Why Playoff Hockey Offers The Best Entertainment Value

One of the reasons why the NHL continues to grow in popularity, especially in television viewership is the excitement that continues to be brought to the game by a host of fantastic young stars.

While we have seen the tide turning for a few years now, it has not been since the mid-1980’s that the National Hockey League has had as many bonafide young stars as it does today!

Playoff Hockey

What’s more, the NHL playoffs offer hockey fans the chance to see these young stars perform at the peak of intensity and pressure. The best example thus far in the playoffs was, of course, Game 3 of the Penguins vs. Capitals series where both Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin scored hat tricks for their respective teams. But, there is certainly evidence of talented youngsters leading the charge in all of the series’.

Some of the most poignant examples are:

• Ryan Getzlaf, who is tied for the lead in playoff scoring, and Jonas Hiller have led the 8th seeded Anaheim Ducks past the President’s Trophy winning San Jose Sharks and at least to a six game series with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings.
• Cam Ward and Eric Staal have put the Carolina Hurricanes on their young, but capable, shoulders and carried the team past the New Jersey Devils and into a 3-1 series lead over the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins.

The Unlikely Hero

Adding to the already exciting story of NHL playoff hockey, it seems that in every playoff year, there emerges an unlikely hero of sorts.

Often, it is a young goaltender that emerges with a fantastic playoff performance, such as Cam Ward did in 2006 on his way to Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe honors. The same could be said for Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Tony Esposito among a few others.

However, the more unlikely heroes are those forwards whose names rarely mark the score sheet during the regular season but somehow when the pressure is turned up in the playoffs, manage to bring their game to new heights.

The Legend of John Druce

The most prolific example of such an unlikely hero is that of John Druce. In the 1989-1990 season Druce managed just 8 Goals and 3 Assists. But it was the playoffs that year when Druce made a name for himself, scoring 14 goals and three assists for 17 points in just 15 games. NHL Director of Corporate Communications, Mike DiLorenzo may have said it best for NY Ranger fans when he noted “That John Druce broke my heart”.

Last season’s unlikely playoff hero was undoubtedly Philadelphia Flyer forward R.J Umberger (Now with Columbus). Umberger notched 10 goals in last year’s 17 game playoff run with Philadelphia after scoring just 13 times in 72 regular season games for the Flyers.

Not to disappoint fans this season, the emergence of an unlikely playoff hero has come to fruition.

Jussi Jokinen of the Carolina Hurricanes was discarded twice by NHL teams this season and manged to score just 7 goals in 71 games split between Tampa Bay and Carolina. However, in just 11 playoff games, Jokinen has scored 6 goals – including 3 game winning goals and 1 game tying goal.

Of course, true hockey fans would watch playoff hockey without the unlikely hero stories or the emergence of a young superstar goaltender, but it is these stories that round out the entertainment value of playoff hockey, start water cooler conversations and deepen fan relationships with their teams.

Is there any better entertainment in the world than playoff hockey?

I think not.

I’ll Have An R.J McUmberger With Cheese

…And Supersize it!

If there was one player who contributed solely to the ultimate demise of the Montreal Canadiens’ season it was Philadelphia’s R.J Umberger.

Of course we should not take any credit away from the fantastic display of goaltending that Martin Biron displayed during the series. Biron was nothing short of phenomenal against the Canadiens (with a little help form his beloved posts).

Anyone who watched the entire series would also want me to mention that Alexei Kovalev was not as effective as he should have been. Although he did contribute some very clutch goals (see Game 1), he also gave the puck away far too many times with his “cutsie” cross ice passing attempts than most Habs fans care to remember.

Many Montreal fans have pointed to the fact that the Canadiens were the better team during the series. Habs fans will point to the several goal posts hit by the Canadiens and the “lucky” goals that Philadelphia scored that seemed to carom off every piece of a player’s equipment except a stick. They may also outline how Montreal outshot the Flyers for the entire series; all of which are valid points. However, when it comes to winning in the playoffs the old saying still applies:

“They don’t ask how, they just ask how many”

Interestingly enough, when Bob Gainey met with the Press yesterday, he said that a key strategy for the Canadiens would be targeting help at forward during the off season. I hate to speculate, but there is a certain Pittsburgh Penguin rental player that might be on the radar of Mr. Gainey.

Of course, that won’t help the fact that the Canadiens are not nearly physical enough up front…I guess that’s why I’m sitting here writing this and Gainey is a General Manager in the National Hockey League.

The One Hit Wonder

Each year in the National Hockey League there is a player who performs well beyond everyone’s expecations, including their own, and this season is proving to be no different.

I can remember a few players from my youth who used to step it up during the playoffs on a consistent basis. The most noteworthy of these playoff performers was none other than super-pest Claude Lemieux.

I would hardly put Umberger in a class with Claude just yet. He is more akin to the one-off playoff performances of a Chris Kontos or John Druce, who during 1989-90 season scored just 8 regular season goals, then exploded for 14 goals during the Capitals march to the semi-finals.

From time to time these one-hit wonder playoff performers seem to come out of nowhere to light up the scoreboard…the NHL’s own versions of Vanilla Ice .