The Tampa Bay Lightning played host to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final Monday night. Looking to lock up their second straight championship, Jon Cooper’s group was able to draw first blood in dominating fashion.
Down to the final two teams standing in the 2021 NHL Playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens are set to battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning to decide who will capture the Stanley Cup.
One of the most exciting teams league-wide, the Colorado Avalanche captured the President’s Trophy for the first time in 20 years this past season. Finishing atop the West Division with 39 victories, the team also led the NHL with 197 goals for. Enjoying another stellar campaign in 2021, star center Nathan MacKinnon was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy after recording 20 goals and 45 assists in 48 games. Along with this, in his third year with the Avalanche, net minder Philipp Grubauer earned a nomination for the Vezina Trophy. Racking up a .922 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average, the 29-year-old finished second in the league with 30 victories in 40 starts.
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 Tampa Bay Lightning played host to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final Monday night. Looking to lock up their second straight championship, Jon Cooper’s group was able to draw first blood in dominating fashion.
Down to the final two teams standing in the 2021 NHL Playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens are set to battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning to decide who will capture the Stanley Cup.
One of the most exciting teams league-wide, the Colorado Avalanche captured the President’s Trophy for the first time in 20 years this past season. Finishing atop the West Division with 39 victories, the team also led the NHL with 197 goals for. Enjoying another stellar campaign in 2021, star center Nathan MacKinnon was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy after recording 20 goals and 45 assists in 48 games. Along with this, in his third year with the Avalanche, net minder Philipp Grubauer earned a nomination for the Vezina Trophy. Racking up a .922 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average, the 29-year-old finished second in the league with 30 victories in 40 starts.
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.
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