Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
April 11, 2008, Washington Post

Playoffs: Cheers for the Home Teams

For the first time in 20 years, the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals have both qualified for the playoffs. I think the Washington teams might surprise some people.

The Wizards are finally -- cross all your fingers and toes for good luck -- healthy, with stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler ready for action.

The Capitals, led by superstar scorer Alex Ovechkin, are red hot, winning seven games in a row to finish the regular season.

The playoffs, where teams play a best-of-seven series, are very different from the regular season. Let's see how.

· Key Matchups. During the regular season a team has to face a certain star, -- let's say Cleveland's LeBron James in hoops or Philadelphia's Mike Richards in hockey -- only once in a while. That's not true in the playoffs. The Wizards and Caps might have to play that high-scoring hotshot for seven straight games. So the coaches and players have to figure out how to stop him . . . and fast.

· Hot Players. Last year in the playoffs, a little-known guard, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, hit a bunch of three-point shots to help James and the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals. One player who suddenly can't miss can make all the difference in a series. Maybe Gilbert Arenas, who is coming back after a season full of injuries, will be that can't-miss guy for the Wizards.

In hockey, a hot goaltender who makes a few key saves every game can carry a team all the way to the Stanley Cup. Cristobal Huet has been terrific in the nets for the Caps since he came from the Montreal Canadiens in a midseason trade. If Huet stays hot, the Capitals will be tough to beat.

· Close Games. More than 60 percent of last season's NHL playoff games were decided by one goal. That means one shot, one save or one lucky bounce might be the difference between winning and losing.

It's the same in basketball. There are more buzzer baskets than blowouts in the playoffs. The pressure never lets up because every game is super-competitive.

Most of all, the playoffs are fun to watch. What could be better? The best basketball and hockey players in the world going all-out every night for a chance at a championship.

And this season the playoffs promise to be even more exciting. Because both of our hometown teams are in.

Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's sports opinion column and is an author of sports novels for kids.

© 2007 The Washington Post Company