I walked into the Verizon Center this afternoon, downed in my Laich jersey feeling like it was going to be an amazing afternoon. Judging by the crowd around me I wasn't the only one. It seems as though the playoffs bring not only the die hard fans but the crazed ones as well.
From behind me the smell of hot dogs are heavy. Everyone, fans of both teams are smiling. And it dawned on me right then and there. No matter your team, no matter the game number-whether its game one or game 7-whether your up one game or down two. It doesn't matter. There is nothing like playoff hockey.
NOTHING
Even if I had a bunch of Rangers fans behind us, yelling at the top of their lungs. At that moment, it was all good. We had this. This was going to be our game. I looked around at the crowd, the women down the way wearing headbands that were recycled from a 4th of July. At the guy behind us the one with the huge cowbell that he already was laying hard on. And at my mom, who proudly pulled out her rally cloth and was waving it like it was the last two minutes of the game. It was as if they knew it too, that this was our game..
.OURS
And yep there was nothing like this, nothing at all.
We were pumped as the puck dropped, and it seemed as though the place just kept getting louder and louder. I watched as the decimal machine climbed on the board, amazed at just how excited and pumped everyone was. I just hoped the boys on the ice could hear the excitement. And the moment it did get quiet? I had to deal with the Ranger fans picking up where we left off, and while I tried to be respectful-after all I was with my mother- I couldn't help it, I had to jump in there myself and scream Rangers suck. because, yes it was fun, yes they were the enemy...and yes they were in our house. I am pretty sure they do it to us. OK I know they do it to us. And just when I didn't think it could get louder?
Ovi scores. And the place erupts. The big guy, the one that all the commentators said we need to be in the game and score in order to win, actually provided it. Came through. Just like that we were up. And omg. I remember somewhere reading the statistic regarding the first team to score in these playoffs have been the winning team and while I thought this was exciting, I didn't want to get ahead of myself.
Because of course the Rangers responded. Pleasing those fans behind me. I had to listen to them chant for awhile. And in all honestly. It didn't bother me. Let them....
Its funny though just how much the crowd gets into games. After that score, the place settled down, we settled down. I settled down.
Until Backstrom put one in the net. And once again it was incredibly loud. And the place was rocking and this. this is what playoff hockey is all about. Yes its stressful and the near misses can be so damn frustrating. But its soooo damn exciting at the time. Because it is that close. Because with every moment things can change.
Like the Rangers scoring. Its tied up.
Again.
I swear this whole tie games is going to be the death of me....
We got loud again during the third period. Maybe its the whole realization that this very well could be our last home game of the season. Maybe it was just the second period was that horrible. Or maybe it was the fact that by this point the beers were kicking in. But it was amazing.
And still tied. Through just about fifteen minutes into it. At which point, Mike Green found away to the back of the net.
3-2. Now all we had to do was just hang on for six minutes...Thats it.
I stood for the last remaining three minutes. Watching as the clock ticking down. Realizing we were three minutes away from tying the series. The series in which many had already said was over...
well.
Its just beginning my friends.
And it is now down to the best of 3....and as the crowd once again joined me at the top of their lungs, and I looked around at the sea of red....
I was reminded, that there is nothing like playoff hockey...nothing at all.
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