dougieg93

"Send them Craig! Again!"

United States, NJ • United States • 45 Years Old • Male

The most wonderful time of the year...

Here we go! Two months of intensity not shown anywhere else in sports. The playoffs are what separate the men from the boys, the true fan from the casual fan. I tried to explain to my wife what the NHL playoffs are about. Now, my wife is a hockey fan. She has been to games with me and thanks to NHL Center Ice, she watches many games with me. She gets intense when games are on but she has no idea why. In fact, she has this mental block where she thinks Anaheim is a team in Canada. It is not her fault. Her father and brother are not fans. They are not even casual fans. John Buccigross' last article captured what the playoffs are for the true fan. I had my wife read it. She said she understood, she doesn't. Someday she will, but not yet.
Anyway, being a Flyers and Leafs fan, my heart is broken. Saturday and Sunday where two of the craziest days of my life. Absolute joy after Saturday nights Learfs-Habs classic. Absolute fear until .8 seconds were left in the Devils-Islanders classic. Absolute dejection after Dubielewicz poked the Leafs out of the playoffs. What a roller coaster I rode for 20 hours.
The matchups for the playoffs are interesting to say the least. Who can I put my loyalty behind to win the Cup? What would be the best possible Cup finals matchup? I personally would love to see a Penguins-Red Wings final. Old vs. Young. History on both sides. Crosby against Chelios. Malkin against Lidstrom. Hasek against Staal on a shorthanded breakaway.
Wake up hockey fans and get ready for the most wonderful time of the year.