Sean Crimmins' NHL roundabout
The first round of the NHL playoffs has been nothing short of exciting. There were plenty of hot storylines going in and there’s just as many going into the second round. The Tampa Bay Lighting went into the postseason after a historic regular season in which they tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for most wins in a regular season with 62. After posting that insane 62-16-4 record over 82 games, they met the Columbus Blue Jackets who snuck into the second wild card spot, only two points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs looking to defend their title as Stanley Cup Champions and to show their rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, that they can repeat. The Caps would face the Carolina Hurricanes, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 to break the longest playoff drought in the NHL. The New York Islanders have returned to the playoffs and Long Island after having played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the past three seasons, and they will face the Penguins. Then there are the St. Louis Blues, who entered 2019 dead last in the NHL. Yet, they surged with the help of rookie goalie Jordan Binnington to finish third in the Central Division and clinch a playoff birth.
