Gad zooks is there anything more intense than playoff hockey?

The New York Rangers took down the Montreal Canadians 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs. Every game was riveting except for the third when the Rangers laid down and died on the ice for no good reason.

Coming in as a wild card, the Rangers’ got the ideal matchup in the East division. They struggled to win against Montreal in the regular season but they’d be a challenge and not a wall like Pittsburg and Washington.

With this challenge met, the next match will be against Ottowa or Boston. Both teams are ripe for the Rangers to knockout so there are some good vibes going into Round 2 which may not start until the 27th.

The big surprise in the first round has been Nashville sweeping Chicago. No one saw that happening. Chicago has been a monster team for years so going out like that is stunning. Nashville v St. Louis is the next matchup and that should be an absolute war.