Thursday, April 03, 2008

NHL Playoffs are coming up and my Rangers are In!

Ok Hockey is a great sport.. Under appreciated in the USA, in Canada it is religion. My team the New York Rangers tonight clinched a spot in the NHL Playoffs. In terms of sporting events the NHL Playoffs could be the most intense, most passionate and hardest to win event out there. There is nothing like a Game 7 double OT game for your heart, after watching one of those in 1994 the famous NY Rangers vs NY Devils you don't want to ever see another one. In fact one of my greatest moments in a bar ever, was in Chicago at Stanley's bar where after a hockey game most of the Chicago Blackhawks team came in, hockey players are down to earth and fun to drink with. On this particular blackhawks team was Valeri Zelepukin who with 7.7 seconds left in said 1994 game 7 scored a goal that took the game to overtime. All NY Rangers fans at that moment hearts sank only to come back to life after Stephane Matteau scored in the 2nd overtime.

This year the Rangers have been slightly struggling going int the end of the season, but tonight's 3-0 win over the rival and hated NY Islanders cliched us a playoff spot. Hopefully our trio of old forwards in Jagr, Shannahan and Straka can give us the best of them over the 2 month Playoffs.

There are still some spots to be decided in the playoffs, and while Sydney Crosby will be there, one player I would love to see on a night-in night out basis would be Alexander Ovechkin. This year he has set the all-time record for goals by a LW with 65 and counting. The Capitals have an uphill battle to make the Playoffs with their last game of the season this weekend, they need a win and Carolina Hurricanes to lose one of their games. If you have not seen Alex Ovechkin and his highlight reel goals, check out this great compilation below.