Ross Colton Praised as 'Legend' for Game-Winning Goal as Lightning Steal Game 2
May 20, 2022
SUNRISE, FL - MAY 17: Ross Colton #79 congratulates goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning after the win against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the Second Round of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the FLA Live Arena on May 17, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. The Lightning defeated the Panthers 4-1. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning struck in the nick of time.
The two-time reigning champions stunned the Florida Panthers with a 2-1 victory in Thursday's Game 2 of their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series. Ross Colton scored with less than four seconds remaining in a game that seemed destined for overtime and gave his side a 2-0 lead in the series.
The Lightning tried the whole "facing elimination" thing just to see what it was like and they didn't enjoy it so now they're going to just destroy everyone's souls for three rounds.
Thanks to Colton's late magic, the Lightning stole each of the first two contests on the Panthers' home ice and are in full control of the series.
Corey Perry started the scoring for the victors with a power-play goal in the first period, although Florida seized momentum back when Eetu Luostarinen buried the equalizer in the back of the net in the second period.
Impressive goaltending by Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy kept the game even from there, but Colton had no use for overtime with a moment that will go down in history for the Lightning if they parlay it into a third straight Stanley Cup title.
They will look to keep their momentum when the series shifts to Tampa Bay for Sunday's Game 3.
Panthers Lambasted For Abysmal Power Play in Game 1 Loss vs. Lightning
May 18, 2022
SUNRISE, FL - MAY 17: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare #41 of the Tampa Bay Lightning checks Brandon Montour #62 of the Florida Panthers into the boards during second period action in Game One of the Second Round of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the FLA Live Arena on May 17, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
The words "power" and "play" might just be banned from the city of Miami.
The Florida Panthers failed to score on three power plays in a 4-1 Game 1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, moving to 0-for-21 with a man-advantage in this year's postseason.
Power plays were the difference in the game, as the Lightning scored three extra-man goals on their six attempts. And after the game, fans were livid with Florida's inability to take advantage of their special teams' opportunities:
Iāve scored the same amount of power play goals as the Panthers have this postseason and I suck at hockey pic.twitter.com/9NIXqerlt5
Game 1 started off on a high note for the Panthers, as Anthony Duclair opened the scoring in the first period.
But Corey Perry evened the proceedings in the second period, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Nikita Kucherov and Ross Colton each struck in a dominant third period for the Lightning.
Florida's power-play woes took a turn toward the cruel in that decisive third period, when it appeared the team had scored while a man up. Just before the goal, however, the puck hit the netting, and the play was overturned on review:
The Panthers finally score on the power play, but the Lightning challenge for a missed stoppage.
Jon Cooper went 4-4 this season on challenges, 0-1 on missed stoppages. This one gets the goal overturned. pic.twitter.com/A1hbSauy6e
Maybe. But it's more likely a trend they would prefer to end quickly. Beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions will be near impossible if the Panthers can't take advantage of those chances.
5 Takeways from Day 1 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs
May 3, 2022
TORONTO, ON - MAY 2: Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with teammate Auston Matthews #34 during the second period in Game One of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 2, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
Frederik Andersen jumped on to the scene as a young goalie in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks had lost trust in their No. 1 goalie, Jonas Hiller, and instead turned to their rookie netminder.
Fast-forward to 2022, with Andersen now with the Carolina Hurricanes but injured to begin the playoffs, many wondered whether this would be the moment for another rising rookie, 22-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov. Instead, the net went to veteran goalie Antti Raanta, and he delivered in his first-ever playoff start, backstopping Carolina to a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their first-round series.
The Carolina goaltending situation was one of the biggest storylines to come from the first night of the2022 NHL playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs' decisive win over the Tampa Bay Lightning was another.
Here are five takeaways from the first night of postseason action.
TORONTO, ON - May 2 Prior to the start of the game, fans begin to gather. Sher (left-no last name) and Stephanie Scott (holding a photo of Auston Matthews) give a cheer in Maple Leaf Square.
The Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL hockey action at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This is the first game of the first round of playoffs
May 2 2022 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
New Year, New Narratives
It's been nearly 20 years since the Maple Leafs have won a playoff round, but a 5-0 thrashing of the reigning Stanley Cup champs twice over has the Leafs faithful eager for more. If they advance past the first round, you will likely be able to point to the five-minute power play they killed off Monday as a catalyst.
Early on, Kyle Clifford received a five-minute major and a game misconduct penalty for boarding Ross Colton, but Toronto actually generated more scoring chances than it surrendered during seven shorthanded minutes in the first period. David Kampf scored a shorthanded goal in the second period. The vaunted Tampa Bay power play went 0-for-5.
Matthews and Marner faced significant criticism last year when the Maple Leafs were eliminated in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens. Two key team leaders and two major components to the lineup, Matthews scored only a single goal and assisted on five, while Marner scored none, which was the same amount he scored in the 2019-20 postseason.
It's too early to see if the curse has been lifted, but there is such immense pressure on the Maple Leafs to get out of the first round, and yet Toronto thrived under it.
TORONTO, ON - May 2 In third period action, Morgan Rielly (44) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Jan Rutta (44) of the Tampa Bay Lightning battle it out as part of a full on melee between teams.
The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0 in NHL hockey action at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This is the first game of the first round of playoffs
May 2 2022 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Borderline Violence
Prior to the series starting, Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe gave us what could be the quote of the postseason:
"I expect it to be a very physical, borderline violent series in a lot of ways," he told reporters in Toronto. "And our guys will be ready for that."
A total of 122 penalty minutes were doled out in Game 1, so clearly the Leafs were, in fact, ready. A line brawl even broke out midway through the third period involving two longtime NHL tough guys in Corey Perry and Wayne Simmonds.
The ESPN2 cameras cut away for a commercial during the post-whistle scrum, but there were skirmishes in other games as well. A suspension could also be coming from the department of player safety for Clifford's hit from behind on Colton. It would be unfortunate for Toronto, who relies on Clifford, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, to bring energy on the fourth line, but the Leafs proved they could win without him on Monday.
This is the time of year when the levels of intensity and physicality go up a few notches. This is when you hear players say they need to "play between the whistles." The key is making sure the emotions don't boil over to the point that it becomes detrimental.
Speaking of whichā¦
SAINT PAUL, MN - MAY 02: Minnesota Wild Defenceman Jared Spurgeon (46) attempts to bump St. Louis Blues Winger Pavel Buchnevich (89) off the puck during game 1 of the NHL playoffs between the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild on April May 2nd, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Un-Gentlemanly Conduct
The Minnesota Wild clinched home-ice advantage against their Central Division rivals St. Louis, but it didn't help much. David Perron scored a hat trick for the Blues in a 4-0 win, and Ville Husso became the first St. Louis goalie to record a shutout in his playoff debut, but all of that was overshadowed by a late penalty for a crosscheck by Jared Spurgeon.
With 1:34 left in the game, Spurgeon was tied up with Pavel Buchnevich. Frustrated by his inability to connect on the puck with Buchnevich upending him, he crosschecked the back of the Blues forward's legs, slamming his stick down with considerable force. It didn't really matter that the Wild was left shorthanded for the rest of the gameāit was lost well before the penaltyābut it was a dangerous play that is going to get reviewed by the department of player safety and could land him a suspension.
