The Detroit Red Wings, the #1 seed in the Western Conference* and hockey’s best team during the regular season, were eliminated from the playoffs last night by the #8 seed Edmonton Oilers. The Red Wings led the series 2-0, but lost four straight games to fall in 6. They also led last night’s game, 2-0 at the start of the third period and 3-2 with four minutes left… but still managed to lose, 4-3. The Oilers are the seventh #8 seed to pull a first-round stunner in the NHL, and the first since 2002.
Kevin at Bfloblog writes: “I like Edmonton, and they seem like the kind of city that Buffalo would get along with.” Heh. Them crazy Albertans probably spent all night oot at the bars celebrating, eh? :)
Tonight: the Eastern Conference’s #4-seeded Buffalo Sabres try to eliminate the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of that series. In anticipation of which, Becky offers the Top Ten reasons Philly is going down. Gametime is 7pm.
Meanwhile, in the NBA, the #6 seed L.A. Clippers beat Carmelo Anthony and the #3 seed Denver Nuggets, 101-83, to win the series in 5 games — the Clippers’ first playoff series victory in 30 years. (They were the Buffalo Braves back then.) If the #7 seed Lakers, who lead the #2 seed Phoenix Suns 3-1 thanks to Kobe Bryant’s heroics, can win that series, the Clippers will face the Lakers in a Battle of L.A. in the second round. Heh!
*Since when is Detroit in the “west”?
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Categories: NHL Hockey, Sports
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May 2nd, 2006 at 12:38:54 pm
Well, hemispherically…
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:19:10 pm
[UN Moderator]: “Mr. American Ambassador, what say you?”
[American Ambassador, straightening tie and clearing throat]: “F*ck Candada!”
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:38:01 pm
Actually, the NHL’s confrences work out geographically, it’s just that the NHL is so heavily concentrated on the east coast. Even better than Detroit being in the West is that Columbus also is in the Western confrence.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:49:20 pm
Aha. Brendan my man, you hit on the best topic of discussion. Why is Detroit in the West? They get shafted every year. No other team in the playoffs suffers the travel schedule the Wings do from round to round.
Is that the reason they lost? No. They lost because they were terrible the entire series. But it’s a great point.
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:35:34 pm
GO SABRES!
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:05:54 pm
The Red Wings led the series 2-0, but lost four straight games to fall in 6.
Actually, the Wings won game 1 and game 4.
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:36:41 pm
Detroit’s not the same since what’s-his-name retired from coaching. Scotty Bowman was it?
May 2nd, 2006 at 9:19:39 pm
Kevin at Bfloblog is right! I was thinking the same thing. “You know, those Edmontinos seem like the Buffalonians of the West.” I’ve always sort of pulled for Edmonton for some reason. It’s weird.
May 2nd, 2006 at 11:54:54 pm
I like the idea of the battle for LA. Also, who would have thought the the Clippers would win their series first?
I mean, if the Clippers and the Lakers are in the playoffs, one would assume that the Clippers would have a harder time getting in, no? But having them WAITING to see if the Lakers will play them . . . very weird.
Also very weird: the fact that they both play at the same facility. So its a seven game home series for each team, really. How’s THAT for rivalry?
And isn’t Buffalo in Canada yet? Tim Horton’s penetration seems to have reached a breaking point for me. ;)
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:44:47 am
Does Marchant still play for Edmonton?