First round of playoffs

The first round of the playoffs is underway and I must admit something here and now. When I watched the Olympics and the game between U.S. and Canada, I thought I had seen the best hockey being played this year. I was wrong. The best hockey is being played right now, and appropriately enough, it is during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I made some predictions early on and said that the west would produce a bruised and beaten team, allowing the east to come in a swoop the cup away. I am wrong again! Every game that is being played right now is a battle, and feels like a game seven! Just look at the series right now on both the east and west. If the trend continues, every series will be tied one game apiece!
There have been many surprises thus far and many not so surprising things as well. The first surprise has been the performances of the goal tenders. This year seem to be a season plagued with goalie problems for various teams, but right now the goalies are standing on their heads. I am a bit surprised and not surprised at the television coverage of the games. The game are on Versus right now, and one would think with the poor coverage of the Olympics by NBC, Versus could have seen how not to cover hockey. I don’t like the idea of missing one and in some cases two periods because of how the games are stacked. The NFL does not preempt their playoff games with other games already in progress. The NFL books individuals slots for each game so people can watch the games in their entirety. Now I understand the NHL does not hold the same clout as the NFL, but come on people, I think the NHL has paid for its own lock-out sins already.
Finally, not surprising at all is the level of skill and intensity the playoffs bring out in an NHL player. As the first round continues later today, some teams will take a 2-1 lead, while others may even up the series, or find themselves on the bubble. Whatever happens today and next week, the best thing about it is that there is three more round to go! Can you handle it? I sure can!
My predictions
Yotes in 6….Washington in 6……Vancouver in 6…….Chicago in 5…….Colorado in 7…….Buffalo in 6………Penguins in 5…..Philly in 7