It was also uncharacteristic and unbecoming of a captain. Spurgeon was a Lady Byng finalist last season and is a perennial candidate for the sportsmanship award given to the most "gentlemanly" player combined with a high standard of playing ability.
A captain goes down with the ship. He doesn't put himself in a position to sit out games.
The Blues are 13-1-1 in their last 15 games against the Wild. Ouch.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 02: Antti Raanta #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes leads his team onto the ice against the Boston Bruins during Game One of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 02, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Storm Surged
The Bruins have a relentless forecheck. Carolina did its best to stop it, but if you look at the underlying numbers, you'll see this was a pretty evenly matched game. Shot attempts at 5-on-5 were 56-48 in favor of Boston, scoring chances were 24-23 and high-danger chances were 11-11. But the power play woes resurfaced for the Bruins. Despite the fact that Boston generated chances on the first two power plays, the third didn't even yield a single shot attempt.
There was also some consternation in the Bruins net. Linus Ullmark made the start for Boston and at one point gave up a goal off his mask. Do the Bruins go with rookie goalie Jeremy Swayman in Game 2? Ullmark started because Swayman struggled down the stretch, going 4-6-0 with an .877 save percentage in the final 10 games.
It's possible he hit a wall and these last few days off have been beneficial for him. But there is no doubt a tandem that once looked strong is suddenly in doubt.
But the story today is Raanta.
"For me, it was obviously the first start in the playoffs in the NHL," Raanta said in his postgame press conference. "I was just trying to focus on the things that have (allowed me) to be successful. It was working nicely. But it's only one game, one win, and now it's just regrouping and getting ready for Wednesday."
EDMONTON, AB - MAY 2: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers stands for the singing of the national anthem prior to Game One of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings on May 2, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
One-Man Rush
Connor McDavid did very Connor McDavid-like things against the Los Angeles Kings. You can call it an odd-man rush because technically one is an odd number, but it was a 1-on-5 with McDavid as the lone man in an orange and blue jersey in the offensive zone.
With the Kings up 2-0 in the final minute of the first period, McDavid picked up the puck in the defensive zone and picked up some serious speed. He went 1-on-everyone and skated coast-to-coast, going down the boards and cutting through two defenders while another two failed to pick up his movement and another watched helplessly as he sniped one past Jonathan Quick from the edge of the right circle.
It was an absurd goal scored by one of the most elite players in the world. He just completely walked the Kings' entire five-man unit.
But when Leon Draisaitl scored around the 10-minute mark of the second period to tie the game at 3-3, it underscored the fact that McDavid and Draisaitl can put a team on their backs and win on their own. The Oilers don't have to be fantastic, but they don't completely roll over, this team will stay in games.
However, staying in games isn't good enough for McDavid, who is desperate for a championship. And that desperation may be needed after the Kings grabbed a late goal to take a 1-0 series lead.
Phillip Danault scored after an incredible sequence that saw Mike Smith turn the puck over off the back of the boards, then dive back to the crease to make a save before Danualt tipped Sean Durzi's point shot into the net.
"I was just trying to make something happen," Smith told reporters in his postgame press conference. "Obviously, just trying to do too much there. In a tight game like that, you can't afford to make mistakes like that. It ended up costing us the game."
Smith has lost his last 10 playoff games, including all six he has played for the Oilers.
Tampa Bay Lightning Visit Joe Biden, White House to Celebrate Stanley Cup Wins
Apr 25, 2022
President Joe Biden speaks during an event to celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup championships at the White House, Monday, April 25, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The Tampa Bay Lightning were honored Monday at the White House to celebrate their back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
President Joe Biden reflected on how fans in the region have had a lot to enjoy over the last few years:
āItās a pretty good time to be a sports fan in Tampa. I donāt know what the hell you have in the water down thereā ā Pres. Biden traded jokes with members of the Tampa Bay Lightning as the NHL team visited the White House to celebrate the 2020 & 2021 Stanley Cup championships š pic.twitter.com/MRDB3g9pmZ
Biden noted how the Lightning might have had a secret weapon in their arsenal during the postseason:
āIām not saying that the first lady being there at the arena during the playoffs is why you won, but just saying that she was there during the election season as well,ā Pres. Biden jokes with Tampa Bay Lightning. āShe seems to show up when people win.ā https://t.co/Z0Rhwqi5wjpic.twitter.com/IeTOadK5Ez
The president received a customized jersey in keeping with the tradition for these championship ceremonies:
As he is presented with a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey, Biden is asked "We all like gifts right?" to which he says "I gotta report every one, but..." pic.twitter.com/JUU9EtuGMP
The Lightning were unable to partake in the festivities after lifting the Stanley Cup in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday's event was more than a year in the making.
Team captain Steven Stamkos said it was "worth the wait" and an occasion he and his teammates will remember for a long time.
The 32-year-old Stamkos, who is in his 14th season, was on the receiving end of a one-liner by the president:
McDonagh says Steven Stamkos was offered to speak to the crowd to represent the players, but he passed and said an American should do it. Thatās how McDonagh got the honors. #GoBoltspic.twitter.com/E5TLmgX0Ie
A third straight title remains in play for the Lightning, who have already clinched a postseason berth with three games to play in the regular season.
6 NHL Storylines to Watch in Final Week of the 2021-22 Regular Season
Apr 25, 2022
TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: The Stanley Cup is shown before the first period of a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena on October 12, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
We've made it to the final week of the 2021-22 NHL regular season. The playoff picture is starting to become clear, and on the other end of the spectrum, the draft lottery odds are starting to come into focus as well.
But some things are still undecided. The awards race is heating up, and the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers are in a battle for the President's Trophy. Plus, there is still time for teams to battle for playoff positioning.
With that in mind, let's get into some of the questions that still need to be answered over this final week of play.
KITCHENER, ONTARIO - MARCH 23: Shane Wright #51 of the Team Red poses for a team photo prior to the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on March 23, 2022 in Kitchener, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
Which team has the best odds for the No. 1 overall draft pick?
The rights to draft Shane Wright are on the line.
The NHL will hold the draft lottery remotely on May 10. The odds were adjusted this season to allow for the addition of a 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken.
The 16 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs will be entered into the lottery. The team with the fewest points will have an 18.5 percent chance of winning the top pick, while the second-worst squad will have a 13.5 percent chance.
Currently, the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens have the fewest amount of points with 51. The Coyotes kinda sorta openly tanked this season, and the franchise is in a strange state, with the team temporarily relocating to a college arena next season while it attempts to work out a deal for a new arena in Tempe. Winning the lottery and drafting Wright, who is projected to go No. 1 overall, would be a boon to an organization struggling to attract fans.
However, the Habs are hosting the draft in July, and that city could see a celebration even rowdier than the one we saw when the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last year.
The Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken will likely be the next-worst teams.
The Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils have point totals in the low 60s.
There are two new rules this year: A team will be restricted from moving up more than 10 spots if it wins one of the lottery draws, and it cannot win the lottery more than two times in a five-year period. However, wins in lotteries prior to 2022 will not be counted, which is good for the Devils, who won the lottery in 2017 and 2019.
New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin stands in front of the gaol as time runs out during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Will Igor Shesterkin win the Hart Trophy?
