The NHL first round is known for upsets, but as the playoffs carry on, usually the teams that weren't supposed to win round one eventually fizzle out.
You have to go back all the way to 2006 and Carolina to find a team that won the Cup that wasn't -if not a favorite - a very good team that no one was surprised to see win.
Now, I am not saying I want a Cinderella team to win the Cup this year, because only Minnesota would really qualify as that, should they somehow manage it. No, all I want is a couple new, exciting teams to play for the Cup.
Not Boston (2 Finals appearances recently) Pittsburgh (2) Chicago (2) LA (1) or Anaheim (1).
Yes, five of the remaining eight teams left in the playoffs have won the Stanley Cup since 2007. Now, I do like the idea - especially in the age of free agents and salary caps - of teams remaining competitive with a similar core for many years, but at the same time, variety is nice.
The odds are that we are going to see some repetition in the finals this year, but there is hope.
The Canadiens managed a split on the road in Boston, and now it's a best of five.
The Rangers did the same thing, and they don't seem to look outclassed by the experienced, but seemingly vulnerable Penguins.
The Wild? They got the wrong result from a great game Friday, but they are now down 2-0 to the NHL's best team. It does not look good for them, which is bad news because barring a miracle comeback by the Wild, the Western Stanley Cup team is going to be Chicago, LA, or Anaheim: not an exciting team in the bunch.
So, hopefully the Canadiens and Rangers can mount a decent series and make the semi finals exciting, because a Pittsburgh/ Boston LA/Chicago is the most boring outcome possible.
No offense to those teams or anything either. It's nothing personal, but as a guy whose team has already been off for a month, it would at least be nice to have some fresh blood to cheer for.
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