The 10 hottest storylines to open Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs
Okay. That was extreme. Pretty sure the hockey universe is still measuring its collective heart rate after five Game 7s over two days to close out the first round of the NHL playoffs. Early on in those series, though: I have to admit to being disappointed in the quality of the games on the ice. In spite of loads of goals so, many early games were lopsided, in part because, thank goodness, officials were calling the standard (see below). But as time passed, the game-to-game drama was off the charts, with Florida coming from behind in three straight games to win their first playoff series since 1996, Tampa erasing a 3-2 series deficit to extend Toronto’s playoff agony to 18 straight years and the New York Rangers’ never say die attitude carrying them to overtime in Game 7 before Artemi Panarin ended it. It was grand theater and sets up some unique second-round matchups, including a second straight Battle of Florida and the first Battle of Alberta since, wait for it, 1991.
Here are 10 storylines to watch in the second round.
Stay the Course, Zebras
We made this our top storyline at the start of the playoffs, and it’s worth revisiting; how are officials going to call these second-round games now that the zany first round with five Game 7s is behind us? Have to admit I felt a high level of angst at how officials were going to respond to the plethora of Game 7s that helped make the first round so memorable. But for the most part I thought the standard adopted through most of the first round, where stick and obstruction fouls were routinely called regardless of the score or state of the game, held true in these deciding moments. Loved the way the Rangers/Penguins Game 7 tilt was called, including an overtime holding penalty on Pittsburgh’s Brock McGinn that was more than justified and which ultimately cost the Penguins the series. Good on Kelly Sutherland and Gord Dwyer for getting it right. The Oilers might have had the odd question about non-calls in Game 7 with the Oilers controlling so much of the puck possession in the game, but the critical insurance goal late in the third period came on a delayed penalty call to the Kings that was, again, totally justified even though Kings defenseman Sean Durzi inexplicably stopped skating to protest the coming call, allowing McDavid a better chance to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead. I felt players adjusted to the higher level of scrutiny as the first round went on, which is the hope. Still, the true test of the league’s commitment to call the game to the standard is yet to come, and here’s hoping commissioner Gary Bettman makes a gentle reminder, as he did to start the first round, to keep the standard the standard. The game is miles better for it.
Battle of Alberta. Pass The Popcorn.
The Calgary Flames had to outlast Dallas goaltending sensation Jake Oettinger through seven tight games to bring home the second part of the Battle of Alberta equation after the Oilers erased a 3-2 series deficit against pesky Los Angeles to advance beyond the first round for just the second time in the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl era with a win at home in Game 7 on Saturday. But we have no doubt this will be worth the wait. This series should pop, and no one will be envying netminders Mike Smith who was terrific in Games 6 and 7 for the Oilers, and his counterpart Jacob Markstrom, as McDavid has elevated his already stratospheric game to a new level and Johnny Gaudreau, who scored the overtime winner in Game 7, is leading the way for the Flames with eight points in seven games. The matchup guarantees a Canadian team in the conference final and it will mark the first time an Alberta team will advance as far as the final four since the Oilers went to the final in 2006, so the emotions will be through the roof for this first provincial matchup since 1991. For many, this is a series about Calgary’s ability to control the uncontrollable McDavid and Draisaitl (although Draisaitl was clearly hobbled by what is believed to be an ankle injury which bears watching) versus the impressive depth of the Flames, who had nine different players score at least one goal against stingy Dallas. But the Oilers had 12 different players score in the first round, and if they can get that kind of production against the Flames, it will take some of the pressure off Edmonton’s dynamic duo and make life even more miserable for the Flames, even though Calgary will enjoy home ice advantage.
