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Playoff Observations -- Monday

Just a few things that caught my eye:

  • A concussion led to a Carolina loss. Hear me out. Matt Cullen pulled up as a hit arrived and pitched the puck over the glass instead of out of the zone. Man advantage Pittsburgh and a 3-1 lead. He heard footsteps and flinched -- he needed to take the hit and get the puck out safely.
  • Marc-Andre Fleury should have been sentenced to two years less a day for the kind of heists he pulled off, particularly with that glove.
  • I'm used to bad line changes in beer league hockey but WTF happened to the Canes on that second goal? Ya, the Pens are fast but that was a gift.
  • Awesome game. There were just two mistakes all game long and they determined the outcome. Cullen's brain fart was number one and Cam Ward's wuff on the subsequent goal was the other. Otherwise, it was a complete saw-off.
  • What is it about the Canes and the last couple minutes of hockey games? No wonder they're "affectionately" called the Cardiac Canes. They get within one with 1:26 to play and get three glorious chances before the siren went. This is going to be some kind of series.
  • Heard one of the on-air hosts say it and I have to agree -- this series will be decided by Evgeni Malkin. Good or bad. I like to watch him early in the game -- you can pretty much tell right away if he's "on" by the way he handles the puck. If the puck is on a string, he's going to be golden. If he's handling it like it's C4 explosive then don't even bother. It's been on a string for four straight.
  • Speaking of C4, I'm going to miss 24. Over-under on cougar girl's last -second stem-cell therapy saving poppa Jack Bauer, allowing him to live to not only save another President but letting him hear the word "grandpa" for the first time? He'll be back, says Arnie -- oops, wrong genre.
  • Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Cole may not have many points between them but they're the two Canes who consistently apply coarse-grit sandpaper to the opposition. Looks like high ankle and knee ligaments, respectively. Matt Cooke may be in for a suspension but Adam Eaton won't. Both were equally sketchy but so is NHL justice. But I digress.