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The best of both worlds in playoff Hockey was on display last night as fans witnessed a suffocating one-nothing game that was not won until the last six minutes of play, three of which were in overtime, and a spectacular barn burner tied at six finalizing at 9-6.

New York scored first approximately seven minutes into last night’s matchup versus Carolina that held up until two and a half minutes remaining in regulation, and the Hurricanes played like the Carolina Light Breeze in the first two periods amassing 14 SOG six in the second period.

Clearly Carolina “decided” to play in the third period as they took it to New York limiting the Rangers offensive zone time which resulted in five SOG for New York over the game’s final 20 minutes of regulation and three in overtime.

Fans will gripe about not enough goals being scored in NHL games, well you get what you ask for and both teams combine for 15 goals as Calgary torches Edmonton for three goals each period for an impressive nine-goal outburst.

Edmonton did not answer back until down three goals for the period and wow did they ever, as Mr. Kane demolishes Mr. Ritchie along the backboards that allowed Mr. Barrie to make the pass to Mr. McDavid who does what he does best and scores.

Edmonton ties the game at six goals heading into the third period as the choking noose begins to tighten around Calgary’s neckline but the past nightmares of series loss dissipate as the Flames continue scoring to take another two-goal lead and the last score a Happy Net goal.

Round Two or the Stanley Cup Quarter-Finals or for modern fans, the Conference Finals have begun last night with Colorado pouring an avalanche of 54 shots at the St. Louis netminder that inflated the Blues save percentage and blocks statistic, and still this game went to overtime.

In a contest where numerous Colorado legit scoring chances were not cashed in, the Blues would have considered themselves lucky to get a loser point during the regular season but all for naught on the road in the first game of this playoff series.

No NHL playoff series was ever won in the first game or Toronto would have moved on after a dominating 5-0 win in the first game of the last round, this is something the Panthers can hang their skates on after dropping the first game of “The Battle for Florida”.

Two Eastern teams that should have and did win their opening rounds, Carolina and New York are ready to faceoff at seven o’clock this evening in Raleigh North Carolina where the temps are rising to 87 F today for fans to bask in before the teams hit the ice.

The Hurricanes are enjoying Aunty Raanta’s invaluable play as Mr. Andersen is out and New York’s twenty-something Mr. Shesterkin is having exemplary playoffs as well, so goaltending should not be an issue for either team.

Both teams seem evenly matched except for the goal differential which goes to Carolina and the Rangers one advantage is the now useless shoot-out statistic so this series will come down to the Hurricanes offense and the Rangers goaltending and everyone knows you cannot win nothing to something.

Prediction: Carolina in seven

The two remaining Canadian playoff teams are matched up and begin to play at nine-thirty this evening and Buffalo Winter’s favorite, the Calgary Flames are hosting the Edmonton Oilers and after more than a decade the “Battle of Alberta” is back with a very confident Flames fan base.

Prediction: Calgary wins in six

This season Buffalo Winter Hockey was invited to participate in a local NHL playoff fantasy tournament where six seasoned fantasy players recently held their draft.

The 11 positions required to fill:

6 Forwards

3 Defensemen

1 Goaltender (NHL Team name not goalies)

1 extra selection (any position)

The progression of elimination in a playoff fantasy tournament provides the fantasy player a demanding draft with a smaller roster/lineup and no opportunities for player movement making each draft selection of a player/team critical.

The strategies for this type of tournament vary between drafting superstars on a team that probably will not make the Finals or selecting decent to very good players on teams that likely will make the Finals, or going all-in on the team you think will win the Cup.

The “Second Season” begins tonight as the NHL begins the Stanley Cup playoffs with four contests featuring the defending two-time Cup champions, two games in Canada, and the NHL’s 60-goal man.

The Maple Leafs and Lightning have never met in the playoffs and as much stock is put into regular-season series play…most would agree the playoffs are indeed an entirely different season.

Toronto depends on its core of twenty-somethings and Tampa Bay depends on its core of thirty-somethings so the ice belongs to Awesome Matthews as well as the responsibility to lead his Leafs to the next round. Toronto in 6

Carolina opens the playoffs versus a team they owned during the regular season, has only lost eight Home games, and although their number one goaltender Mr. Andersen is not fully healthy there are no worries because Mr. Raanta has better numbers than Boston’s number one goalie. Carolina in 6

Minnesota is a feel-good story and a very solid team that has picked up a Cup champion goaltender and is endeavoring to get past a team that they have had a dismal record against during the past three seasons.

The Blues are still a very good team and it is possible the goaltenders will rule this series. St Louis in 6

In the series between the 11^th and 14^th teams overall the Kings and Oilers are evenly matched where the only telling sign statistically is the goal differential which is heavily in Edmonton’s favor and they have Connor McDavid. Edmonton in 6

The Buffalo Sabres ceremonial “RJ Night” was a special tribute to an esteemed announcer and the ceremony was heartfelt creating a raucous crowd that was near capacity and was also treated to a Buffalo win versus Nashville to begin April with a victory.

Any glance through a Buffalo Sabres Official Media Guide from the late 1970’s and you would of read that not only did Mr. Jeanneret provide radio play-by-play and/or color he additionally did the play-by-play announcing for the Sabres cable television broadcasted games.   

With the score 3-3 after the first period Buffalo proceeded to play a very solid and tight team defensive game in the second and third periods and scored the game winning goal in the second period as the Sabres went on to win the contest 4-3.

Buffalo’s April record 1-0-0 after going 8-3-3 through March has created the possibility of ending the season with an even or winning record, considering all this team has endured and to come out on top at the finish positively could carry over into next season.

One reason that Sabres games are entertaining are attributed to the insights of color analyst Mr. Ray a well respected Alumni member of the Buffalo Sabres whose personal anecdotes and observations of Buffalo’s teams and players both past and present can be informative and humorous.

The Sabres host the powerful Panthers from Florida tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock in a game where Buffalo looks to avenge their 6-1 drubbing from last month at the gloves of this same Panther team and then travel to Florida for a Friday Night rematch.