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NHL Playoff Observations -- Monday

Just a few things that caught my eye ...

  • Alexander Semin was on the wrong side of the grocery stick most of the night. You know, that spot between the back-up goalie and the rest of the team ... the one where the dead wood goes so it doesn't get in the way of on-the-fly changes.
  • Honey badger don't care. Honey badger doesn't give a $|PERCENT|!&.  T.J. Oshie gave up four inches and 50 pounds to Dustin Penner, but he didn't care. Then again, honey badger didn't care when he hit Rick Nash a few years ago, either. I wonder if the NHL would let me get a Blues #74 jersey with Honey Badger on the back.
  • Hulk Hogan would be proud. Alexander Ovechkin answered the eight-minute mark taunts from MSG faithful by wristing the winner and then holding his hand to his ear in that iconic, I'm listening -- where's the taunt now? way.
  • Like him or not (and I don't), Mike Richards set the tone with his first three shifts tonight. He scored on the first one and intimidated on the next two. 
  • Dustin Brown, one of the early Conn Smythe candidates. So why in the heck was his name out there at trade deadline?
  • Clearly Dale Hunter doesn't give a crap about keeping his job or even returning next season. He'll do whatever it takes to win, including giving Ovie three-and-a-half minutes of ice time in the first and 13:36 overall. Jay Beagle -- Jay Beagle -- finished with 20. He's the original honey badger.
  • Braden Holtby answered the call, eh? He bounced back remarkably after looking vulnerable last game. Mind you, his best friend was named iron ...
  • Seven. That's the number of games it took for sniper Jeff Carter to notch his first goal. He only seems to play when he wants to.
  • Drew Doughty must feel like he has a bulls-eye on the front of his jersey. That third-period hit on his knee by Patrik Berglund was naaaasssty.
  • Brian Elliott sure looked like he did when he was in Ottawa in that first period. He's the kind of guy who looks great when the system in front of him works. Otherwise ...
  • Before the playoffs, the Blues said that while they were young in age, they were long in postseason experience. So why is it that they've spent the first two games of this series looking like deer in the headlights?