Last year, the Colorado Avalanche made history as one of the most dominant Stanley Cup champions to ever take the ice. This year’s Avs are threatening to make history, too — but not the good kind. Since 1971, only three defending Cup champs have failed to follow their title run with a return trip to […]
For hockey fans ready to settle into one of the best on-paper matchups in Stanley Cup Final history, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Game 3 victory was the kind of counterpunch that could help this series live up to its immense billing. Tampa Bay badly needed to change the mood of the series after falling behind […]
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 […]