Lightning Round: Random thoughts on the second round
Have I been paying a lot of attention to the second round of the NHL playoffs? Well, I wouldn’t say “a lot”. After a long season, and for the good of my marriage, stepping away from night-by-night coverage of hockey is for the best. Still, it’s hockey, and well, I can’t get enough of it. So, here are my thoughts on the four series that are still going on.
Dallas vs. Colorado (Stars lead 3-1)
This has been one of the more entertaining series from a neutral standpoint. Both teams are fun to watch, and while Colorado’s offense has disappeared the last couple of games, you can’t really count them out. It’s somewhat annoying that the Stars keep finding young players to keep things rolling (looking at you Wyatt Johnston).
New York vs. Carolina (Rangers lead 3-2)
It looked like the Rangers were going to cake-walk their way past the Corsi Kings of the Regular Season, but Carolina has fought back to win the last two, holding their elimination at bay for at least one more night. New York is probably the best team in the East, but they probably want to close things out in Game 6 and not give the Hurricanes any chance at pulling off the miracle comeback.
Boston vs. Florida (Panthers lead 3-2)
Talk about a series full of intrigue, with Sam Bennett involved in most of it. Boston took Game 1, probably feeding off of the seven-game victory over Toronto, but the Panthers have been the better team since. They took Game 3 in Boston, 6-2, with Bennett taking Brad Marchand out with a punch to the head that didn’t lead to any supplementary discipline. So, of course he scored the game-tying goal in Game 4 on a controversial goal where Florida came out on the right side of a goaltender interference call.
Vancouver vs. Edmonton (Tied at 2-2)
I’m not sure I really care about this series at all. Would it be funny to see Edmonton lose to Arturs Silovs? Yes, yes it would. On the other hand, it would be really nice to see Connor McDavid win a Stanley Cup. It seems a shame that the best player of this generation doesn’t have a Cup. He should also be about $5,000 poorer for the slash that led to him getting cross-checked in the face (and Carson Soucy suspended).
Other Hockey News
Free Agents Who Would be Foolish to Change Teams [Bleacher Report]
Of course Steven Stamkos made the list, but two other exBolts are also there. The folks at Bleacher Report think it would be unwise for Jonathan Drouin and Jonathan Marchessault to leave their current teams out west.
McDonagh earns college degree, attends commencement [NHL.com]
After taking a bit of a break, Ryan McDonagh returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pick up his degree. The two-time Stanley Cup winner left school after three years to make his NHL debut with the Rangers. Now, after 14 years, he can add college graduate to his list of accomplishments.
The roller coaster train ride of Valeri Nichushkin [Mile High Hockey]
The last few seasons have been a bit chaotic for the Avalanche forward. Our friends over at Mile High Hockey lay out the timeline, and the team’s reaction to Nichushkin’s latest news.
Ducks announce Hockey Operations updates [Anaheim Ducks]
Former Lightning Chief Professional Scout (and one-time assistant coach) Rick Paterson was promoted to the role of general manager for the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate. Former Lightning player Rob DiMaio, who was Anaheim’s assistant general manager, left Anaheim due to personal reasons.
