There will be no mysteries when Tampa Bay and Florida meet in the first round of the playoffs after facing off eight times this season and twice in the past week. Same deal for Montreal and Toronto, who have played 10 times since mid-January.
“I don’t want to say it takes kind of some of the fun out it, but it does because you know a lot more what to expect,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
A strange NHL regular season has given way to a one-of-a-kind playoff tournament for the Stanley Cup. It will feature an opening two rounds of all divisional play for the first time in almost 30 years and re-seed the final four to crown a champion for the first time in league history.
NHL playoff opponents won’t have many secrets
Under this year s postseason format, division rivals who have already squared off eight or more times this season are matched up again in the first two rounds.
By STEPHEN WHYNOAssociated Press
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The Canadiens and Maple Leafs have already faced each other 10 times this season, and now they’ll play a best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
There will be no mysteries when Tampa Bay and Florida meet in the first round of the playoffs after facing off eight times this season and twice in the past week. Same deal for Montreal and Toronto, who have played 10 times since mid-January.
Rangers Roundup: Coaching search, World Championships, and more By Anthony Scultore Chris Drury at the draft (Getty Images)
The New York Rangers relieved David Quinn of his coaching duties and started their coaching search in earnest. Chris Drury really didn’t have a choice with the mandate coming from James Dolan to win now. He simply couldn’t take the risk of Quinn coming slow out of the gate or meandering through the season.
By all accounts, Quinn appeared to get favorable reviews from his players. The younger Rangers were particularly complimentary. Adam Fox and Alexis Lafrenière sang Quinn’s praises but the veterans like Mika Zibanejad seemed a little more indifferent. That was probably enough to seal his fate.
Who should be the next New York Rangers coach? By Anthony Scultore Apr 15, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates his goal at 12:00 of the first period against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 15, 2021 in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Bennett/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Rangers are in the market for a new head coach. As you can imagine there are very strong opinions for and against many of the candidates in the running. Forever Blueshirts was built with the fan in mind and giving you a voice. Now’s your chance to weigh in and see what your fellow fans are thinking too.