Written by Robert Zeglinski at No Coast Bias
You smell that? That the’s glorious return of hockey on the horizon!
Big hits, random fluky goals, puck dangling, reactionary saves, missing teeth etc. are all back tomorrow night in the NHL, beginning with the defending champion Blackhawks’ banner night against the Rangers at the United Center.
There is no other spectacle like grown men on skates on ice punishing each other for a small black disc. There is no way our society can get better. We’ve reached our peak.
On the eve of the season’s return, we’ve decided to do a preview of each conference for the 2015 season as well as a Stanley Cup pick, so you can know what to expect before your team faces heartbreaking elimination after an unlucky bounce in April (happens to the best of us, but not my Hawks….*knocks on wood*).
First, let’s touch on the Eastern Conference, with a burning question for each expected playoff team.
1) Tampa Bay Lightning, Last Year: Lost Stanley Cup Final
- Can the Lightning bring it all back together to finish the job this year?
After ultimately falling short to Chicago in the Final, Tampa largely brings back the exact same roster featuring stalwarts like centers Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson as well as future Norris trophy winner, Victor Hedman.
The pieces are certainly in place, it’s just a matter of if Tampa can go through the playoff gauntlet again.
They’ll certainly be the fastest, most athletic, and be most equipped for shot suppression in the East. It just may come down to simple cliche puck luck in big games that can keep Tampa from returning to June hockey. Because they simply don’t have huge question marks.
2) Washington Capitals, Last Year: Eliminated in 2nd round
- Can the Capitals get over the hump?
Not many franchises have been tortured year after year with playoff failure despite all of the talent in the world like the Capitals (The Cubs have been exempt from the talent part).
It now has become a yearly event where everyone simply awaits the collapse of the Capitals as they blew a 3-1 series lead over the arch-rival Rangers last season. Additions of “Mr. Game 7” (such a dumb nickname) Justin Williams and TJ Oshie figure to be the missing depth pieces a talented Washington squad has needed.
Everything is in place for Ovechkin and the Caps, it’s just a matter of execution come Spring time.
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