Detroit —A month or two ago, it would not be surprising if this simple thought aroused serious doubts.
But the NHL is at this point in the start of the NHL playoffs, with a slate of games starting Saturday.
When the NHL season was suspended on March 12, no one knew if the Stanley Cup would be awarded.
But each day that passes builds confidence that the trophy will be handed out, after what should be a wide-open and potentially exciting playoff season.
A total of 24 teams, 12 each in the Eastern and Western conferences, are formed in the hub cities of Edmonton (West) and Toronto (East).
The top four teams from each conference will play a three-game round robin to determine seeding in the first round.
The teams ranked 5th through 12th will play a best-of-five series, with the winners advancing to the first round – and the losing teams heading to the Draft Lottery 2.0. with a chance to win the first overall pick.
Not a bad consolation prize.
From the first round, it’s the usual NHL playoffs, with best-of-seven series, and the only difference is that this season, teams will be reseeded in each round (there is no playoff bracket, as is usually the case in the NHL).
Here are some key questions in this qualifying round of the playoffs:
1. Do younger teams have an advantage?
It will be so interesting to watch. There is a prevailing view that perhaps the younger, fast-skating, speed-oriented teams could get back to what they did four months ago faster than the older teams.
We will see.
Teams like Edmonton, Vancouver, Carolina, just to name a few, are younger teams that could definitely scare their opponents.
But by putting them in a high-pressure playoff series, can that youth and athleticism overcome the savvy of a savvy team that has been under the pressure of the NHL playoffs?
2. Will statistically better teams win?
The playoffs are always considered a crapshoot, never more so than this summer.
The prevailing belief is that what happened during the regular season four months ago can be thrown out the window. Free time has largely evened things out.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see several lower seeds emerge from this play-in round with series wins. There are plenty of matchups that seem so evenly matched that calling them upsets would be stretching the problem.
3. What will be the impact of Tarasenko’s return on the Blues?
All that defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis did without its leading scorer for most of the season resulted in the best record in the Western Conference.
Now, Vladimir Tarasenko is back and healthy after shoulder surgery, and provides the deep, tough Blues with an additional dynamic weapon.
Having all this free time likely recharged the Blues after last spring’s long playoff run and a tough regular season. Getting Tarasenko back seems like a nice reward for his hard work.
Tarasenko is just one of many key players returning, as rarely have teams entered the NHL playoffs in such good health, again thanks to time off.
4. How seriously will teams take tournament seeding matches?
As the best-of-five play-in series takes place, the top four seeds in each conference – Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia in the East, and St. Louis, Colorado, Vegas and Dallas in the the West – will be present. Play round-robin games to decide the top four seeds in each conference.
Does the seeding of these teams matter? Especially without any real home ice advantage in these playoffs?
It will be interesting to see how these coaching staffs handle these games. There’s already talk of perhaps excluding stars from a game, to protect against any sort of injury, while primarily using these games for conditioning and timing purposes.
5. Can Hellebuyck continue to carry the Jets?
The Commerce Township native won 31 games and had a blistering .922 save percentage. He is deservedly a finalist for the Vezina Trophy (best goaltender).
Now, can Connor Hellebuyck continue this elite level of goaltending in a short series against rival Calgary?
Hellebuyck covers up many of the Jets’ defensive issues. He played with a lot of confidence.
If Hellebuyck continues to excel, the Jets will be a dangerous team in the West.
6. How will Arizona react to its general manager leaving?
John Chayka and the Coyotes our paths parted last week in a public and complicated divorce. It was rather sudden and shocking, and raised many eyebrows around the NHL.
The Coyotes had a great season, taking a step forward in their development, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win a round or two.
The departure of a general manager usually doesn’t have much of an impact on a team, but this particular departure, and the harsh words involved, could shift attention away from the Coyotes.
7. Can Crosby and Malkin make another run at the Cup?
They won three Stanley Cups together in Pittsburgh. Can they win another one?
This could be their best chance, with a complete and healthy roster tested in the playoffs.
Sidney Crosby was nursing an undisclosed injury last week, but returned to play in Tuesday’s exhibition game. Evgeni Malkin had a career-long breakout season for Pittsburgh.
It’s been said for many years now, and it remains true this summer: if these two stars are healthy, the Penguins still have a chance to win the Cup.
