Conference finals lineup gives other teams hope

History is being made again in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On the heels of the first back-to-back champions in two decades, the NHL will get a new champion in the salary-cap era that began in 2005. Among the Lightning, Capitals, Jets and Golden Knights, only Tampa Bay has won the Stanley Cup, making this the first time the final four teams have combined for one title or fewer.

“They’re all good stories,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “The same old story sometimes can get old. Once in a while a new chapter is written, and it’ll be good. This year there will be a new chapter.”

It’s a full turnover from the final four teams last year: the Penguins, Senators, Predators and Ducks.

The Jets reached the third round when they beat the defending Western Conference-champion Predators on the road in Game 7 on Thursday night. The Jets are the final hope for Canada’s first Cup celebration since the Canadiens in 1993 and are in the conference final for the first time in franchise history.

“Having some diversity amongst the league is great, and I think it just shows the competitive balance throughout the league,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “So I think it’s a good thing to have some fan bases have some extended postseason success. It just creates a better vibe.”

The Lightning are trying to create the vibe Hockey Bay hasn’t seen since winning the Cup in 2004. They fell short in a six-game loss to the Blackhawks in the 2015 final with this core, led by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman.

“We’ve been here in this situation before,” Stamkos said. “There’s no panic or nervousness. We’re excited.”

The Golden Knights haven’t been in any situation before, building off the best inaugural season in NHL history by beating the Kings and Sharks to reach the West final. Among the four good stories remaining, none is as remarkable as the Golden Knights, who pieced together players from around the league to get further than anyone expected.

“I haven’t been around a team like this,” general manager George McPhee said. “This feels like more of a team than any team I’ve ever been with at the NHL level.”

What excites Jets coach Paul Maurice most about the fresh teams in the conference finals is the hope it keeps alive in the remaining cities. And each one can legitimately believe its team has a chance to win it all.

“That’s the great part about competition,” Maurice said. “There’s not a five-time Stanley Cup champion that’s just ran the first two series 4-0. It’s up for grabs.”