2012 NHL Playoffs: Unpatriotic Report And Final Thoughts

(Photo via nhl.com)

I read this week that Bell and Rogers are gunning for the "Hockey Night In Canada" rights, which are up for renewal in 2014. So after 60 years of broadcasting into Canadian homes, there's a chance that the CBC will lose the televised Saturday night tradition. Surprisingly, I'm not upset about this. Not even close. Ask the "10 years younger" version of Paqman and that dude would be raging. "Tradition! Legendary! Institution!" is what he would've said (note to younger Paqman: Chill out homeboy!). All I see today is a sub par product that needs a make over and new talent (I'm talking to you Cole...we cool MacLean. We cool.) I prefer the TSN team right now, and NBC for the Cup Final.

2012 NHL Playoffs: In Which We Analyze The Finals Potential Of The Frozen Four

(Photo via bloguin.com/puckdrunklove)

If you picked the four teams poised to battle it out in this year's edition of the NHL Stanley Cup Conference Finals, you're a better man than me. Not even the pundiest of hockey pundits got this one right. It's been an awesomely odd playoff thus far that gave us several great moments: Giroux's 6 point game, top seeds and perennial contenders dropping like flies, and goaltending dominance by the expected and unexpected. With 2 rounds in the books, we move to the Cup Semis where childhood dreams will be made, or will bust like Fabian Brunnstrom.

Before I jump into this, I need to talk pools. I'm happy to say that thanks to fantastic seasons by Malkin, Giroux, and Spezza, I won my office pool. Brimming with confidence, I jumped into 2 playoff pools: one box and the other draft. My draft pool is already toast. I now have 0 players remaining after Nashville got turfed. My box pool? D.O.A. (calling my box team "Alexandre Daigle" didn't bring the mojo I was looking for!). My strategy for both teams was based on a tried and tested method: I predicted the final four and loaded up my team from those rosters. The teams in question were: Nashville and Vancouver in the West, Pittsburgh and Boston in the East. 3 of those were eliminated in the 1st round, 1 in the 2nd. Moral of this tragic pool story: anything can happen in the Playoffs, but go with your gut. Additionally, watch way more hockey next season.

Moving on to the analysis of the Frozen Four..

Eastern Promising: The 93 Point Dash To The NHL Playoffs

(Photo via washingtonpost.com)

93. This is the magic number for all NHL clubs. This has been, in recent seasons, the average number of points needed to get access to the second season. Most teams have about 10 games left to play and, in my view, this is one of the most exciting times as a hockey fan. The playoffs are tops in any fans heart, but the lead up to the first round is where winners and losers are made.

The Race In The East

Subban Takes Out Larsson With Huge Hit; Players Show Respect After The Fact

(Photo via montrealgazette.com) 

P.K. Subban has been dogged all season for his sub-par play and bonehead actions on the ice. On this edition of "This Is How You Do It", Subban wipes out Devils rookie Adam Larsson with a clean shoulder-to-chest hit.  Larsson slides into the boards and is in obvious pain. He left the game due to a bruised back.