The Knights have set the standard of what an expansion franchise should look like, making the Cup Final in their first season and the playoffs in every year but one. There are a lot of things that happened over the course of the year. It's difficult. It's a tight league and you have to earn it. Hockey fans at the Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee groaned with displeasure when singer Charles Kelley skipped a line in the song and had to stop and regroup before the trio finished the performance.
A comeback win for Boston in Game 7. In the other Eastern series, is this finally the year the Caps get past the Penguins? Fans in Nashville had a wild Monday night celebrating their team's huge win, but one couple in particular stole the show. Ottawa's Dion Phaneuf delivered arguably the hit of the playoffs on Monday night, thundering Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust as he was cutting across the middle of the ice.
Sunday night's anthem ceremony from Edmonton ahead of the Oilers-Ducks game was one fans and players of both teams won't forget anytime soon. The NHL playoffs have a long way to go, but we may not see a better goal than this. The reset button has been hit as the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin and every team left has a chance.
Here's why each Western Conference team can win it all, or won't go the distance. Here's why each Eastern Conference team can win it all, or won't go the distance.
Will the Chicago Blackhawks prove once again they are the class of the West? Crosby and Ovechkin would face off in the second round, marking just the second postseason meeting between the two stars. The league has been dominated by the Capitals for most of the season but the other seven Eastern Conference squads in the playoffs aren't going to just roll over for Washington.
