Seven game series.  This series will be up there with one of the most tragic endings in Stanley Cup history.  Why?  Because if Pittsburgh can pull it off Eric Godard will have to do the same thing Aaron Downey had to do last year.  What is that?  Get all his gear on so he can go out and raise the Cup high in the air knowing that his coaches spat on him by not playing him in one playoff game.  Shelley played.  Parros played.  Hordichuk played.  Janssen played.  Laraque played.  Brashear played.  Orr played.  Rupp played.  Hmmmm.  Who are we missing from that list?  Eric Godard.  And poor Aaron Downey spending the whole year in the AHL.  It’s sad the way the coaches of the NHL use the gamers and then when the time really matters they tell them it’s nothing personal.  But it is ashame.

Christian - your last name doesn’t happen to be Godard, does it? Jesus! I think everyone knows how you feel about this.

When a team qualifies for home ice advantage at any level of the playoffs the tactical advantage of the last shift change goes with it and invariably allows that team to carry a two game lead into the series. The last change advantage is shared in home and home games from that point on. However, if a series goes to a seventh and final game it proves the teams are equal in talent. It is unfair to then allow the advantage of last change to go only to one team. It should be shared equally in the final 7th game. The first 30 minutes goes to the home team and the visitor team allowed the last 30 minutes. That way it is a fair game and the winner is a true winner, not an advantaged winner.. No one team deserves the advantage of last change for the first games in a series and then own that advantage in the last game if the series goes that far.