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Believe it or not, the NHL's Covid 19 playoffs might just work |
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Here is a primer for the NHL playoffs, brought to you by Covid-19:
Why this could work: If you look at what is occurring in baseball, you understand why the NHL opted on the hub/bubble concept. With the teams arriving in Edmonton and Toronto, the NHL had no positive Covid-19 results over the past 4,000-plus tests. Players entered the bubble 100% healthy. What that means is if everyone respects the bubble protocol this will work. Whether you do or don't like this unique playoff format, you have to respect that the NHL and the NHL Players Association tried to be fair.
Why this might not work: We all now understand how transmissible Covid-19 is. We know community spread is our enemy. We know that one or two people breaking rules could lead to an outbreak within the bubble. These are young, fun-loving athletes. Can they live like monks for a couple of months? It’s reasonable to worry.
What the competition will be like: Theories we’ve heard: 1. Offense will be ahead of the defense. Defense requires cohesiveness, repetition and practice. It may take a round or two for the Boston Bruins to be the Boston Bruins. It’s been five months since we’ve played games. We might see 1980s-style mistake-filled, high scoring hockey; 2. Goalies could be rusty. We could see more goalie switches than usual; 3. Energy may be more important than experience. You may need five series wins and 19 victories to win the Cup. Could a young, high energy teams like Edmonton or the New York Rangers make a long run because they can push the pedal to the floor and keep driving hard?
Injuries that worry us: 1. Dougie Hamilton (Carolina); 2. Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay); 3. Ilya Samsonov (Washington). Hamilton owns a big shot and is an offensive catalyst. Maybe Stamkos will be fine, but we don’t have much information about what he is dealing with. Obviously, Braden Holtby has won a Stanley Cup, but it wasn’t unthinkable that Samsonov could have ended up in Washington's net.
Qualifying round lock: New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers. With the Islanders healthy, it’s difficult to see how the Panthers could win this match-up. They haven’t shown the effectiveness that would be necessary to take down the Barry Trotz-coached Islanders.
Scariest underdog: New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin can be dominant in net. Artemi Panarin might be the NHL’s MVP. The acquisition of Mika Zibanejad is going to go down as one of the franchise’s all-time best trades. Adam Fox has re-energized the Rangers’ defense.
Story lines that are important: 1. Jake Guentzel’s return to the Penguins’ lineup; 2. John Tortorella’s near-obsession in having the Columbus Blue Jackets ready to play the Maple Leafs. The now healthy Blue Jackets, led by Seth Jones, are going to be a handful; 3. Beware of the Philadelphia Flyers. We’ve moved past the Flyers being a surprise. This is a major contender, as long as Carter Hart is sharp.
What will be odd: 1.No crowd to subconsciously impact officiating; 2. Coaches wearing masks; 3. Goal celebrations: If players embrace normally, which is near face-to-face contact, we are going to be thinking, What are you doing? If they don’t do that, it will be downright weird.
Feeling pressure: 1. Tampa Bay Lightning. Remember last season? 2. Gary Bettman? If things go wrong, the buck stops with him; 3. Maple Leafs. If they don’t have some postseason success, they need to rethink their philosophy; 4. Nashville Predators: Who shows up for the Preds? They need Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene to be more effective than they were in the regular-season. Johansen had 36 points and Duchene had 42. Pekka Rinne also must show he's still a presence in net
Sleepers. 1. Dallas Stars. With Ben Bishop in net, this group can be formidable; 2. Edmonton Oilers: If this postseason is going to be a track meet, it's hard to bet against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl; 3. Goalie Darcy Kuemper. He's the reason why the Coyotes could beat the Predators.
What would be good for the league: 1. No Covid-19 positive tests; 2. Strong television ratings; 3. Connor McDavid making a long run; 4. Favorites winning the qualifier series to avoid strong teams, such as Pittsburgh or Toronto, winning the Alexis Lafreniere lottery. Their 2020 draft lottery plan was not popular; 5. Plenty of overtime hockey.
My personal list of Stanley Cup favorites: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights.
Final question: Will pre-recorded boos be piped in for Bettman when he presents the Stanley Cup to the champion?
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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