Random bits: Day 1 of the Playoffs

• It's WAY too early to know for sure, but that Penguins - Flyers game did indeed feel a lot like last year's series. Our worrisome side kept thinking, "Surely, the Flyers will make a run at this one." (and then some asshole trots out the "My name isn't Shirley" joke from "Airplane." That asshole)

Alas, the Flyers just didn't have it last night. The bottom of their depth chart might be their undoing: players like Aaron Asham and Daniel Carcillo seem like they will only make knucklehead moves. Matt Carle also looked pretty awful on Tyler Kennedy's surprising (and eventual game winning) goal. It's unfair to pin all the blame on Marty Biron since the team played like a bunch of emo kids once they went down 2-0: shoe (or would it be skate?) gazing around.

• It's only been one day and already Versus chose the wrong game, but let's be fair: there was only one game worth watching tonight (Washington - NYR, silly). Pittsburgh - Philly was over by the second period, Vancouver-St. Louis was a yawnfest and New Jersey - Carolina only needed to exist for Zach Parise's awesome goal. Still, because Versus continues to employ Brian Engblom we're forced to be mean, petty and cruel to them.

As it stands the Versus-o-meter: 0 for 1

Can someone tell me why VAN-STL is getting wall-to-wall coverage while Chicago/Calgary and Boston/Montreal fight over the table scraps? It doesn't seem like you can hang your hat on "American media hates Canada" either since the Canucks - to me - are probably the least marketable Canadian team in the playoffs. Sure, CHI-CAL/BOS-MTL are on a different schedule but this still seems all wrong.

Is it just a time slot thing?

• What happens to the Alex Ovechkin love fest if his Capitals fail to make it past the first round for the second year in a row?

They already committed the high-hockey sin of losing a Game 7 at home last year, but at least then you could make excuses for experience and whatnot. What excuse is there if the Caps can't knock off the Rangers? Goaltending, we'd guess. It'll be interesting to see if the Church of Ovie takes a hit if it all comes crumbling down.

(Naturally, the Caps probably won't lose another game in the playoffs. I'm the kiss of death.)

• My favorite beard of the day goes to goaltender Chris Mason of the St. Louis Blues. If St. Louis makes a deep run he might be able to support herds of bison with that thing.