8. Are the Oilers real sleepers?
Ken Holland, former general manager of the Red Wings has the Oilers as the No. 5 seed in the Westfacing a scary, veteran, three-time Stanley Cup champion Chicago team.
But the Oilers, with stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, are considered by many analysts to be the winner of the Stanley Cup.
Suddenly the Oilers seem to have the right amount of youth and experience, and Holland acquisition of Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis at the trade deadline bolstered the Oilers’ offensive depth.
The goalkeeper is crucial, as always. It is therefore up to Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen of Edmonton to demonstrate that they are capable of achieving 19 victories in this tournament.
9. Who will be the goalie for the New York Rangers?
The Rangers are considered a dangerous team in the East, but a major topic remains who will be the Rangers’ starting goaltender?
Of course, Henrik Lundqvist has been the Rangers’ elite goaltender for many years.
But Lundqvist’s performance slipped this season, and young Igor Shesterkin largely took over the starting job and helped lead the Rangers.
The two split time in Wednesday’s exhibition loss to the New York Islanders.
Despite Lundqvist’s pedigree and history, coach David Quinn is believed to go with Shesterkin against a Carolina team that the Rangers swept in four games during the regular season.
10. What will fans think of these playoffs?
Sports fans have been eager to watch the games since the pandemic hit.
Now they will have the NHL and NBA playoffs, as well as baseball, major golf tournaments, NASCAR and various other sports.
And football isn’t far behind (maybe).
Will fans return to hockey this late this summer? There will be a lot of hockey on the plate this weekend, primarily in these play-ins and early rounds, and true fans should enjoy it.
But it’s been so long since the hockey season was interrupted, and let’s face it, the weather is not conducive to thinking about hockey.
There are no fans in the stands, which significantly altered the atmosphere of the exhibition match broadcast this week.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see hockey fans come roaring back deeper into these playoffs as the fall nights begin to arrive.
Qualifying Round Predictions
Ted Kulfan looks back at the qualifying round series.
EAST CONFERENCE
(5) Pittsburgh vs. (12) Montreal
► Records: Pittsburgh 40-23-6 (.623 winning percentage); Montreal 31-31-9 (.500)
► Prediction: Pittsburgh, with so many more offensive options, in four games.
(6) Carolina vs. (11) New York Rangers
► Records: Carolina 38-25-5 (.596); New York Rangers 37-28-5 (.564)
► Prediction: Caroline in five, in a close and epic battle.
(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida
► Records: New York Islanders 35-23-10 (.588); Florida 35-26-8 (.565)
► Prediction: Florida out of five – but it will have to be better than Wednesday.
(8) Toronto vs. (9) Columbus
► Records: Toronto 36-25-9 (.579); Columbus 33-22-15 (.579)
► Prediction: Toronto gains confidence, advancing in four games.
ROBIN IN THE ROUNDS
(1) Boston (44-14-12, .714); (2) Tampa Bay (43-21-6, .657); (3) Washington (41-20-8, .652); (4) Philadelphia (41-21-7, .645)
► Prediction: For what it’s worth, Tampa Bay will win this round robin to become the No. 1 seed.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(5) Edmonton vs. (12) Chicago
► Records: Edmonton 37-25-9 (.585), Chicago 32-30-8 (.514).
► Prediction: Edmonton in five entertaining games.
(6) Nashville vs. (11) Arizona
► Records: Nashville 35-26-8 (.565), Arizona 33-29-8 (.529).
► Prediction: Nashville in five close games.
(7) Vancouver vs. (10) Minnesota
► Records: Vancouver 36-27-6 (.565), Minnesota 35-27-7 (.558)
► Prediction: Vancouver’s young offensive stars advance to 4th position.
(8) Calgary vs. (9) Winnipeg
► Records: Calgary 36-27-7 (.564), Winnipeg 37-28-6 (.563).
► Prediction: Winnipeg in five physical and hard-fought games.
ROBIN IN THE ROUNDS
(1) St. Louis (42-19-10, .662); (2) Colorado (42-20-8, .657); (3) Vegas (39-24-8, .606); (4) Dallas (37-24-8, .594)
► Prediction: St. Louis continues its machine mentality and earns the No. 1 seed.
Twitter: @tkulfan
