With the conclusion of the NHL regular season, the world is plunged into what some like to call the most exciting time in all of sports: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the first round, there are many incredibly hyped up matches, the most notable of which is the Boston Bruins versus Toronto Maple Leafs series. This is a long standing rivalry that has had over 15 meetings in the playoffs since 1933, and all of them have been interesting. Right now, the series is leaning towards the Bruins at 2-1, but the Leafs top scorer Austin Matthews is looking to break the Maple Leafs track record of losing playoff games with his high pace of scoring and passing.
Another high pace team is the Edmonton Oilers, led by three-time MVP Connor McDavid. The Oilers are currently tied with the Los Angeles Kings 1-1 thanks to McDavid’s team playing, with six assists in two games. This series is incredibly close, with the second game going to overtime and giving the Kings the tie in this series.
One of the favorites to win it all are the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes lead the series 2-0, including an incredible comeback against the New York Islanders in game two. They are looking like they will continue their streak against the Islanders, and it would be cool to see the home team win it all.
“How often do you see a game like that, with the stakes and everything that they are? But it’s hard, because we’re always moving onto the next thing,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour, according to The News and Observer.
The Eastern Conference champions, the New York Rangers have been wiping the floor with the wild card Washington Capitals, with a lead of 2-0. The Rangers have come a long way since last season, when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the New Jersey Devils in seven.
Moving to the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars are currently trailing the Vegas Golden Knights 2-0. The score in this series is odd because the Stars were the best in the conference in the regular season, while the Golden Knights are just a wild card team.
“They’re the defending Cup champs for a reason. They know how to squeeze it out and finish a game off,” said Dallas left wing Jason Robertson via NHL.com.
Tonight, there are two big game threes, with the Hurricanes and the Islanders at 7:30 p.m., and the Panthers facing the Lightning at 7:00 p.m.
