Normally, I’d tell readers that if you don’t know where this is going, you should find another website! But since I’m only averaging 50 viewers a day, you should definitely read on to understand my point.
For those of you who don’t know, the scariest lead in sports is a one goal lead in the NHL. But that’s also what makes the NHL such an an awesome league and hockey such an amazing sport.
There’s nothing more exciting than a team holding a one goal lead with less than 3 minutes remaining in the game, and the losing team pulls the goalie. Every fan knows we are in store for a wild couple of minutes where anything could happen. But you know who is truly afraid of this scenario, the NHL gambler who has a bet in for either +1.5 or -1.5. With that empty net in play, literally anything can happen. And I should know, I’ve already been burned by the empty net twice this year. But what’s amazing is that I’ve been burned both ways, the team losing found the net and forced overtime (killed my -1.5 bet) and the other time, the team leading, found the empty net (killing my +1.5 bet).
Ands that’s exactly what makes hockey amazing, you never know how the game is going to unfold. Pucks take funny bounces, refs make crappy calls, and pucks miraculously find the net. Anything can happen during a game.
And, if we get lucky where a team does tie it up in the final minutes, and nobody scores in OT…..we get a shoot out! I’m not sure who’s idea it was to incorporate the shootout, but I hope they make a ton of money. There’s nothing like an entire arena full of fans on their feet as teams send their best scorers on the ice for a shootout.
So to sum it up, I’m pumped that hockey is back, even though I know each game is going to raise my blood pressure on a nightly basis. I’ve said it for year, it’s the most exciting sport live, but during CoVid, I’m more than happy to watch from home.