Full disclosure: I'm an awards voter as a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It's a privilege that I take seriously, and I do a lot of research when it comes to my ballot each season. I'm not going to disclose my ballot, especially since I have yet to finish my deep dive on the candidates, but Igor Shesterkin is making my job and the job of other voters interesting.
It's not often that a goalie makes a case for hockey's version of the MVP award, but the New York Rangers goalie will certainly be a finalist. He would be the eighth goalie to win the award. It would be the ninth time it was given to a goalie (Dominik Hasek won it twice) and the first since Carey Price won it in 2014-15.
Shesterkin leads the league in save percentage (.936) and goals-against average (2.03). His 36 wins are tied for fifth. But the traditional analytics don't illustrate his full value, in part because sometimes it is difficult to quantify a goalie's full value.
But if fancy stats are more your thing, then consider his 24.46 goals saved above average at five-on-five, which is second behind New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin and his 0.887 high-danger save percentage (also at five-on-five).
It's tough to compare a goalie to skaters, which is why they're often overlooked in the Hart Trophy race. And there is also the age-old question of what constitutes the most valuable player: Is it the player who make the biggest contribution or the one who does the most for the team without ending up on the scoresheet?
Shesterkin is also a strong candidate for the Vezina Trophy, the award given to goalies and voted on by NHL general managers.
Other top candidates for the Hart right now are Jonathan Huberdeau, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. If it was up to Huberdeau, who has a career-high 114 points, he would give it to Matthews.
And speaking of Matthewsā¦
OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 16: Toronto Maple Leafs Center Auston Matthews (34) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on April 16, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Will he score 60 goals?
Matthews is sitting at 58 with two games left to play against the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already grabbed a playoff spot, but they cannot win the Atlantic Division. They enter the week five points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning, so there isn't much left to play for in these last two games and this is typically where we see some veterans and some top players resting in anticipation of the playoffs.
But no one has netted 60 goals in a season since Steven Stamkos did a decade ago. The only other active player to have scored 60 or more is Alexander Ovechkin, who really hasn't slowed down much considering he scored 50 this season, marking his ninth season with at least 50. It's a remarkable feat that has only occurred 39 other times and has been done by only 20 players.
Matthews might have already reached the milestone had he not missed eight games this season, especially three he sat out last week with an injury. But he returned to the lineup Saturday and tallied two assists on Sunday in a win over the Washington Capitals.
Is the injury nagging him enough that he should sit out and get ready for the postseason? Or should he go for 60? It's a tough call, but he appears to be well enough to play for now.
CALGARY, AB - APRIL 14: Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 14, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
Will the Golden Knights make the playoffs?
Things sure have changed in Las Vegas since the club began its inaugural season in 2017-18. The expectation has been to win a Stanley Cup, and they went all-in this season by acquiring star center Jack Eichel, but injuries derailed the 2021-22 season.
The Golden Knights are currently sitting on the outside looking in, six points behind the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division and three points behind the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference wild-card standings.
Their playoff prospects are nearly dead after a disaster of a game on Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose was down by two with two minutes left but came back to tie it with 0.9 seconds left. The Sharks killed off a penalty in overtime and won in a shootout.
They do have a game in hand on the Stars, and they will play in Dallas on Tuesday. However, goalie Robin Lehner has been battling a knee injury since early March, and there seems to be a disconnect between him and the club as to whether he will undergo surgery. He did back up Logan Thompson on Sunday night against the Sharks, but it's been a little bit of a soap opera of late.
A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Eichel trade needs to be judged for the long-term benefits and that the season shouldn't be considered a disaster if the team fails to make the playoffs. However, it's tough to know what management and ownership make of the situation.
This team has been known to turn on a dime when it comes to decision-making. They jettisoned former coach Gerard Gallant in January 2018 with the team sitting in fifth place in the Pacific Division and traded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a salary-cap maneuver last summer. Both moves were quite unpopular. How will the management and ownership groups view the situation with current coach Peter DeBoer? DeBoer is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the league, but there could be some heat on his seat as the season winds down.
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 23: Florida Panthers fans hold signs up prior to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the FLA Live Arena on April 23, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Can anyone beat the Panthers?
The Panthers saw their franchise-best 13-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday night in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avs have been stuck at 116 points for a week. They've lost their last four games, and backup goalie Pavel Francouz has been injured after an errant puck struck him on the bench.
The schedule for Colorado isn't light this week with games against the St. Louis Blues, Predators and Minnesota Wild. So the attention turns to the Panthers to see whether they can stay hot in the postseason against either the Capitals or the Boston Bruins.
The good news for Florida is that star defenseman Aaron Ekblad appears to be on the mend. He skated with the team on Long Island last week, so there is hope he can return for the postseason. He's been out since March 18 when he was injured in a game against the Anaheim Ducks. Without him, the Panthers have gone 15-1-0. If that's how they play without one of the best blueliners in the league, imagine what they might look like in the playoffs with him.
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) celebrates with teammate left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) after defeating the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game, Friday, April 22, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
How will the brackets shake out?
We have one postseason matchup set: The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild will square off in the first round. The rest of the matchups are still up in the air, but you can probably pencil in the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings.
The two series I would most like to see in the first round are Rangers-Bruins and Toronto-Tampa Bay. The second one is still in play.
The first round continues to vex a Toronto squad laden with talent and questionable goaltending. However, if the Leafs can get past the two-time defending champs in the first round, then it would make a huge statement that this team is ready to move on from its recent history and finally contend for a Cup once again.
As for the Rangers and Bruins facing one another, it's not quite Yankees-Red Sox, but it could be close. The intensity seems to ratchet up a few notches when Boston and New York teams play one another. Boston vs. New York might be the greatest rivalry in sports, and this is coming from a born-and-raised Californian.
This scenario would mean the Rangers leapfrog the Carolina Hurricanes in the standings. The two will play each other on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers are four points behind the Canes.
It's a race to the finish for some and a race to the bottom for others. This next week should be high on drama and build up some excitement for the upcoming playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning to Visit Joe Biden's White House to Celebrate Stanley Cup Wins
Apr 22, 2022
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoists the Stanley Cup overhead after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Iskowitz /NHLI via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., next week to celebrate their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
According to Lauren St. Germain of ABC Action News in Tampa, the Lightning will meet with United States President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday.
While it has become tradition for championship-winning sports franchises in the U.S. to visit the White House, the Bolts' 2020 Stanley Cup win came during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threw a wrench into plans.
The Lightning followed that up with a second consecutive Stanley Cup win last year, however, and they will finally get the opportunity to be recognized by the president for both triumphs.
Tampa Bay's first of two consecutive Stanley Cup wins in 2020 was its second in franchise history, with the first coming back in 2004.
Since COVID-19 forced the interruption of the 2019-20 season, the playoffs were formatted differently, with more teams having a chance to qualify.
That did little to deter the Lightning from their ultimate goal, as they lost a total of just four games in their first three playoff series before beating the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final.
Head coach Jon Cooper led the way, while Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy were among the players who won their first Cup. Hedman was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.
The following season was a unique one as well, with COVID-19 delaying the start of the campaign and forcing temporary realignment with all Canadian teams being in the same division.
Because of that, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final, which couldn't have happened under normal circumstances since both teams are in the Eastern Conference.
The Habs felt like a Cinderella team of destiny, but Tampa's talent level proved too much to overcome, as the Lightning won the series 4-1 and Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy thanks to his spectacular goaltending.
