Man, it sucked to be a number one seed in this year’s playoffs. Three of them made it out of the first round, but none of them will continue to the third. Which is great news, if for no other reason than I love seeing the powerhouses stumble. It’s probably a British thing… if we can’t have an empire, no one can.
But whatever.
The Battle of California has been decided for this season! Megalodon and the San Jose Sharks bowed out in rather ignominious fashion in the first round, and Jer and the Mighty Ducks capitulated last night, leaving Dunn and the Kings as the last ones standing.
How bad was the game last night? Well, Anaheim Calling could think of only one way it could have gone worse. On the flip side, the Kings have now crushed the dreams of both the Sharks and the Ducks this playoffs, both times coming from behind, and both times winning it all on the opposition’s ice. Brutal.
Can they take down a somewhat lackluster Chicago team though? Are the Blackhawks going to step it up this round? Will the West dominate the East when the time comes? Find out soon. The NHL Conference Finals start today!
(That’s what’s known as a teaser, by the way)
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The Texas Stars got off to a good start last night, but let a 2-goal lead evaporate in the second period. However, Chris Mueller came to the rescue in overtime, and the Stars took a 3-2 lead in the series. Crucially, the win came in Grand Rapids, and so the Stars have a chance to close out the series in Cedar Park on Sunday. [100 Degree Hockey]
Remember that awful article a couple days ago about how the Canadiens don’t deserve any respect? The Habs’ SB Nation blog takes a look at that, and other comments from national media, after their victory over the Bruins. [Eyes on the Prize]
Moving on though, the Rangers-Canadiens series starts today. [Blueshirt Banter]
More playoff hockey bets? Of course. This time it’s Jimmy Fallon and the Montreal Canadiens. [NHL.com]
The USA needed an overtime winner from American hero Seth Jones to beat… Kazakhstan? during group play of the World Championships. Quite important, as the USA lost to Latvia in their previous game. Yeah, I don’t get it either. [USA Today]
And France lost a close one to Sweden, falling 2-1. That Stephane da Costa kid is looking pretty good though… [IIHF]
So the Defending Big D comment thread on the “Lucic-Weise handshake line” can’t really be topped, but Down Goes Brown weighs in on the debate anyway. [Grantland]
And lastly, another Puck Daddy roast! This time it’s the Bruins who burn. [Puck Daddy]