The NHL Has Something

Sunday afternoon, my wife -- who likes sports in general but is not a die-hard hockey fan -- texted me out of the blue:

we should watch some hockey tonight

There were two Game Sevens on last night.  The Toronto Maple Leafs were playing the Boston Bruins, and the Washington Capitals were playing the New York Rangers.  At the end of the night we would know who was moving on to the east semifinals.

Early on in the evening we were skeptical and considered netflixing* the sixth season of Supernatural (because someone in my house can't get enough of Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and the horsemen of the apocalypse).

We kept putting it off, though... I'd say "so, should we..." and she'd say "five more minutes."

And then, well, the Leafs-Bruins game got good.

Wins & Losses

Listen, hockey fans, or recent convertees to hockey fandom*. I know that many of you are fans of American football, a sport in which you only get 16 regular-season games.  In a sport with so few regular-season games, every win indicates that your team is ULTIMATE AWESOME MONGO POWER and every loss indicates that you SUCK FOREVER AND FIRE THE COACH WHAAARGARBLE.

But in hockey, even in this Godforsaken year, we still get 48 games.  Your team is going to lose some of them. Don't panic.

It may feel like five losses when your team loses to the Maple Leafs 5-2.

But I checked the rulebook! It still only counts as one loss. Even when you lose to the Maple Leafs 5-2. Even when -- and I double-checked this -- both your biggest stars score, in your home opener before a record sellout crowd. Still just one loss. Still got 45 games left in the season. Don't panic.  Hockey's not football.

* I don't know who this would be. Presumably the lockout alienated a bunch of casual fans. Typically such things don't increase fandom. But maybe you like Wil Wheaton or something and have decided that if a guy THAT cool likes hockey, you should check it out? I don't know. Moving on.