Tampa Bay is playoff-bound again this season with 102 points through 77 games, and it has a legitimate chance to three-peat.
If the Lightning do so, they will become the first NHL team to win at least three Stanley Cups in a row since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983.
1 Red Flag for 8 NHL Playoff Contenders
Apr 21, 2022
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian (24) looks away as the Detroit Red Wings celebrate left wing Lucas Raymond's goal (23) during the third period an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
The Florida Panthers came back to force overtime against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night at UBS Arena and needed only 20 seconds to win the game in the bonus period to record their 11th straight victory.
Captain Aleksander Barkov recorded a hat trick in the 3-2 win, and Jonathan Huberdeau moved one step closer to winning the Art Ross Trophy by taking over as the leagueās points leader with 111.
The team talked about building up their overall game to what they want it to look like during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"There have been some comebacks, some three- or four-goal comebacks, and thatās not the way we want to play," Barkov said. "But weāve talked a lot about keeping games tight and not letting [opponents] score a lot. The last few games have been like that. The most weāve given up is like three goals in the last few games, so I think weāre heading in the right direction.
"We just have to keep building, and there are still a few things we need to clean up. But we will."
There isnāt much for a team with a plus-100 goal differential to clean up. The Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche each have 116 points and are competing for the Presidents' Trophy.
Plus, Florida may be getting back defenseman Aaron Ekblad soon, as he skated with the team earlier in the day on Long Island. Meanwhile, Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) started skating with the team during its current road trip, as The Athletic's Peter Baugh showed.
The Avs and the Panthers are the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup because they donāt have any glaring weaknesses. But what about the teams that do?
Weāre nearing the finish line of the 2021-22 regular season. We have seen enough of the teams to be able to figure out their strengths and point out the red flags.
Letās explore some of those red flags before the regular season concludes April 29.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper instructs his team during the third period an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Failing to Play the Full 60 Minutes
Are the two-time defending champs slumping at the wrong time?
The lottery-bound Detroit Red Wings scored three goals against the Bolts in a span of 3:57 in the second period of their tilt Tuesday. This came after a dominant first period. Coach Jon Cooper later told reporters that he sees this as a recurring theme of sorts and wants it to end before the playoffs get underway.
"It's one of those games that we clearly beat ourselves, and it's becoming probably a little bit too much of our story in a game that I thought, after the first period, we had full control of, and we weren't satisfied and sticking with it," Cooper said. "Then you saw what happened."
In case you didn't see what happened, Cooper elaborated: "It was just odd-mans, breakaways, turnovers, and it's perplexing why some of these players that have been with us for a whileāespecially in Game 76āare continuing to do this. It's too bad."
Itās easy to take your foot off the gas when a playoff spot has already been locked up. This is also a team that can make up a big deficit quickly, but it will get tougher to do that in the postseason.
No one knows better than the Lightning the type of mental toughness it takes to win four seven-game series, but they havenāt shown a lot of that in a month wherein they have gone 4-4-2. Maybe some adversity is good for a team like this, but itās far too late in the season to be trying to establish good habits and consistency.
ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 19: St. Louis Blues right wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) reaches in to get the puck from Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) during a NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues on April 19, 2022, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images),
Boston Bruins: A Powerless Power Play
The Boston Bruins clinched a playoff spot Saturday with a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. But this is a team that's had its lapses as well.
There was a particularly bad loss to the Ottawa Senators earlier in April that exposed the dismal state of the Bruins' power play. Boston went 0-for-5 with the man advantage in that game and havenāt fared much better since, failing to score a power-play goal in their past two games. They're 0-for-27 on power play in their past eight games.
The B's are ranked 15th in overall power-play conversion (21.4 percent), so you could say it's mostly been so-so throughout the season. And missing David Pastrnak doesn't help, either. He leads the team with 38 goals, 14 of which have come on the power play. Pastrnakās signature one-timer from the left faceoff circle is a tough shot to save for a goalie who is trying to go from post-to-post.
However, the underlying metrics arenāt great: According to Natural Stat Trick Boston isnāt creating a ton of scoring chances on the power play.
A good power play isnāt crucial in the playoffs, but it's often the difference in close games. Facing a team like Florida, which averages more than four goals per game, will require all of the offense the Bruins can get. They need more from special teams.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) is helped off the ice by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) and a trainer during the third period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Carolina Hurricanes: Injuries
Much like the Avs, Panthers and maybe even the Calgary Flames, the Carolina Hurricanes donāt have any big weaknesses. They are known for their high-flying and high-volume offense, but they also limit chances on the other end effectively and have a potential Vezina Trophy candidate in net to bail them out.
However, the contender for that award, Frederik Andersen, has got hurt at the worst time. He went down with a lower-body injury against Colorado on Saturday in a game that was billed as a potential Stanley Cup Final preview.
It sounds like Andersen could be ready to return for the playoffs, with TSN and The Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun reporting that the goalie's MRI came back negative. But if Andersen is ruled out, then the team will have to go with backup Antti Raanta. No disrespect to Raanta, but there is a drop-off in quality between him and his teammate.
Captain Jordan Staal was also knocked out of that same game, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi is also out as well. Itās not uncommon for injuries to be aggravated at this time of year, but starting the postseason without a captain and a goalie would be a big blow for a favored contender.
Minnesota Wild's Kirill Kaprizov (97) brings the puck down the ice as St. Louis Blues' Nathan Walker (26) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 16, 2022, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Minnesota Wild: 2-7-5 in Last 14 Games Against the St. Louis Blues
Looking at the standings, the likelihood that the Minnesota Wild face the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs is high. This isnāt a good matchup for Minnesota, which hasnāt shown that it can beat the Blues when it counts.
The best example of this might be the Winter Classic, when Jordan Kyrou spoiled a celebration of all things Minnesota with his four-point night. But the Wild were coming off of an extended COVID-19 pause, and an outdoor game is an easy one to look at as an outlier given the unusual elements teams have to deal with.
But this record of 12 losses in 14 tries dates back a few seasons. And the stakes are higher for Minnesota this year. This team has made it known that it is going for it. The Wild acquired reigning Vezina winner Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline when they already had an All-Star goalie in Cam Talbot, partially because of Fleuryās postseason prowess. They also made moves to get tougher up and down the lineup, and they want to capitalize on high-scoring wing Kirill Kaprizov's prime.
Minnesotaās group is a little banged up as well, so health will be important, but the one thing it does have going for it is a favorable home schedule through the rest of the season.
The Wild play five of their last six regular-season games at home, and they have played well at Xcel Energy Center this season, going 27-7-2 in St. Paul.
If they continue their winning ways over the next week, they could secure home-ice advantage, which would be even more advantageous against a team they havenāt fared well against in recent years, especially when you look at Minnesota's record in St. Louis: 0-4-3 in the past seven trips to Missouri.
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 18: Ilya Samsonov #30 of the Washington Capitals skates to net during a pause in play against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on April 18, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. The Capitals defeated the Avalanche 3-2. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins: Goaltending
Each of these teams has a different situation in net, but they are grouped together since they all have red flags at the position.
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is "week-to-week" with a lower-body injury, but he was spotted wearing a boot in the team photo and riding a scooter around PPG Paints Arena by TribLIVE.com's Chris Adamski. If he's out for an extended period, Louis Domingue and Casey DeSmith will have a large net to fill considering how well Jarry has played this season (34-18-6, .919 save percentage).
