We here in Canada always lock onto the Canadian teams when it comes to the NHL playoffs, yet the Columbus Blue Jackets have taken their rightful place as the lead story of the first round of the 2019 chase for the Stanley Cup.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Blue Jackets were in a fight with Carolina and Montreal just to get into the playoffs, and now they are basking in the glow of an upset over Tampa Bay that not many saw coming.
Outside of keeping tabs on the Canadian teams, what is the next lead story? Opinions vary, but I’d have to say a potential Washington-Islanders matchup. Can you imagine if last year’s Stanley Cup-winning coach, Barry Trotz, faced the team he led to a championship one year ago in the next round?
For whatever reason, Washington let Trotz get away. Now, after a four-game sweep over Pittsburgh, Trotz’s Islanders wait for the winner of the Capitals-Hurricanes series.
If Washington wins, we are in for more must-see TV in Round 2.