A look at key storylines in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs

The Tampa Bay Lightning gained the Stanley Cup contained in the NHL’s 2020 post-season bubble, then repeated final July following a pandemic shortened marketing campaign accented by one-and-done divisions primarily based on geography.

Regardless of some COVID-19 challenges, the league managed to tug off an 82-game schedule in 2021-22 and is now set to return to its regular playoff format.

The Canadian Press takes a take a look at a number of the storylines with the league’s second season primed to start out Monday evening:

Presidents’ Trophy curse

The Florida Panthers secured their first Presidents’ Trophy because the group with the very best regular-season file after placing up 122 factors.

The award, nevertheless, hasn’t meant a lot in recent times as soon as the playoffs roll round.

Of the 35 winners because the trophy was first handed out in 1985-86, simply eight have gone on to boost a Cup banner.

In 2013, Chicago was the final to hoist hockey’s silver mug, whereas the 2007-08 Detroit Pink Wings are the one different membership to complete atop the heap within the wage cap period.

However it is going to be first issues first for the Panthers towards the Washington Capitals within the opening spherical as they search for the franchise’s first collection victory since making the ultimate within the group’s third season of existence in 1995-96.

Leafs hope to (lastly) flip script

Toronto’s playoff failures are well-documented.

The group from hockey’s greatest market hasn’t gained a playoff spherical since 2004 — previous to the league instituting the cap, two years earlier than Twitter was launched and a pair of lockouts in the past.

Latest heartache has included seven-game losses to the Boston Bruins in 2018 and 2019, a crushing bubble setback within the 2020 qualifying spherical by the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and final spring’s beautiful collapse after main the underdog Montreal Canadiens 3-1.

The Leafs’ firepower up entrance led by two-time Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner will get a lot of the consideration. However a rebuilt blue-line and the way a re-energized Jack Campbell navigates the crease will doubtless decide success or failure.

The pressure-packed street will not be simple, beginning within the first spherical towards a Lightning roster keen to indicate it nonetheless has gasoline left within the tank after ending third within the Atlantic Division behind Florida and Toronto.

3-peat hopes

Tampa is seeking to turn into the primary membership to win three straight Cups because the New York Islanders gained 4 in a row from 1980 to 1983.

The Lightning’s core stays intact with Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Level and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Pat Maroon, in the meantime, is seeking to turn into the primary NHLer since some members of that Islanders dynasty to safe 4 straight titles after additionally successful with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

Alberta hopes

The Calgary Flames topped the Pacific Division for the second time in 4 seasons, whereas a training change and a dedication to taking part in with out the puck pushed the Edmonton Oilers previous 100 factors for simply the second time within the careers of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The Flames, who’re led by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk up entrance, and have a hard-to-play-against roster backstopped by Jacob Markstrom, will face the Dallas Stars within the opening spherical.

McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers get the Los Angeles Kings.

If each Calgary and Edmonton advance, hockey might be handled to its first playoff Battle of Alberta since 1991 within the second spherical.

Avs’ clock ticking

The Colorado Avalanche topped the general standings for lengthy stretches earlier than being overtaken by Florida within the Presidents’ Trophy race.

Regardless of a star-studded roster led by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar, Colorado has fallen within the second around the final three seasons.

The Avalanche, who open towards the Nashville Predators, might lose pending unrestricted free agent Nazem Kadri this summer time, which solely heightens the urgency to win now.

Damage considerations

The wear and tear and tear of an 82-game season means no group enters the playoffs wholesome.

However some have far better harm considerations than others.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (undisclosed) is not anticipated to be prepared for Recreation 1 towards Boston, whereas Landeskog (knee surgical procedure) might be again for Colorado.

Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse (lower-body) can also be a query mark and Panthers blue-liner Aaron Ekblad (lower-body) is likely to be poised for a return in some unspecified time in the future through the first spherical after getting harm in March.

The Predators suffered an enormous blow when No. 1 netminder Juuse Saros (decrease physique) was harm this week.

High-line Leafs winger Michael Bunting (undisclosed) is in a race to be cleared for the beginning of the playoffs. The identical goes for Washington captain Alex Ovechkin (higher physique).

Canada’s Cup drought

The Nice White North’s three entries in 2022 have had some lean playoff years.

Edmonton owns only one collection win since making the 2006 last. Calgary has the identical quantity since virtually touching the Cup in 2004.

And the Leafs, title-less since 1967 when the league was nonetheless solely six groups, have not superior to the second spherical in practically twenty years.

However with expertise like McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews, Marner, Gaudreau and Tkachuk, followers in every market might be dreaming of hockey’s holy grail coming again throughout the border for the primary time since 1993.