The Stanley Cup hopes of the Washington Capitals were dashed by their first-round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins. This makes the third straight season of not making it past the first round, and fans are probably wondering if their window has closed.
It has become astonishing how consistently the Oilers are mismanaged. That showed once again in 2020-21. With Leon Draisaitl playing amazing and Connor McDavid somehow finding a new level, the club managed to disappoint them once again.
Qualifying for the playoffs for the 5th consecutive season, the Boston Bruins won 33 games in the league’s shortened 2020-21 season. Earning the third seed in the East Division, the team was led by longtime goaltender Tuukka Rask and star left winger Brad Marchand. Pacing Bruce Cassidy’s team with 29 goals and 40 assists in 53 games, the 33-year-old Marchand finished 6th in the NHL’s goal-scoring race. Making a splash at the trade deadline in April, general manager Don Sweeney acquired the former number one pick Taylor Hall.
Following in the steps of other teams with attempts to reset or reinvent, hopes were high that the 2020-21 season for the San Jose Sharks would not be a repeat of the previous one. Unfortunately, it was, but the good news is that it wasn’t as bad.
Given the weakest division in hockey to work with this year, a trip to the semifinals should have been guaranteed. However, Toronto failed yet again to win a playoff series, blowing a 3-1 series lead to Montreal. Of course, fans will not be calm.
The hockey season is almost over, with the Stanley Cup semifinals kicking off. Just four teams remain: The Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights. That leaves 28 fanbases to just sit back and watch.
Gerard Gallant is now the new head coach of the New York Rangers on a four-year deal. The hiring is the first major move Chris Drury has made since being named the President and General Manager on May 5.
The opening semifinal on Sunday between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders is a best-of-7 rematch from the 2020 Eastern Conference final. Tampa Bay won that match in six games, going on to eventually win the Stanley Cup.
This year’s modified divisions made for a weird playoff format, and the third round highlights that. It’s not the Conference Finals anymore, we now call it the Stanley Cup Semifinals. It also happens that one of the matchups includes Western and Eastern Conference teams prior to the Cup Finals.
The Florida Panthers have nothing to be ashamed about. They had the second-best record in the central division and the fourth-most points in the NHL. The Panthers made the playoffs for the first time in five years, but that euphoria was short-lived as they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Expectations may have never been lower for the Detroit Red Wings entering this past season. Everyone knew they were not going to be good after how the previous year went. But, a great trade deadline packaged with the team not finishing in eighth place has brought some hope to the table.
After finishing sixth in the Central Division, the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans experienced a disappointing season. While in a rebuild like other teams are, they still needed to perform at their best, and this season was not their best.
The Stanley Cup hopes of the Washington Capitals were dashed by their first-round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins. This makes the third straight season of not making it past the first round, and fans are probably wondering if their window has closed.
It has become astonishing how consistently the Oilers are mismanaged. That showed once again in 2020-21. With Leon Draisaitl playing amazing and Connor McDavid somehow finding a new level, the club managed to disappoint them once again.
Qualifying for the playoffs for the 5th consecutive season, the Boston Bruins won 33 games in the league’s shortened 2020-21 season. Earning the third seed in the East Division, the team was led by longtime goaltender Tuukka Rask and star left winger Brad Marchand. Pacing Bruce Cassidy’s team with 29 goals and 40 assists in 53 games, the 33-year-old Marchand finished 6th in the NHL’s goal-scoring race. Making a splash at the trade deadline in April, general manager Don Sweeney acquired the former number one pick Taylor Hall.
Following in the steps of other teams with attempts to reset or reinvent, hopes were high that the 2020-21 season for the San Jose Sharks would not be a repeat of the previous one. Unfortunately, it was, but the good news is that it wasn’t as bad.
Given the weakest division in hockey to work with this year, a trip to the semifinals should have been guaranteed. However, Toronto failed yet again to win a playoff series, blowing a 3-1 series lead to Montreal. Of course, fans will not be calm.
The hockey season is almost over, with the Stanley Cup semifinals kicking off. Just four teams remain: The Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights. That leaves 28 fanbases to just sit back and watch.
Gerard Gallant is now the new head coach of the New York Rangers on a four-year deal. The hiring is the first major move Chris Drury has made since being named the President and General Manager on May 5.
The opening semifinal on Sunday between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders is a best-of-7 rematch from the 2020 Eastern Conference final. Tampa Bay won that match in six games, going on to eventually win the Stanley Cup.
This year’s modified divisions made for a weird playoff format, and the third round highlights that. It’s not the Conference Finals anymore, we now call it the Stanley Cup Semifinals. It also happens that one of the matchups includes Western and Eastern Conference teams prior to the Cup Finals.
The Florida Panthers have nothing to be ashamed about. They had the second-best record in the central division and the fourth-most points in the NHL. The Panthers made the playoffs for the first time in five years, but that euphoria was short-lived as they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Expectations may have never been lower for the Detroit Red Wings entering this past season. Everyone knew they were not going to be good after how the previous year went. But, a great trade deadline packaged with the team not finishing in eighth place has brought some hope to the table.
After finishing sixth in the Central Division, the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans experienced a disappointing season. While in a rebuild like other teams are, they still needed to perform at their best, and this season was not their best.
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