The Vancouver Canucks eliminated the St. Louis Blues in four games and have been on a nice, long break waiting for the second round to begin.  Meanwhile, the quarterfinal series went all the way to Game 6 for the Chicago Blackhawks who, ultimately, beat the Calgary Flames.  Now, they will face off in the semi-finals and I think this could end up being a very interesting pairing.

Both teams are very annoying to play against.   The Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel (Vancouver), have an undeniable chemistry on the ice and really have the ability to score.  Meanwhile, Patrick Kane and …read more

Last night, Game 7 between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils almost caused me to have a serious accident.  I was keeping an eye on both this series and the one between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals and each of them were pretty close.  When the third period began, I decided to finish watching it on the treadmill. 

With the score at 3-2 for the Devils with just a few minutes left, I was pretty sure this was a done deal.  I started to think about how the team would do in the next round …read more

The Washington Capitals have been in this position before.  They faced the the Philadelphia Flyers last year and, after forcing the series to go to Game 7, they were handed a crushing loss in overtime.  What a difference a year can make!
Last night, the Caps took on the New York Rangers, knowing it was their last chance to keep their playoff hopes alive and they did, overcoming about a million odds.  With just 4:59 left in the third period, Sergei Federov, put one in New York’s net.  Meanwhile, rookie goaltender, Simeon Varlamov, held off the Rangers allowing the team to …read more

The Anaheim Ducks barely made it into the playoffs (they were the last team to qualify) yet, somehow, they managed to unseat the top seeded San Jose Sharks.  Halfway through their series I couldn’t help myself – I had to start supporting the Ducks and they did not let me down.

I am so sorry Sharks fans but I can’t help but enjoy a good underdog story.  This is only the third time since 2000 that a team beat a Presidents’ Trophy winner (awarded for the best record in the league) in the first round of the playoffs.  The Ducks …read more

The Chicago Blackhawks doused the struggling Calgary Flames last night in Game 6 in the Saddledome.  The Flames seemed to come out strong but it just wasn’t enough.  They ended up losing 4-1 and it was really just a sad, sad game.

For the fourth season in a row, the Flames have left the playoffs with a whimper in the quarterfinals and the reasons for this repetitive performance is anyone’s guess.  Tonight, the younger, faster Blackhawks put an end to Calgary’s run for the Cup but I’m not sure this was a game that was decided by offensive play.
In my …read more

After yesterday’s action, the last two undecided series in the Western Conference are both tied up and I honestly couldn’t tell you which way this is going to go.  So far, I’ve been surprised so I’m not going to make any guesses.
The New York Rangers had an opportunity to eliminate the Washington Capitals but, with Sean Avery back in the lineup and coach John Tortorella suspended for one game, it looked like they were a bit lost.  The Caps took full advantage of the situation, winning the game 5-3.
It’s not that the Rangers didn’t try hard (32 shots on …read more

The San Jose Sharks escaped elimination tonight by beating the Anaheim Ducks in overtime.  I was really hoping this series would get wrapped up tonight but both teams fought hard and, ultimately, a fluky goal kept the Sharks alive.
I really started to doubt that the game was going to go in their favor since the Sharks blew a two-goal lead early in the third period.  It definitely looked like the momentum had swung in favor of the Ducks.
For the second time in the playoffs, Patrick Marleau scored the game-winning goal after he launched a puck at Ducks goaltender, Jonas Hiller, …read more

The Calgary Flames might have posted huge victories in Games 3 and 4 but they suffered a humbling loss last night against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Flames were undeniably dominated, outplayed and outshot by the Hawks in the 5-1 loss.

It was an important game since the series was tied 2-2 going into it but you wouldn’t have been able to tell it was a playoff game based on how Calgary played.  They were undisciplined and incurred unnecessary penalties throughout the 60 minutes.  I was extraordinarily disappointed because it was actually a discouraging and boring game to watch.  The Flames …read more

The Pittsburgh Penguins staged an amazing comeback from a three goal deficit and have advanced to the semi-finals after eliminating the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon.  It was an intense game and, for the first 20 minutes, it looked like Game 7 was going to be inevitable. 

Just when it looked like the game was lost, Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby rallied for their team – Crosby scored the game tying goal in the second (as well as an empty-netter in the final minute) while Gonchar put one in the back of the net in the third to secure a …read more

The Washington Capitals shut out the New York Rangers last night in Game 5 to skate away with a 4-0 victory.  The Rangers are now just holding on to the series lead (3-2) heading into Game 6.  I get the feeling this is going to end up going to Game 7 and it’s going to be a tough battle.

Of course, despite this being a tight series, too much attention was given to Sean Avery and his problems.  Coach John Tortorella refused to comment on the situation but Avery was a healthy scratch from the game.  I think that was …read more