If the teams left in the NHL playoffs are sick and tired of facing the same opponents over and over, they are in luck in the semi-finals.
After exclusively divisional play this season and through the first two rounds, the Stanley Cup playoffs are down to a final four of teams who have not played each other all year.
The New York Islanders face the Tampa Bay Lightning in one semi-final series that is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference finals, while the Vegas Golden Knights are to play the Montreal Canadiens in a playoff series for the first time.
Photo: AFP
After so much familiarity from seeing the same teams over and over, the final two rounds with the Stanley Cup on the line bring every element of the unknown.
“It’s such a different series in terms of the preparation,” Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “Now with the Islanders and Tampa Bay, our own series with Montreal, it’s brand new. Starting from scratch.”
The league that has emphasized rivalries for decades limited play within four remade divisions for one season only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed all 31 teams to complete a condensed, 56-game schedule with 16 making the playoffs.
New York emerged from the East, Tampa Bay from the Central, Vegas from the West and Montreal from the North. Players and coaches from these teams have not thought much about each other all season, let alone scout or prepare for them.
“Different season for everyone,” Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. “Different style of play or different teams that you play often, but that’s part of the challenge for everyone right now.”
If Montreal-Vegas, which is to begin on Tuesday morning Taiwan time, goes the distance, the teams will face off more times during one playoff series than they have all-time in the regular season, because the Golden Knights began playing in 2017.
The Lightning and Islanders ground out a six-game series nine months ago in the post-season bubble in Edmonton, Alberta, so there will be some familiarity when the puck drops in Tampa early tomorrow morning Taiwan time.
“It helps a little bit,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “Most of our players played in that series, so they understand when we’re talking about certain trends or the way they play.”
Tampa Bay won that series last fall before beating Dallas and hoisting the Stanley Cup.
With the Lightning, Islanders and Golden Knights in the semi-finals again, the NHL has three of the same teams in the final four for the first time since 1991 and 1992.
Vegas center Mattias Janmark and Montreal winger Corey Perry are back in the third round after going on a run to the final with Dallas. Perry said watching games in other divisions helps get past the uncertainty.
“I think you look at our two teams and there’s four lines on both sides, six D and two great world-class goalies are going to go battle head-to-head,” Perry said. “It’s going to be fun.”
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