The New York Rangers are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 22 years, as they get set for Game 1 tonight on the road in the Staples Center at the Los Angeles Kings. Here’s a look at how the Rangers got here, both in the regular season and then in the playoffs.
The first two games of the Western Conference Finals in these Stanley Cup playoffs have convinced me that all that’s necessary for a great player to turn his game around is for me to criticize him publicly. First it was New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Now it’s Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter.
St. Louis grabbed the first two games of this series. Then they never won again. If the fans felt like they had been here before, it’s because they had—in 2013, the Blues played the defending Stanley Cup champions (the Los Angeles Kings in that instance), won the first two games and then never won again. Both losses came in the first round.
This is part of a series of posts previewing each of the four quadrants of the 2014 NHL playoffs. Below are the four teams that comprise the NHL Pacific Division bracket. We open with a big-picture look at each team and then close with brief comments on each first-round series matchup individually.
This is part of a series of posts previewing each of the four quadrants of the 2014 NHL playoffs. Below are the four teams that comprise the NHL Central Division bracket. We open with a big-picture look at each team and then close with brief comments on each first-round series matchup individually.
This is part of a series of posts previewing each of the four quadrants of the 2014 NHL playoffs. Below are the four teams that comprise the NHL Metropolitan Division bracket. We open with a big-picture look at each team and then close with brief comments on each first-round series matchup individually.
This is part of a series of posts previewing each of the four quadrants of the 2014 NHL playoffs. Below are the four teams that comprise the NHL Atlantic Division bracket. We open with a big-picture look at each team and then close with brief comments on each first-round series matchup individually
The NHL playoff format has changed this season, thanks to the realignment into two divisions per conference. It’s now division-based, rather than conference-based. The format works as follows…
The NHL season begins tonight. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that TheSportsNotebook was writing post-mortems on the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, as Chicago beat Boston in a thrilling Game 6. Now we’re back for more, and in an new era for the NHL.
The NHL enters a new era for this season, with its alignment into four larger divisions (now 7-8 teams apiece as opposed to five). The Central Division might not be the toughest, but it’s home to the best team, as the Chicago Blackhawks are fresh off their 2013 Stanley Cup. Here’s a snapshot look at the Central Division’s seven teams. Each team’s betting odds to win the Western Conference and reach the Finals are in parentheses.
The NHL’s realignment has created the newly named Metropolitan Division, and it’s filled with teams that have serious pedigree and also has three of the top five goaltenders from the 2013 season. Below is a snapshot of this division’s eight teams as we get started on the long road back to the playoffs. Each team’s odds to win the Eastern Conference and make the Stanley Cup Finals are noted in parentheses.
With the sports world focused on the NCAA Tournament and the beginning of baseball season, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the NHL by storm. The talented Penguins have ripped off 15 straight wins, all but locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and passed Chicago for the best record overall. In today’s NHL analysis, TheSportsNotebook will break down how Pittsburgh is doing it, and then take a brief look at the overall postseason landscape in the East.