
Round Two started last week, I turn on a game and you just never know what is going to happen.
The last two teams to join the elimination club where the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.
The second round looks like this LA is against San Jose, Chicago is playing Detroit and in the east Original 6 team Boston is up against other Original 6 team the New York Rangers while the only Canadian Club left the Ottawa Senators are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the standings:
Detroit vs Chicago tied 1-1
Los Angeles vs San Jose LA leads series 2-1
Boston vs NYR Boston leads 2-0
and the PENS leads the SENS 2-1
Last night was the 1st time in the playoffs we have seen a game go into double overtime. Remember hockey fans in the playoffs 5 minute overtime and shootouts are a thing of the past. If a game is tied at the end of the 3rd period a complete intermission happens and then a 20 minute period begins. It is still sudden death meaning next goal wins. These overtimes become naibiters. Pucks off the posts, takeaways, penalties they have all the excitement of a Hollywood Blockbuster.
The Pittsburgh vs Ottawa game last night was fantastic. It was Game 3 and what some in the hockey world might call a "series changer" The Pens had a 2-0 lead in the series after winning games 1 and 2. Ottawa knew they had to win or their odds of making it through to the 3rd round were slim. It was a scoreless 1st period, At the end of the 2nd period it was a goal by Pens forward Tyler Kennedy that gave PIttsburgh the lead. The 3rd period, fun to watch but scoreless. Erik Karlsson was all over the ice trying to make something to happen. Jason Spezza was playing in his first NHL game since the start of the regular season. Spezza only played 5 games until a back injury took him out. It wasn't until Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with less then two minutes left in the 3rd that the tides changed. It was a "slash" to Matt Cooke's stick that sent Karlsson to the box. It was a debatable penalty. Cooke slashed Karlsson earlier and wasn't sent to the box. You can understand Ottawa's frustration. The comentators kept saying Craig Anderson, goalie for the SENS had kept his team in the game and all he needed was the reward of a goal by a teammate. It happened and it was beautiful. With Karlsson in the box I don't know if the Pens thought it was s shoe in but they let in a shorthanded goal. It was Captain Alfredsson to the rescue with the tying goal and 29 seconds left on the clock. Just like that it was a tie game. Ottawa had to kill the rest of the Karlsson penalty to start OT. The first OT passed. The 2nd started and with over 7 minutes gone Colin Greening found the back of the Pens net with a backhand shot. Game Over, Ottawa WINS 2-1 and we have a series people! Pens still lead the series 2-1 but Game 4 is in Ottawa so anything can happen!
Tonight the only game is between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. Check out both Alfredsson and Greening's goals in the videos plus if you need a quick recap of hockey lingo I have added an episode of Hockey Talk with Courtney below where I run down commonly used terms in hockey! Enjoy X