It is NHL playoff time and with the playoffs come OVERTIME and Game 7's. This year has already had 3 game sevens and many overtime games to get our hearts racing.
Along with the OT's and game sevens is another great piece of history. All of the Original Six teams are in the playoffs for the first time since the 1995/96 season. Also, four of the six have continued on to round two.
The first thing I need to talk about is the return to the playoffs for the boys in blue. The Maple Leafs finally after nine long years made the playoffs and gave there fans nine years worth of excitement. Two overtime games and a game seven that will be talked about for many, many years. Unfortunately game seven did not go the Leafs way and they suffered a 5-4 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. The Leafs were down 3-1 in the series and could have easily been even in the series had game 4 gone there way(which it should have). Nevertheless the Leafs won the next two games and forced a game seven much to the excitement of everyone in Leafs nation!
Leading 4-1 in the third period after a Naim Kadri goal it seemed inevitable that the Maple Leafs were moving onto the second round. Twitter and Facebook exploded with happy leaf fans and disgusted Bruins fans. However fourteen and a half minutes after Kadri's goal the Bruins and leafs were headed to OT. The Bruins scored 2 goals in the final minute and twenty two seconds to force the extra period.
The pace in OT was fast and furious with chances at both ends, but both goalies making series saving saves. Then on a rebound Patrice Bergeron sent the bruins to the next round. It was fitting as rebound control seemed to hamper James Reimer all series and in the end it cost his team the series.
A great series none the less and I actually found myself rooting for the underdog leafs. That is hard for me to say as I have always been anti-Leafs since I can remember.
In the other game seven the Rangers detroyed the Capitals 5-0 on the back of another great goaltending performance by Henrik Lundqvist. Anti-climactic and boring unfortunately.
In London Ontario another game seven was taking place with the winner of the Barrie Colts versus London Knights matchup going to the Memorial Cup.
With the game tied up at two late in the third Bo Horvat sent the Knights through to the Memorial cup. He scored with less then one second to play and the goal even had to be video replayed to see if it would count. So after cheering wildly after the goal was scored fans had to wait to see if it was actually a goal. Then the ref pointed to center ice signalling a goal and the players and fans got to rejoice a second time.
Congratulations to the London Knights on Back to back Memorial cup appearances. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the red hot Halifax Mooseheads who have only dropped one game all playoffs in reaching the Memorial Cup.
Needless to say last night was hockey heaven for me and it will only get better the deeper the playoffs go and the more meaningful the games get!!!! The better show the games in England cause this is just too good to miss.
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