How's that, you might ask? There's an unnecessarily long delay before Game 1. The series between the Hershey Bears (the Capitals' affiliate, for those who don't know) and the Texas Stars doesn't start until Thursday, even though both teams have been twitting their thumbs for a while now. The Stars won a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals on May 26, while the Bears last played on May 22, when they finished off Manchester in six.
↵In other words, by the time Game 1 rolls around, the Stars will have been off for eight days, while the Bears will have been off for 12. Is there any real reason why? Is the AHL trying to create some anticipation for the series? Has David Stern taken over their scheduling department? I'm honestly curious.
↵In the meantime, this profile of Bears' defensemen Karl Alzner will have to tide you over.
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