There were only two games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night, but both were highly entertaining for what happened both on and off the ice.

First up is the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminating the Florida Panthers. The Panthers scored only three goals in the four games of the series. They were simply obliterated by the Lightning. It wasn’t even close. Yet another time where the winners of the NHL Presidents’ Trophy are out early.

Lightning overcome two overturned goals and Vasilevskiy shines in 2-0 win

The Bolts actually scored two more goals in the game that were both overturned on challenges, including this one on which the league did a Zapruder Film level of analysis, taking a whole ten minutes to eventually conclude the puck skimmed the netting and went out of bounds.

Here’s the first goal that was not overturned, and it was a bizarre one.

All that comes on the (clear?) heels of an alleged team outing by the Panthers to a strip club Sunday night. Because of course a Florida team would have a strip club scandal during the playoffs, right? The Panthers coach denied anyone from the team was there, but there are some Florida media insistent that it did happen.

I’ll let you all decide for yourselves what really happened. Either way, the Panthers are now off the stage, and the Lightning are going to the conference finals to face either the Rangers or the Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, it was Nazem Kadri who put on the big show last night, scoring three goals as the Colorado Avalanche won 6-3 to take a 3-1 lead in the series against the St. Louis Blues.

This neatly wraps up the story arc which started during their last game when Kadri slid on the ice right into Blues’ goalie Jordan Binnington, who injured his knee in the incident. Binnington responded in a mature and adult fashion by throwing a (full) bottle of water at Kadri while he was doing a live TV interview in the hallway after that game.

The Blues made a point to go after Kadri all night, on the ice this time.

Kadri received death threats and racist messages after the previous game and responded in the best way possible after tonight’s game.

Recap: Nazem Kadri hat trick puts Blues season on life support

Tonight, the Hurricanes face the Rangers at 7:00 p.m. ET, and then the Battle of Alberta continues at 9:30.

From The Branches