Congrats Columbus Fans

First of all I want to congratulate the fans of Columbus for being able to see as many playoff hockey games as fans from Atlanta in their first playoff series. They did deserve a better fate than tonight, not their fault they had to face an All-Star team in the first round. Again, who is going to beat Detroit? I guess the Chris Osgood questions have been answered for now, it will be interesting to see who they get in next round, if it is the Ducks they will get pushed a bit more in that series. But back to the fans in Columbus, hold your head up high and salute those boys, and let’s hope your GM doesn’t become anything like Don “How do I still have a job” Waddell in Atlanta.

Am I having flashbacks to 2001? Or did I just see Brian Boucher talking to Jeremy Roenick on the Sharks bench, man I loved those guys when they were with the Flyers. So what do you think the NHL will want to happen Friday in the Capitals, Rangers series? On one hand you have a very high market in New York which always helps with television ratings and just overall buzz about the league. Though the team is absolute awful to watch reminds me of watching Observe and Report. Seth Rogen is better as a side kick guy not a main guy; I don’t know how he pulled it off in Knocked Up, but boy were the other movies he was in just horrid to watch. On the other hand, you have one of the league’s most exciting, if not the most exciting player to watch in Alex Ovechkin, tricked you thought I was going to say Sergei Fedorov, though I must admit that Fedorov’s girlfriends were entertaining to watch. I guess as a fan of the league either one advancing will be good for the sport, but if you are Alex Ovechkin at some point in your career you are going to have to make a deep playoff run to be considered one of the best to play this game.

Now let’s move onto my weekly Top Shelf segment or the scorer to watch in the playoffs. It is tough to be the person drafted after Sidney Crosby, but Bobby Ryan has finally come onto the scene. I am a big fan of this guy, and not just because he was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, but because he never let the yo-yoing back and forth from Portland/Iowa detract him from his goal. When you are such a high pick people expect greatness out of you right away, especially when you are 6’2’’, 213 pound power forward, and worst of all drafted after the “Next One”. Ryan has been assigned to the Ducks AHL team 5 times, and people were starting to wonder if he was a bust at number two overall, but then it stuck. Ryan led all rookies in goals with 31 this year and in only 64 games, and never once complained about not being a full time player with the Ducks until November. This kid has a bright future in the NHL and I will be excited to watch him make more highlight reel goals like the one below.