The NHL Playoffs are shaping up to be a beauty, with upsets galore and a lot of penalty minutes being logged. The biggest “upset” so far in my mind must be the Philadelphia Flyers holding a 3-0 lead (with game 4 tonight at home) over the Pittsburgh Penguins. This inner-state rivalry is extremely heated and the players are really showing the fans a good show with Cross-checks to the neck, a handful of fights and of course a few lamp lighters (there’s been 30+ goals scored in 3 games). Claude Giroux leads the NHL playoff race with 8 points and has shown that he is the real deal… so much so that 40 goal scorer James Neal had to try and take his head off and has officially been suspended for game 4. In the West, the L.A. Kings lead the Vancouver Canucks (the President Trophy winning Canucks) 3 games to 0 in commanding fashion. The 8th place Kings were in control of their division for most of the year but with a late surge by the Coyotes, the Kings had a tough straw playing their first two in Vancouver. Well, with incredible goal tending and some saucy moves by Brad Richards/ Anze Kopitar, the Kings are in charge of the series at home. Look for the Penguins to play angry tonight with the loss of 3 players due to suspension while Vancouver hopes to see Daniel Sedin back in the lineup. I’d love to see both series wrap-up early tonight!!
Tags: 2012, Daniel Sedin, game 4, Jonathan Quick, L.A. Kings, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Playoffs, Sidney Crosby, Vancouver Canucks