My Condolences is a running group of articles looking at teams eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only one team gets to take home Lord Stanley for the summer, the other fifteen teams get absolutely nothing, except a mention in this article…
My Condolences to the….
Nashville Predators
Let’s look at the glass that is the Nashville Predators half full for a minute. Nashville gets another banner for “winning” the central division, and won 2 playoff games, they can put a banner up for that right?
In all seriousness, my condolences to the Nashville Predators. Nashville has not looked like themselves since losing to Winnipeg last year in the playoffs, and although I would like to say things will get better for them, I just do not know. Nashville had mostly the same roster as they did last season, except this year they underperformed. I honestly thought the Preds had a chance to make some noise this postseason, flying under the radar and bringing in a name like Wayne Simmonds for the playoffs. Well things did not work out well for the Preds and they managed to lose to the Dallas Stars, a team that has their own demons.
Nashville has been calling for head coach Peter Laviolette’s head ever since losing the series, I do not believe that is the right move at this point. However I will say it's interesting that David Poile is the longest tenured GM in the NHL, throughout all of the struggles and success of the Nashville Predators, no one has called for his firing. Maybe firing Poile and bringing in a new GM might spark the Predators to some new found playoff success, proving that 2017 was not a fluke would be nice for Nashville.
My condolences to the Nashville Predators, the salary cap is going to catch up to Nashville at some point, selling assets for playoff runs, to only exit in the first round, is not cool. (from my experience)
Toronto Maple Leafs
When I think of Toronto I think of the State Farm commercial where a fisherman holds a dollar on the end of a fishing pole. He taunts the actor in the commercial flashing the dollar just out of his fingertips. Toronto is the actor, Boston is the fisherman, and the dollar is getting out of the first round. Everytime Toronto can almost win a series they fail miserably. My condolences to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto has a lot of demons to slay in the offseason, Mike Babcock might have lost his team. No one is putting faith in a Babcock turn around, with many fans questioning his record setting coaching contract. Babcock has failed to get the Leafs out of the first round in his 3 post season appearances with the club. Arguably some of the lack of success can be on him. Toronto failed to finish the Bruins on home ice in game 6, and with a minute to go in game 7 Babcock chose to leave Patrick Marleau on the ice. Marleau is a great player no doubt, but there is absolutely no feast that Auston Matthews only had 13:10 minutes of ice time at 5 on 5, and John Tavares only having 14 minutes of five on five ice time in the game as well. In a game of do or die, why in the world would your big name guys not be out there for about 25 minutes.
Toronto needs to resign Mitch Marner this offseason, that is your number one goal, the Leafs do not need another William Nylander situation this year, expect some change to the offensively driven Maple Leafs.
My condolences to Mike Babcock, who has not won a playoff series since Round 1 of 2013….
Vegas Golden Knights
Congratulations to the Vegas Golden Knights! Last season was upsetting to lose in the Stanley Cup final, but it was also a huge success! Making it to the final in your first year as a team... woohoo! Fans around the league said Vegas did not deserve that deep run, and would not benefit from winning the cup because they have had no heart ache in their history….
Welcome to the National Hockey League at last. Blowing a 3 games to 1 lead? Check. Being up 3 to 0 in a game 7? Check. A HORRIBLE call with 11 minutes to go in the third period? Check. Losing in overtime in a game 7? Check.
Congrats Vegas, you are an NHL team now. This one has to hurt for the Knights. Many players and fans alike feel that their season was stolen by a misunderstood penalty giving San Jose a 5 minute power play. However it is worth noting that the refs did not give San Jose 4 goals, they had to earn them, and earn them they did. San Jose rallied with 11 minutes to go in a game 7 with their backs against the wall to win a series. Looking around the ice Vegas did not look like themselves.
The Knights will return, but it will take them an offseason to regain their composer, and come back hungry. Max Pacioretty put it best “It’s a very frustrating feeling but we have to remember it for next year.” No one will forget the last 11 minutes of game 7 between Vegas and San Jose, what comes after that next year is still up for debate. My condolences to the Vegas Golden Knights, this team will be back.
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