Top 5 Things I Love About Playoff Hockey

- by Alaina Scarano-Isbouts

Ahh, the playoffs.  While it is the best time of the hockey season, it is also the time of the year when you can throw out the window everything you think you know.  No predictions are guaranteed.  No players are even guaranteed.  Injuries are undisclosed.  It’s a time when everyone is reminded why they really, really love this game.  In fact, here are the five things I love about hockey because of the 2009 post-season so far.

#5 – Ovechkin versus Crosby

Who would have thought we’d see this?  Sure, I picked each team to advance (and so did most people, I’m sure), but all the same it’s exciting as hell to watch these two international superstars battle for their teams.  The excitement came to an all time high on Monday, as both Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby notched hat tricks.  Ovechkin scored his late in the 3rd to dash any hopes the Pens had of winning the game in OT.  Washington is now up 2-0 in the series, but I’m sure it will be an entirely different game when the Pens get home ice back tonight for game 3 (5pm mountain).  This series has it all: the superstars, a hot rivalry, two incredible and young goaltenders, passion, scoring and even a few veterans who could be playing for their last shot at the cup (read: Bill Guerin and Sergei Fedorov).  As Markus Naslund proved, anyone can be in the middle of their last season – not just Joe Sakic.  Ovechkin and Crosby have brought enough fans to the game already, now hopefully they can help bring their sport to center stage (or ice).  I just hope this is a 7 game series… can you imagine anything more exciting? This just could be the playoff series to end all playoff series.

4 – Every second counts (also, don’t make plans for after a playoff game)

And no, I didn’t steal that from the NHL playoff commercials on TV.  This is something I have been preaching to my friends and family for as long as we have been going to Avs games (as my brother AJ can attest to).  One of my biggest pet peeves is when people leave hockey games early.  Every second really does count in hockey, as the fans of New Jersey and Carolina can attest to.  There has already been one OT game in the second round (Anaheim 4, Detroit 3) and no doubt there will be more to come. That feeling of sudden death is better than a first kiss — hands sweaty, nervous, sometimes pacing up and down the living room, wondering who is going to make the first move — your team or your enemy’s?  And just to put my two-cents in on the whole playoff OT debate, no the NHL should not change the overtime format.  The playoff sudden-death, full-period full-strength format is one of the best things about the playoffs.  How would you feel if your team was eliminated on a shootout goal?  Not very good.  Keep OT the way it is, long and strong.  And keep them coming!

3 – The Wings are down to the 8th seed

I love it.  Let’s hope Anaheim can keep it up.  Or keep them down.  I don’t care how they do it and how many overtimes it takes Todd Marchant to score.  Just keep doing it.  Now I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone out there with my hatred for the Wings, but it comes down to two facts:  1. I’m an Avs fan.  2.  Enough already!  I’d love to see some other teams play for a change.  The Wings had the cup last year, the playoffs every year for the past I-don’t-even-want-to-know-how-long, and even got to take part in the Winter Classic.  Let’s watch Anaheim.  Let’s watch Carolina.  Let’s watch Boston.  Anyone else, please.

PS – Just saw a nasty little remark on a Red Wings blog regarding the Anaheim series: “Skate to throat, bitches.”  Wow.  Probably came from the guy I met in Detroit back in 2004 with the Red Wings tattoo down his entire leg.  Wearing shorts.  In Detroit.  On Valentine’s Day.

2 – All bets are off

No one can predict what is going to happen.  Anaheim is ousted the winners of the President’s Trophy in the first round.  The Caps aren’t starting their star goaltender, Jose Theodore, but instead a rookie who hardly speaks English – and it turns out Simeon Varlamov is the best decision they’ve made.  Evgeni Malkin is scoreless this round.  And while even without the playoffs, it’s the time of year for decision making: Marcus Naslund is retiring. The Phoenix Coyotes have an offer to be purchased by Jim Balsillie, who wants to move them to Ontario (where the Coyotes used to play as the Winnipeg Jets).  It really is the time of year when anything can happen, and people can say what the will, but all you can do now is sit back and watch.

1 – The beards are back.