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As the first round of
the 2014 NHL playoffs come to a close, tonight we are given not 1, not 2, but 3
game 7’s. This many games 7s in one
night has not happened since 2003 and one can only hope they live up the
hype. If the idea of 3 game 7s in one
night is not enough, I give you 7 reasons why you should be watching.
1.
The Sharks Blow another Season – 2014 was once again
the year the San Jose Sharks were going to win the Stanley Cup. They brought back the same cast of high level
scorers, tough guys, veteran defensemen, and a goaltender with a Stanley Cup
ring. The Sharks went up 3 games to 0
against the Los Angeles Kings 1 week ago and within this past week, have lost 3
straight games. Tonight they are trying
not to blow their season and lose game 7 at home to an LA Kings team who have
every intention of winning 4 in a row. Besides, I predicted the Kings in 7.
2.
Patrick Roy – The former goaltender and 2 time
Stanley Cup champion for the Colorado Avalanche looks to make his first game 7
appearance as a head coach. Still as animated
and crazy as ever, his stress level is at an all time high after his club gave
up 3 unanswered goals in the third period of game 6. If Colorado gets down early or a bad call
goes against them, look for Roy to lose it and bring some entertainment value
behind the bench.
3.
Henrik Lundqvist – I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again;
Henrik Lundqvist is not an elite goalie. He has been praised by analysts and writers
for years during the regular season and when the big games come, he is not reliable.
His stats are great in the regular
season and playoffs, but he is not stellar in clutch games (look at the Olympics
most recently). His confidence is shaky
after letting in 4 goals in 23 shots in game 6.
King Lunqvist loses this one.
4.
Minnesota Upsets The Avalanche – I’ll be the first to
say I was wrong thinking Colorado was going to roll the Minnesota Wild in 5
games. However, Minnesota’s veteran
players have risen up in the clutch games this series and the Avs are having
trouble scoring on the Wild’s third string goalie. My main reason Minnesota wins is the curse of
the 7 seed beating the 2 seed. Last year Detroit beat Anaheim and Ottawa beat
Montreal. In 2012, Washington beat
Boston who was a 2 seed. The 7 seed
beats the 2 seed more times than you think.
5.
Rangers Lose, Again - Look at any headline today and it
feels like déjà vu. The New York Rangers,
with 1 win left to clinch the series, are pushed to game 7, again. The Rangers are supposedly a destination city
where star players come from small markets to showcase their talents. However the opposite effect seems to keep
happening. Players do worse there than
their previous city. Rick Nash came to
New York to be the playoff goal scorer they were missing. He has 0 goals in the series. Flyers take game 7.
6.
The Fans – Let’s all be honest, we know fans get rowdier the
further their team gets in the post season.
No one fights when their team loses in the first round, but when a team
loses in the finals there’s a high probability police with riot gear are
waiting outside. Whether it’s because fans
know they are closer to a championship or because they drank just a little more
than they should have, the fans bring excitement to the game. Game 7 brings out the craziest fans and they’re
not afraid to show it. There was even a
brawl last night at the Flyers Rangers game 6.
7.
Because its game 7 – Any sports fan knows game 7 is when
you see the best performances by the best players. Game 7 for hockey is the pinnacle of any playoff
game in any sport. The crowd, the atmosphere,
the players and coaches, everyone involved in the game knows it’s do or
die. All three game 7s tonight could go
in either teams favor. That’s what makes
it special. Enjoy!
Don’t forget to follow me @EJ_Hockey_Post on twitter or my
Facebook fan page ericjhockeypost
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