During typical years, the month of June is the most exciting time of year for sports fans. It is in this month that they get to cheer on their favorite basketball and hockey teams as they battle it out for the right to lift the championship trophy in their respective sports. Unfortunately, both the NHL and NBA put their seasons on hold as the coronavirus halted all major social activities for countless countries.
Recently, the NHL announced its tentative plan to resume the final part of the season in the form of a 24-team playoff. Instead of the traditional 16-team playoff seen in both the NHL and NBA, a 24-team playoff forgives the teams that hadn’t clinched a spot in a traditional NHL postseason, but were still “in the hunt.” Of the 31 teams that compete in the NHL, 24 still had a mathematical chance to clinch a playoff spot when play was halted. And so, the league decided that they all should get their fair shot. The NHL also announced that this supposed playoff will occur in a few “hub cities,” or regions where Covid-19 numbers are low. These hub cities have not been decided on yet, but some of the frontrunners are Las Vegas, Dallas and Toronto. All NHL personnel in these cities will be tested for the coronavirus, and no fans will be permitted to attend.
Although the NHL community is thrilled that hockey is returning, many players are voicing their disappointment with the 24-team format. Instead of calling the postseason the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a few players have started using the name “The Covid Cup.” Many feel that this postseason won’t compare to past playoffs, and won’t be able to match the intensity that a traditional NHL playoff could offer. Nevertheless, many are grateful that such an exciting regular season will have the opportunity to come to an end.
For the first round, the teams that placed 5th-12th will battle it out in a best-of-five series, while the top 4 teams in both the east and west divisions receive a first round bye, similar to the NFL playoffs. From the second round on, each series will be the traditional best-of-seven format. It is unclear which teams will play each other after the first round, as teams will be re-seeded according to their regular season records.
To the displeasure of many New York sports fans, the Boston Bruins carried on the tradition of successful Boston professional sports teams, as they had the best record during the regular season and are the clear favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Led by league-leading scorer David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, Boston boasts incredible depth on their bench, with every line showcasing talent and composure.
Both The New York Rangers and Islanders will make an appearance in the first round, with the Rangers playing the Carolina Hurricanes and the Isles taking on the Florida Panthers. Although the Rangers started out the season slow, they caught fire in the latter part of the season thanks to the incredible play of Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Backed by the young and talented Russian Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers ran through their opponents. Another team to look out for is the Vegas Golden Knights. After a somewhat rough start, the team fired its head coach Gerrard Gallant and hired former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter Deboer. The Knights are led by veterans Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and Paul Stasny, as well as proven goalies Marc Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner. The Knights ended the shortened season with a spectacular run, going from a fringe playoff team to a western conference frontrunner.