Jarryās playoff struggles have been well-documented, but he's considerably better than either DeSmith or Domingue.
Inconsistent goaltending has plagued the Washington Capitals all season, and their .903 save percentage is the worst among all teams that occupy a playoff spot. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings are barely above the .900 mark as well.
Jack Campbell has returned from his rib injury in Toronto, which is promising for the Leafs if he can recapture the form he showed during the first half of the season. In Edmonton, recently appointed head coach Jay Woodcroft hasnāt exactly fixed goalies Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, but he does have the team playing much better in front of them.
All of these teams have had goaltending issues at some point throughout the season. The goaltending in Edmonton was one of the factors that led to the club dismissing coach Dave Tippett in February. Itās been the biggest problem in Washington, and itās held back Toronto at times throughout the season.
The 6 Most Important Storylines to Watch Ahead of the 2022 NHL Playoffs
Apr 12, 2022
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 12: The Tampa Bay Lightning raise the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Champions banner to the rafters before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena on October 12, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette /NHLI via Getty Images)
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are fast approaching.
There is at least one Western Conference wild-card spot up for grabs, possibly even two. The Pacific Division has yet to be fully decided, and the Vegas Golden Knights are on the outside looking in for the first time in franchise history.
Things are significantly less exciting in the Eastern Conference, where we've known the playoff group for a few months already. The Tampa Bay Lightning look dominant again, though less so than its counterpart on the east coast of Florida, the Panthers. However, the Atlantic Division as a whole is a tough field, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins also in the mix.
The Washington Capitals are the weak link in the Metropolitan Division with inconsistent goaltending, but that may not matter during the postseason when a player like Alexander Ovechkin can be a difference-maker. The Carolina Hurricanes look like a true contender, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers appear strong as well.
The postseason begins in three weeks. Letās explore some of the early developing storylines as the regular season starts to wind down.
Legacies on the Line
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 29: Toronto Maple Leafs Center Auston Matthews (34) and Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) react during the second period of the NHL regular season game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 29, 2021, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are two of the best players in the world, yet they have relatively little playoff success.
Whether or not the Maple Leafs make it out of the first round will likely be the biggest playoff storyline for a few reasons. There will naturally be a lot of pressure on a historic Original Six team playing in the hockey capital of the world. The media spotlight burns brightest in Toronto, and there is a level of prestige that comes with wearing the Maple Leaf.
It can be tough to play for the Leafs, and it's even tougher when the expectation is that the team is built for championships, but the narrative is that the team can't win when it matters.
The franchise hasn't made it out of the first round since 2004, and its epic collapse in last year's seven-game series against the Montreal Canadiens has not been forgotten.
In Edmonton, McDavid's legacy has been tarnished by mismanagement. The club has yet to truly build a contender around McDavid and Leon Draistaitl. Interim head coach Jay Woodcroft has had much better results behind the bench than Dave Tippett did, and his team is a near-lock to make the postseason.
But how far are they capable of going? All of those first-round picks have led to little more than first- and second-round exits.
Matthews, McDavid and Draisaitl will all be in the Hall of Fame someday, but anything less than a Cup Final would be considered a disappointment.
Will the Tampa Bay Lightning Create a Dynasty with a Third Straight Championship?
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning poses with the Stanley Cup after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Here's the thing no one tells you about winning Cups: It can be exhausting. It's obviously worth it, but there is a reason you don't see teams winning three in a row anymore.
Playing four rounds of four to seven games is a lot. It's two months of injuries, adrenaline, long overtimes and travel with tight turnarounds. It can put a lot of mileage on the skaters and take a toll on the goalies.
Training staffs often adjust their offseason plans to give players an adequate amount of rest, but it's a tough balancing act because the players don't want to be behind physically to start the next season.
The Lightning have played a lot of playoff hockey over the last few years. This is a dominant team that knows how to win, but they also might be mentally and physically burnt out. The team is third in the Atlantic Division, and the quality of play has not slipped this year, though, so there is nothing to indicate that this is the case.
But this isnāt exactly unheard of.
The Los Angeles Kings won Cups in 2012 and 2014, with a trip to the Western Conference Final in between. In the latter championship run, the Kings won three series that went into seven games to become the first team to advance to a Final having won 21 games. They looked unbeatable and had nearly all of their top players returning in 2015.
And then Los Angeles failed to make the postseason in 2015. They admitted to being drained.
Tampa Bay has played in 45 playoff games over the past two seasons. If you add in the round-robin games from the bubble in 2020, that's 48 games.
Maybe this is the year we see Florida or Colorado take the crown from Tampa Bay. Those two teams have loaded up with the intent to knock out the Lightning. Or maybe the window is still open for Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins.
Of course, the mental toughness may come into play here and the Lightning could become the first team to threepeat since the New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-1984, and the first in the salary cap era.
With goalie Andrei Vaseilveskiy you have to like their chances, which brings us to the next storylineā¦
Do Teams Have Good Enough Goaltending?
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 04: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with Jeremy Swayman #1 after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime at Nationwide Arena on April 4, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Most of the top teams have questionable goaltending. The Lightning, the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames are pretty set in net with solid No. 1 goalies, which is quite a luxury in the postseason.
In Edmonton, Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen don't inspire much confidence. The Maple Leafs don't seem to trust Jack Campbell. The Washington Capitals have been hamstrung by bad goaltending all season.
Some teams could not address their goaltending needs at the trade deadline because of the high prices for goalies and salary cap issues. There wasn't enough Marc-Andre Fleury to go around.
Then, there are the teams with tandems. Tandem usage is effective in the regular season, but it can become a problem in the postseason if a No. 1 goalie is not named. It creates divisions and uncertainty, which isn't what you want for a locker room in win-or-go-home scenarios.
Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe a decade ago during Los Angeles' first run and outdueled Henrik Lundqvist during the second run two years later, but he's 36. Quick has been the preferred goalie over Cal Petersen this season, but they've split a lot of the workload.
The Minnesota Wild won the Fleury sweepstakes, so it would seem that they would prefer a three-time Stanley Cup winner, but Cam Talbot was signed to be the No. 1.
The Bruins have to choose between Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.
You could maybe even say that Tristan Jarryāwho struggled in the playoffs last yearāis a question mark for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Goaltending can make or break a team in the postseason, so itās fascinating to see so many good teams with question marks in net.
Is This the Last Stand for the Pittsburgh Penguinsā Veteran Core?
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, center, is greeted by teammates Rickard Rakell (67), Jake Guentzel (59), Mike Matheson (5) and Kris Letang (58) after scoring against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have accomplished a lot together. Even some of Pittsburgh's important role players like Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin have helped the team stay exceptionally prosperous during Crosby and Malkin's prime years.
But Malkin is coming up on free agency this summer, as are Rust and Letang. There may be a changing of the guard of sorts since the club is tight on cap space and will have to start ramping up the planning for a post-Crosby and Malkin era. The prospect pool isn't exceptionally deep because, as a perennial contender, assets are consistently traded to maintain competitiveness.
As long as Crosby is around, the club will try and contend, and the Penguins will have to find ways to retool, reload and get younger in the coming years. But for now, the trip will get a shot to capture their fourth Stanley Cup.
