Round 2 of the NHL playoffs is underway, but let’s take a quick look back at the Best and Worst from the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
BEST: Evgeni Malkin
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how good of a player Evgeni Malkin is. Malkin hasn’t skated in more than 69 regular season games since 2011-12. Malkin has had one injury after another throughout his 10-year NHL career. Despite this he’s eclipsed the 100-point mark twice and has been a point-per-game player in nine of his 10 NHL campaigns. Malkin is a superstar and in the first round against the Rangers he reiterated that fact.
Malkin notched seven points in four games against the Rangers. His impressive first round performance includes a four-point night in Game 4 where he scored two and assisted on two. Having Malkin on his game is going to be a big plus for the Penguins in their second round matchup against the Capitals.
WORST: Flyers fans in Game 3
On a night that was in honor of the passing of their beloved owner, Philadelphia Flyers fans tarnished a night that had a sentimental note. In Game 3 against the Capitals, a slew of penalties didn’t sit well with the Flyers crowd, leading to a shower of bracelets on to the ice that were intended to honor their late owner Ed Snider. This was a classless act and it didn’t just disrupt the ice crew that had to clean up the bracelets, but also the players from both teams.
The Flyers were assessed a delay of game penalty because of the bracelet throwing.
BEST: No sweeps
Aside from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings series, every series went to a sixth or seventh game. The Lightning finished off the Red Wings in a five-game series and hockey fans were treated to lengthy series that didn’t feature a single sweep. It was nice to see competitive and entertaining hockey in the first round and not a quick and easy victory for a team in four games. It was a great way to kick off the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Seeing two Game 7s was pretty great as well. Who doesn’t love a Game 7?
WORST: Andrew Shaw’s behavior
Andrew Shaw was suspended one game for uttering a homophobic slur in Game 4 against the St Louis Blues. While the moment in general is an absolute scar for the sporting world, I’d argue the punishment was a slap on the wrist. A one-game suspension isn’t a massive issue, while I think one could make the case that he should’ve deserved a second game, but it’s not the biggest issue here. Along with the fact Shaw used the slur, he also proceeded to give two middle fingers to the referees and go on a rampage in the final minutes showing a total loss of his composure.
BEST: A new champ
It’ll be nice to see a new team hoist the Stanley Cup when June rolls around. Since 2011, it’s been either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Los Angeles Kings that have won the Cup. With both being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, there will be a new winner this season. It’s really hard to tell who will win this year, which adds another element of excitement to this year’s postseason.
Will the St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators or New York Islanders finally get over the hump?
Will Alex Ovechkin finally win a Cup?
Nobody knows and there are many more compelling stories within this year’s playoffs. Surely many more will be created.
WORST: Coach’s Challenge
It’s been an incredibly frustrating first round when it comes to the coach’s challenge and the league’s new replay system. A big element to the game is letting the players play and putting the whistles away. The review system has slowed down the flow and excitement of the game over a matter of inches (or less) for an offside. If an offside that is so minimal which doesn’t greatly or even marginally impact the play leading to a goal, does it make sense to make a big fuss over it?
Should there be more of a punishment for a team than losing their timeout? It seems like coaches will give up the right to their timeout pretty freely to kill the momentum in another arena. They’ll challenge any late goal just for the chance of having it overturned. The whole system needs to be adjusted.
