Are you ready? Kiss the spouses and kids goodbye, because starting tonight, playoff hockey takes over life. It’s one of those things that we know we love, yet we still have a tendency to forget just how much we love it until the calendar turns to April every year.
There’s regular season hockey. There’s stretch run hockey. And then there is playoff hockey. It’s a completely different animal.
It's all happening... (AP)
Stick around for a few seasons in a row and you’ll be able to start remembering your springs by playoff memories. Trust me, this is a pretty good way to bookmark the years…
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when the Ottawa Senators gave Malkin, Crosby, and the rest of the Penguins their first harsh lesson of playoff hockey? Do you remember when Maxim Afinogenov made the entire city of Buffalo explode? Do you remember when Daniel Alfredsson tried to put Canada’s capital on his back?
Do you remember when Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were the kids trying to make their mark on the league? Do you remember the year when Disney finally got to produce their happy ending?
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when Sean Avery waived his stick was such a pest that the league changed a rule in the middle of the playoffs? Do you remember when the Habs/Bruins rivalry got real for Carey Price? Do you remember when it took four overtimes and 61 saves from Marty Turco to eliminate the San Jose Sharks?
Do you remember when the Penguins almost scored before the Red Wings skated on their ice with the Stanley Cup? Do you remember when Nicklas Lidstrom proved that a European could lead a team to the Cup?
2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when the Ducks reminded the Sharks that the #8 seed is always capable of winning? Do you remember when the greatest goalie in NHL history had one of the worst Game 7 meltdowns ever? Do you remember when league officials wet themselves when Ovechkin and Crosby faced off in their first playoff series? Do you remember when the Canucks/Blackhawks rivalry started?
Do you remember when the Red Wings almost scored before the Penguins skated on their ice with the Stanley Cup? Do you remember when Max Talbot became a household name in Pittsburgh? Do you remember when the Penguins went to Detroit to finish what they started a year before?
2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when Jaroslav Halak because a playoff performer? Do you remember when Duncan Keith became Duncan Teeth? Do you remember when the Flyers proved that being down 3-0 means nothing? Do you remember when Marc Savard proved that he had one more moment left in him? Do you remember when Chris Pronger became the most notorious puck thief?
Do you remember when Patrick Kane won the Stanley Cup on with the overtime goal that no one saw?
2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when Bobby Ryan channeled his inner-Mario Lemieux? Do you remember when Dwayne Roloson looked like he was in his mid-20s? Do you remember when Jumbo Joe silenced Staples? Do you remember when Kevin Bieksa was the only one who knew were the puck was?
Do you remember when Aaron Rome poked the bear? Do you remember when Tim Thomas lit the city of Vancouver on fire?
And now: the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Do you remember when new playoff heroes were born? Do you remember when fans in Florida welcomed back the rats? Do you remember when the Canucks tried to trade two Presidents for a Stanley? Do you remember when the Bruins tried to turn a Stanley into two?
If you don’t, give it a while. These things—these videos—take time to produce. About two months in fact. But if you stay for the ride, the NHL playoffs will give you something you’ll never forget.
They always do.
Matt Reitz is the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com and former NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports. When he’s not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he’s usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It’s a never-ending job.
