After nearly a month of post season hockey, everybody’s bracket has probably been ruined. I did predict that the Bruins and Leafs series would go seven games with the Bruin’s winning in OT, I was correct in that prediction (minus the fact that it did not end in OT). So where do the other series stand?
EAST:
The Columbus Blue Jackets, coming in as the second wildcard in the East, swept the President Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning, who many had as winning the Cup. Boston won game six in Columbus, moving on to face the Hurricanes in the ECF. The last time the Bruins appeared in the ECF, they moved onto the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2012-13 season.
The New York Islanders, the number two seed in the Metro, swept the number three seed Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. They were then swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. The New York Islanders were projected to not make the playoffs after trading away their long time captain John Tavares, they proved those predictions wrong after finishing second in their division.
The Carolina Hurricanes, the first wildcard in the East made their first post season appearance since 2009, faced the defending Stanley Cup champions Washington Capitals in the first round. The Hurricanes won that series in seven games. Building off that momentum, they swept the Islanders and will face the Boston Bruins for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals, for the first time since the 2005-06 season, when they won their only Cup.
WEST:
The Nashville Predators faced the wild card Dallas Stars in the first round. The Dallas Stars won that series 4-2. This was the first playoff meeting between the two teams.
The Winnipeg Jets faced the St. Louis Blues in the first round. This series lasted six games, with the St. Louis Blues winning and Jaden Schwartz scoring a natural hat trick in a 3-2 win. The Blues won in double OT, with St Louis Native Patrick Maroon scoring the winner. They now will play the San Jose Sharks in the WCF.
The Calgary Flames faced the wild card Colorado Avalanche in the first round. The Avalanche won the series in five games and moved on to the second round for the first time since 2008.
The San Jose Sharks faced the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, a repeat of last years second round series between these two teams. In game seven, the Golden Knights took a controversial penalty which resulted in a Sharks win in OT. The officiating was so terrible in that game, that the NHL put out a statement saying that those referees would not work the rest of the playoffs.
The Sharks and Avalanche faced each other in the second round, forcing a Game Seven which the San Jose Sharks won 3-2.
MESSAGE:
The bottom mess is, don’t count the underdog out. I always root for the underdog to win, because I find it so much rewarding when a team who is not known to win championships, actually wins one.
The Boston Bruins have a chance to win their seventh Stanley Cup, their last one being won in the 2010-11 season. The team still has core players from that playoff run: Chara, Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, Rask and have added a mixture of veteran presence and hungry young guns: Backes, MacAvoy, Carlo, and Wagner to name a few.
The Carolinia Hurricanes are the only wildcard team left out of the remaining four teams. They last won their only Stanley Cup in the 2005-06 season. The only player still on that winning team roster is Justin Williams, who has a chance to win his fourth Stanley Cup. Being dubbed “A Bunch of Jerks” by Don Cherry, this team has been able to mix fun in with hard work. Some notably players on the team are: Mrazek, Hamilton, McGinn and Williams.
The St. Louis Blues went from being in last place in the leauge to finishing third in their division. They have the chance to win their first even Stanley Cup after 52 years, making them the oldest NHL team to never have won the Cup. The team is backed up by young goaltender Jordan Binnington and has amazing players such as Patrick Maroon, Alex Pietrangelo, Tarasenko and Colton Parayko.
The San Jose Sharks have the opportunity to give Joe Thornton his first Cup in his 22 year career. The Sharks have made it to the finals before, but ultimately losing to the Penguins in the 2015-16 season. The Sharks have acquired talent such as Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline to push towards the Cup.
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