How good are those chances? Their plus-38 goal differential would say they're somewhat good. Winger Rickard Rakell has been a fantastic addition to the lineup, working well with Crosby in limited action and even setting up the goal that gave Crosby his 1,400th NHL point. Coach Mike Sullivan said Rakell might see more time on Crosby's line since they know Rust can play with Malkin.
At the start of the season, people predicted a slide for the Penguins this season, myself included. But Pittsburgh has maintained a strong level of play with Sid and Geno still leading the way.
Will There Be a Surprise Team to Make a Run?
Nashville Predators' Roman Josi (59) plays against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
After two seasons of altered playoff formats, the NHL is back to using the same format before COVID-19: Three teams from each division and two wild-card winners from each conference.
In 2017, the Nashville Predators made it to the Stanley Cup Final as a wild-card team, and they're still the only team to have ever done so. In 2012, the Kings won the Stanley Cup as the No. 8 seed (pairings were reseeded after the first round, and the wild-card format had not been instituted).
The 2021 Montreal Canadiens may not have even made the playoffs had it not been for the all-Canadian North Division created because of border restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, John Tortorella guided the Columbus Blue Jackets to a sweep of the heavily favored Lightning in the first round, a team he previously led to a Stanley Cup back in 2004. Columbus failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinal round, but it was quite possibly the most memorable series of the entire postseason.
The Predators might be the wild-card team with the best chance to advance. Roman Josi has 87 points this season and has a chance to reach the century mark with 10 games left. Matt Duchene is having a career year at age 31, the club opted to keep Filip Forsberg at the deadline, and rookie Tanner Jeannot has proven to be quite the throwback of a power forward, providing offense and toughness.
Of course, it also helps to have an outstanding goalie, and Juuse Saros has been one of the best in the Western Conference this season.
The Preds are exceptionally tough to play against, which is exactly what coach John Hynes wants.
Of course, few would be surprised to see a team like the Boston Bruins run through the Eastern Conference bracket. They appeared in the Final in 2019 with much of the same core intact.
Everyone likes an underdog story, and it's no different in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Will COVID-19 Play a Role?
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 13: The Tampa Bay Lightning raise the banner celebrating winning the Stanley Cup for the 2019-20 NHL season during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on opening night of the 2020-21 NHL season at Amalie Arena on January 13, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
For the third season in a row, COVID-19 has impacted the NHL. Games were postponed and rescheduled at such a high frequency that the league prevented players from participating in the Winter Olympics.
The holiday break was extended. It took the New York Islanders months to catch up to other teams in games played, and it's probably one of the reasons a heavy favorite in the East will be sitting out this summer.
The NHL managed to get nearly every player in the NHL vaccinated, and things have calmed down considerably since the Omicron variant rapidly spread in December and January.
Canadian teams played in empty buildings once again. Protocols were tightened, and testing ramped up, but as the case numbers went down, the protocols were relaxed once again, and the league stopped testing asymptomatic players.
At the moment, transmission does not seem to be a problem. But it continues to be in the background as the season ends, and it will remain there during the postseason as well.
1 Nightmare Matchup for 5 NHL Playoff Contenders
Apr 10, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 26: Nicolas Roy #10 of the Vegas Golden Knights faces off with Darren Helm #43 of the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at T-Mobile Arena on February 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
Weāre in the dog days of the 2021-22 NHL regular season. The cellar-dwelling teams are beating each other up in meaningless games while the top teams in each conference jostle for Stanley Cup Playoff positioning.
The Eastern Conference playoff grouping has been set for months, with the only thing left to determine is the final bracket. Over in the Western Conference, the wild card has yet to be determined. The Vegas Golden Knights could potentially miss the playoffs for the first time since the franchiseās history. The Vancouver Canucks still have an outside chance of leapfrogging Vegas and Dallas for that last wild-card spot.
And, of course, there is always a chance the high-powered Golden Knights get some of their firepower back and manage to pull ahead of the Los Angeles Kings to save their season.
Lots of scenarios are still in play.
Matchups are everything in the playoffs. Unlike in the regular season, when weaknesses can be minimized in a single game, a seven-game series allows some teams to exploit another's weakness or neutralize the opposition's strength. It's enough time to figure out how to pick apart a power play and how a goalie moves.Br
Sometimes two teams match up well, but other times it's a disastrous draw.
Here are five matchups that fall into the latter category and why.
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) breaks against the New York Rangers defense during the third period of NHL hockey game Thursday, April 7, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
New York Rangers: Pittsburgh Penguins
The New York Rangers will successfully take the next step in their rebuild when they return to the playoffs (technically, they only reached the postseason portion of the 2020 bubble tournament and not the playoff portion, failing to make it out of the qualifying round) for the first time since 2017.
They have a lineup full of elite talent at the top and emerging young stars throughout, plus a goalie who should be a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in Igor Shesterkin.
The lineup has also done a good job of limiting chances in front of Shesterkin, and their power play is exceptionally good, with the Blueshirts' 26.6 percent conversion being the second-best in the NHL.
The top unit with the man advantage might be one of the best, with Chris Kreider (the third-leading scorer in the league), Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome, Mika Zibanejad and defending Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. The addition of Andrew Copp to the second unit has given them a tougher net-front presence, but that second unit doesn't see a whole lot of time since the top one takes care of business.
However, the Rangers generate surprisingly little offense at 5-on-5, ranking toward the bottom of the league in Corsi, scoring chances and expected goals for. New York typically wins by winning the special teams battle and goaltending, making its Metropolitan Division foes in the Pittsburgh Penguins, the least penalized team in the NHL this season, its most potentially daunting challenge.
The Penguins also have the second-best penalty kill in the league and a ton of postseason experience. The Rangers' leaders aren't completely devoid of playoff experience, but it's tough to match that of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jeff Carter and even former Ranger Brian Boyle.
Maybe this is where we see the changing of the guard, with the Rangers overcoming their even-strength issues and their young players knocking off the legendary vets, especially since the Rangers are 3-1-0 against Pittsburgh this season and have outscored the Penguins 11-4.
But on paper, this isn't a good matchup.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 26: Andre Burakovsky #95 of the Colorado Avalanche skates during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on February 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images)
Colorado Avalanche: Vegas Golden Knights
The Colorado Avalanche have been playing with a chip on their shoulder after losing in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights last season. A meeting again in early rounds would be a nightmare for reasons other than just the statistical matchup because the Avs have been the better team all season.
Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty could get healthy enough for the playoffs when the salary cap doesn't matter, and the club would be out of the woods with the cap constraints. That would give Vegas an even deeper lineup than they had last spring when they knocked out Colorado in six games since Jack Eichel has joined the club.
The Avs have been the favorites in the Western Conference all season but have dealt with their own injury issues, with captain Gabriel Landeskog currently on injured reserve while he recovers from knee surgery. Nazem Kadri, who is second on the team with 83 points, is expected to return by the playoffs.
However, should Colorado continue to struggle with injuries and run into a fully healthy Golden Knights squad, they may struggle to avenge their playoff disappointment from a season ago.
Questions will be asked about last year's series, but Vegas has been a contender for four years. It's time for the Avs to show that they're a top team when it matters, and to do that, they may once again have to face off against Vegas.
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 4: Brayden Point #21 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates against Alexander Kerfoot #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
Toronto Maple Leafs: Tampa Bay Lightning
If youāre looking at playoff history, as we just did above, you might be thinking the worst opponent for the Toronto Maple Leafs would be the Boston Bruins. The Leafs have lost their last six postseason series against Boston dating back to 1969.
