https://www.nhl.com/news/phase-2-of-nhl-return-to-play-plan-will-begin-june-8/c-317101382
I am very late to the party at this point with the NHL announcing their return to play plan last week and not having blogged at all since all sports stopped but with my favorite sport finally coming back in the future I decided it was time to finally start blogging again.
This format that has been put into motion for the playoffs this year is one of the most unique things the NHL could have come up with and I think it is the perfect solution. The way it will go the teams that ended the season in the top of the rankings are still rewarded with a “bye” in the first round as the bottom 8 teams play a best of 5 series, while also allowing the bottom “bubble” teams who could have made a late push to the playoffs a chance to still win it all by being in at all. For christ sake the Wild, Canadiens, Coyotes, Blackhawks, and Rangers are getting chance for the cup now and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about those teams though.
There is an argument for every team when it comes to this 24 team playoff. The teams who have been awesome all year will stile your favorites but these bubble teams that are now in can just catch a hot streak that can take the all the way to becoming champions. That is what is so special about the Stanley Cup Playoffs and hockey all together anything can happen and a hot team who just barley made the playoffs can sweep a number one seed.
I have some predictions for this years very unusual playoffs
My own Favorite to win: Philadelphia Flyers, some bias with this but they ended the season hot and were starting to play like I have never seen a Flyers team play in my life, Fast, confident, and smart with a touch of old school Flyers just being some tough sons a bitches and I love every second of it .
The team everyone should be scared of: Tampa Bay Lightning, after years and years of heartbreaking playoffs loses and having teams riddled with injuries in the playoffs the stars may have finally aligned for the Lightning where they will have a fully healthy roster for the first time in a long time after dominating the regular season for many years now
The dark horse: Blackhawks, Rangers, Canadiens: All three of these teams have been down the past couple years but these teams all have one thing in common that can take them to the top… elite goaltenders that can get hot. A hot Carey Processionals, Corey Crawford, or Hendrik Lundqvist are forces to be reckoned with and the Blackhawks especially have other playoffs and championship veterans who may be able to capitalize on this break in play.
Player that could put a team on their back: Mika Zibanejad, This beauty really caught heat at the end of the season even winning a game single-handedly with 5 goals one being the OT winner, he may show out and carry the Rangers into a deeper run.
The winner will be one of the bottom 8 teams: While the top 4 teams will be playing a round robin for seeding the bottom 8 teams in theory could end up with with more ice time to play in game together and get their on ice chemistry going. It will be another chapter in the book of rest vs rust and in this case after the long break I think rust will play a big factor and having less rest and breaking off that rust by playing more games in the beginning will be a benefit for these bottom 8 teams.
Regardless of what happens I am just so excited that hockey will be back and this years playoffs being so unique has it set up to possibly be one of the most exciting we have ever seen and I cannot wait to watch every second of it.
The Hamm Report 