Tom Matthews (@SaintsHM) May 3, 2014Meanwhile, Eddie Lack was at the Whitecaps game on the weekend with Canucks' writer Derek Jory:
Look who I'm at a whitecaps game with:) good memories from this arena. #wewantlu pic.twitter.com/Q9EXvV4mjE
— Eddie Lack (@eddielack) May 3, 2014The Swedish contingent was also on hand at the opening of the new Fjallraven outdoor clothing store last week:
So my nephew ran into a few Swedish Canucks at the Fjall Raven opening - Lack, Edler, Hank and Dank!… http://t.co/cFg9Qdj6Pm
— FionaForbes (@FionaForbes) May 2, 2014Any other sightings from around town? Or has everybody who's not Swedish disappeared for parts unknown?
Where's Torts?
Speaking of parts unknown, I'm a little surprised that I haven't seen one interview with John Tortorella since the ax fell on his job last week.
After all the attention that his words have received over the last year, it feels a bit strange that he doesn't weigh in on such a big moment.
Don't fired coaches normally do that presser? Something like: "Yeah, we're all hired to be fired. Of course I'm disappointed but I'd definitely be interested in another opportunity. There are only so many jobs in this league. I wish the guys all the best."
I imagine he's back on the east coast by now, but I feel like the cycle is incomplete without hearing Torts' final take on the situation.
I'm also curious to see if he'll get a look at any of the coaching positions that are coming open.
Kirk Muller and his crew were shown the door today in Carolina. There's also Washington. Can you picture the smoke that'll come out of Roberto Luongo's ears if he gets consideration in Florida?