For most of the people on this Blog the Flames march to victory in 1989 was the high-point of NHL hockey, but putting personal loyalties aside for a moment can you remember a better post-season (stem to stern) then what we have been enjoying for the last couple of months?
I was trying to go through all the comebacks (Pens in game 6 of the Flyers series following the Talbot-Carcillo fight or the matter-of-course comebacks that Chicago managed against the Flames and Canucks); the drama (be it the the Sid vs Ovie battle, including the dualing hat-tricks, or the last minute, nay last second, heroics of the Huricanes against New Jersey and then Boston; the psyco-drama of Avery and Torts doing they synapse-snap routine in the Rangers-Caps series; the Staal goal againt Osgood; the Fleury save off Carter and the Varlamov save on Crosby and I couldn't do it justice. I just keep going, WOW, this is fantastic hockey.
Inarticulate as hell, but there it is. Sorry to see the season end tonight, can't wait for the draft in two weeks.
Go Pens!
4 comments:
89 still ranks as the best ever, with 2004 a close second. 86 was pretty good too.
But exempting those years the Flames were in the Finals, yeah, this has been a pretty awesome playoffs;
- Crosby vs the Crosby Stopper (Crosby wins). We subsequently find out after the series that everybody in Philly requires surgery.
- The Blackhawks. Is Patrick Kane something else or what?
- Red Wings vs Anaheim. Total War. Ryan Getzlaf emerges as the heir apparent to Mark Messier - he's the complete package of physical dominance, intimidation and high-end skill.
- The Caps lose the first two at home to the Rangers and then win four straight to close the series out. Avery is officially the best player on the Rangers, Theodore is officially replaced, and Ovechkin is officially big-time.
- Bobby Lu. Best goaltender in the world, getting absolutely blitzed by the Chi-Hawks in the deciding game.
- The Flames managing to win two games and be competitive throughout despite a defense held together by spit and bailing wire, where AHL call-up (and potential waiver wire casualty) Anders Eriksson played 30 minutes in one contest, and rookies John Negrin, Adam Pardy and Matt Pelech fill out the top 6 in another.
- Eric Staal vs Martin Brodeur.
- Malkin showing the Capitals who the best Russian in the league really is.
- The boards in Detroit.
- Valteri Fillpula's Datsyuk impression.
- Daniel Helm's Kris Draper impression.
- The schizophrenia of Johan Franzen; 15pts in his first 11 games, but just 8pts in his next 11.
- Crosby vs Zetterberg (in Detroit)
- J Staal vs Zetterberg (in Pittsburgh)
- Osgood's redepmtion
- Hossa's agony
Yeah, its been a wild one all right!
And...in the end, Pens in 7! on the road over Detroit without Crosby for the last half of the game. Max Talbot the hero, Malkin the Conn Smythe and the Pens win the Stanley Cup!
and Hossa is contemplating suicide :)
One word for Hossa...
KARMA
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