The Last Couple of Days

On Monday night, there was only one game to speak of, as the Boston Bruins looked to take both games out of Philadelphia and really have the Flyers by the short & curlies before they head back to Beantown.  The Flyers jumped out to an early start, scoring a pair early in the 1st, but before the frame was out, the Bruins had evened it up at 2-2, which lasted until the overtime period, where the road team pulled off the upset, 3-2, taking a 2-0 series lead.  For the Bruins, only David Krejci, who scored the winner, and Tim Thomas, who got the win, picked up 2 points for Boston's side of the pool.

On Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning were in a great position to really put the stranglehold on the Washington Capitals, as they took a 2-0 series lead of their own back home to the St. Pete Times Forum for Game Three.  The Caps looked to be in decent shape heading into the 3rd, scoring a late goal in the 2nd for a 3-2 lead, but they just couldn't hold it, giving up a pair in the 3rd, losing 4-3 and they now fall behind the 8-ball.  The Lightning spread the wealth in scoring, as Ryan Malone and Dwayne Roloson were the only two Bolts to pick up 2 points, while Alex Ovechkin picked up 2 points in the loss.

The late game on Tuesday saw the Nashville Predators play host to their first second round game in the playoffs ever, as the Vancouver Canucks came into town to continue what has been a very tight checking and good goaltending affair.  Game Three was no exception, as the two teams continued to play their game, close to the vest, trying their best not to give up the costly mistakes.  This game also went into overtime, with the score tied at two and it was the Canucks who were able to squeak one through and get the win, now leading the series 2-1.  It was a huge night for Ryan Kesler, who had 4 points for the pool in this one, while Christian Ehrhoff and Roberto Luongo each had 2 points.

Game-Winning Goals
David Krejci for the Bruins, Ryan Malone for the Bolts and Ryan Kesler for the Canucks, all good goals for the pool in the last couple of days.  These three goals over the last couple of nights has given us a new leader in the bonus points race, as Headfirst, now has jumped into the pool lead with 13 GWGs, but unfortunately, that hasn't helped his overall standing, as he is still a ways down in 47th spot.

Pool Leaders
There are a few teams really taking to these Conference Semi-Final match-ups, as three teams have the round lead with 40 points, with most series playing three games already.  Our pool leader, Superstar, 3rd place, Langdon River Dogs, and 6th place, Don't Call Me Ray, all are in the money hunt, thanks in large part to their big second round performances.  Superstar has opened up a bit of a gap, however, now leading the pool by 9 points.

Tonight's Games
Can't say that I saw this one coming quite so soon, but I had a good feeling about this happening when the match-up was announced, but the Washington Capitals were put behind the 8-ball on Tuesday night and they will have to work their way from behind it right away.

After losing a heartbreaker to the Lightning on Tuesday night, it will be interesting to see how Alex Ovechkin and company approach this crucial match-up against their division rivals.  The Capitals were programmed this season to become a more defensive team, leaving their free-wheeling offensive ways behind them for history to smile down upon them.  This may have been a bit of an oversight, as the Lightning have been programmed to be even more defensive and they haven't lost any of their killer instinct in the offensive zone in the process.  If the Capitals were to win at all in this series, I would think that they would have to open up the ice and really push the issue, otherwise they are just playing into Tampa's trap.

For the Lightning, it's business as usual.  They have been playing some great hockey, sticking to the system and getting some timely offense.  Frankly, a prototypical way of playing some great playoff hockey.  The Capitals have been able to turn on the red light, but the Lightning have been able to respond in kind and really clamp down on the Capitals.

There are also two other games going on Wednesday night, both games potentially 8-balling a couple of teams, if they are not careful.  The Bruins could put the Flyers behind the 8-ball tonight with a win, while the Red Wings could get snookered behind the black, if the Sharks have their way at Joe Louis Arena.  Two games definitely worth watching.