Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs always feels like it starts in slow motion.
The chaotic two plus games a night and more highlights than any array of multiple screens can handle -- does this funny shift into teams we didn’t pay attention to because they didn’t have a hope of surviving Round One up against units with star power who suddenly look tired and unprepared.
This is where the war of attrition that is the Finals begins (or begins to show). We move from an “anything’s possible” excitement to a realization we’re into the long haul. It’s like starting that first rewrite or pulling out of Wawa for the West and accepting that it’ll be a couple of days before you see anything but trees.
But Round two is where the dependable regulars, the guys who make up a team’s backbone, come to the fore. This is where being a team player matters most.
This is where you pray the TV guys will STFU about Sydney Crosby not scoring and start talking about the guys who are.
That same sense of slow motion movement is reflected in today’s pool standings.
Todd Gordon slides barely ahead of Peter Wildman and Maurey Loeffler now shares 3rd place with Michael Foster, while about half the players are starting to bunch at the top.
But don’t let the slo-mo fool you. It lulls some into thinking there’s time for a nap or taking a one-game break to rest and that’s when goals come from unexpected quarters –- and the whole mood of the playoffs changes again.
Those assuming the pace has slowed might be playing golf by the next time we meet on Friday.
Cheer louder.
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