NHL Playoffs: Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers Advance

Both the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers advanced to the NHL semi-finals with (2-1) road wins last night.

Chicago will be in their second consecutive semi-final and fourth in six seasons. They will face the winner of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.

The Ducks lead that series three games to two and if they win they will have home ice advantage vs the Blackhawks in the semi-finals.

If the Kings rally to win the series vs Anaheim, Chicago will have home ice advantage vs the Kings for the second straight season.

Rarely do I cite individual performances here but the goaltending performance by the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist demands attention.

He was brilliant in posting his fifth game seven win in as many seventh games. The Rangers are the first team in well over one hundred seasons of Madison Square Garden teams to overcome a (3-1) series deficit in the playoffs. In other words, the basketball New York Knicks have never done so.

The Rangers sans home ice advantage will face the winner of tonight’s game seven in Boston between the home team, Bruins and Montreal Canadiens.

Vivid Cabaret NYC Girl Julianna proudly displays NY Rangers Henrik Lundqvist jersey