Game 7 = big deal

Last night, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, meaning they will be heading to Game 7 tomorrow. Our boy from yesterday, Mike Cammalerri, scored 2 goals and was picked as the first star (meaning he was the game's best player). Way to go Mike!

What's so special about a Game 7?

In hockey (and many other sports) teams play a best-of-seven series in the playoffs, meaning that the first team to win 4 games moves on to the next round. So if each team has won 3 games, the whole series comes down one game: Game 7.

These are exciting not only because the winner goes on and the loser goes golfing, but also because by this point in a series there's some history built up between the teams. As a fan, you know the players on the other team, and you hate them. Add in the fact that everyone plays as hard as they can, and you have the ingredients for a very intense game.

So that's why your significant other gets so riled up. Your mother's birthday conflicts with Game 2? He can suck it up if it's important for you that he be there. But Game 7? Give him a break. Buy him some beer, tell everyone he's sick, and earn some major brownie points.

P.S. PVRing it for later just isn't the same, so don't even try to push for this.