This upcoming Sunday is the date of the sports spectacle that calls itself the Super Bowl.  The championship game of the National Football League that generates massive sales of snack foods, party supplies and pizza deliveries as millions of people gather around their tv sets watching six hours of endless commercials interspersed with about 10 minutes of actual football plays going on.

But for the fans of speed, skill and hard, physical play, this week also marks the beginning of the stretch drive in the National Hockey League’s run to crown its champion.

This past Sunday they held the annual All-Star Game and the league paused for four days to let the rest of the players rest and heal before beginning the big push to the playoffs which begin in about two months.

It is now that the entertainment value of the games really picks up.  The coaches have sorted out the various line combinations that are working best and the players really pick up on the intensity of their game.  You get to see the teams at their best now.

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Even if you’re just a casual fan of the league, I think it would probably be worthwhile to sign up for the 1/2-season plan of Center Ice which telecasts every game  each night.  This year promises to be one of the classics in competition and here’s why:  Take a look at the league standings and check out the “Wins” column.

Of the 30 teams in the league, the 3rd-place team has 28 wins.  The 27th-place team has 22 wins.  That’s a mere six-game spread for almost the entire league with just over 30 games left to play.  A total of 16 teams will be in the playoffs.

The league resumes play tonight.  So after you clean up from your Super Bowl party, get ready for some real action.

While we’re waiting, let’s get this equipment checked out.  I’ll make sure that the coffee is going.

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