NFL
On Monday, September 28, the NHL season concluded with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their 2nd Stanley Cup finals. They triumphed over the Dallas Stars by a final series score of 4-2. They controlled the series following their game one defeat, with their only other loss in double overtime. The Lightning was simply the better team. They took heavy advantage of their power play opportunities and controlled most of the games’ tempo and physicality.
By the time game six hit, the Stars had nothing left to offer. The final game of the series marked the series’ only shutout, with the Lightning winning 2-0. Tampa triumphed without their top player of many years, Steven Stamkos. Perhaps the Lightning’s playoff struggles of the past several years came down to an over-reliance on their talisman to carry them forward.
Unique Format, Unique Challenges
The playoffs were certainly unique. Beginning on August 1st, 24 teams had a shot at playoffs via a play-in tournament. The top four teams from each conference secured their spot before August 1st and played a round-robin tournament to determine their seeding. This was an unprecedented format. The 5-12 seeds from each conference played in best of three series to determine who had the right to face the 1-4 seeds. They were all counted as playoff games. However, the 5-12 seeds played in elimination series, while the 1-4 seed games were not elimination based.
In essence, playoff games occurred simultaneously alongside regular-season games. This idea could only be replicated in the NHL due to the league’s competitiveness. Despite 24 teams having a shot at the Stanley Cup, none of them entered with a losing record. The NHL also decided to play in two bubbles, one in Edmonton and the other in Toronto. Games didn’t overlap too often, and teams had enough time and space to prepare. That’s what made the playoffs so great!
Round Robin Seeding Tournament
The round-robin seeding tournament out West took place in the Edmonton bubble. The Golden Knights went undefeated to take the top seed in the West, while the Blues went winless. The teams carried the momentum into the first round of playoffs, as the Golden Knights went onto the Western Conference Final, while the Blues crashed out in the first round. The Avalanche ended as the second seed behind the Golden Knights, and the eventual Stanley Cup representatives from the West, the Dallas Stars, ended in front of the Blues as the third seed.
Out East in Toronto, the round-robin tournament ended with the Flyers going undefeated and the Bruins going winless. The Bruins rebounded to make the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, while the Flyers couldn’t capitalize on their hot start, also losing in the second round. The Lightning finished as the second seed, and the Capitals ended as the third.
Play-in Tournaments
Upsets filled the play-in tournaments. The 12 seed Canadiens upset the five seed Pittsburgh Penguins in four games. The Penguins saw a late-season slide put them out of the top four seeds, forcing them into the preliminary tournament. The six-seed Carolina Hurricanes made quick work of the 11-seed New York Rangers in the play-in tournament’s only sweep. The seven-seed Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers in four, and the nine-seed Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs in a decisive game five by a score of 3-0 in the Leaf’s home ice, the Toronto bubble.
In the West, the 12-seeded Chicago Blackhawks stunned the five-seed Oilers in Edmonton in a sweep. The 11-seed Coyotes recorded a soft upset over the six seeded Nashville Predators, defeating them in four games. It’s a “soft” upset because several Coyotes players returned from injury due to the break. The seven-seed Vancouver Canucks defeated the ten-seed Minnesota Wild in four, and the eight-seed Calgary Flames knocked off the nine-seed Winnipeg Jets in four games.
Conference Quarterfinals
In the Round of 16 in the East, an unprecedented 1 vs. 12 seed matchup took place. The Western Conference also had a 1 vs. 12 showdown. In the East, the top-seeded Flyers took on #12 Montreal. Montreal put up a fight, but ultimately couldn’t triumph over the Flyers, losing the six-game series. The second-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning desired revenge over the nine-seed Columbus Blue Jackets, who vanquished Tampa the previous season as an eighth-seed. This year the Lightning took care of business in five games, including a game one, historic 5 OT victory. The seven- seed New York Islanders defeated the three-seed Washington Capitals in five games, and the four-seed Boston Bruins defeated the six-seed Carolina Hurricanes in five games.
Out west, the Golden Knights had no problems against the 12-seed Chicago Blackhawks, winning in five. The two- seed Colorado Avalanche defeated the 11-seed Coyotes in five, including ending the series with two consecutive 7- 1 victories. The three-seed Dallas Stars defeated the eighth-seed Calgary Flames in six, and the seven-seed Vancouver Canucks knocked out last year’s NHL champs, the four-seed St. Louis Blues, in six
Conference Semi-Finals
The Eastern Conference Semi-Finals saw the Islanders upset the top-seeded Flyers, winning in seven to advance to the Conference Finals. The Lightning took care of the Bruins in five in a battle of two round-robin teams. In the West, the Canucks pushed the Vegas Golden Knights to the brink but fell quietly in game seven by 3-0. The Avalanche and Dallas Stars also went the distance, with game seven decided in overtime. The Stars sent the Avalanche out of the bubble by a final score of 5-4.
Conference Finals and onto Next Season
The Conference Finals saw the Lightning advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, winning game six in OT against the Islanders. Out west, the Stars continued their impressive run, defeating the Golden Knights in five.
The playoffs excited greatly. Like with all sports, it took some adjusting to seeing games occurring without fans. Watching the NHL was agonizing to watch because of how exhilarating and electric the atmospheres become in the playoffs. There was no lack of entertainment, however. The Lightning and Stars are certainly an untraditional matchup. Both teams had only won once in their history.
You could say, however, that the Lightning had it coming. Top seed finishes leading to heartbreak was the story for the last several seasons. This year, however, they got the job done. It took them almost a full calendar year from when the season first started, but they will take it. Analysts expect the season to commence on December 1st, and it will field a full 82 game schedule. It remains to be seen whether or not fans will be allowed. I’m sure the players are happy to be all at home with their families for now. They will put in the work needed to start the NHL season at an unusual time.
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