Playoff Hockey

I'm not a brilliant hockey mind.  I've never played it; in fact I'm a horrible skater.  I can't imagine trying to also pass/defend/shoot.  I learned that I would never play hockey as a ten-year-old.  The family was at the local park's outdoor rink.  I was trying to skate, and I was managing to stay upright.  But then a tiny five-year-old came on the ice and skated circles around me.  Despite not knowing the intricacies of a back-check, I appreciate the sport.  I understand icing, and I remember when the NHL legalized the two line pass and the impact that had on Marion Gaborik's game.

The Stanley Cup finals are underway.  Game 1 went three overtimes before the Blackhawks won on a freak shot.  Game 2 is currently in the first OT, but the goaltending has been amazing. I wouldn't be surprised if we go into the second OT.  Check that.  The Bruins just won in the first OT.  Beautiful goal over the glove hand and just underneath the crossbar. 

I'm much more of a football fan, but I think that playoff hockey is the most intense playoff experience in American professional sports.  There is pageantry, drama, violence, speed, skill, intensity.  There are even playoff beards.  Another reason I can't play hockey.  At the end of it all, no matter how dirty the play on the ice has been, before any celebration, the players shake hands.  This is the most profound expressions of sportsmanship and class.  The ability to look a toothless man in the eye and thank him for a great series, even if he just cross-checked you before the final whistle.

Since the Wild is out, I'm cheering for Boston. 

Go Bruins!