Carolina Hurricane Scott Walker Will Have No Part of an All-Boston Championship Party

Back when the Frozen Four was going strong, I made the not-impossible suggestion that Boston-area teams could sweep the four major professional sports championships this year, and even throw in a college-trophy trinket with a Boston University championship. Well, BU went on to win their championship, and the rest, as they don't really say, could've been history.

With the best-regular-season-record San Jose Sharks bowing out in the first round of the NHL playoffs, the Boston Bruins, perennial first-round choke artists, were left as the team to beat, the number one seed in the east. Their opponent: an always under-estimated Carolina Hurricane hockey club that lost the series-opening tilt, yet strung together three straight wins before allowing the Bruins to force a game seven.

Tonight's tilt was the third of three consecutive game sevens for the round, the first being Pittsburgh's domination of Washington last night. Detroit and Anaheim kicked off the game-seven action this evening, a contest in which the Ducks were shot down late in the third after tying things up at three halfway through the period. The Boston-Carolina contest went beyond regulation, however, and the first-and-only overtime period was mostly spent in the Boston attack zone. As the period dwindled, however, Carolina found a spark and put together the extra frame's best scoring chance moments before Scott Walker put the rubber in the twine, absolutely stunning the Boston crowd. Thus, Carolina will face Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Now, what once looked like a potential Bostkkake, has seen some serious wind taken out of its sails. The Celtics, with chances to put away Orlando, fell to the Magic this evening, 83-75. They'll still have two more opportunities to advance, but if there's something in the Boston sports water today, it comes as no surprise, especially considering that the Red Sox, having generated 15 hits against Los Anaheim this afternoon, also stranded 17 men, and lost 5-4 in 12 innings. Obviously, it's early in the MLB season, but if the Red Stockings not winning a Series sets up the ultimate, a Dictator Belichick non-championship, than I'm all for it.

So now, we'll look at a battle of two Central Division foes in the west, while the Atlantic faces the Southeast. Scott Walker has spoken, and his anti-Boston vibe has been felt.