The Montreal Canadiens are in Tampa tonight to kick off the first round of the Atlantic Division playoffs. [Checks notes.] Nope, wait, apparently this is the Stanley Cup final. Huh. Got to be honest, I did not see this matchup coming. Not many of us did. But it’s been pretty much the weirdest season in NHL history, so let’s roll with it.
One thing that hasn’t changed from past seasons: Two teams made the final, which means everyone else didn’t. That means it’s time for one of my favorite annual columns, as we go through all of the other 30 teams and try to figure out which of the finalists they should be rooting for.