The NHL playoffs are finally here. In their last year of a television contract with Versus, the NHL will be putting its young stars on center stage in the hopes of goading another network to possibly invest in their product. The NHL has come a long way since its previous contract with ESPN. The influx of young super stars in cities where hockey matters and the resurgence of old rivalries had made playoff hockey must-see TV again. Penguins-Capitals and Bruins-Habs is sport at its finest. These teams legitimately hate each other and you can see it on the ice.
Out East, it looks like it is Washington's to lose however their previous playoff collapses loom big as Ovechkin hopes to break through and win a Stanley Cup like his rival Sid the Kid already has. Out west, an interesting 1st round matchup as the 8-seed and defending champ Blackhawks take on a stacked Vancouver Canucks team. Not your typical 1 vs. 8 seed pushover for Vancouver but they are playing great hockey and look to be the favorites. Oh yeah, and we get Bruins-Habs in the first round. With all of the Zdeno Chara drama from earlier this season, emotions will be running even higher than usual.
If, like most of America, you are a casual hockey fan, the great thing about the NHL is you can start tuning in tonight and its like you've been watching all year. If nothing else, it is refreshing to watch a great game played by the most down to earth athletes on the planet. Here at GM, we also love the playoffs because it gives us an excuse to post the video of Terry O'Reilly going into the stands. Enjoy.
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