Just about to settle down for the Pittsburgh and Washington game, which I think is must-see-TV for any casual hockey fan. I was talking to a buddy this week and asked have we ever seen a playoff matchup in our lifetime that has pitted the three best and most electric offensive performers in the league? It simply hasn't happened. Lemieux never faced Gretzky. I know you might list some other players, but I don't think anyone else matches the caliber of skill, charisma, and hype like Ovechkin, Malkin, and Crosby (for instance, Messier no doubt was a playoff performer and he had some great offensive years, but would you say that he got you excited with the skills that he exhibited? He was tough and scored great goals, but he is not on the same plane of talent of the three).
This match is hyped up and it should be. You should check out ESPN's Scott Burnside's article, a good read about this matchup, confirming what I thought about how the NHL has not had its Magic-Bird matchup ever. I like Washington's coach, Boudreau, saying that he likes the hype.
Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin all hate losing. Their regular season match-ups have been gigantic. To do this possibly SEVEN times. I can't wait.
If you haven't been falling the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics first round matchup, you have missed a classic. Again, I will refer you to ESPN's Bill Simmons, who captures how emotional of a rollercoaster of a ride the series has been. I thought Ray Allen was on the downside of his career after the last time I saw him live in Seattle. I was wrong. I knew Derrick Rose was something special when I saw him play in Atlanta. I was right. You need to check out Game 7 tonight if you used to be a NBA fan. This league is in a golden age. Look at the star power and how good these players are right now. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are singular forces of nature.
I would like to write more, but Sidney Crosby just scored and I have to get back to the game. This is a great time to be a sports fan. Go Blue Jays go.
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