Playoff time in the\u00a0NHL. It is the best time of year for all involved. There is a renewed sense of purpose. A vigor to what weeks ago was mundane, with the rigors of the\u00a0NHL’s regular season eliminating half\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0teams, sixteen\u00a0can say they endured and survived.<\/p>\n
Yet,\u00a0it goes by so quickly.\u00a0For half of the qualifying\u00a0teams,\u00a0survival\u00a0will have\u00a0to suffice \u2013 except for a fleeting\u00a0foray into the post-season before a round one exit.\u00a0That\u2019s right.\u00a0After surviving a six-month slog through the regular campaign, two weeks later, the energy and allure of the Stanley Cup\u00a0goes poof in those cities.<\/p>\n
For the eight remaining participants, the pull becomes even stronger. One step closer. Maybe this is our year. All the while, the action on the ice just continues to become more riveting \u2013 with outcome and outsized dreams converging. Not so, for the first round victims. They are left with the feeling of filling their pockets with fool\u2019s gold. Listening to management giving too soon a post-season synopsis. Looking ahead, now to the amateur draft, free agency and next season\u2019s aspirations.<\/p>\n
And then Round\u00a0Two. Progress for\u00a0half\u00a0involved\u00a0\u2013 disappointment for\u00a0the other half.\u00a0For the teams sent home so close to the Conference Finals, they\u2019re\u00a0not quite there\u00a0yet as Final Four material.\u00a0The\u00a0Second Round winners,\u00a0however,\u00a0move to the penultimate stage, with\u00a0only\u00a0two teams\u00a0advancing\u00a0to the Stanley Cup Final.\u00a0We now know that the\u00a0Vegas Golden Knights will represent the Western Conference, after dispatching the Presidents\u2019 Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in a stunning series sweep. Their opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, represent the Eastern Conference after rolling to the Stanley Cup Final with a 12-1 record.<\/p>\n
But we can\u2019t get ahead of ourselves. After all, only one of the thirty-two NHL member clubs won\u2019t experience defeat leading to debrief. Plus, all setbacks aren\u2019t created equal. Getting to the playoffs is rewarding in its own right \u2013 especially if your team came into the season with tempered expectations. These two clubs had lofty goals when the season commenced. The \u2018Canes had the most regular season points in the East. They have been a contender for several years but have tripped up in the Conference Finals.<\/p>\n
Not this\u00a0year\u00a0as the Hurricanes dominated the Montreal Canadiens\u00a0in the\u00a0ECF\u00a0to secure their first\u00a0appearance\u00a0in the Stanley Cup Final\u00a0since winning in 2006.\u00a0For their part, the Vegas Golden Knights are\u00a0a mere\u00a0three years removed from winning the Cup, this being their third Final\u00a0on the franchise\u2019s nine-year resume.\u00a0It was an uneven year\u00a0that\u00a0necessitated changes at every position during the season and a late-season pivot\u00a0behind the bench\u00a0that has veteran\u00a0coach John Tortorella\u00a0back\u00a0in\u00a0the SCF for the first time since he guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to victory in 2004.<\/p>\n
Sure, we all want our team to bring home the ultimate prize. The reality, though, is the first round of NHL playoffs this year featured no less than six teams that didn\u2019t qualify for playoff participation a year ago. For those teams, there is a built-in modicum of satisfaction – regardless of their first round results. Simply making it to the post-season is no small feat in today\u2019s exceedingly balanced NHL. Now, we are just one series away from knowing who will claim the Cup and be the only team not to experience disappointment on some level.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until then, enjoy the FINAL stage of the journey that is NHL playoff hockey. There is nothing like it\u2026 Now live exclusively from Raleigh and Vegas.<\/p>\n
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