In mid-April, sixteen teams were all competing for a chance to hoist the most esteemed trophy in all of hockey, the Stanley Cup. Some teams were making their first ever postseason appearance, while others were making their usual trip to the playoffs. Now, here we are in the middle of May and with just four teams left, it is anyone’s guess at this point. Here’s a glimpse of the remaining teams in the fight for ultimate victory.
First, the Vegas Golden Knights. This is their first season in franchise history and they are wasting no time making some noise. They were dominate throughout the regular season, but some insiders felt that they wouldn’t be as good in the playoffs. Well, the team proved otherwise. They swept the Los Angeles Kings in four games in the first round and defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games to get to the conference finals. They currently hold a 2-1 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets, and if they keep showcasing that they’re the real deal, they will hoist the cup next month.
Second, the Winnipeg Jets. A whiteout indeed, this team is stunning not just the Western Conference, but a majority of hockey fans everywhere. They defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games in round one, following up with shocking last season’s Western Conference champions Nashville Predators, by defeating them in seven games in round two. Winnipeg is certainly the underdog and if they can beat the likes of Mike Fisher and P.K. Subban, can they beat everyone?
Third, the Washington Capitals. Everyone questioned if the Caps’ “second round curse” would end since they are used to getting knocked out so early in the playoffs. Captain Alex Ovechkin and his squad have finally broken that curse to reach the Eastern Conference finals. They defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games and they truly surprised the world when they defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, also in six games. Will this finally be the year Ovi gets his cup?
Fourth, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Jon Cooper has done a miraculous job coaching this team to the playoffs and the Russian rifle, Nikita Kucherov, had yet another unreal season for the Bolts. The boys in blue defeated both the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in five games to reach this point. The Lightning have not won the cup since 2004 with the original dream team of Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, Vincent LeCavalier, and Dave Andreychuk. Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Tyler Johnson are this generation’s version of that. Will they bring Tampa their long-awaited cup?
Four teams, one dream. As the Stanley Cup playoffs are soon drawing to a close, it is time to reflect on who is left and how unique each organization’s stories are. At this point, anything can happen and it’s going to be quite the fight to the finish. Who will have their names etched on the most glorious prize in the hockey world? Which captain will lead his team to victory? All we can do is watch, wait and see.
