If you love all sports, April-May is probably among the best times of the year. Baseball is in full-swing, the NFL Draft has everyone salivating - thanks to incessant coverage by ESPN for about six weeks prior and post-draft, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are going on.
2009 has seen some great playoff match-ups and series through the first two rounds. The Chicago/Boston series in the NBA was legendary (although the series would have been totally different if Kevin Garnett had been healthy for Boston), and the much-hyped Ovechkin vs. Crosby (i.e. Washington vs. Pittsburgh) series in the NHL has actually held up to the drama through six games. Also, the Chicago Blackhawks' series win over the Vancouver Canucks was extremely entertaining. If one likes fast-paced, up-and-down, NHL action, then the Hawks are your team. If you reside in Minnesota and are forced (I mean, lucky) to watch the Wild play their plodding style night in and night out, then watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is beyond refreshing. If you love playoff action, this is the best time of the year.
In the NHL Tuesday night, both teams facing elimination survived Game 6's, with Anaheim and Boston both winning and forcing decisive games.
The Bruins took it to Carolina in Raleigh on Tuesday, streaking to a 2-0 lead just over 5 minutes in and held on to bring the series back to Boston. The Ducks out-lasted the Red Wings and things got ugly at the 20:00 mark of the 3rd period, which saw all on-ice combatants exchanging blows, including such pugilists as Scott Niedermayer, Marian Hossa, and Pavel Datsyuk. Game 7 is in Detroit on Thursday.
Game 7 of the Washington-Pittsburgh series is Wednesday night in Washington. Check it out....it should be great. Me, I like the Pens in this one. The road teams have won the last two games in overtime, and I believe Game 7 will be no different.
In the NBA, Boston came back from 14 points down to beat Orlando thanks to a huge 4th quarter at home to take a 3-2 series lead. The Lakers killed Houston in LA to also take a 3-2 lead in that series behind my favorite NBA player, Kobe Bryant (I'm kidding, by the way....cannot stand the guy. Read this from Bill Simmons about the new Spike Lee "Joint," Kobe Doin' Work.). Denver can close out Dallas Wednesday.
Awaiting all this madness is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have only won both of their series 4-0 behind sick play of LeBron James. It's fun for me to watch the greatest all-around player of the last 20 years (that includes Jordan) dominate night in and night out. Hopefully, the time off will not get the King too rusty.
Sprinkle in a little baseball action, and April and May is a sports' fans' delight!
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