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Canadiens stun Penguins to win qualifying round series, clinch playoff spot
In the end, they ended up taking nothing at all. Artturi Lehkonen flipped a shot past Tristan Jarry with 4 minutes, 11 seconds left to lift Canadiens to a stunning 2-0 victory on Friday and clinch Montreal’s first playoff berth in three years. Paul Byron took advantage of a Pittsburgh turnover, darted behind the Penguins’ […]
Continue readingThe cases for, against permanently expanding the NHL playoffs
Alarm. Breakfast. Hockey. Dinner. Sleep. Repeat. This is the life cycle in the NHL’s restarted season, for the 24 teams involved in the two hub cities and the bleary-eyed fans watching from home. It’s like a housebound hockey Coachella — a “Couch-ella,” if you will — as the made-for-TV tournament runs all day, every day. […]
Continue readingNHL Playoffs Daily 2020: Penguins, Rangers, Oilers, Jets look to even up their series
Day 2 of the NHL restart was just as exciting as the opener, as hockey fans were treated to fantastic goaltending performances, more upsets and a buzzer-beater. As we head to Game 2s of the qualification round, let it be known that teams that win Game 1 in a best-of-5 series typically end up winning, […]
Continue readingWhy were the Arizona Coyotes so angry that GM John Chayka quit?
“Yeah that’s been said. A bunch of times. Trust me,” head coach Rick Tocchet said. But on the eve of the postseason, the Coyotes were faced with a major distraction that sent ripples through the NHL bubble: John Chayka, their general manager and president of hockey operations, resigned on July 24, as was announced in […]
Continue reading2020 NHL postseason preview: Qualification-round matchups, series picks
Unlike the traditional playoff format, the league is running a 24-team tournament, with 12 teams from each conference playing in fan-less arenas in Toronto (for the East) and Edmonton, Alberta (for the West). The top four teams in each conference are in the round of 16, and seeds 5 through 12 will square off to […]
Continue reading2020 NHL playoffs guide: Stanley Cup chances, biggest roster questions, bold predictions for all 24 teams
The NHL is set to return from its monthslong pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. The postseason will be played out with a 24-team format, with 12 teams from the Eastern Conference skating in Toronto and their Western Conference counterparts heading to Edmonton, Alberta. Some have said this format could be the greatest NHL playoffs […]
Continue readingHealthy Oliver Ekman-Larsson ready to help Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes captain instead played with lingering pain, never able to fully recover. The NHL’s shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic was a huge letdown, but it at least allowed Ekman-Larsson time to get back to full strength. “These 2½ months have been really good for me,” he said during a conference call this […]
Continue readingAlexis Lafreniere NHL draft sweepstakes: Best fits, biggest eye-roll landing spots of 16 potential teams
It wasn’t just that the lowly Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators lost out on the No. 1 pick. Everyone must cope with the fact that “Team E” — a squad that plays in the NHL’s 24-team postseason — gets the chance to draft No. 1 prospect Alexis Lafreniere. The eight losers in the qualifying […]
Continue readingFuture Hall of Famers for all 31 NHL teams
If only there were a formula that could determine Hall worthiness … Well, three years ago, we created one. It’s a simple four-quadrant test that one can apply to prospective Hall of Fame candidates to see whether they have the stuff of legends, and here it is: 1. Individual production: This encompasses a player’s statistical […]
Continue readingThe iconic hockey moments that should be statues: Bobby Orr has one; who should be next?
That got us to thinking: What are some other iconic moments in hockey history that deserve to be immortalized in statue form? Here are our picks, ranging from international glory to elite-level trolling: The 22-year veteran raises the Cup for the first time in his career. After a Game 7 clincher vs. the New Jersey […]
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