The 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have entered the second round, and much to my dismay, all of the Lakeland’s local connections have been ousted from the post-season.
It was surely a wild first round in the playoffs, and while our locals may have already entered the off-season, there are still some reasons to be happy.
St. Paul’s Kyle Brodziak, a forward for the Minnesota Wild, got his first taste of the NHL’s second season and even managed his first career playoff point in his series against the Chicago Blackhawks.
While Sheldon Souray and the Anaheim Ducks fell just short of the second round, dropping the series with the Detroit Red Wings in seven games, it was a chance for the Fishing Lake native to show that even at the age of 36, he still has what it takes to compete amongst the world’s best.
My team, and of course Stan Smyl’s own Vancouver Canucks, exited the post-season in an abysmal fashion, dropping four straight games to the San Jose Sharks for the team’s second first round exit in as many years, both at the hands of a lower-seeded opponent. Despite the lackluster performances and current goaltending conundrum, I’m still a fan, and I still remain hopeful for the future of the franchise.
If there is one thing that the first round showed us, it is that you do not need a connection to a team to watch some absolutely insane hockey, as many of us saw in the final minutes of Game 7 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins.
With less than 11 minutes until summer, the Bruins made history by becoming the first team to erase a three-goal deficit in the third period of a Game 7. While it may not have been the outcome some Canadians were hoping for, it kept the country on the edge of its seat, and will undoubtedly be talked about for years to come.
Now down to eight teams, I will continue to watch with eager eyes, even if the Cup will forever be listed in the history books next to an asterisk due to the lockout-shortened season.
While I have no real allegiance left in these playoffs, I will still be cheering for good hockey, and hoping to see some more unbelievable goals and heart-stopping comebacks, all while echoing the age-old Canucks mantra: “Next year.”