The 2019 first-round loss still stings, but this is a better, deeper Leafs team that has a different coach, a different goalie and plays much better defense.
Instead, the nightmare matchup for Toronto would be the Tampa Bay Lightning. To be fair, the Lightning are a nightmare team for anyone to face. They haven't lost a postseason series since 2019, and they're still the champions until someone knocks them off.
These are two elite teams that would make for a great series.
Tampa Bay has the best quite possibly the best goaltender in the world in Andrei Vasilevskiy, a proven coach in Jon Cooper and a deep lineup.
The team lost its entire third line of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, as well as other players from those two Stanley Cup teams like Tyler Johnson, and hasn't missed a beat.
In Toronto, Auston Matthews has quickly become one of the most prolific scorers of this generation and is the type of game-breaking player that can make a difference in the playoffs. He scored his 55th goal of the season on Thursday night to set the Leafs' single-season record and the most for a U.S.-born NHL player.
Meanwhile, Mitch Marner has surpassed the 30-goal benchmark for the first time in his career.
Yet Matthews and Marner disappeared during their seven-game series with the Montreal Canadien last season. The Lightning have the defenders to neutralize even the best scorers, including Ryan McDonagh, who is expected to return as soon as this weekend.
Meeting in the first round is a realistic scenario given the current Atlantic Division standings. There is immense pressure on Toronto to get out of the first round, and this is an opponent who can bring the pressure on and off the ice.
Much like the Colorado-Vegas matchup, this one is less about the statistics and more about the storyline and the narratives that surround the Leafs and Lighting.
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 29: Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter speaks to media after his teams 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 29, 2022, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Kings: Calgary Flames
The Los Angeles Kings will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. A decade ago, it looked as though they had an emerging dynasty, but the culture fell apart, key veterans departed and former general manager Dean Lombardi tried to keep the window open a little too long, failing to recognize that it had already shut.
Finally, Lombardi's successor, Rob Blake, decided to blow it up and rebuild in 2019. Blake kept some of that championship core, and Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick remain.
He stockpiled talent and quickly built one of the most impressive prospect pools in hockey. He hired coach Todd McLellan to guide the team through the lean years and get them ready for a return to contention.
Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and currently sitting in third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points, a near-lock to make the playoffs. And there is a chance they could face a familiar face: Darryl Sutter, the coach that guided them to two Stanley Cups and the current coach of the Calgary Flames.
Sutter hockey has proven to be effective throughout the years, and the Flames are proof that it's still working. It might a low-event style of play, but Calgary is scoring 3.48 goals per game, good for sixth in the league, and they're the third-highest shot volume team at 5-on-5 in the NHL.
The Kings don't have the defense to withstand an offensive attack from Calgary. If Alexander Edler returns, as he is expected to soon, it will add another proven defender to the blueline. However, the club is unsure when Doughty can return from an upper-body injury, and without him, Los Angeles may not have enough to stop Calgary's offense.
The Los Angeles power play is also the least effective amongst teams in playoff contention, as its 16.6 percent mark is 28th in the league. The Flames, meanwhile, happen to be one of the best penalty-killing teams, killing off 83.4 percent of the opponent's power-play opportunities.
No one knows Sutter hockey like the Kings, but now that Kopitar, Doughty, Brown and Quick are on the other side, it might not be as much fun.
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (22) moves in to break up a pass for Boston Bruins winger Nick Foligno (17) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes on February 10, 2022 at TD garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Boston Bruins: Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have outscored the Boston Bruins 16-1 in three meetings this year. Granted, one of those games was one of Tuukka Rask's final games in the NHL, and it was a disaster. However, Linus Ullmark didn't fare much better against the Canes in February, allowing all six goals in a 6-0 loss.
This matchup could be similar to a Kings-Flames series in that Carolina is a high shot-volume team, and Boston may not have the defense to contain their attack.
The Bruins added Hampus Lindholm at the trade deadline to deepen the blueline, and this team has been good at limiting scoring chances throughout the season.
They'll have to decide which goaltender to go with during the playoffs because a tandem is never really an effective plan past the regular season. They have two very good options in Jeremy Swayman and Ullmark, though, the latter of whom has played much better lately, going 6-0-0 with a .938 save percentage in his last seven games.
However, it's tough to argue with how many weapons Carolina has up front. This is an exceptionally deep team, especially at forward, where they can roll all four lines and overwhelm teams with the volume and quality of shots. They have defensemen with shutdown abilities like Brett Pesce and two who can jump into offensive plays in Jaccob Slavin and Tony DeAngelo.
It's a tough match for the Bruins, who have similar high-end talent but not as much as Carolina, especially on the blueline.
Dear Abbey: 2022 NHL Playoffs Matchups You Want to See
Apr 1, 2022
SUNRISE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Maxim Mamin #98 of the Florida Panthers scores a goal past Goaltender Maxime Lagace #33 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during second period action at the FLA Live Arena on December 30, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/NHLI via Getty Images)
Welcome to another edition of Dear Abbey. I don't give life advice like the real Dear Abby, but I do talk about hockey.
The trade deadline has passed, and weāre in the home stretch of the regular season with a month left to play. Things are getting interesting as the Western Conference teams battle for those two wild-card playoff spots and the Eastern Conference teams jockey for positioning. The teams on the outside of the playoff pictures can play spoilsport, which can be beneficial for the developing prospects to get some NHL experience.
But this edition is about the playoffs.
The way the Stanley Cup Playoffs are currently structured, regional and divisional rivalries are typically played in the first few rounds. This isnāt always ideal since it often leads to some of the best teams being knocked out early on, but it does make for some interesting storylines in the first and second rounds.
This format has been around since 2014, and in that time the San Jose Sharks have faced the Los Angeles Kings twice in the first round and the Vegas Golden Knights once in the first round and once in the second. Weāve seen quite a few iterations of Washington Capitals-Pittsburgh Penguins and the memes on Twitter with pens next to pen caps that come along with it.
So this week, we asked members of the B/R community what matchups they would most like to see in the postseason this year. The fans have spoken, and they want some new rivalry action, some tough-guy action and they really want to see the two Florida teams go at it.
Here are five matchups readers would like to see.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 03: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals yells at the New York Rangers bench after taking a second period penalty at Madison Square Garden on May 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Boxing on Broadway
@jeff73883:Rangers-Caps. Let Reaves beat Wilson up.
This was one of the more popular answers. To give some background, last year there was a debacle between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers that resulted in a three-day news story and a statement from the Rangers calling for the removal of George Parros, the head of the NHLās department of player safety.
Former New York general manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson were also dismissed from their posts, and though the timing was suspect, it was never clear whether or not the two incidents were related. Either way, it wasā¦a lot.
During a post-whistle scrum in a late-season game, Wilson threw a helmetless Artemi Panarin to the ice and was only fined $500,000, which was an incredibly small amount for a repeat offender.
But the Rangers went out over the summer and got tougher. They're now better able to counter Wilson with Ryan Reaves, and it appears as though New Yorkers want to see some revenge.
Wilson has always been an interesting case study because he doesnāt have to fight or play dirty. Heās a talented top-line winger and heās extremely well liked in the Washington locker room. So well liked, in fact, that some people around the organization have said he could someday become a captain when Alex Ovechkin retires.
