NHL Playoffs work Overtime

The NBA play-offs begin today but it was the NHL taking center stage last night by providing bonus play-off hockey. Two of the four games on Friday night went into overtime including the top seed from the west which needed two overtimes.

Kirk Maltby scored his second goal of the night 2:39 into double overtime to give Detroit a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their first-round series. While the top seeded Red Wings were tested to the limit of Friday night I don’t see this series being in danger for them. Edmonton will put up a fight but this series shouldn’t go past five games.

It was a former Red Wing who saved the day for Calgary in the other overtime game. The Flames beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 2-1 on a Darren McCarty goal 9:45 into the overtime period on Friday night. Anaheim was my upset pick in the first round and I still have faith in the Ducks even though a win last night would have put them in really good shape.

Nashville and San Jose didn’t need the overtime but still provided a lot of excitement. The Predators took out the Sharks 4-3. I’ll take Nashville to continue on to win the series.

The ho-hum game of the night belonged to Ottawa and Tampa Bay. The Senators beat the lightening 4-1 last night in the first of what is likely only going to be a four game series.