Playoff time in the NHL is usually an exciting , passion filled event in North America. Fans of all teams meet at the water cooler on weekday mornings for a little longer, social media sites are overrun with up to the minute tweets and statuses, friendships are ruined and created over intense rivalries. For some teams however, a more panic filled experience is felt around the cities and areas supporting them.
Two teams come to mind with the second round now started, The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers.
Start with the Pens. A perennial cup contender since Crosby’s arrival in the 05 draft, eventually gaining hockey’s supremacy in 08-09. Sid the Kid lived up to his name , becoming the youngest ever captain to win a Stanley Cup, at the ripe age of 21. Although this team has their names etched in silver, one just isn’t good enough for a team as super star stacked as the 2014 Penguins.
With names like Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kris Letang and the aforementioned Sidney Crosby, fans in Steel City, and for that matter across the nation, expect a winning team every year.
Since their back to back finals appearance in 2007, 2008, this elite status team has failed to reach the finals, let alone see the Eastern conference finals more than once in that time. They’ve stumbled into the postseason numerous times, been close to elimination in the quarter finals vs less than great teams( New York Islanders and more recently The Columbus Blue Jackets) and their man in charge, Sidney, can’t seem to find the exceptional chemistry with line mates he so commonly does throughout the regular season. Not to mention their former 1st round draft pick goalie, Marc Andre Fleury, has yet to prove his worth, with a horrendous 3.55 GAA , 0.87 save % over the last 3 playoff appearances.
They need to regain composure and quick, heads could be on the chopping block and fans are getting antsy, awaiting a second Stanley cup since hockey’s golden boy Sid, was drafted.
The other team has to be the New York Rangers, and for very different reasons. The main being, over priced contracts.
Glenn Sather, NYR’s GM, has been known to, well, be very charitable. When it comes to negotiating contracts and reeling in the big name fish on the market. For example, Scott Gomez was signed to a 7 year contract worth approximately $7 mil a year. A king’s ransom for a peasant, whiff of an athlete.
Dozens of questionable trades, front loaded contracts and straight up bad moves, have been this clubs Achilles heel for quite some time. All-Stars have come and go in this organization, the total team salary has been the league high for years, all this has combined for a sure-fire failure each and every season. When you are able to reel in big names like Rick Nash , Brad Richards and most notably, Martin St.Louis, you should be competing with the best of the best. Something this New Yorks fan base is eager to see.
It just so happens that these two desperate franchises meet in the second round of the 2013-2014 playoffs. Fighting for a chance to play either Boston or Montreal, two original 6 teams who have experienced their fair share of Cup wins in their lifetime spans. A task no team would choose to go with as both squads are primed for stellar runs this spring.
Rangers and Pens fans will be on the edge throughout the entire series. Both sides will look for any advantage to exploit. It will be an absolute slugfest.
The Series is tied 1-1 as this weekend comes to a close, most likely meaning we will see another game 7 between division rivals. It’s still early but each team has shown it has what it takes to be sipping champagne from a silver trophy this June.
Can Pittsburgh break out of its short but excruciating playoff slump or will New York finally set Sather free of his countless mistakes and hoist Lord Stanley in just about a month. Only time will tell, and unfortunately not soon enough for both sides fans.