Battle of Florida Part Deux
I have argued that last year’s first-round matchup between Tampa and Florida was the most compelling of all the playoff series. Hard, nasty and skilled, the Lightning were tested en route to a six-game series win after which they completed a rare back-to-back Stanley Cup run. Now the Panthers are back, better, more experienced and once again owning home ice advantage over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs. The Presidents’ Trophy winning Cats are hungry for more (sorry about that) after winning their first playoff series since 1996, and this will be a grand test to see what or how much they learned from that first-round loss a year ago. The Lightning are beat up – Brayden Point’s injury in Game 7 against Toronto looms large as the second round begins. Wouldn’t it be poetic if the Bolts’ magical playoff run ended at the hands of their cross-state rivals? A kind of passing of the Florida hockey baton if you will? One thing’s for sure: all-world Tampa netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy will have to better than he was early in the Toronto series against the powerhouse Panthers.
Jordan Binnington On A Rainbow (Again)
I’m not all that surprised that Jordan Binnington, the hero of the St. Louis Blues’ run from last place to a Stanley Cup in 2019, appeared during the first round against Minnesota. But what an entrance. Or is that re-entrance? Binnington came on in relief of Ville Husso with the Blues trailing 2-1 in the series, reeled off three straight wins and stopped 83 of 88 shots for a .943 save percentage. Now the Blues are feeling it. Binnington lost the starter’s job through a long period of inconsistent play and a seemingly commensurate lack of confidence. He appeared to right the ship down the stretch even though Husso started the series. Binnington proved he’s still got the goods in the first round. The Avs, of course, represent as tough a matchup offensively as the Blues and Binnington are likely to face in the playoffs, so his ability to keep riding the rainbow will say much about the Blues’ chances of advancing.
Goalie Carousel Part Deux
Speaking of goaltending: one of our first-round storylines was the potential for goalie chaos, and we were not wrong and/or disappointed. Ten of the 16 teams made a goaltending switch at some point and 23 different goalies started at least one game in the first round. The Penguins had three different starters in Casey DeSmith, Louis Domingue and finally Tristan Jarry, who came off the injury shelf to start Game 7. Will the second round bring more uncertainty? Unlikely, although Carolina may have an interesting goaltending decision ahead if Frederik Andersen ever gets healthy enough to return to the net. Andersen, who has not played since April 16, is the forgotten man with Antti Raanta carrying the Hurricanes to a Game 7 win over Boston and turning in a .927 save percentage in six starts in the first round. But what happens when/if Andersen gets healthy? Back in 2019, then-rookie head coach Rod Brind’Amour faced a difficult goaltending decision when starter Petr Mrazek was injured at the start of the second round and Curtis McElhinney came on in relief and swept the Islanders. But Brind’Amour went back to Mrazek at the start of the conference final against Boston and the Canes never really got back in a groove as they were swept by the Bruins. In the first round, Raanta was injured in Game 2 and youngster Pyotr Kochetkov came on and got the win in relief and started Game 3, but Raanta came back to start Game 4 against Boston.
The Cardiac Kids From Manhattan
We make so much of experience at this time of the year, and it’s hard not to imagine Tampa drew mightily on their past two Cup runs in eliminating Toronto after falling behind 3-2 in their first-round series. But how do you explain a largely neophyte New York Ranger team falling behind 3-1 in their series against Pittsburgh and then falling behind 2-0 in Games 5 and 6 and 2-1 and 3-2 in Game 7 and still managing to win? Sure, the Rangers brought in some help at the deadline in the form of Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano up front and Justin Braun on the back end. But Braun played less than nine minutes in Game 7 and the Ranger kids K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil looked like seasoned pros as this series went on. Last year’s Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox and defense partner Ryan Lindgren, who came back from injury to help stabilize the blueline, were outstanding. And, oh yeah, netminder Igor Shesterkin, mocked by Pittsburgh fans after being yanked in back-to-back games in the middle of the series, put on a clinic in winning three straight elimination games. Trial by fire? You bet and good on those youngsters for not wilting when that was exactly what many expected would happen. They’ll have their hands full with Metropolitan Division winners Carolina but this should be a terrific tilt in which you’ll really never be able to count the Rangers out.
