Playoff Mania

  I’m definitely not taking credit for it. My ego is not that huge (remember that I am not that tall—okay, I got the short joke out of the way)—despite what too many want to think. I simply cannot control things outside of my own circumstances. It’s not humanly possible.

My previously expressed belief was that I could no longer watch the New York Yankees as the lack of hitting was driving me crazy. And I have carried through on that promise. I may have tracked the scores, but I didn’t tune into the games, opting to watch other sports. 

Was it a coincidence that the Bronx Bombers began to hit in earnest once the team returned from the thrashing it received in Baltimore? That started a six game winning streak, with the big bats coming alive, most notably Aaron Judge, who was finally hitting home runs worthy of his reputation. 

So what happens on Thursday night when my wife, daughter and I go out for dinner? The final game of the series against Houston was being shown on the television by the bar. I saw the game. Sure enough, the Yankees were losing 4-2 at that time, and Houston managed to eke out a 4-3 victory to salvage a win in the four game set. 

What did I immediately think? That it was my fault. Had I averted my eyes from that screen in the restaurant, the Yankees would have retained their karma and won the game. 

Now I know that is unrealistic. The Yankees couldn’t possibly win all the rest of the games to be played this season. 

Yet I think that when the Yankees take on the Rays in St. Petersburg this weekend, maybe I should find something else to watch. After all, don’t I believe in superstition? 

What do I substitute the loss of Yankees baseball on my viewing plate? It isn’t the Mets. Not that I hate them—I don’t. I just don’t like Keith Hernandez and the way he talks. His voice is shrill and he is a bit full of himself. I do like Ron Darling better, but he is not enough to sway me to take in a game from Citi Field. 

Nor have I turned to MLB Network for games. I really haven’t needed to. 

Why? This is the time for NBA and NHL post-season action. With the tenants of Madison Square Garden in the thick of the action.

Which team do I start to talk about first? That’s a difficult choice. Both are performing in a way that I never expected.

Sure, the New York Rangers were the team with the most points in the NHL regular season. But not by much. Florida, Boston, Carolina and Toronto in the Eastern Conference and Dallas, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Edmonton all exceeded 100 points for the 2023-24 campaign. 

What that allowed for is home ice to start and end a playoff series, should it go seven games. Which can easily be lost in the first two games—it happened to Boston versus the Maple Leafs; Dallas against the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights; Winnipeg playing Colorado; and with Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings. And in the second round, Colorado struck back from a three goal deficit to defeat Dallas in Texas, plus Boston won Game 1 in Florida.

No one can clearly predict how a series will go. Matchups and goaltending go a long way to deciding the outcome. Coaching and talent along with experience are additional factors. 

The only real upset in the first round was the Colorado Avalanche handling the Winnipeg Jets. There were seven game series involving Boston and Toronto, again leading to heartbreak for long-starved Leafs fans, who haven’t seen a Stanley Cup champion since 1967; and in the Dallas-Vegas games. Leafs management was so incensed how Head Coach Sheldon Keefe (despite having a great regular season record) couldn’t get his team past the first round the past two years. Now he’s gone even with two more years left on an extended contract. 

Only the New York Rangers went unscathed, taking out a Washington Capitals team which squeaked into the final Eastern Conference playoff slot. Some thought this was merely a good team dominating a team that was lucky to be in the tournament. 

Except that the Rangers have run up a 3-0 lead on a highly competitive Carolina squad, winning two games in overtime despite being significantly outshot. 

I have seen snippets of the other series in both rounds. New York’s run of seven straight wins to begin the playoffs matches the run of the 1994 team. That team was the last to win a Stanley Cup in Gotham, ending a 54 year drought when the team iced Vancouver. 

Could this be the time for the Rangers? It’s hard to say; Carolina could easily jump back into the series. Florida and Boston are worthy opponents in the next round.  Any team coming out of the West will be tough, too. 

Wouldn’t it be magical if the Rangers and Canucks met again in the Finals? There’s a long way to go. It sure has been fun watching hockey so far.

As much fun as hockey has been, basketball has been riveting, too. That Knicks-Sixers series was epic. Minnesota and Oklahoma City swept their first round foes. Only Cleveland and Orlando engaged in a seven game series, Game 7 won convincingly by the Cavaliers. Indiana went past a depleted Milwaukee team to reach the next round. Losses by the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns led to the teams firing the head coaches. 

The second round has been full of surprises. Most pundits thought that Boston would roll past Cleveland. Nobody told Donovan Mitchell, who single-handedly led his team to a win in Game 2 at the TD Garden. Boston may finally be missing the injured Kristaps Porzingis, a key player in the rotation.

Denver is the reigning champion. Nikola Jokic just picked up his third M.V.P. award. But his Nuggets team is in disarray, having lost twice at home to a hungry Minnesota team which has blown out Denver in both games. Nuggets’ star Jamal Murray had a meltdown over the officiating, throwing items towards a referee, incurring a $100,000 fine without a suspension (that should have been imposed).

Oklahoma City is in a dogfight with Dallas. The Western Conference leaders are relatively new to the playoff picture, a youthful team with loads of talent. The Mavericks, while suffering some injuries, are playoff-tested. Which is why the Mavs went into OKC and won Game 2. Expect this series to go at least six games. 

What has my attention are the New York Knicks. Once more, Jalen Brunson has been phenomenal. He picked up where he left off against Philadelphia. His Villanova brethren, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart have excelled. Isaiah Hartenstein has played great. But New York has suffered another key injury with OG Anunoby felled by a hamstring injury after keeping the team in Game 2 when Brunson went down with a right foot injury. Brunson returned and led the team to victory, but his status for Game 3 is questionable. 

Playoff time in New York has been particularly exciting. Only the Knicks have lost a game thus far. The road gets much tougher starting with the Knicks visiting Indiana and as the Rangers progress.

I have a definite case of playoff mania. Who needs the Yankees right now?