Playoffs: NBA vs NHL

Playoff time is here the NBA and the NHL which means for the rest of April sport junkies, like myself, will be able to watch 'meaningful' games in both sports on a nightly basis until the later rounds deplete the schedule...

I have always contended that the NHL playoffs are second to none.  The NFL, sure, is my favorite sport and their playoffs is as good as any, but because the NFL plays so much fewer games and their playoff system is a single game elimination method, they don't have means to ratchet up the intensity of each game a team plays.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the NFL playoffs nor am I advocating change, I would just like to preface my remarks to assure everyone that I think the NFL is, right now, the best sport for a fan top-to-bottom.

The NHL and NBA playoffs essentially start at the same time and if you listen/watch the sports talking heads they will preview and 'break down' each sports playoffs and speculate who should, could or will win it all.  To illustrate one very prominent reason as to why the NHL playoffs are better than the NBA playoffs is the fact that there is true parity in the NHL.  The sports talkers, when talking about the NHL, a person could have read/listened to 10 different media talkers and likely gotten 5-6 different picks as to who they think could win the Stanley Cup.  You then also factor in that it is not uncommon for a #8 seed to upset a #1 seed or, at the very least, make a very interesting series out of the opening round of the playoffs.  With the NHL too, if a team has a 'hot' goalie right now, that alone could mean a deep push into the playoffs.  With the NBA you could have read/listened to 10 different talkers there and gotten the same result... this years NBA finals is (allegedly predestined to be) the Lakers vs the Cavaliers with the Lakers winning it all.  I do believe that is what most will agree will still the scenario after the opening weekend of the NBA playoffs but with the NHL playoffs, people begin to question and reevaluate their initial playoff assement.  

The intensity level in the NHL is also very evident, even in the opening games and series...whereas with the NBA, more than one team will easily dominate the inferior one and most everyone watching is seeing an uneventful, blasiase game ... even if an NHL game turns into a blowout, the action is still present during the game and you can still see an effort being put forth by both teams...with the NBA it doesn't seem as noticeable...

Sure, I'll watch the NBA playoffs but right now, I am watching as much NHL as I can and filling whatever 'down time' I have with the NBA...