All year long, we wondered whether the unique circumstances of the 2021-22 NHL season — with a deep field of contenders and scoring at a generational high — would collide with the playoffs’ usual reputation for unpredictability to deliver an extra dose of chaos. But in the end, this postseason has instead given us a […]
In a sport as chaotic as hockey, it can be hard for favorites to deliver in the playoffs. There’s a reason that we frequently see great teams from the regular season flame out early in the postseason, while the whole tournament often feels like little more than a battle of streaky goaltending. This year was […]
It’s been a good, if stressful, month for fans of the New York Rangers, who play Game 2 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference final tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Broadway Blueshirts put a 6-2 hurting on the Tampa Bay Lightning in their series opener Wednesday, giving the Rangers a 60 percent chance of playing […]
Going into the playoffs, two of the NHL’s biggest questions surrounded the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers: Did the two-time defending champion Lightning have enough gas left in the tank to make a serious three-peat bid? And could the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers use their all-time dominant offense to turn around the postseason fortunes […]
The path to the Stanley Cup is going through one of hockey’s signature rivalries this spring, with the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers squaring off in the NHL’s Western Conference semifinals. (The Flames took Game 1 in a wild 9-6 shootout on Wednesday night; Game 2 is Friday night in Calgary.) Not only will the […]