The NHL Second Round is officially set, and the Leafs are in it!
NHL Playoffs
New Jersey Devils 4-0 over New York Rangers
NJD wins series 4-3
The Devils dispatched the Rangers with a 4-0 shutout victory in Game 7 thanks to Akira Schmid in net and goals from Erik Haula, who scored his team-leading fourth goal of the series, and three players with their first goals of the tournament (McLeod, Tatar, and Bratt).
The game wasn't without controversy as Jacob Trouba laid this hit on Timo Meier, knocking him out of the game. Meier returned to the bench for the end of the game but didn't play.
The Second Round
Now we know the final series in each of the four divisions as the Conference Finals await in two weeks.
Toronto Maple Leafs (2A) vs Florida Panthers (4A)
Carolina Hurricanes (1M) vs New Jersey Devils (2M)
Dallas Stars (2C) vs Seattle Kraken (4P)
Vegas Golden Knights (1P) vs Edmonton Oilers (2P)
Some nice symmetry here as the top seed in both the Atlantic and Central are out, meaning two wild card teams have made it to the Icy Eight. I'm hoping that name catches on.
Oh, baby. It's happening!
Tonight's Games
Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs - 7:00 pm
Seattle Kraken @ Dallas Stars - 9:30 pm
Various Leafs and Branches
RIP to Mr. Gordon Lightfoot.
If you're injured, SIT DOWN! Trust in your teammates and don't be a bad teammate, for crying out loud.
Welcome to the NHL, Snoop!
Darryl Sutter was fired. The Flames are now looking for a new GM and head coach. That seems like the right move after such a bad season.
Expect another B2E podcast sometime before puck drop. The boys are working as reasonably as possible to get a series preview out for y'all.