ECF Preview & Live Thread - May 18

Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers, Game 2

New York Leads Series 1-0

8:00 PM EST NBCSN

If you've spent any time watching the New York Rangers this playoff season, you probably have a pretty good idea of how Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals went down. The Rangers outshot their opposition by a slim margin, both goalies played well, and the Rangers squeaked out a win by the smallest margin in hockey - 1 goal. Really though, has no one told Alain Vigneault that his team is allowed to take multi-goal leads? (or deficits for that matter). Every single game of the Rangers postseason has been decided by just one goal. In game one Rangers waited until there were just two and half minutes on the clock to pot the game winner.

Saturday's afternoon game was also a great reminder that hockey players are "tough" and team doctors are ummm, what's the word? Oh right. DUMB. Just a few days after an EMERGENCY APENDECTOMY... you know, where they cut into your abdominal wall and poke around inside your torso and then take stuff out... Ryan Callahan suited up and played 14:46 for the Lightning. No doubt that Don Cherry would have loved the move, except that Ryan Callahan and his hockey toughness aren't even from Canada. Oh well. Also, with Ryan Callahan playing a few days after being sawed in half with all his organs hanging out (maybe a touch dramatic) this seems like a great time to remind everyone that Canadiens fans still believe Mark Stone was faking it: "How could he play if his wrist was actually broken!"

In case you missed it, here's the highlights from Game 1

Root for the Lightning: If you're the type of person who regularly ignores doctors orders.

Root for the Rangers: If you want all the remaining games of these playoffs to be clench-fests.