'09 NHL Playoffs Historically Competitive

There were eight first-round series in the NHL playoffs. Three of them ended in sweeps, and six of them were over before they got to a seventh game. While no one complained about getting a couple of super Game 7s in the first round, it was hardly as competitive as some thought it would be.

As we approach Game 7 between Pittsburgh and Washington (Game 7s between Carolina-Boston and Anaheim-Detroit will be played Thursday night), let's take a moment to talk about how great this second round of action has been.

Not only have three of the four series gone the full seven games, but out of the 24 games that have been played so far, 12 have been decided by one goal (one of those 12 was a one-goal game before a last-minute empty-net goal). Ten of the games have gone to overtime.

In the Capitals-Penguins series, all but one game has been decided by a single goal, with two of the last three games going overtime. The NHL put out a press release about this series, highlighting how insanely competitive the games have been.

The teams have been tied or separated by one goal 92% of the time. Both teams have led in each of the six games. There have been goals in 20 of 21 periods.

Scoring first has not been a necessary ingredient for a win in this round. The team that scored first has failed to win half (12) of the games so far. All that shows is how closely-matched these teams are.

Historically, the NHL is seeing things happen that are practically unheard of. Not since 2001 have we seen three Game 7s in the second round of the playoffs. Moreover, you have to go back to 1986 to find the last time that three of the series went to Game 7 while the other series was decided in six games.

All three of these seventh and deciding games could be blowouts, but nothing can take away from what the NHL has accomplished with this round of playoffs. It's rare to get this amount of captivating hockey in an entire playoff year, much less in a single round. The league should be very proud of what has happened, and hopefully the fans are able to take time and enjoy these final games.

Back in 2001, the conference finals went five games each, even though three of the four series in the previous round went the full seven. Hotly-contested series in one round guarantee you nothing moving forward.