Lesson Learned.....

Last night, one "upstart" team had chance to take control of a playoff series, while another had the chance to win their series, but both played "veteran" teams with playoff experience. By the end of the night it was playoff experience or the "lack thereof" that was the key to both outcomes.

The games involved the Detroit Red Wings taking on the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 7 of their series, while out in Los Angeles, the Oklahoma City Thunder were facing the Lakers in Game 5 of their series which was tied at two games apiece. Both the Coyotes and Thunder were riding the momentum off their last games and both seemed ready to take full control their respective situations.

For me, I still thought the Red Wings could win their series, but I was having my doubts after they failed to put the Coyotes away on home ice in Game 6. As for the Thunder, I watched games two through four and thought they could be up 3 games to 1 on the Lakers, as Los Angeles just looked slow, beat up and old and ripe to be taken down by the "kids". Seemed like the Red Wings run up the standing during the season and the Lakers bumps and bruises were going to catch up to them. Both the Thunder and Coyotes must have certainly thought it was their time to take advantage of the situations. They and I were wrong, as the veterans showed what playoff experience and poise was all about.

I settled onto the couch for the 9pm drop of the puck from Phoenix, while 90 minutes later the Thunder and Lakers were to tip off. In the end, I really only needed about 20 minutes of viewing to see how both "teachers" showed the "students" that experience is power.

After a scoreless first period, Detroit scored 2 quick goals to start the second section, but the Coyotes came back with one of their own to bring the crowd back into the game. Then, "one day shy of his 40th birthday", Nicklas Lidstrom scored to put the Wings up 3-1, but the Coyotes kept fighting. Then with a little over 2 minutes left in the period, Brad Stuart took a penalty while Detroit was shorthanded to give the Coyotes over a minute of a 2 man advantage. Here was Phoenix's chance to possibly get back to even in the game going into the third period. Instead, a calm Red Wing team tightened up didn't allow a shot while down two men, and to add salt to the Coyote wound, Stuart gets out of the box, grabs the puck and scores before the period ends. Four to one Red Wings and it was time to say good night to Phoenix.

While in the middle of the hockey second period I had "paused" the Laker / Thunder game (got to love DirecTV's "DoublePlay" feature on their dvr) at tipoff, so I went over to it to watch from the start. After the last two games in Oklahoma City, I was ready to see if the Thunder could ride the wave from OC all the way to LA. Problem is that there is no water between the two for that ride. Less than 6 minutes into the game the Lakers were up by sixteen and it seemed like it was more. The Thunder couldn't make a shot and the fast break game that was the catalyst for tying the series was nonexistent. At the end of the third quarter it was a 28 point lead, and again it felt like it wasn't that close.

Just some subtle change in the Laker defense, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum deciding to play like the big men they are, and the memory of the last two games in Oklahoma had vanished.

Two old, established, veteran (take your pick) teams, seemingly on the ropes with their opponents and many "experts" getting ready to write them off.

In "real time" the tip off of the Laker game and their taking command of the game and the Red Wings killing the 2 man deficit happened in about 20 minutes, but the lessons they taught the Thunder and Coyotes must have seemed to last as long as having detention after school.