Good morning, Chicago Blackhawks fans. Welcome to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, whether you’ve continued paying attention or not.
After the Nashville Predators ousted the St. Louis Blues and the Ottawa Senators dispatched the New York Rangers, both in six games, the other two conference semifinal series were left to be decided Wednesday. And boy, did the four teams involved put on a show.
First, the Washington Capitals hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. While a possible feel-good story could have seen the Caps topping the defending Cup champs to overcome a 3-1 deficit and get one step closer to finally putting Alex Ovechkin in a Final, that was not meant to be.