The Columbus Blue Jackets face the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best-of-five Qualification Round Series starting Aug. 2 to determine which team advances to the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (The loser of the series has a 1-in-8 chance of getting the top pick in the upcoming Entry Draft.) The Blue Jackets’ top job in the series will
2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
On March 10, Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask celebrated his 33rd birthday by leading the team to a 2-0 shutout of the upstart Philadelphia Flyers. The victory also gave the NHL-leading Bruins 100 points on the season. Two days later, the league paused play in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As it turns out, that
I’m on record as saying that, before he finishes his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews will be recognized as the greatest center in franchise history. Granted, the unexpected might happen to erase that possibility. Related: Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Andersen, Matthews, Barrie & More For example, we have no idea
Let’s start by addressing the big difference between the 2019 NHL Playoff Columbus Blue Jackets and the 2020 postseason Blue Jackets: Lots of talent left coach John Tortorella’s team as free agents last summer. Nonetheless, I think a deep look into the Blue Jackets’ playoff performance last summer bodes well for this postseason. (Note that
As we inch closer to the qualifying rounds, teams are preparing for Aug. 1. While we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto offer reassurance that the players will be in a safe environment where cases are on the decline. With everyone’s safety in mind, fans are hoping
The 2019-20 season was certainly an interesting one for the Calgary Flames. If you didn’t follow them closely and just took a look at the standings, it would appear they had a pretty good season as they finished third in the Pacific Division with a record of 36-27-7. However, if you did follow them closely,
As teams prepare to kick off the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the young Vancouver Canucks team will get their first opportunity to compete in a playoff game. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes are some of the players on the team that have yet to play a game in the playoffs. This is why
The Boston Bruins do not have to play their way into the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, if they happen, because the team’s regular season record left it atop the National Hockey League’s standings. However, the round-robin tournament that would decide the top four seeds in each conference could cost Boston that position. The question is,
The New York Rangers are getting set to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-five series starting around July 30. The Rangers have the means for success, including Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad wreaking havoc on the Hurricanes’ defense. We’re already familiar with Panarin’s magical playmaking abilities and Zibanejad’s red-hot goal-scoring at the
Fans rejoiced when the NHL announced that hockey would return this summer. Although the remaining games regular-season games were cancelled, the playoffs are set to start fairly shortly, as training camp has officially been set to begin on July 10. Calgary Flames management will now have to decide who their Black Aces will be for
In this edition of Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, I want to share news about two players who have been with the team for a while – Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom. Both are set to become unrestricted free agents and it will be an interesting and difficult offseason to see if and how the
The New York Rangers decided not to trade Jesper Fast this season even though he is in the final year of a three-year, $5.55 million contract. He has rewarded them with one of the best seasons of his career and has played on a line with a star player (Artemi Panarin) for the first time
The NHL has entered Phase Two of its back to hockey plan, where players can now practice at their home facilities on a volunteer basis. Phase Three of this plan is scheduled to start around mid-July, which will involve a training camp to prepare for an August start to the play-in/playoffs. At the trade deadline
This summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets will meet in a pre-playoff “qualifying round” for the right to participate in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That best-of-five series will be the highlight of the teams’ history. Not only will it determine which one is a playoff team this year, but it
Nothing is etched in ice, but if the NHL has its way, the 2020 Playoffs will be sometime this summer. Should the league pull it off, the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames will clash in one of the eight best-of-five series in the qualifying round. When and where that will happen is still anybody’s guess
The NHL playoffs are perhaps the most grueling postseason in professional sports, normally lasting from April to June. This year, though the NHL playoff format will differ from typical seasons, it will maintain the same difficult length. Commissioner Gary Bettman stated, “Obviously, we anticipate playing over the summer and into the early fall.” Should playoffs
When the National Hockey League resumes play, the top 12 teams in each conference will skip straight to what is, in essence, the Stanley Cup playoffs. The No. 5 through No. 12 teams in the East and West will first play in a “qualifying round” to decide who will reach the final 16-team playoff field,
What happens if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ young prospect Nick Robertson is very good? If he is, how will that impact the organization and reshape the team’s roster? What We Know and Don’t Know about Robertson There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Roberston in the past few weeks. Coming off an incredible season with