THE QUEST FOR LORD STANLEY BEGINS....NOW.

The truncated NHL regular season ended in thrilling fashion this weekend as teams battled one another to punch a ticket to the NHL playoffs.  It literally came down to the final weekend for teams to clinch spots and literally until the very last game to decide playoff seedings.  With that being said, now that the smoke has finally cleared, here are the lucky teams who earned a chance to compete for Lord Stanley's Cup:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (8) NY Islanders

(2) Montreal Canadiens vs (7) Ottawa Senators

(3) Washington Capitals vs (6) NY Rangers 

(4) Boston Bruins vs (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs (8) Minnesota Wild

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs (7) Detroit Red Wings

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) San Jose Sharks

(4) St. Louis Blues vs (5) L.A. Kings

While the Penguins and the Blackhawks will go into the playoffs as the favorites to reach the Finals, recent history indicates that being the top-seed doesn't guarantee a spot to the championship.  Just ask the L.A. Kings, who squeaked into the playoffs last season, then went on an epic run to win the Cup.

The playoffs begin on Tuesday, April 30th and we'll be kicking things off with an appearance by HOCKEY THIS WEEK the hockey radio show, followed by three games: Minnesota vs Chicago, L.A. vs St. Louis and Detroit vs Anaheim.   The local teams play later in the week (NY Islanders vs Pittsburgh on Wednesday, NY Rangers/ Washington & Montreal/Ottawa on Thursday).  We were scheduled to raffle off a signed & framed Lundqvist Winter Classic photo on Tuesday, but since the NY Rangers don't play until Thursday, we're going to hold off on raffling it off until then.  We're selling raffle tickets during the game ($5 each, 3 for $10) and the proceeds of the raffle will go towards the One Boston Fund, for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

So remember, if you are a fan of the Habs, Islanders, Rangers or any other team competing in the playoffs, be sure to know that you can catch your favorite team here during the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Cheers!

WHAT'S ALL THIS HOOPLA OVER HOCKEY?

You may have noticed the marked increase in hockey related posts the past few weeks.  It's not because I am a diehard fan of the sport (though it would be understandable if you believed that it was);  It's because we've been blessed and thoroughly entertained by a great NHL playoff season, capped by great performances by two of the local teams, the NY Rangers and NJ Devils.  And with the NY Knicks playoff run being short (and not-so-sweet) and the NJ/Brooklyn Nets busy packing the moving trucks to the new arena, you can't help but to get sucked into the hoopla of the run to the Stanley Cup.

Now the stakes have been raised as the two local teams now face each other, with a berth to the Stanley Cup Finals up for grabs.  There's also the obvious bragging rights that comes along with it, with the not-so-subtle reminder of 1994 fresh in everyone's minds.

If last night's Game 1 proved anything, it proved that this series is going to be long and pressure packed with fans of both teams riding the roller-coaster of emotions throughout.

So, please forgive me if you find yourselves being a tad bit overloaded with hockey talk.  When you find your city on the cusp of possibly hoisting "The Cup", it's kind of a big deal.  And this is coming from a Habs fan.

The NY Rangers fired the first salvo in this particular series, winning 3-0 and taking a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.  Game 2 takes place on Wednesday night (8pm, w/audio).  While you're here, enjoy a visit from the NHL Network promo team , who will be at Third and Long!  During that time, you'll get to raise the virtual #StanleyCup  with @NHLNetworkTour !  

And be sure to watch #NHLNetwork (ch. 468, Time-Warner HD), because it's the best line-up for NHL Playoffs coverage.  And if you follow Twitter, make sure you hash-tag #Because it's the Cup!

You want more info on the Virtual #StanleyCup?  Check out the LINK!


TONIGHT:  Catch the Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers, followed by the L.A. Clippers vs San Antonio Spurs in NBA Playoff action;  You can also check out Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference Finals (Phoenix vs Los Angeles, 9pm)!  While you're here, enjoy select craft beers like the Left Hand 400-lb Monkey, Brooklyn Summer Ale, Long Trail IPA, Harpoon Summer Ale and Goose Island Honkers Ale during "CRAFT BREW TUESDAYS"!

Friday, April 10, 2009

WE'RE IN!

Last night was a preview of what's to come in the next few weeks as the bar was teeming with hockey fans decked out in uniforms, eyes glued to the TV's. What was at stake? Prime playoff spots with only a couple of days left in the regular season. Going into last night, the NY Rangers need just one win in the last two games to secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately, the last two games were going to be against the Philadelphia Flyers, their heated and very tough rivals.

From the beginning of the game, the Ranger fans were pumped up and chanting fight songs and when the Blueshirts jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the place erupted. That was good to see and even when Philadelphia scored a goal to cut the lead to one, the Ranger fans were still feeling pretty confident about their chances. When it came down to the final few seconds of the game and it became apparent that the Blueshirts were going to score a win and a slot in the playoffs, the bar celebrated as if they had already won the Stanley Cup.

So, that being said, we have the NY Rangers in the playoffs. My Montreal Canadians also secured a playoff spot last night, even though they lost in overtime to Boston. The point secured for a regulation tie was enough to get them in. Now we kick back and see who plays who. Playoffs begin next Wednesday.

MOST DISTURBING THING OVERHEARD LAST NIGHT: I was standing next to a guy who happened to be chatting it up with his buddy when he said matter-of-factly, "I think I just sharted...". WTF?


WEEKEND HAPPENINGS

Kick off the holiday weekend with the following specials:

TONIGHT: "After-Work Happy Hour", featuring $4.00 Drafts (except D.T.) and Mixed Well Drinks (5-10pm)!

SATURDAY: "Kick the Keg Saturday" (12-8pm), featuring $2.00 mugs, ALL BEERS ON TAP (except D.T.)! "Canadian Brew Night" (8pm-midnight), featuring $15 buckets of Labatt's Blue, Molson Ice or Molson Golden bottles (5/$15.00).

SUNDAY: CLOSED FOR EASTER



Enjoy the weekend!


Nuff Said