NHL'S FIRST ROUND DELIVERS AGAIN
Game 7 lovers are going to find themselves in hockey heaven throughout the weekend
Raise a glass to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It never disappoints. It only reaffirms why the NHL'S post-season is the best post-season in all of sports. This year was no different. Whether it was the number of series that have gone the distance, the jaw-dropping skill and scoring on display or the physicality, the first round will probably end up being the best round.
Here's what's gone down so far:
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Is there anything better in the playoffs than a Game 7? It doesn't matter who you are rooting for, there's something about a winner-takes-all elimination game that brings out all the emotions. This weekend, we're in for a treat. There are three Game 7s scheduled for Saturday, beginning with Boston versus Carolina at 4:30 p.m. (ET), followed by Tampa Bay versus Toronto at 7 p.m., then Edmonton versus Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. Based on the outcomes of Friday night's action, we could be in store for another three Game 7s on Sunday. Fingers crossed it happens.
COLORADO THE FAVOURITE
Darryl Sutter was right. Well, sort of. When asked about the challenge in facing Colorado in the first round of playoffs, the Calgary Flames head coach had this simple warning for whoever ended up as the wild card team: “It's going to be a waste of eight days.” Turns out he was off by two days. It took only six days for the Avalanche to sweep the Nashville Predators. In the process, Cale Makar (3 goals and 10 points) reminded everyone why he might be the most exciting offensive defenceman since Paul Coffey.
TORONTO'S BIG FOUR
Regardless of what happens in Game 7 Saturday, the Leafs are not going to blow up their core. Every single one of them showed up in a big way this time around. Auston Matthews leads the team with four goals and eight points; Mitch Marner has two goals and seven points; William Nylander has three goals and seven points; John Tavares has three goals and six points. Combined, they have scored 12 of the team's 23 goals, which is far more than they have done in the past. As we said countless times, if the Big Four are Toronto's Best Four, then they should be able to advance to the second round ... right?
GOONERY WON'T GO AWAY
It wouldn't be a first round without the obligatory head shots, suspensions and the kind of blood-curdling violence that is usually reserved for a Quentin Tarantino movie. Toronto's Kyle Clifford kicked things off in Game 1 when he was suspended for his hit from behind on Tampa Bay's Ross Colton. Since then, we've had multiple line brawls and plenty of questionable hits. Edmonton's Darnell Nurse was suspended for head-butting Los Angeles' Philip Danault in the face, while Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was knocked out of a game after being elbowed in the face by New York's Jacob Trouba.
REFS, YOU SUCK!
The playoffs are never easy for referees, simply because playoff hockey is so much more physical than regular season hockey. To the refs' credit, they appear to be calling the game from the book, which has resulted in a parade of players to the penalty box. And yet, they are still getting things wrong. Toronto fans were complaining on Thursday night after a phantom high-sticking penalty resulted in Tampa Bay tying the game. But Tampa Bay fans were chanting “Refs, you suck!” after Steven Stamkos was mugged in overtime with no penalty called.
SCORING IS UP
This was a great year for goal scoring in the NHL. Eight players reached the 100-point mark, while four scored 50 or more goals. The best part? It's continued in the playoffs. After teams averaged 3.14 goals per game in the regular season, it would be natural to think that the offence would dry up in the tighter-checking style of the playoffs. Instead, it's been the opposite. Forget about 2-1 games. We've already seen six games in which a team scored seven goals. As a result, teams are averaging a whopping 3.31 goals per game in the playoffs — the highest-scoring opening round since 1995 (3.40).
THE STARS ARE SHINING
We might be witnessing the new Golden Era for goal scoring. I don't remember when there was this much talent concentrated in the league. You've got the new guard, which includes Connor Mcdavid — who leads the playoffs with 12 points — Cale Makar (10 points) and Auston Matthews (eight points). But you've also got the old guard still kicking around making an impact, like Brad Marchand (11 points), Sidney Crosby (nine points) and Victor Hedman (seven points).