The Comeback Kids have one more game to win in their first-round series – but it’s the toughest one yet.
It’s do-or-die Wednesday night for . . the Anaheim Ducks?
How can that be?
Technically, of course, it isn’t; the Ducks have a commanding three-games-to-none lead over the snakebit Winnipeg Jets, and will have four cracks at eliminating their first round opponent, should the Ducks need them.
Clearly, history and statistics favor the Ducks, as there have been only four teams in the NHL to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series, which makes the odds that Winnipeg will find a way to win this series exactly 1 in a bazillion-gillion.
You read that correctly!!!
All kidding aside, though, I sincerely hope that the Ducks will approach this game as if they were the guys who are one game away from starting summer early, despite the fact that the guys in the other locker room are doing the same. I mean, this is the Anaheim Ducks we are talking about here, one of the best regular-season teams in the NHL the past three years . . . and the biggest disappointment in the Stanley Cup Playoffs during that same time span.
With everyone who follows the sport just waiting for the Ducks to flame out yet again, the pressure that is on the shoulders of every player in the Anaheim locker room is already a heavy burden to bear. Just imagine how heavier that weight will become with every game the Jets win. Enough to cause the Ducks to choke should the series go seven?
Hmmmm.
The flip side of the argument is that we’ve never seen an Anaheim Ducks team that is as resilient, as unfazed by having an uphill climb ahead of it, as this team. I don’t see them choking this series away, but I would sleep much better if they finished the Jets off in four.
What I want, and I’m willing to bet my money on, though, are two different things. Personally, I think the Jets will find a way to hold onto a lead for once this series and force a game, which is when the Ducks will finally slam the door shut. What say you? Vote, and leave me a comment below or on Twitter @pucksofafeather!