Great run, but not THAT great

Back to Jersey we go.  Somewhere none of Pauly, Vinny, Sitch or Ronnie are fist pumping…at least not about the Devils.  Adam HUGErique (Brad Richards 2.0) comes through in the clutch yet again for the Devils and they stayed alive last night in Los Angeles. 

And for the Kings this might be a little different than the first 2 times they failed to put a team away.  This time the Cup was on the line.  This time they have to fly all the way back to the East coast rather than a 1 hour flight to Phoenix or not leave there time zone and go back to Vancouver.  It’s just different and Jersey has a LITTLE bit of life.

But having said all that…(usually people think they can say anything after they say “now having said that”) the Kings are likely going to wrap it up in 5 or 6.  But we can finally chill on the talk of them being one of the greatest playoff teams of all time.  I’m not here to run down the Kings, I’ve been a big fan of how they’ve built it, the players they have, and the grit they bring to the table. 

But the Kings are now 3-3 with a chance to put teams away.  The 3 loses were all at home.  A GREAT team chokes the opponent out when they have the chance.  Not to be an Oilers homer but in 88 you didn’t see the Flames given any chance to get back into that series, and that was a great Flames team that won the Cup the following year.  Nor did the Bruins, and that Bruins team was back in the Stanley Cup final 2 years later. 

The 88 Oilers didn’t lose a game at home in those playoffs, and were 4-0 when they had a chance to eliminate a team.  I don’t know that anyone was SERIOUSLY trying to compare the Kings to that team, but you definitely heard a lot of that talk this week.  

Full credit by the way to Jersey.  This team won’t quit.  They’re now 3-0 when facing elimination in these playoffs.  I hope for the sake of an interesting series that Jersey can create some more drama and win Saturday.  Sure would make for an intriguing storyline heading into game 6.  The dream of walking the Cup around a parking lot is still alive for Devils, Kevin Smith can rejoice, the David Puddy references unfortunately will continue. 

But at least all the “prisoners of the moment” can cool it on this “greatest run ever” talk.  It’s been an incredible run by the Kings, and I will say it here they will finish it.  But not the greatest ever.