Sports Fans Missing Out On The Best NHL Playoffs In Years

We’re in the midst of the best professional sports postseason in years and the vast majority of sports fans are missing it.

Some have wasted their time watching the mind-numbing action of spring baseball, some still await pro football players and owners to stop arguing over $900 million, and some have inexplicably chosen to watch the NBA Playoffs over hockey.

My question is why? Consider:

• The NHL recently concluded a whirlwind stretch with overtime in 15 of 16 nights from April 19^th through May 4^th. The NBA hasn’t had consecutive nights with OT in its postseason. In total, the NHL Playoffs have featured 20 overtime games thus far, the NBA, four.

• With the Detroit Red Wings come-from-behind win last night, we’ll see the fifth Game Seven of the NHL Playoffs tomorrow night; the NBA Playoffs have had none.

• Detroit was down three games to none and forced a Game Seven, the second team to accomplish that feat this postseason and third in two years. No NBA team has ever done that.

• Much has been made of the miraculous play of Rajon Rondo Sunday night when he dislocated his elbow only to return to action moments later. Ask hockey players if they’re impressed. In the first round, Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green attempted to block a two pound piece of frozen rubber with his face after missing the second half of the season with a concussion. And he plays for a notoriously soft playoff team.

• The big off-court moral issue in the NBA this week came when LeBron James deemed a reporter’s question “retarded.” Sean Avery of the New York Rangers just released a PSA supporting marriage equality.

• The big villain and title favorite in the NBA is the Miami Heat, which imported stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh this summer to vault itself into title contention. In the NHL, all five remaining teams are reliant on homegrown talent that has played together for years.

• The NHL Playoffs have seen dazzling individual plays like David Legwand’s goal from behind the net, Ryan Kesler’s solo rush, and Nicklas Lidstrom’s lacrosse-style puck swat out of mid-air. NBA games are constantly stopped as players like Paul Pierce goad opponents into cheap fouls so they can score uncontested points from the free throw line.

The full support of the Worldwide Leader might capture the attention of America’s sports fans, but that’s not forthcoming. Those of us lucky enough to recognize how wonderful the NHL Playoffs have been will agree that there’s no way to put magic into words. You have to experience it firsthand to recognize it, and Game Seven Thursday night between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings is a good place to start.

Once Again The Flyers Failed To Acquire A Reliable Goalie And It Cost Them

The position of Philadelphia Flyers’ netminder has been a revolving door for over a decade, yet the team still hasn’t learned its lesson.

In last night’s Game Three loss to the Boston Bruins, Brian Boucher surrendered two goals in the first 1:03 of the game and the Flyers went on to lose 5-1 to push Philadelphia to the brink of elimination.

It was the sixth time in 10 playoff games that the Flyers switched goalies mid-game, and the inconsistency of Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky will likely force Philadelphia out of the playoffs early once again.

You’d think that by know the Flyers would have recognized that applying temporary bandages to a gushing wound doesn’t work, but this is nothing new. The Flyers have made the playoffs in 14 of the last 15 seasons, but they’ve had nine different starting goalies in the postseason during that timeframe.

This year Philadelphia relied on an erratic Russian rookie and a career journeyman backup to guide the team through the playoffs, and it cost them.

One instance of misguided faith by an organization in a player can be excused, but year after year the Flyers have entrusted inadequate men with the most important position on the ice.

Last year, the Flyers’ answer in net at the start of the season was a disgraced ex-NHLer that had experienced a brief revival in Russia. Philadelphia brought Ray Emery, the troubled ex-Ottawa Senator back to North America where he promptly succumbed to injury. The Flyers replaced Emery with Boucher and Michael Leighton, who had already been cast off by four teams. The duo split time and Leighton did an admirable job in the playoffs and guided the Flyers through the Stanley Cup Finals, but in retrospect his success may have been the worst thing for the Flyers because it reinforced the club’s notion that goaltending is overrated.

It’s true that in today’s NHL teams are investing less money in goaltending than ever before.

Many teams have enjoyed enormous success without having a big name in net, but the Flyers are clearly an exception to the rule. They’ve trotted out a seemingly endless list of unproven rookies, over the hill veterans, and unreliable foreigners, and have for years declined to acquire a legitimate star in goal.

Philly hasn’t exactly been shy about spending money on mercenaries during that time either. The Flyers have brought in high-priced players like Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger, Daniel Briere, Andrej Meszaros, and Scott Hartnell in recent years, and yet, the Flyers continue to neglect their own net.

Philadelphia’s refusal to acquire a top-flight goalie long ago became inexcusable. With the Washington Capitals’ eliminated, the Eastern Conference could have been the Flyers’ to lose this year and they could easily have won a Stanley Cup or two during the last decade. But the organization’s unwillingness to solidify the position has cost the Flyers repeatedly.

With some creative financial maneuvering this summer, Philadelphia will have another chance to remedy their only issue when Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Vokoun become unrestricted free agents. But if we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that Philly stubbornly refuses to admit its weakness. So there’s a strong chance next year’s absurdly deep Flyers’ squad will meet the same fate as this year’s, an early playoff exit thanks to inexplicable personnel decisions.

The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Are Missing Just One Thing -- Sidney Crosby

So far, the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been darn close to perfect.

In round one, four Game Seven’s were needed to determine a series victor. There have been nine consecutive nights with overtime playoff hockey. And yet, something is missing.

With the NFL’s popularity waning and an NBA lockout looming ahead, this is a huge chance for the NHL to pick up steam. But without its poster boy, that’s not going to happen.

Sidney Crosby is sorely missed.

And not just be Versus, which has put out night after night of good broadcasts, but by the game itself.

Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals stand a very good chance of beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Conference Semi-finals, but even if Ovechkin leads the Caps to the Cup this year, it will be tainted.

Ovie had clearly taken a back seat to Crosby, and without going through Sid’s Penguins, “The Great 8” will not have overcome his greatest nemesis. It will be like the asterisk that now is attached to the steroid-infused Boston Red Sox 2004 World Champion club.

It’s not AO’s fault, but most experts would agree that if Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were participating in these playoffs, Pittsburgh would never have loss to Tampa Bay and would be considered the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Crosby had clearly surpassed Ovechkin coming into the season – with an Olympic Gold medal, a Stanley Cup ring, and another Finals appearance, it wasn’t even debatable anymore. Then, Crosby got off to a jaw-dropping start that saw him post 66 points in 41 games.

Ovechkin’s Capitals beat the Penguins in Sid’s last healthy game of the season, but neither had much impact on the game.

The stage should have been set for a rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals, a chance for Ovie to vault himself back towards Crosby’s level. But No. 87 never arrived to save Pittsburgh in the Quarterfinals and so Ovechkin will miss his chance.

AO and the Capitals certainly have the most personal rivalry with Crosby and the Penguins, but anyone that wins the Cup this year will have also done so without facing the league’s best player, and perhaps its best team.

Like the 1994 NBA Playoffs without Michael Jordan, Crosby’s absence for the Penguins must be noted in the annals of hockey history.

It’s his time at the throne and anybody so lucky to win a title in the King’s absence should thank the Hockey Gods for showing mercy.