I’m late starting this but I hope that I’m not the only one here watching the games this year!
My Leafs, who have surprised us all season, continue to do so in the playoffs. The three games so far against the Capitals have all gone to OT. To be honest, I was not expecting the excitement in these games. We have a team full of extremely talented rookies but, in the rebuilding process, you don’t really even dream about being up 2-1 over the team who had the best record in the league. It’s true, though, that the playoffs are a new season.
The biggest surprise has got to be the Predators leading the Hawks 3 games to none. That is one of the three 3-0 leads in the west, while only Pittsburgh over Columbus is the only dominant one in the east. I love watching all the games, even the teams that we don’t see as often here in Toronto.
I was at the game last night and it is such an inspiring experience. Thousands of people outside the arena, watching on a big screen. The restaurants and bars in the area are jam-packed, and with the Raptors in the NBA playoffs, they are making a lot of $$ this time of year, which is always a good thing for the city. Oh, and our transit runs past midnight! 
In San Jose , Caltrain has a special train that runs 15 minutes after the game, even if there are 5 OTs. Sadly, I fear that train will operate just tonight and not again this season. My Sharks are already down 2-1; I’m guessing to ibut is the last home game this season.
My son is happy that Detroit is not in the playoffs for the first time in his life.
A couple of years ago, a Toronto fan apologized to me at Fenway when the Blue Jays were leading the Red Sox by 14 runs. Canadians are so polite!
It’s nice to see the Maple Leaf fans having something to cheer about, especially if they can knock of the mighty Capitals.
CF, I am, too, afraid it will be the last day for that train. But keeping fingers crossed.
Ducks looking good over the Flames (3-0) after the Duck rally and Corey Perry’s OT goal for a 5-4 win after being down 3. Gotta love the end of game 1, though…
What happens when a Duck sits on a Puck? You win the game!!! Ryan Kesler gave new meaning to the phrase, “Sitting Duck” =))
For the first time in my life, my Wings are not in the playoffs. Part of me is sad but the bigger part of me says “GOOD! Now let’s shoot for winning the cup and not just making the playoffs.”
So… who to cheer for now? I cheer for Columbus as my secondary team, but that is going to be short-lived. Who next?
Keep that train running!!!
An interesting night! The three teams that needed to win manage to win (not a big assumption that the Sharks will win this one). Playoff hockey, you never know what’s going to happen on any given night. 
“My Leafs, who have surprised us all season, continue to do so in the playoffs.”
As a Bruins fan (I live in New England), I thought that we dodged a bullet in avoiding having to play the Capitals. However, Toronto has done very well. I am pleased to see some Canadian teams doing well in the playoffs. Hockey is after all a Canadian game, and last year not having any Canadian team in the playoffs was just not right.
I would like to see a US team and a Canadian team in the finals. At this point I couldn’t guess which teams are more likely to make it that far.
By the way, I quite enjoyed my visit to the hockey hall of fame in Toronto on my last visit to Canada’s largest city. It is well worth seeing for anyone who has a trip to Toronto. There was a guide working there who didn’t seem to have much to do, so I went up and chatted with him for a while. He was very knowledgeable and added to a great visit.
@DadTwoGirls I’m glad that you enjoyed the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s an interesting place for any fan of hockey. We are a big hockey family. I’ve been going to hockey games since I was 12 years old, in NJ, the old EHL Jersey Devils and then with expansion, the Flyers. My parents were friends with many of the people who started the Flyers and I grew up with two current NHL general managers. It’s a game that once it’s in your blood, it’s hard to get rid of it! Having lived in Toronto for most of my adult life, it has not always been easy to be a Leafs fan but the kids this year have changed things here. We have had season tickets for many years and often couldn’t even give them away. This year, everyone wants them. The team has made a committed effort at rebuilding, firing virtually everyone once Shanahan and Babcock arrived. I don’t think that even they expected the success that happened this year. It’s been fun.
Guess I was wrong about last night being the Sharks’ last home game of the season.
They had Jerry Rice opening the door to the dressing room when they initially came on the ice (it’s a ceremonial position). They got a touchdown for him.
Close but no cigar for our Leafs last night. Another one goal game. This has been such a great series.
Craig Anderson and NJ boy Bobby Ryan came up big for the Sens to put them up 3-1 on the Bruins.
Clean sweep for the Ducks for the first round! It’s good to have coach Carlyle back home after his stint with the Leafs.
@alwaysamom It’s probably a good thing for you, too, since you’re back in the playoffs after having a, well, let’s just say a not-so-stellar season last year. But you’re teams amazing performance amidst a rebuild year has been awesome 
Now, just waiting for the outcome of the Sharks vs the Oilers. Gotta root for my West Coast rivalry @“Cardinal Fang” as I do believe we have some unfinished business >:)
You bet, TooOld. I wanted the Ducks in the first round.
I would be deported from Silicon Valley sports fandom if I didn’t hate southern California teams. Perhaps you and I can come to an agreement about our opinion of the Kings, though.
@“Cardinal Fang” I would love to bash my Freeway Face-Off rival, but I’m not allowed to discuss the stinKINGS this year in my household as my wife and I are “house divided”, though she’s cool with watching the Ducks games with me as long as she gets to wear her Luc Robitaille jersey while clutching her Marty McSorley hockey stick… scary @-)
^^^^^ Okay, while we’re on the subject and my wife isn’t looking, in defense of the Kings, I find myself saying ??? when they fired Lombardi and Sutter for missing the playoffs twice in the last 3 years, all the while forgetting that the same duo made them Stanley Cup Winners twice in the 3 years before that. Short-term memory loss, I suppose…
Lombardi knows what he’s doing, but Sutter’s style of coaching has a shelf-life. He reached his expiration date.
Good luck to your Sharks tonight, @“Cardinal Fang” . I would normally cheer for the Oilers but one of my Ds is friends with Marc Vlasic and his wife so my fingers are crossed for them to do well. I know that last year was pretty devastating for him.
@“Cardinal Fang” And so he did. With them now canned, what do think of Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille being promoted to GM and Team President? They’re still looking for a new head coach.