The 6th Longest Game In NHL History

In an idea situation, I would be writing about the Penguins victory last night in Game 1 of their first playoff series in six years against the Senators. This, of course, did not happen. Seriously, it was not even close. But I'm calm and collected. The Penguins had their playoff virginity taken from them last night...which is fine because it had to happen sometime (my friend Pat remarked that it was actually their playoff anal virginity that was taken...and he was absolutely right). I fully expect them to bounce back and start playing the competitive hockey that they are more than capable of playing. We have two days off, we have Crosby, I'm not worried right now.

Besides not being able to write about a Penguins victory, I cannot even write about the game itself, as I missed the broadcast and only saw highlights. This was a little difficult for me, but it was the way things went. I've waited six years to watch the Penguins play in a playoff game and now I'll have to wait two more days. It has been so long since I've been able to experience the elation, joy, anxiety, and pain that is the NHL playoffs. Needless to say, for better or for worse, I'm glad this event is back in my life.

What I can speak to and write about is the glory and wonder that is an overtime playoff game. I was able to experience this from my couch as I got home just in time to catch all four overtime periods in the Dallas vs. Vancouver game. This marathon ended at 3:35 am eastern standard time. 4 overtimes...I ended up watching what turned out to be the 6th longest game in the history of the NHL last night. The players ended up playing the equivalent of 2+ games in one evening. The refs don't get line changes...they had to keep going the whole time...I don't even know how this is possible. This naturally raises two important questions...(1)Why aren't there substitutions for hockey refs and linesmen after the first overtime? Lets face it, there are not going to be any penalties called beyond that point, so what difference does it make to bring in a new crew to take care of offsides, icing, and faceoffs? And (2) Why aren't there 22 year old linesmen that can go out on the ice, keep their wind, and skate with these world-class athletes in an attempt to keep up with the game better, see more things on the ice, and contribute to an all-round better sporting experience? In the end, Henrik Sedin scored with 1:54 left in the 4th overtime to give Vancouver the victory. Henrik would later say, "I felt better the longer the game went. I got my legs going in the fifth and sixth period." Yeah...sure.

The unintentional comedy scale is off the charts during these long playoff games. The announcers run out of things to talk about and end up saying, "Its really a shame that someone has to lose the game at this point" about a million times. The quality of play gets terrible by the end of the second overtime. Players can't skate with any authority anymore, any semblance of a forecheck disappears, and shift lengths dwindle down to about 25 seconds. And in a way, this all makes for great excitement because at any moment, anyone could score and become the hero.

So I watched the 6th longest game in NHL history...and all it ended up meaning is that Vancouver holds a 1-0 lead over Ottawa in their best of seven series.

The stupid part of it all is that I had to open a coffee shop at 6 am this morning...a mere two and one-half hours after the quadruple overtime game ended. The shift is almost over...I'm tired as hell and I swear my heart is going to stop sometime soon. But I figure that I won't have the luxury of doing something this dumb when (if) I ever get a real job and/or have a wife and kids. So for now...viva Lord Stanley!!!