Hot ice frenzy plays out in Canada
Jace Evans, Mike Brehm and Jimmy Hascup
The NHL will resume its season Saturday with an unprecedented 24-team bubble setup in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Daytime hockey will be a thing: The action begins at noon ET between the Hurricanes and Rangers.
Will this work? The NHL will use two hub cities in Canada — Toronto for 12 Eastern Conference teams and Edmonton, Alberta, for 12 Western teams. Players who advance to the Stanley Cup Final will be living this bubble, quarantined life for two months. The earliest they can see immediate family members is during the conference finals. MLB has already provided a warning of how things could go wrong. But the bubble has largely worked in the NWSL and MLS. If there is an outbreak in the NHL, how much is too much? – Hascup
Is everyone on an even keel or will talent win out? They say you should throw out the regular season once the playoffs begin. That’s how the Blue Jackets were able to sweep the recordtying Lightning in last season’s first round. But that saying is even more true this season. The 4 1⁄2-month hiatus is longer than a normal NHL offseason, and teams had a short training camp and one exhibition game to work out the rust. Lucky bounces could play a big role in the best-of-five, qualifying-round series. But the NHL helped the top regularseason teams by excusing them from that round. Instead, they’ll get three games against other top teams to determine seeding while their first-round opponents will have tougher, potentially longer series. – Brehm
Do older or younger teams have an advantage? On one hand, young teams – such as the Avalanche and Hurricanes – are thought to have “fresh legs,” which in theory gives them the ability to hit the ice at somewhat full speed. In that scenario, it stands to reason that older teams would struggle But the other side of the coin reckons that the clubs with older core players – among them the Bruins, Capitals and Penguins – have experience that will help them navigate the playoffs. The extended layoff also, seemingly, has given the older groups a chance to recharge. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a war of attrition, but launching into them after an extended break has allowed many to rehab significant injuries. – Evans
Which lower-tier team will make a run? This year, the league has expanded the playoff teams (including the qualifying rounds) to 24. The Blackhawks, Coyotes, Wild and Canucks in the West and the Canadiens, Panthers, Rangers and Islanders in the East would not have been eligible during a standard postseason. It is not playoff hockey without chaos. Therefore, it is not hard to envision at least one of these teams pulling off multiple upsets. – Hascup
Can the Blues repeat? History says no. But instead of an 82-game grind, they got needed rest, plus the return of Vladimir Tarasenko from an injury. Most of last year’s team remains and they addressed the loss of defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (heart). – Brehm