The blue and white team did it! The Lightning defeated the Stars last night, preventing the nightmare scenario of Corey Perry winning a Stanley Cup. The Bolts were quite happy about it!

Voctpr Hedman won the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP. I imagine he barely beat out Brayden Point.

It’s a bit surreal that they won it all in a game on September 28th, but it’s been a surreal year in general. Simply look at the names of these former Maple Leafs players and draft picks to win the cup last night include Carter Verhaeghe, Luke Schenn, and Curtis McElhinney.

Now I’ve seen everything. Here is a link to the video of the whole Cup presentation ceremony.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup Champions!!! - Raw Charge
[SPECIES: You can offer congratulations here.]

Stars Unable To Find Last Comeback Win - Defending Big D
[SPECIES: You can offer your condolences here. But why would you what to do that?!]

So how does this affect the Maple Leafs?

Mostly, it’s only that Kyle Dubas needs to change the time of the preset morning wake-up alarm on his phone a few hours earlier because there is a lot of work to do in the next few days. The NHL Draft is exactly one week form today, and I’m sure the Leafs are still pouring over various reports and analyses on which player to pick with their 15th overall selection.

Free agency comes only two days after the end of the Draft, and we all know the Leafs are interested in the big prize there, Alex Pietrangelo. In short, now it starts. Over the next ten days the Leafs will see major activity of some sort or another, and we will be here to cover it all. In fact, we already are!

Browsing the RFA list for bargains
Is Andreas Johnsson about to follow Kasperi Kapanen out the door?
Spending the money if Pietrangelo doesn’t sign with the Leafs

Other News

Speaking of the Lightning, one of their most famous goalies is in the news.

A Final Note for This Season

So that’s it. That’s the end of the 2019-20 NHL season, only about 94 days before the actual end of 2020 and many more days beyond when it was supposed to end. It’s almost time to start your Christmas shopping. This season has been crazy and emotional, in particular with the Leafs losing out at the Play-In Round after being on a trajectory to make the playoffs if they could have been held in the normal format. It’s been a long slog for all of us.

All of us here at PPP thank you for staying with us as guests on our small, MiFID II non-compliant, kitten ranch. We’re more ready than ever to take on the Draft and Free Agency and whatever scheming, barley-cap-compliant surprise trades Kyle Dubas will throw out there in the coming days. It’s going to be fun so stick around and enjoy the ride! We’re here because you’re here.

From The Branches