A little hockey and Hartford, for your reading pleasure...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- There's a pretty decisive game four of the Stanley Cup playoffs on tonight and I'm seizing this opportunity to say a little something about them. I've remained quiet on the subject --other than to kick the Red Wings fans when they were down and cheer for the Penguins a bit (and a lot of good that did)-- so I figure I might as well say something now.

The finals matchup has been excellent. The intensity is there (hitting, scoring, speed) and so are the two best teams (at least in the playoffs thus far). I am pretty confident that Ottawa will win tonight and send it back to Anaheim with nothing decided. I don't know, it just feels right. Ottawa has been the best team in the playoffs this year, just not in the first few games of this series. I think that will continue to swing more into their favor, the longer this series goes.

And that's OK with me. I'd like to see the Senators win it all, both for Canada and myself. I mean, if the Pens lost to a team of destiny, who am I to complain? The Pens will rebound next year, with Crosby as the captain, and keep moving forward. I've got time. I can wait.

But there has been a ominous cloud circling this year's playoffs. I felt some of the action in the early rounds (the lack of upsets especially) was a bit off putting. I like the upsets and ridiculousness of the playoffs, and it was kind of lacking this year. Coupled with the NHL's rating woes --damn VS., damn that channel to hell-- and Chris Pronger's inability to stay on the playing surface...I don't know. It's just been a hallow post season for me.

(I do think it's funny that Steve Nash's absence can ruin an NBA series, but Pronger's absence seems to only make his team play better. I think that's mostly because opposing team's key on him so much, especially during power plays, and the Ducks rely on him too much. I mean he's good, but he's not superhuman. The Ducks are a better team without him, sometimes.)

But yeah, it's sad that I've actually clicked away from the action to watch...sigh...the Cleveland Cavilers and other NBA post season games. It's just been a good year for the NBA's second season.

Enjoy the classic Pronger pic. Long live the Whalers.