The series that everyone hated is now the series everyone seems most interested in…..the Devils just have that effect on people…..so time to crack open a cold one and take a look at what the playoffs have to offer tonight on the Roundup.
Playoff Hockey Roundup — 4/20
Top Shelf Game
Tampa Bay Lightning @ New Jersey Devils 7pm EDT CBC,RDS
These 2 must find the Game 1 touch or Jersey in trouble.
The Tampa 3 headed monster faces Martin Brodeur for round 5 of what could be an epic 7 round matchup for a birth in the second round. Brodeur may have finally answered the bell in Game 4 with those 15 saves in the 3rd and OT that may have finally got into Tampa’s head. He needs to do that more…its a must for the Devils who are not playing defensively sound by any means. Safe is death..is Tampa’s motto….safe is smart for the Devils. Playing smart will decide the winner of this series more than being reckless. Because being reckless tires you out in the end. That is how you wear down an opponent in the playoffs…and whoever does that best wins this series. A little support from the EGG line wouldn’t hurt either as Zach Parise’s 6 goals leads the league this postseason with Vinny Lecavlier on his tail with 5 tallies. Expect a frenetic tussle tonight with both teams laying it on the line….and you can feel the heat all on the GDT.
Prime Cut
San Jose Sharks @ Nashville Predators 9pm EDT TSN,VS
Sharks could wave the Preds goodbye tonight.
Win or go home….but wait the Preds are home. Well, if they don’t give a complete sixty minute effort which was lacking in the last two games….then they will be headed home for a long and uncertain offseason. Their goal is to get to San Jose…how to get there….play harder. San Jose dominated time in the offensive zone the last two games and as a result generated more in the way of scoring chances and dictated play. Bernier, Thornton, Michalek, even Marleau and Cheechoo were all over the ice….and Kariya, Forsberg, and company didn’t even seem to get the memo at times. That has to change. Can’t fault Vokoun on the goaltending…him and Nabokov have been even really. Just a bounce here or there and that is all it takes sometimes in the playoffs. The action will be intense tonight and it is here on the GDT.
Ground Round?
New York Islanders @ Buffalo Sabres 7pm EDT TSN,VS
The pucks have to stay out for the Isles to win.
The short short version….Ted Nolan could watch his new team lose to his old team tonight and not really have a prayer in stopping it. If the Sabres come out and play a sixty minute game…the only hope they have is Rick Dipietro. The Sabres speed has confounded the Isles thru most of the series and the Isles goalie is the one that can be the stopper. The Isles need some punch and the moody Alexei Yashin needs to produce along the lines of effort that Ryan Smyth has produced. Smyth has been more a leader in his short stay on Long Island than Yashin could ever dream of being. Smyth will be a key tonight….if him and Blake can get it going….maybe the Isles have a shot tonight. If not, the Sabres may just steamroll the Islanders on their way to the second round…..catch it all on the GDT.