Reaves, on the other hand, is very much what youād expect from an enforcer: Heās a bottom-six grinder and an excellent fighter.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have also been guilty of trying to get tough enough to counter Wilson and it came at the sacrifice of skill in the lineup. But the Rangers have a good balance of skill and toughness, especially since adding Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte, Frank Vatrano and Justin Braun at the trade deadline.
Regardless of any fights, this would be an entertaining matchup between two Metropolitan Division teams in very different places: The Rangers are trying to end their rebuild, while the Capitals are trying to keep their window of contention open a little longer.
For what itās worth, Reaves also has an equally cool off-ice investment in a beer company, 7Five Brewing Co. Maybe they can all grab a stout after the playoffs.
ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 27: Colorado Avalanche Left Wing Andrew Cogliano (11) takes a shot during the NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild on March 27th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.(Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A Wild one in the Rockies
@jimjamflimflam: Wild-Avs. They legit hate each other.
Hate is a very strong word for a matchup that has only been played in the postseason three times, especially since the two teams just did business with one another at the trade deadline, with Colorado sending Tyson Jost to Minnesota in exchange for Nico Sturm.
Most professional athletes across all sports will tell you that rivalries are created in the postseason. Defenseman Drew Doughty once told me that the rivalry between the Kings and their Southern California rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, was entirely created by fans.
However, the fans make a difference. The Kings and Ducks played one another for the first and only time in playoff history in 2014. It was an exciting seven-game series that featured an electric atmosphere. There was a solid mix of fans from both sides in both arenas, and Teemu Selanne ended his career to a standing ovation, drawing cheers from fans who had previously always rooted against him.
The following season, Doughty was asked again how he felt about the rivalry. He said it had become an official rivalry because of that heated postseason series.
So to make this Central Division rivalry official, we need it this spring.
Both of these teams have been perennial also-rans in recent years, more or less. Minnesota has made 11 playoff appearances since the clubās first season in 2000-01 but has only advanced past the first round three times.
Colorado was once a juggernaut and has recently been a favorite to hoist the Cup, but the Avs havenāt had great results in the playoffs.
Both of these teams are going for it. Both of them are capable of going deep and will be good for the next few years. This could be the start of something contentious and something exciting.
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 26: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 26 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Calgary Flames defeated the Edmonton Oilers 9-5. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
Getting After it in Alberta
@frankthetank95: BoA
@Zaphgod: Battle for Alberta
This used to be a fantastic postseason rivalryā¦back in the 1980s. The last time these two teams met after the regular season was in 1991. Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau and, well, most of the two rosters had not yet been born.
Maybe Mike Smith, Edmontonās 40-year-old goalie, has some memories of that series.
The Oilers have the best player in the world in McDavid but have not been able to build much around him. Itās been a roller coaster of a season in Edmonton, which, letās be honest, is not uncharacteristic for the franchise. The club fired its coach, Dave Tippett, in February, and replaced him with their AHL coach Jay Woodcroft. The results have been positive, as the Oilers have gone 15-7-2 since the change behind the bench.
The goaltending situation has been better as of late, but Smith and Mikko Koskinen havenāt exactly been the most reliable tandem in hockey, and general manager Ken Holland failed to land a goalie at the trade deadline. But the Anaheim Ducks slid from contention and traded away some top veterans to continue their rebuild and the Vegas Golden Knights are trying to stop their own skid, so the Oilers will (probably) secure a bid.
Darryl Sutter hockey is not the most exciting brand of hockey. Itās low-event with a lot of cycling, but itās clearly still effective. The system is the star, and in this case, Sutter might be too.
The story writes itself: Heās from Viking, Alberta, and still operates a cattle ranch there. Itās closer to Edmonton than Calgary, but this is his second stint with the Flames, so the fans love him.
But while the mercurial Sutter can deliver some witty soundbites in the postseason ("Fly at 11" is still often repeated among Los Angeles media members), players can find him grating.
When things are going well, everyone gets on board. But even after the most dominant wins, he can be extremely critical, which is not great for morale and confidence and can cause players to tune him out.
Itās the rising coaching star with the gameās biggest star against a grizzled, two-time Cup-winning veteran coach and a deep group trying to bring prominence to the prairie. This particular Battle of Alberta would not disappoint.
SUNRISE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Alex Killorn #17 of the Tampa Bay Lightning gets into position next to Goaltender Spencer Knight #30 of the Florida Panthers during third period action at the FLA Live Arena on December 30, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/NHLI via Getty Images)
Sunshine Showdown
@joelguinand: Bolts and Panthers. It was a damn good series and Iām sure this year it would be even better.
@hialeah1987: Bolts-Cats. Itās time to show Tampa that So Fla rules hockey in Florida now.
This was the most popular matchup from the B/R community. And I agree with @joelguinand; it was a fantastic series last year. This is the Eastern Conference Final we deserve.
The Panthers are averaging 4.06 goals per game. The forward group is exceptionally deep, but theyāre also creating offense from the blueline. This team is loaded and playing in front of an elite goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Lightning are still the champs until they arenāt. They are without some of the key role players who helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups, but that hasnāt held them back because of the high-end talent on the roster, savvy coaching and strong player development.
Tampa Bay and Florida havenāt exactly been neck-and-neck all season, but theyāre close. The Lightning are eight points back of the Panthers and would almost certainly need to fall into the wild-card spots to play them in the first round.
The Lightning already have a fervent fanbase in the Tampa Bay area, which happens when you win three Stanley Cups and establish a foothold in the market. But a series like this would help grow the game exponentially throughout the state. New fans, learn-to-play programs and other grassroots outreach are important in non-traditional hockey markets, and the exposure that a playoff series brings would help fuel those efforts on the eastern side of the state and in other parts as well.
The Panthers have never exactly been a marquee franchise, but knocking off Tampa Bay in a conference final could change that.
SUNRISE, FL - MARCH 31: Claude Giroux #28 of the Florida Panthers has a laugh on the ice prior to the start of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the FLA Live Arena on March 31, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Heavyweight Title Bout
@Ryst: Avs-Panthers. The ultimate āDid Giroux pick the right teamā matchup
Former Flyers captain Claude Giroux used his no-trade clause to engineer a move to the team he felt he would fit with the best. The Panthers were the winners of the sweepstakes, despite interest from the Avs. So in this hypothetical scenario, after the Cats knock off the Lightning (in seven games, just to maximize the drama), they would take on the Avs.
Things have worked out quite well for Giroux since the trade. He already has five assists in five games with the Panthers, four of them wins (3-1-0). For now, it seems as though he made the right decision.
Colorado has somehow managed to stay dominant throughout the season despite injuries to several top players like Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. But the good news is that MacKinnon returned to the lineup Thursday and talented young defenseman Bowen Byram is on an AHL conditioning stint, so there is hope that he can return after a series of head injuries.
One could make the argument that these are the top two teams in the league right now, though you could certainly include the Carolina Hurricanes in the discussion. These are probably the two top contenders for the Cup Final, though, and the rosters are built to withstand several rounds of intense playoff hockey.
As for Giroux, heās a pending unrestricted free agent, so he'll have another decision to make following the season. The only decisions heāll be worried about in a championship series are the ones on the ice, but itās still a fun storyline.
