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NHL Playoffs -- The Devil Made Me Do It

Written by

Published on May 25, 2012

Just a few things that caught my eye ...

Yes, it's possible to bruise your boys -- just ask Adam Henrique. But it's nothing a bag of peas during intermission followed by a series-winning goal can't solve.

Soft and one-dimensional? Not this Russian. Ilya Kovalchuk laid the body and did the dirty work in the corner to set up the Game 5 winner. Then in Game 6, he did the heavy lifting (and hacking) in the kitchen to set up another winner. You think he appreciates the merits of playing a 200-foot game? Maybe he and Alexander Ovechkin should 'chat.'

Speaking of Kovy -- guess who's leading the NHL in postseason scoring. Yup. Someone has finally passed Claude Giroux, the guy who needed surgery on both wrists after his playoffs were done. What's that say about everyone else?

Is it me or does Ryan Callahan really know how to use his feet?

How much do you think Martin Brodeur savored this victory? After all, he was between the pipes -- and lost -- 18 years ago today when Mark Messier delivered on that now infamous Game 6 guarantee. BTW, Adam Henrique was four at the time.

Henrik Lundqvist did his part, but did anyone else? After his mates scored four goals in Game 1 of the opening round, they potted two goals or less in 13 -- yes. 13 -- of the remaining 19 games. That's simply unacceptable, even when you play a defense-first system.

For all the kudos that Dale Hunter got for getting the Caps to play 'serious' hockey, did anyone notice he didn't get them any further in the postseason than Bruce Boudreau did? Just saying.

Taylor Hall, the Windsor Spitfire voted most likely to succeed. Adam Henrique, the former Windsor Spitfire who actually has succeeded, at least if you measure by Stanley Cup final appearances. Who'd have thought?

Painful thought? We were two wins away from a John Tortorella -- Darryl Sutter Cup reunion. That duo put us to sleep in 1994, a seven-game series where there was NEVER a lead change. Never. Phew.

Hind sight is always 20/20. But I wonder what Rick Nash looks like in the Rangers' rear view mirror. I hear things always look closer there than they actually are.