As the Stanley Cup Finals wrapped up in Philadelphia last night, we in the television viewing audience got to witness another in a long series of disgraceful acts by Philly sports fans.
With Game One finished in 7 of 8 Conference Quarterfinal Series, NHL audiences have already seen what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs the premier event in pro sports.
The Avalanche blocked shots, scrapped mightily for pucks, matched the physical Sharks hit-for-hit all game long, and rolled their 3rd & 4th lines with the same regularity as their 1st & 2nd lines, especially in the first half of the game. Only 4 of 18 Colorado players failed to log a shot through this total team effort.
The top-seeded Sharks play incredibly well in San Jose, and the Colorado Avalanche will need to find a way to win a close game at the Shark Tank to steal the series. For all the Sharks’ regular season success in San Jose, playoff demons lurk there as well…
The Vancouver Canucks matched the Colorado Avalanche goal-for-goal through three periods of hockey Tuesday night. But it was the Avalanche fighting for their playoff lives, and Colorado brought the fight to the Canucks’ doorstep early and often.
The Avalanche had their chances, moving the puck well, attacking with speed through the Neutral Zone, and generally controlling the flow of play. However, Colorado simply failed to convert good scoring chances into goals throughout the game.
This game was a battle for 6th & 7th in the Western Conference, and both teams knew it. Los Angeles & Colorado came out to play, with the game featuring lots of give ‘n take play to go with tit-for-tat scoring.
With the way Sidney is racking up hockey hardware (enough to grace a neighborhood worth of fireplace mantles), and logging memorable moments (the 6-disc Blue Ray collection will sell for $887 in 2022) it’s only a matter of time.
For the Canadians & Americans, the NHL-sized rink is a major advantage. Against each other, the game will look very much like an NHL All-Star game, separated into Canada vs. United States, and played like the 7th Game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Should be exciting.
The Predators are going to be hungry and on home ice in this matchup, and the Avalanche will have to work very hard for any in-goal real estate.
