2010 NHL Playoffs Preview (Official Playoffs Thread)

Actually, this is MNSOTA. KC asked me to come over here and post this, since he can't access this board at school.

From the State of Hockey News:

Quote :

When people think spring is near they talk about the first signs of the new season being when they first see buds on the trees or the sounds of migratory birds chirping but I guess for myself the NHL playoffs were the sign to me that Spring is finally here. It also usually meant things were going to get real intense and real hectic in a hurry. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a brutal grind in every possible way. The first team to win 16 games in the post season earns the honor to hoist Lord Stanley's chalice above their heads but it too marks an end of an emotional roller coaster as well as it usually requires a heavy physical toll to be paid. The closest thing real, non-sporting example I can think of that can compare to how these players appear after winning 16 brutal games is that of a U-boat crew in World War II, faces battered and often pale in appearance with scruffy beards would make any player that advanced through the post season be a great extra for the Oscar-nominated film Das Boot.

For the fan, it often is a tumultuous time of emotional extremes where in one moment you feel complete exhilaration, incredible anger and rage over a missed call or a bad play, and then hopefully an emotional release akin to achieving nirvana when your team wins it all. If you're a fan of a Western Conference team like myself, the playoffs also means sleep deprivation and even after a multiple overtime game ends around 1AM you find yourself being almost unable to sleep because the adrenaline is still coursing through your body. Eastern Conference fans likely have no idea what I'm talking about until their team advances to the Stanley Cup Finals, but that isn't always a guarantee they'll find out just how taxing multiple timezones can be as evidenced by the last two Stanley Cup Finals where Detroit played Pittsburgh, two cities located in the Eastern timezone. While playoffs can certainly be fun they really can wear you out and sometimes a series loss by your favorite team is sometimes felt with more relief than grief. I know I felt that way when the Wild finally were swept in four games by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (which is what they were called then) in the 2002-03 Western Conference Finals. It was a raucous magical ride, but after forcing myself to watch game after game with 9:00PM and 9:30PM start times I appreciated being able to sleep normally when it was over. So with all the trials and tribulations that go with being a fan in the NHL playoffs, here is a preview of the Western and Eastern Conference quarterfinals as well as a prediction as to who will triumph in each. We will provide updates on this page as the first round is in progress. All games will be listed in Central Standard Time. Enjoy!

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