It's May, and the Blues are out of the playoffs yet again Curiously, fans, media, and even the team's players and management seem to be relatively satisfied following the Note's second-round loss to the Dallas Stars. What doesn't seem strange, though, is the annual April-May renewal of this viewer's fascination with NHL hockey.
Bad ice is bad ice.
In fact, tax-time bad ice in the NHL is often more prevalent than the wintertime variety, because of the weather outside most NHL arenas. But NHL hockey playoff-style is not afflicted by any of the rest of the list. The worst teams are not invited to the NHL's post-season party, so the league's weak sisters don't infect the gathering. And the effects of expansion, on NHL regular season hockey, means that fans have to get to know the names, skills, and tendencies of 600 or so players. Contrast that with the playoffs, where fans are able to quantify the chin stubble on each player.