Game 7, the Ultimate Rush

First off, yeah I know--I blew the prediction.  That's why you don't see me on some four-letter network spouting off about what will happen in the game.

That said, I still think the 'Nucks will pull it off.  Home building and all. You know how it goes...

But I just wanted to throw in a quickie about perhaps my favorite Game Seven of all.  Yes folks, if you've been a Caps' fan as long as I have you know what I'm talking about--the one against the Flyers in 1988 in the First round.

Ah yes....April 16 and I still remember it well.  I was shaking with anticipation when they dropped the puck...HTS had Mike Fornes and Smokin' Al on the call.  Through the magic of some strange glitch (who the hell could figure out cable back then?) I was able to catch the ESPN feed on delay even though blackout rules were in place then too.  So I'm going back and forth between Mike Fornes' call and Mike Emrick and Bill Clement  on ESPN.  I was in heaven.  Except the score after the first period was 3-1 Flyers.  Yuck.  I tried not to get too down about it.  After all, the Caps WERE down 3-1 and managed to tie the series.

As Jiggs McDonald (one of the all-time great hockey names) noted, the Caps were capable of a comeback--and did.  They even pulled ahead with a few minutes left to go in the third.  but then a Brad Marsh goal sent it to OT.  I had a REAL bad case of the shakes then.  And not like the year before either--do a search on the Easter Epic for that story.

It only lasted 5:57 but that OT felt like forever.  Especially that one sequence where the Caps had flurry in front of Ron Hextall and he swung at the puck wildly like a deranged baseball player.

And then...one brief shining moment...

The Flyers had set up in the Caps' end but couldn't get anything going.  Larry Murphy ended up with the puck just past the half-boards, saw Dale Hunter streaking towards the red line and zipped it to him with a perfect pass.

The rest is history.  You can view it all here.

I can still see then-goalie coach Warren Strelow, his arms waving in triumph...and then the two fist pumps.  Images burned forever into my mind, especially now that he's gone.

I'm no expert in mathmatics, but multiply that by at least 1000 and you have what Vancouverites and Bostonians are going through tonight.

Nothing like it in the world.