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Wings are probably still not a playoff team yet. Guessing still a year away. But the fact that the kids are here, for a city that hasn't had a team contending for a title in seriousness since the Tigers lost in the ALCS in 2013 is quite refreshing.

Damn, this thread was hot this year.  I guess all of the teams in the Big Ten footprint were either bad (Red Wings, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Flyers, Devils), or at best mediocre (Penguins, Wild, Capitals) I've lost some interest in the NHL, but the playoffs are still fun, and it will be nice to have the first real postseason since 2019

CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

• #1 Panthers d. #8 Capitals in 6
• #2 Hurricanes d. #7 Bruins in 4
• #3 Rangers d. #6 Penguins in 6
• #5 Lightning d. #4 Maple Leafs in 7
• #8 Predators d. #1 Avalanche in 7
• #2 Flames d. #7 Stars in 6
• #3 Oilers d. #6 Kings in 5
• #5 Blues d. #4 Wild in 5

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

• #1 Panthers d. #5 Lightning in 7
• #2 Hurricanes d. #3 Rangers in 5
• #2 Flames d. #3 Oilers in 7
• #5 Blues d. #8 Predators in 5

CONFERENCE FINALS

• #1 Panthers d. #2 Hurricanes in 5
• #5 Blues d. #2 Flames in 6

STANLEY CUP FINALS

• Florida Panthers d. St. Louis Blues in 7

I noticed espn had decided that hockey exists again.

I think they just realized that the only way to get people to watch commercials anymore is with live sports. So they would rather overpay for the NHL, then show a random ESPN radio simulcast on nights where they don't have NBA playoff games

I'm surprised the Lightning got demolished the other night by the Leafs 5-0.  It just seems so unlikely that Toronto will be able to finally get out of the first round against the 2-time defending champs.  Let's see if the Lightning get back on track tonight, or if the Leafs keep rolling.

Did they have to overpay for the NHL?

I don't think so.  NBC was grossly underpaying for it since the lockout, and with them shutting down NBCSN, I'm not sure who ESPN was bidding against.  It does seem like they've put the vast majority of their games on ESPN+, as they've done with MLB this year, aside from Sunday Night Baseball.  The weeknight ESPN games are now on ESPN+, and the Firday night games shifted from MLB Network to Apple TV.

NHL and MLB are local media dominated sports, so I don't get the play.  The ratings on national broadcasts were dismal, and sure as hell isn't going to get people to sign up for ESPN+ or Apple TV just to follow them.

Tnt had a regularseason pkg.  Do they have any playoff series?

Yeah, ESPN and TNT are splitting both the NBA and NHL postseasons now

Hockey's Game 7 weekend was a lot of fun.  And we have some very compelling matchups in this 2nd round.  The only somewhat blah matchup to me is Rangers-Hurricanes.

Much better than NBA Game 7 Sunday