Ready for round 2?
A first round of goals, comebacks and Game 7s – highlighted by superstars like Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin and Johnny Gaudreau – sparked a dream streak in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
We have a repeat of the Battle for Florida between two-time Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning and Presidents’ Trophy winners as the regular-season top team, the Florida Panthers.
We have the Battle of Alberta between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers for the first time since 1991; the Cup-or-Bust Colorado Avalanche against the 2019 champions, the St. Louis Blues; and a matchup of the top two defensive teams in the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes (2.44 goals conceded per game) and the New York Rangers (2.49).
“It’s not easy,” said Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, shaking his head. “It’s not easy this time of year.”
In the first round, an average of 6.4 goals per game was scored. That’s more goals than in the regular season, when there were 6.3 goals per game, and most in the first round since 1994/95, when there were 6.8 goals per game. There were one-sided games and no big surprises. For the second time since the NHL went into four divisions in 2013-14, every regular-season division winner advanced. (It also happened in 2017-18.)
However, the first round was still incredibly competitive and as difficult to predict as a coin toss. Six teams overcame a series deficit to advance: the Blues, Flames, Lightning, Oilers, Panthers and Rangers. There were five Game 7s. Four were decided by a goal, the most goals ever in a single round, and two went into overtime. Who scored the winners? Panarin and Gaudreau, two of the regular season’s top 12 scorers.
“You dream of such things,” Gaudreau said.
Makar had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in four games, the most in NHL history by a defenseman in four games in a postseason. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon said, “He could be the best player in the league right now.”
But wait. McDavid has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in seven games. Two players have scored more points in a first-round series. Their names are Mario Lemieux (17 in 1992) and Wayne Gretzky (15 in 1987).
“He’s the best player in the world,” said Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. “Of course he has a lot of skill. That goes without saying. It’s the will, isn’t it? You can see it in his eyes. You can feel it on every shift that he’s out there. He is determined.”
It will take more will and determination from here on out.
Tampa Bay defeated Florida in six games last year in the first round of the Stanley Cup, their first playoff meeting. But Lightning center Brayden Point’s status is uncertain due to a lower body injury, and the Panthers have grown, adding defenseman Ben Chiarot and forwards Claude Giroux and Sam Reinhart.
“I think people, especially in Florida, have been asking for the two teams to be competitors and take it on,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I think last year a lot of people said that this could have been the playoff series. They’ve retooled their team and brought some big names with them. It should be loads of fun. It’s fun to play against them. It’s competitive…I think it’s really good for hockey.”
Ever since Tampa Bay (1992) and Florida (1993) joined the NHL, there’s been begging for Calgary and Edmonton to meet again in the playoffs. It’s been so long, too long since Esa gave Tikkanen a 5-4 overtime win over Mike Vernon in Game 7 of the 1991 Smythe Division Semifinals in what was then known as the Olympic Saddledome over the Flames. This is also very good for ice hockey.
“I’ve been here nine years and I’ve never had a chance to play them in the playoffs, so it’s very special,” Gaudreau said. “I think it will be a lot of fun.”
The Avalanche swept the Blues in the first round last season, defeated the Nashville Predators and have the highest expectations. But they’ve lost by round two for the last three seasons and they have that hump to overcome. The Blues have a championship core, finishing the regular season 14-2-2 and defeating the Minnesota Wild in six games.
“They’re a different team this year, we’re a different team this year, so you can’t look too much at last year because that’s in the past and we’re focused on the present and against this St. Louis team are playing this year,” said Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews. “They’re a very capable offensive team that we need to be prepared for.”
The Hurricanes swept away the Rangers in the 2020 best-of-5 Stanley Cup qualifiers as the NHL played a 24-team tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But write off the Rangers at your peril. Not only did they come back from a 3-1 deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, they came back in each of their last three wins.
“This is our team,” said Rangers coach Gerard Gallant. “We compete, we fight and we find ways to win games that maybe we shouldn’t.”
The best part?
Arenas are full. So are places outside. For the first time since 2019, before anyone heard about COVID-19, fans are in full swing in the playoffs from Alberta to Florida, Colorado to Carolina.
And we’re only a quarter of the way there.
“I’m getting chills,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said. “It’s exciting. It’s what you want as a player. It’s what you dream of. Our fans have been incredible. I know it will only get better.”