Just wanted to drop a few quick thoughts on the NHL playoffs that have been bouncing around my head.

• Biggest Disappointment - San Jose Sharks. Again. They can’t get it done in the playoffs, and that probably means a major overhaul in the offseason.
• Most Disappointing Series - Detroit vs. Colorado. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one excited to see the best rivalry of the last 10-plus years renewed in the playoffs. Granted, Colorado isn’t the same team that they were a handful of years ago, but I had still hoped to see the fire of the rivalry back. I’ve only gotten to watch bits and pieces of the series, but that hasn’t seemed to happen. Detroit has mostly controlled from the get-go, and the tension isn’t there.

It looks like the end of the line for the New York Rangers, in what may become the best four-game series that I can remember. I said in the middle of Game One that the Rangers had to leave Pittsburgh with at least one victory. Sure, the Penguins hadn’t won once in MSG all season, but with the momentum they’d have with a 2-0 lead, I could see them at least splitting the games in New York. Low and behold, the Rangers didn’t get that win, and now are looking up at a 3-0 series that is all but over.

Game One was crazy and back and forth, but the Blueshirts seemed to lose focus after they got the 3-0 lead. They’re passing in the second half of the game was bad and even though they didn’t seem to back off energy-wise, mentally they didn’t seem like they were on their game.

During Game Two my dread grew even greater. Regardless of your religious beliefs, if you watched that game you would have to think there was some greater power that just wanted the Ranger to win. Henrik Lundqvist stood on his head, and when he didn’t get to the puck, the Penguins botched the opportunity. To waste a goalie performance like that is to give away a game, and thats what the Rangers did. You can’t give away games like that in the playoffs. Just like that they went back to New York down 2-0.

Then Game Three proved me right. The Penguins jumped on top early, silencing the crowd for at least portions of the game and using their momentum to take away the home ice momentum. Then, lo and behold, after failing to take advantage of an uncanny performance by Lundqvist the game before, Henrik struggled and an outstanding performance by Jaromir Jagr went for naught. The Rangers were the better team…5-on-5. The man advantage proved to be the key, as the Rangers couldn’t figure out the Pittsburgh penalty kill, and they couldn’t stop the Penguin power play. Just like that New York’s season is on the verge of ending.

Now Sean Avery is gone for the rest of the playoffs, whether than means one game or more. Say what you want about Avery, when he plays for your team you at least accept him, if not like him, for his ability to alter games. He’s the kind of guy that can turn a game one way or the other, and with every game a must-win from here on out, he will be sorely missed.

So it looks like it’s all but over. Last night I fell asleep watching Game Six of the 2004 Eastern Conference Championship - the Mark Messier hat trick in a “guaranteed” win - to try to convince myself that, hey, the impossible can happen.

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