Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 26

For the third day in a row, another team got eliminated and the Sharks were the last of the second round of playoffs. So now, everything is set for the Conference Finals. We're just one round away from finding out who will be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals!

Red Wings 2, Sharks 0
Red Wings win series 4-2
What a strange game. First, I was half-expecting to come home at midnight and find the game in double- or triple-overtime. I was surprised to find that not only had the Red Wings won in regulation, but that all the goals were scored in the first period. In the final minutes, Mikael Samuelsson scored twice to give Detroit a nice lead — a lead they would never relinquish. Not only that, but mad props to Dominik Hasek on the shutout. Too bad for the Sharks, though. I really thought they'd pull it out. I can't tell you how much I wanted to see a Sharks-Ducks matchup in the West Finals. But regardless, it isn't happening. Next week, it's Ducks and Wings in the west and Senators and Sabres in the east. Exciting times.

By the way, just as promised, you can expect a rather giant announcement at some point tomorrow with regard to the blogging world and something we can all enjoy during the hockey offseason. Hope you like it.

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com