Playoffs, Comcast, Versus, NHL Coverage

Vol. I, No. 52

If you were in Boston at around 9:45pm, Comcast New England was providing coverage of the Bruins' Game Two victory, after a late third period score by Milan Lucic, his second goal all year long in TD Gardens.  Talk about a clutch game-winning goal. With Lucic's late score, Boston beat Philly 3-2, and leads their semi-final series 2-0.

The series now heads south, down I-95, crosses Manhattan north of Madison Square Garden, goes right through Newark, past its sleeping Prudential Center, and winds up at the Wachovia Center on the west bank of the Delaware.  Philly took both games there against the Devils.

Will the Bruins fold for two games?  Tuukka Rask and Evgeni Nabakov are at the top of the goalie pack, with 6 wins.  Rask has a 2.32 GAA with .922 Sv%.  His stats are a lot better than the last goaltender who faced the Flyers (initials MB, wears #30 for the Devils).

For fans in Philadelphia, around 9:45pm, Comcast was providing coverage of the Flyers and their reaction to the game.  It was an even match, and the Flyers' penalty kill was outstanding.  But they could not withstand the Bruins' attack.

Everywhere else, below the 49th parallel, Versus switched to coverage of the Vancouver - Chicago tilt which started at 9pm in the United Center. Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 5 minutes of the game. One of the goals was a 5 on 3 power play, caused by a bad line change (too many men on the ice) by the Hawks.

Chicago is staying in the game, with a late first period score. Vancouver creamed the Hawks in the first game. Remember that these are the #2 and #3 seeds in the Western Conference.  The Hawks ought to be equal, if not better, based on regular season standings. By the end of the first, the Canucks have outshot Chicago 13-10.  It is anybody's game, and the Hawks were looking stronger as the period wore on.

The Canucks have won four straight including the first round, with three wins on the road. Can Chicago end their winning street before the series returns to GM Place (you know, the arena where Canada won the Olympics)? Bobby Loo has seen success there before.

By the end of the night, all semi-final series will either be 1-1 or 2-0 (or 0-2 depending on your viewpoint).  In a best of seven series, a 2-0 lead may not mean much, unless those wins were gained by visitors on the road.  In the old days (twenty years ago, before the grand expansion was finished), the first rounds were best of five game series. Ah, for the good old days when two wins really put the pressure on the losing team to win three straight.

Playoff Hockey Rules.