commentary...

i have to give the San Jose Sharks much credit to tie their best of seven second round series,against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings,at two games apiece... even though i am not a fan of the Sharks(and i am not,seriously),they have grit that most teams this time of year have,and that is a very good thing,but now it is a best of three series,to move onto the Western Conference Finals,but unfortunately,if it goes seven games,two games of the final three games are in Los Angeles... there is an old saying that the series does not really start until a team loses at home,and neither has,in this series... there was some nastiness in game four in this series,so the team that stays out of the penalty box,will win this series... mark my words,because both teams have potent power plays,and whomever scores on the power play will most likely will win... both teams also crash the net,and the one who does it the best will win the series,and yet,both teams have team snipers to shoot the puck from long distance,and expect the goaltenders to be busy,and the best team will win,but never forget the odd bounce of the puck,and sometimes that decides the series,too... example,in 2006,when the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers beat the top seeded Red Wings,in the Stanley Cup playoffs,game five,that series,was decided by a deflection of the puck off the mostly reliable stick of captain Nicklas Lidstrom,over the Red Wings' goaltender,and won game 3-2;game six:Edmonton scored on a controversial power play goal,off the skate of Ales Hemsky,with 3:53,left in the third period,and then Hemsky doomed Detroit with another goal,with 1:06,left,to win game,4-3,and win series,four games to two games... i sat there,absolutely stunned,and heartbroken... that series still haunts me... for your information,Edmonton lost to the Carolina Hurricanes,in the Stanley Cup Finals that year... so before you celebrate,remember that it is a best of seven series,and it is tied at two games apiece...