Sucked into hockey

A WHILE BACK I went on a rant about the NHL and the loclout, and how I wasn't going to watch anymore.

I made good on the promise until the second round of the playoffs. Then I figured out how to watch the games online, and when the Red Wings upset Anaheim in the first round, I started paying more attention.

Last night I did something I haven't done all year - I watched an NHL game. Well, most of it. My lawn is growing an inch a day and I had to whack the weeds during the first period. Then I took a shower, grabbed a cold one and sat on my porch as night fell and I got sucked into the Wings-Blackhawks Game 7.

The good news is that I don't have to watch anymore games. Now I really couldn't care less who wins.

It was a great game to watch, full of twists and turns only a true hockey fan appreciates. There were more awful calls and great goaltending and vicious body checks, all the stuff of playoff lore.

Detroit shouldn't have gotten this far, but the Wings should have won the series. They eased off the gas in Game 5 when they were up 3-1 in the series, and they couldn't overcome some shaky calls in Game 6 and the Hawks goalie in the Game 7, where Detroit dominated for long stretches.

Such is life. The better team doesn't always win. Anaheim was better in the first round but went home. And Wings players shouldn't schedule any tee times with Blues players, since they've had a few weeks to work on their golf games.

Back to listening to baseball on the radio - if it ever stops storming around here.