Chokers or Not, Leafs Find a Way to Repeat History Again
‘Choking’ is an emotionally charged word. It can hurt people’s feelings and make people mad. Which is perhaps why so many people went out of their way to insist the Toronto Maple Leafs did not choke in, well, choking up a 3-2 series lead against Tampa, thus extending Toronto’s string of failing to get out of the first round to 18 years. It’s all semantics: choking, crumbling, taking a knee, wilting, call it what you want, it all adds up to the same thing in Toronto. And it seems equally strange, this widely held notion that if the Leafs just keep the same core together something else other than failure will happen next spring because, well, why? Because they tried hard and they seem like nice men? Not exactly logical. It’s okay to say what happened and what happened is that Mitch Marner was ineffectual when this series mattered most in Games 6 and 7 with three shots on goal in total in those two games and zero in Game 7. And it’s okay to say that in those final minutes of Game 7 with the team’s season on the line, Auston Matthews, who led the team with nine points and a game-winning goal in seven games, came up small with some uncharacteristically poor decisions with the puck. That’s life. Want to bring back the same management team, the same coaching staff, the same core? Have at it, but don’t act surprised next year at this time when the exact same conversation is taking place. At some point, someone has to pay the piper don’t they? Even if this is Toronto?
Almost Certainly the End of an Era in Pittsburgh
Speaking of off-seasons changes: had to feel just a bit bad for Sidney Crosby et al when Artemi Panarin put a dagger in Pittsburgh’s season with an overtime power-play goal in Game 7 Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. Crosby missed Game 6 after a hit from Jacob Trouba but had been magical in this series. Yet the Pens could not hold multiple leads and other star players could not step up. Not pinning this on future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin, but it was not a great night for him in Game 7, as he had zero shots on goal and zero points. Malkin and Kris Letang are coming to the ends of their respective contracts and the Penguins have one playoff series win since their second of back-to-back Cups in 2017. Malkin has struggled with injuries and missed half this season recovering from knee surgery. Letang was solid but, at 35, how does he fit the Penguins moving forward? Would both these cornerstone parts of three Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh take one or two-year deals at vastly reduced rates to stay in the fold? New ownership in Pittsburgh and relatively new management that doesn’t have the emotional ties to those championship teams have some very hard decisions ahead, decisions complicated by another disappointing end to a season.
And Whither The Caps?
And as an addendum to this storyline, once again Crosby will be joined on the second-round sidelines by fellow icon and future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin. After the Caps defeated Pittsburgh in the second round in 2018 en route to their first-ever Stanley Cup, the playoffs have been barren territory for the two great standard bearers for the league after the 2004-05 lockout. Neither has won a series since 2018, and with cornerstone center Nicklas Backstrom searching for answers for chronic hip issues and confounding lack of organizational depth, the Caps, like the Pens, face a summer of change and a future that doesn’t really suggest more deep playoff runs.
If This is it, a tip of the Cap to Hall of Fame Bound Patrice Bergeron
I have to admit getting a bit choked up watching Boston captain Patrice Bergeron hugging each of his teammates as they left the PNC Arena ice after Carolina’s 3-2 Game 7 win Saturday. Bergeron along with Brad Marchand were the only consistent offensive threats for the Bruins in this homer series, collecting 18 points between them. But Bergeron, a favorite to win his fifth Frank J. Selke Trophy as the game’s best two-way forward, is at the end of his current deal and has been non-committal about his future. A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, Bergeron has long epitomized class. We recall sitting down with him after an early concussion that had threatened to end his career before it really got going. Bergeron was eloquent in describing not being able to remember where he put things like keys and not being able to go out in the sunlight. It was the first time we can remember the kinds of conversations that have become commonplace over the years regarding the scourge of concussions in the game. Sidney Crosby has spoken reverentially about the counsel Bergeron provided during Crosby’s well-documented battles with concussion-related issues. In short, Bergeron is as good as they come on and off the ice, and if that moment in Raleigh was the end, well, a tip of the cap to the Boston captain and a sobering signal that the Bruins truly have reached a turning point in their franchise’s long history.
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