In what many thought was just an easy tagline by talk radio hosts and newspaper writers who know nothing about hockey, it turns out that the lockout-shortened NHL season can be dominated by teams who get on a little bit of a run. After a pair of road wins over the weekend against Los Angeles and Phoenix, the Chicago Blackhawks have qualified for the playoffs.
“It’s great,” said Hawks captain Jonathan Toews. “I knew there was some kind of fishy math involved in this shortened season. I’m just glad we got in so we can rest our guys.”
“I really like to see the little asterisk next to our name in the standings that shows we’re in,” added teammate Patrick Kane. “I can never figure out how to add those on spreadsheets, but I’m glad the papers can figure it out.”
Things weren’t so rosy in Philly, as season-opening losses to Pittsburgh and Buffalo have the Flyers eliminated from playoff contention.
“It’s tough,” said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. “We knew going in this could happen. Now we’re just going to play our final 46 games to see who we have for next year.”
