It’s time for some of the most dramatic postseason action
you’ll see in all of sports. Like the NBA, there isn’t much reason to pay
attention to hockey until it gets close to the end of the season, but there is
nothing like watching a tense battle in the playoffs of hockey.
Like almost every hockey game, it is usually a tight contest
coming down to the last couple seconds of the game. That creates great drama,
especially in a setting as big as the playoffs.
Hockey is also a sport were any given team can win on a
given night. This is where it differs from the NBA as you already know who is going
to be in the finals before it even starts (Heat-Thunder). In 2010 the number 8
and 7 seeds met in the conference finals. You just don’t see that in other
sports.
This year the Philadelphia Flyers will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in what will undoubtedly be one of the greatest first round
playoff pairings in recent history. These two teams left the ice in an all-out
brawl just a few weeks ago and tempers will flare during the postseason as
these close distance rivals square off.
Another great rivalry will be going on in the first round
between the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. The Wings bring all the
history and past Stanley Cups with them, but The Predators are an up and coming
team that is looking to make a statement in the NHL.
There could be all kinds of squid, catfish and other sea
creatures being thrown onto the ice as this series goes on. The two division
rivals will be in a heated contest for what I expect to be a seven game series.
The defending champion Boston Bruins and Tim Thomas will be
taking on the Washington Capitals who have struggled this year but as long as
Alexander Ovechkin is on the ice they’ll have a shot. The Vancouver Canucks
will look to get back to the Stanley Cup finals but first they’ll have to get
through the Los Angeles Kings who also have been a bit of a disappointment this
year but could be dangerous.
It would have been great to see Steven Stamkos and the Tampa
Lightning get into the playoffs, especially after he recorded his 60th
goal of the season, but there will still be plenty of stars on the ice to
entertain the crowd.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will more than bring the
star power to the playoffs, and Claude Giroux, Scottie Hartnell and Jaromir
Jagr will only add interest on the other side of the ice.
The best goalie in the league, Henrik Lundqvist, will lead
the attack for a New York Rangers team. Ilya Kovalchuk and Jerome Iginla give
the New Jersey Devils some excitement against the unimpressive Florida
Panthers. The Sedin brothers begin another quest for a championship. Anze
Kopitar will help the Kings pull off a first round upset. Pekka Rinne and the
best defensive player in the league, Shea Weber, lead a great group of Predators.
And then of course the playoff run of the Chicago Blackhawks
is still fresh on our minds. That team retains one the most exciting players in
the league in Patrick Kane. Marian Hossa has also had a good year for that
team, as well as Patrick Sharp.
Needless to say there are many reasons to be excited about
the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The stars will be on display and dramatic finishes
are guaranteed when the path towards a championship begins Wednesday (April
11).
You can follow Jake on
Twitter at: @j8a1k0e or on his MLB Braves blog at: http://bravesandmore.mlblogs.com
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