Playoff hockey is one of the greatest things in sports. The regular season has just ended, and the playoffs are about to begin. Here are five reasons why playoff hockey is the best.
1. A series isn't over until a team wins four games.
This idea refers to all sports that have playoff series; however, we see more series comebacks in hockey. One example is from 2014 playoffs, where the L.A. Kings were down three games to none against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks had four chances to win a single game and advance; however, they didn't. The Kings accomplished something that doesn't happen often, and that is win four straight games while being down 3-0.
2. Overtime is taken to a whole new level.
For those who don't know a lot about hockey, overtime rules change as soon as the playoffs start. This year the NHL implemented a new overtime rule, so we are not sure how the playoffs will be affected. In the past regular season overtime lasted in five minutes, and if no team scored they would go to a shootout. In the playoffs there is no shootout so the teams keep playing until one team scores a goal. There is nothing better than playoff overtime hockey, fans are on the edge of their seats and you never know who will get the puck past the goalie.
3. Home ice doesn't guarantee a victory.
In sports it is perceived that if a team is playing at home, they are going to win. In 2012 the L.A. Kings proved this wrong; they went 10-1 on the road. Two years later, the Kings never got home ice until the Stanley Cup Finals, but through the three prior rounds the Kings won game sevens on opposing ice.
4. Rivalries are taken to the extreme.
In NHL playoffs, we really see which teams hate each other. Especially with the current playoff seeding we get divisional match-ups in the first round. We see the rivalries such as Kings vs. Sharks, Blackhawks vs. Blues, Bruins vs. Canadiens, just to name a few heated match-ups. These rivalries are intense in the regular season; imagine how intense they get during the playoffs.
5. Post-series handshake line.
Now the post-series handshake line could be one of the classiest things in sports. You will see this in every round of the playoffs. It is just a great thing to see; after two teams compete their hardest, they have the respect to shake every players hand. No other sport does this, and it is one of the reasons why hockey is great.
