The AHL Playoffs Sure Are...Well...Weird?
There were no Stanley Cup Playoff games last night. There will, again, be no Stanley Cup Playoff games tonight. It’s a startling reminder that as we get closer to the Stanley Cup Final, we also get closer to the end of hockey season. 2 nights in a row without any games is absolutely brutal. The heck are we supposed to do? Find a hobby or something? Get real.
But without any Stanley Cup Playoff action to watch, you can always turn your attention to the AHL Playoffs. Which have been… well… it’s certainly interesting. For starters, we have this goal from the Texas Stars the other night. While the goal itself wasn’t exactly anything spectacular, this sequence from the Tucson Roadrunners was an all-timer.
You’ve got 2 guys taking out each other in the neutral zone. Then buddy gets drilled in the face by a dump-in. Then the goalie could have at least cancelled out the shitshow by making the save but it squeaks through the 5-hole and Brian Flynn is able to put home his own rebound. To make matters even worse, Tucson would end up losing this game in overtime. 4 guys on the ice consecutively having the worst time of their lives. I’m not even mad. I’m impressed.
And elsewhere in the AHL playoffs… if you thought “Avengers: Infinity War” was the best crossover event of the year, just wait until you see this mashup between hockey and football from the Phantoms vs Checkers game last night.
I mean c’mon, refs. It’s playoff hockey. Let the boys play. Pussification of puck right there.
But yeah. Turns out the road to the Calder Cup is a wild one. I feel like by the end of it all we’ll need somebody to compile a “One Shining Moment” video but just have Yakety Sax playing in the background for 10 full minutes.