Which is what makes it inherently superior to all other methods of determining the champion of a team sport, aside from it being attached to the NHL.
Woot! GO STARS! Nice, tight, fun game. Great playoffs debut by Heiskanen, and generally the low scoring playoff struggle expected between these teams.
The Sharks skated well tonight and won 5-2. This is going to be a good series.
Indeed, he was enjoyable to watch, and as the colour commentator noted, he’s impressively composed; plays with a cool head in tight situations; fine hockey IQ (what you do away from the puck, offensively and defensively, among other strengths that are not quite as tangible as the much more easily observable shooting, passing, hitting, etc.).
So, what did happen there? I watched the first period, and the Lightning were dominant. I assumed it would be 5-0 or 7-1 or something by the end. Then, I switched to the Islanders game and sometime in the third period, the announcers said that Columbus won. I had to see for myself! Anyway, did TB fold? Did Columbus come on strong?
The NYI-PIT game was fun to watch. The Isles got the puck past Murray 5 times, although one was rightfully called back on an offsides. However, Martin being offsides didn’t affect the play at all. Good call, but they really did get past him 5 times, which is unusual for the Isles. The local commentators were complaining about some missed holds and tripping done by Pittsburgh and a really iffy call against Anders Lee for boarding. I’m curious about whether the national commentators said anything – Butch Goring isn’t the most neutral color guy (he’s the second most :D). Any comments about that from the national broadcast?
Vasilesky just let easy pucks go through. Obviously, no shot is “easy” in the professional level, but they weren’t even goals based off of really good puck movement or anything like that, just straight shots that he let go through. The Columbus goalie also settled down a lot and their defense tightened a whole bunch.
I thought Tampa looked way too complacent in the third, losing too many individual battles in the corners and along the boards, and Vasilevsky coulda kept out a goal or two, but not this beauty, as David (no, not Denis) Savard made one of the best defensemen on the planet (Hedman) look foolish, and then poping one high blocker.
Interesting: don’t know if I can think of any other regional colour dude who regularly covers the team he used to pay for. (Mickey Redmond and the Wings, I spose)
ETA: oop - ninja’ed by Sir on Tampa.
Missed edit window on another ETA - actually looking at the Savard goal again, I thought that looked very strange how Hedman almost turned away from Savard, to (quite unconvincingly) make it look like he was deked out of his cup. Extremely half-assed looking, to say the least.
Weird.
I think Ken Daneyko and Chico Resch do the job for the Devils, and they both played for the Devils. (It was easier to find this for the Rangers, but I think I got it right).
Nah.
I like to pretend I’m knowledgable about hockey, but I’ve only really followed it (lightly) for the past 3 years or so (definitely aided by my local-ish team being very good). I don’t know the ins and outs of the game at all. Your explanation was welcomed.
Ah yes, and then there’s Rob Ray doing colour with his former team in Buffalo, and former Flyer Kieth Jones doing colour in Philly, so maybe not as rare a thing as I thought.
Thanks! But no reason we can’t tag team on it!
At first I misspelled popping as “pooping” and thought ok that’s not gonna work, and then I get all papal about it.
The Leafs just played a perfect game: absolutely perfect.
If you’re watching CBC for the Calgary- Colorado game you’ll note that Cassie Campbell is the colour commentator, and she is great.
ETA: Very knowledgeable.
It’s been a pretty good first game for most of the road teams.
Are you changing your prediction of Boston in 6?
(BTW, I have absolutely no position on this, just asking. Always interested in knowledgeable predictions about the Leafs.)
After tonight? Yeah. I think the Leafs can actually do this. Fingers crossed, and all.
Except Vegas. Which is fine by me.
Grrrr…oh well, it was only the first game. 
It should be a very good series.
Not exactly the result I wanted ,but not bad for being out of the playoffs for 10 years. Plus Svetchnikov scoring 2, and getting chippy with Ovetchkin was nice.
Previous Caps teams would have blown that game. Most of the current roster has been playing together for a very long time. They are going to be a very tough out.