response 51 of 141:

May 7 22:21 UTC 2002

Man, that's a dynamite series.  Game 3 was just fantastic, finally being a
close game and all, and those San Jose fans are always in on the action.  It
was terrific hockey, and I look forward to game four only slightly less than
Detroit's Game 3 tonight.  I hope the Wings win, of course, but everybody and
their mother believes that St. Louis will keep the series interesting with
a win tonight.  I expect Detroit to look flat.

response 53 of 141:

May 9 03:14 UTC 2002

The Leafs won, and the Sharks and the Avs (playing as I type) are still
putting on a show.  It's not quite as wide-open, but it's still fairly
frenetic, with a lot of good scoring chances (and some more curiously quick
whistles by the refs)

response 55 of 141:

May 9 17:39 UTC 2002

No way of telling at all, which makes the decision to waive the goal correct.
There's a strong possibility that if they did, it was pushed in by hand
anyway.

response 57 of 141:

May 10 04:08 UTC 2002

Montreal jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period of game four at 
home, essentially sealing the series with Jose Theodore in net.

Except a funny thing happened--no-name Carolina stormed back into the 
game with three goals in the third and won it on a flukey goal in 
overtime to tie the series at 2 going back to Carolina, with Arturs 
Irbe (the guy you want) in net for what appears to be the duration of 
his good play.  Shocking game, one of the most incredible comebacks 
I've see all year with Carolina's entire season essentially on the line 
and no reason at all to believe that they could score ONCE, much less 
four times in 20 minutes.  Wow.

The Red Wings escaped St. Louis with a 4-3 win and a 3-1 series lead, 
after falling behind early in the first, dominating to score the next 
four, and then giving up two in the last two and a half or three 
minutes, depending upon which Scott Mellanby goal you take.  
Appropriately singed Red Wings fans everywhere thought of Los Angeles 
as soon as that third St. Louis goal went in with a minute and a half 
to go, but there would be no miracle this time--Steve YzerMAN's rebound 
of a muffed Brent Johnson clearance, as weird a goal as you will see, 
was the difference.

Finally, a game worthy of the series.  This one had everything:  Two 
five-on-three powerplays in the first, two-on-one breaks everywhere, 
huge hits, killer injuries, inspiring efforts, Stevie's little bloop 
goal in the third, and the Scott Mellanby goal(s).  

See, St. Louis was on the powerplay with three minutes to go, and Scott 
Mellanby lifted a well-played puck right into the top corner of the 
net, right at the crook of the crossbar and upright.  He was sure he 
scored, and so was the arena production crew that briefly blew the 
horn, but the light didn't go on and the officials didn't blow it 
dead.  Detroit actually cleared the zone, St. Louis got it back, and 
Mellanby took a beautiful feed from Tkachuk to score AGAIN in the same 
run of play, 24 seconds later.  They reviewed, declared the first goal 
to be legitimate (thus wiping out all action following), and put the 
time back on the clock.  St. Louis scored again before it was over.

Wings up 3-1 going to Detroit.

response 59 of 141:

May 10 21:31 UTC 2002

Something senna didn't mention in his otherwise very nice review:  Chris
Pronger, St Louis' captain and one of their two premier defensemen, is out
for the rest of the postseason.  Pronger lined up for a hit on Yzerman during
a Wings power play, Yzerman saw it coming, bent over and backed into the
hit, and Pronger landed on his knee.  He had trouble getting off the ice with
no play stoppage, and eventually cross-checked Yzerman to get a stoppage 
(and a 2-minute penalty).  Captain vs Captain, and guess which one is left
standing?  Not to mention the poetic justice, given Yzerman's famously 
horrible right knee problems.
With Pronger out, the Blues' postseason won't last more than two more games.
Maximum.

response 61 of 141:

May 12 03:15 UTC 2002

Well,

Wings closed out Saint Louis 4-0 with an empty-net goal.

Colorado and San Jose continue to put on a show.  There were 5 goals
scored in a 6 minute stretch in the 2nd period.  San Jose
finally won the game.  Next game on monday will be quite interesting.

response 63 of 141:

May 19 02:02 UTC 2002

Detroit beat Colorado in game 1 today 5-3, thanks to a hat trick by McCarty.

Carolina struggled to move the puck and lost to Toronto 2-1 on Thursday.  Game
2 of that series is Sunday at 4pm.

response 65 of 141:

May 20 17:33 UTC 2002

Tonight at 7.

response 67 of 141:

May 21 02:35 UTC 2002

And, I hear, it's over: the series is now tied.

response 69 of 141:

May 21 13:40 UTC 2002

M'eh.  So good in the 3rd, so bad in OT.  Ugh. 

response 71 of 141:

May 21 16:23 UTC 2002

I watched it in my living room with a couple of fellow Michigan transplants.
Sigh.  That didn't really do much for my energy level in studying.  SO
frustrating to watch us always *almost* come back...Oh well.  Maltby's 
shorthanded goal was a thing of beauty.  There was an excellent quote in
the free press today about the avs having finally found a way to get a lead
that Roy couldn't give up:  score in overtime.

response 73 of 141:

May 24 16:08 UTC 2002

That was sw33t.  :)