Game 2: Post Game Thoughts

After what I would call good hockey by both teams during regulation, the real fun began in OT. Never a team to disappoint, the Ducks have made OT a familiar word in their vocabulary. It didn't take one, or two but three over times for the Ducks to beat their playoff rivals. I for one love this kind of hockey. This is the kind of hockey that romances new fans! Its the kind of hockey where you separate the flash in the pan teams from the championship caliber ones.

As I stated in my pregame blog, the Ducks were going to have to come out and battle like never before and play like an elite team. I say that because that hasn't been a word most people would associate with this team pre-trade deadline. Tonight, we saw glimpses of that team. yea sure, I would have loved to see Teemu make another OT turn over goal and win the game....but that wasn't going to happen today. Sure, it would have been nice to see Bobby Ryan come alive and score his first playoff game winning goal in OT, but that wasn't going to happen with his poor showing today. Instead it was the "foot soldiers" (hayzyism) that came through and won the game, with I think, the least threatening shot on goal the entire game. I loved watching the Detroit bench sucking in oxygen, wondering why their super powers weren't working. I loved how the Ducks kept coming at them like Rocky and Apollo Creed in Rocky's 1 and 2!

I think that the Ducks and Detroit have become an elite playoff rivalry for the past 6 years that might become a thing of legend. Remember back in 2002-2003, the Ducks and Wings played in another multiple OT game much like today with the good guys coming out on top as well!

Game 3 is Tuesday in Anaheim, and more importantly we split the series in Detroit. The series is now 0-0, and a best of 5. Anything can happen in the playoffs, especially upsets. Remember this Ducks team is a hard team to beat in a seven game series, ask Joe Thorton.