There's no doubt in the minds of all hockey fans that the first round of the NHL playoffs far exceeded expectations, at least in the excitement factor.
With seven of the eight best-of-seven series reaching at least a Game Six, the playoffs have been packed with must-win games late in the series. Those wins have also often taken a bit longer than the 60 regulation minutes, as an unbelievable 12 of the 47 first round games went into overtime.
The first round was also packed with some terrific feats: the Penguins-Senators triple-overtime Game Five, Brian Boucher's .940 save percentage and 1.44 goals-against dueling with Martin Brodeur, Alexander Ovechkin's four-game goal streak, Tom Poti's +9 rating in a series, Chicago's shorthanded game-tying goal with just over 10 seconds remaining in regulation, and, of course, the Canadiens unbelievable, unconcievable upset of the Washington Capitals last night.
However, unfortunately, there were also a fair share of disappointments in the first round, whether that be by series, teams, or players. Whether it be the decline of a favored team, an unproductive series by a key player when his team needed it most, or a simply out-of-the-blue happen ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Jones
2010 NHL Playoffs Bracket: 10 Disappointing Things About a Thrilling First Round
April 29th, 2010 by Mark Jones Leave a reply »
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