Expect the Unexpected… let the GRIND BEGIN

Bobby Clarke's wife at Mummers Parade?

While these teams have to play out the season… the GRIND of the PLAYOFFS is about to begin and there really isn’t such a thing a first-round ‘powder-puff’ team. A stat that’s interesting except to us Flightless Birdie fans is that teams who lose in the Stanley Cup Finals don’t fare too well in their first series the next season. Of the last (11) Stanley Cups the ‘runners-up’ have …

combined to win a paltry one playoff series the following season. And, last season if you recall we whipped the Senators in round one who the previous season lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This is a long and a hard road and the Red Wings and Penguins have played over 200 games since the beginning of last season. I believe that their road is a tad longer and tougher than the other teams.

It takes 16 wins in a maximum of 28 games that are spread over approximately 60 days in April, May and June. For that to happen everything has to go right and as we all here know everything only goes right for one team.

This is what we do know… it’s not true that you have to have a winning streak of good games entering the playoffs as we once got knocked-for-a-loop by the Florida Panthers who won only 6 of their last 23 games on their way to the FINALS in 1995-96. Detroit only won 1 of their final 10 on their way to the 2001-02 Stanley CUP. So there isn’t anything magic. It truely is a brand new season.

The record favors those who finished strong over the last month but obviously that’s no certainty. That’s why EVERY SINGLE team of the 16 who qualified has a chance.

Last nights notes:

Over $100,000 was collected in donations for the Fallen Heroes Fund in an effort to help the families in the wake of the fatal shootings of three Pittsburgh officers. Donations made by fans, players, coaches and Pen’s management. For those who wish to contribute here is a LINK… Fallen Heroes Fund.
Individual awards – Malkin (MVP Three Star Honor) however, he got first star last night and maybe it should have went to Mathieu Garon. Godard wins 2 awards… voted as the Player’s Player and the Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award. Staal was the defenseman of the year and Orpik and Crosby shared the Good Guy (media co-operation award).
Malkin gets 2 assists – Ovechkin gets nothing (he’s afraid of Tocchet) and Malkin increases lead in the Art Ross race. It’s a 4-point lead and both have one more game remaining.
Satan put on re-entry waivers and will re-join the Pens by noon if not claimed.
Holy Penalty Kill… it’s great to see the killing off the two 5 on 3’s but giving-up those 5 on 3’s isn’t so swift.
Interesting observance of the night – Montreal scored 4 in the second period with Boston’s Tim Thomas in goal… then realized they want to finish with the 8th playoff spot so they can play Boston in the first round. The HABS own Boston in the playoffs.
The Penguins are holding a Beard-A-Thon where fans can grow a beard proceeds to the Mario Lemieux Foundation. An excuse not to pick up the razor. The Philadelphia FLYS are doing the same thing only it’s only for women growing beards.
Bobby Clarke's wife at Mummers Parade?

All of them FLYer woman can grow a better beards than Crosby!