So…Hockey?
Early last week, I was going to write something about how jazzed I was when the lineup was revealed forLollapalooza 2008. But, since last Wednesday, there’s been a giant distraction keeping me from getting anything done. While other sports fans have been revving up for the start of baseball season and the beginning of the playoffs in the NBA, I’ve spent the past week glued to my couch, tuned to Versus and NBC, salivating over the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For hockey fans, this time of the year couldn’t be any more exciting. There’s no denying the die-hard passion of both the players and the fans come mid April.
The games, so far, have been exciting, too. The first three in The Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild series have all been tough, tense, contests that have been decided by overtime heroics from both teams. What I’ve been keeping a close eye on, though, is the series between the San Jose Sharks and the Calgary Flames. The Sharks finished the last 20 games of the season 18-0-2. But, they have struggled with the speedy and resilient Flames, who have been riding on solid play from big defenseman Dion Phaneuf and team captain Jarome Iginla. Through four games, the Sharks and the Flames have two wins each. Both will try to take control of the series with some early heavy hitting in game five. Blood has been shed at points in the first four games, I’d expect some more to be shed in the fifth.
Of course, there’s much more exciting action in the NHL Playoffs, but I figure that a hockey fan blathering about his love of a niche sport can’t be too interesting to everyone—or anyone, for that matter. I’ll just leave you to check out the rest of the games for yourself.
