NHL Playoffs Preview

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway. The season was abbreviated, but in a lot of ways it was just as exciting as normal. There are sixteen teams from across two conferences in this year's playoffs. The Canadians made a traditional showing; four northern clubs made this year's playoffs, which is moderately more than previous years. Also, all six Original Six teams made the playoffs this year. I guess you can say the NHL is back to old times.

In my opinion, this season was a lot better than normal. With fewer games, each game had more value. Every game counts more when the season is shorter. Thus, there was a lot more excitement. The shorter season made for a lot better hockey. Every game was a battle, and this season we witnessed things we've never seen before. Teams who are normally locked in the playoffs, such as the Red Wings, had to scramble and bring out their best play to make the playoffs. Other teams, particularly the Chicago Blackhawks, made history by being spectacular.

There are superpowers and underdogs in any playoff action. The teams to watch are definitely the Blackhawks and the Penguins. Both have had immensely strong seasons; their momentum should carry throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, underdogs in these playoffs have either underrated talent, or something to prove. The Ottawa Senators have talent that is consistently overlooked. Similarly, other Canadian teams, such as Toronto and Montreal, have talent and are surfacing as powerful franchises once again. On a different note, the Detroit Red Wings struggled this season with the absence of retired defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The Wings have a lot to prove that they are still a dominant hockey club. The teams with the best odds to wins the Cup (in no particular order) are Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, and Vancouver. These teams are all strong in talent and coaching; therefore, all four of these teams have what it takes to be champions.

The hockey season all comes down to the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's so much talent in the running this year that these playoffs have the potential to be the one of the most memorable in NHL history.