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Playoff Special Issue 2023
Check out our annual Playoff Special, breaking down the chances for each team vying to lift the Stanley Cup. In addition to our full-page team previews, depth charts and Fantasy Zone, we have features on Linus Ullmark, Josh Morrissey, Adam Fox and Ryan O'Reilly, plus we dig deep on the many playoff myths to find out what's fact and what's fiction. On top of our NHL coverage, we also shine a spotlight on the stars from the top teams in the AHL, ECHL, PHF, PWHPA, CHL, NCAA and more.
THE LAST GREAT DYNASTY
FROM 1980 TO 1983, the New York Islanders accomplished a feat that was incredible at the time and has only become more astonishing as the years and decades have passed – four straight Stanley Cups and 19 consecutive playoff series wins, a streak that brought them to the brink of a fifth straight title. There were 16 players who played on all four Cup teams, a testimonial to the collective greatness of the squads under the watchful eyes of GM Bill Torrey and coach Al Arbour. The Islanders hosted an alumni weekend in late January, and nine members of the remaining 14 players who shared that quartet of Cups had the chance to reconnect and reminisce in person. The gathering was tinged with sadness as two members of that exclusive club…
BUFFALO SABRES
THN POWER RANKING | 21ST YOUTH, WHICH Buffalo is chock full of given it boasts one of the youngest rosters in the NHL, goes hand-in-hand with foolishness, and the thing about foolishness is that it can more than compensate for stage fright. So, while some might look at these Sabres as first-round fodder, particularly should they not cross over to the Metropolitan Division side of the bracket, what Buffalo could have going for it is that exact brand of youthful naivety. That’s not to suggest the Sabres’ path through the first round or beyond will be predicated on some sort of beginner’s luck. Quite the contrary, as that would be to entirely overlook Buffalo’s emergent offense. Led by soon-to-be 50-goal scorer Tage Thompson, who has made last season’s 38-goal breakout look like…
PLAYOFF MYTHS: FACT OR FICTION
WINNING THE STANLEY CUP isn’t like baking a cake. We say this not because we look down on pastry chefs or patisseries, nor is it owing to the fact we care not to see NHL GMs don chef’s whites while putting finishing touches on a three-tiered beauty. As a matter of fact, in a world in which cooking competitions litter streaming services and cable channels alike, throwing former big-league goal-scorers, goaltenders and grind-liners into the kitchen might be one of the few ideas that hasn’t yet made it to air. No, we say this because baking a cake, unlike reaching the summit of the NHL post-season, is a science. With the right mix of ingredients and application of a precise amount of heat, the results will always be the same. But one…
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
THN POWER RANKING | 8TH NO TEAM understands what is necessary to climb the post-season mountain quite like the Lightning. While not prohibitive favorites to win a third Stanley Cup in four years, only a fool would put their life savings on the Bolts falling short, especially after they scratched and clawed their way last season to a third consecutive appearance in the final. To no one’s surprise, Andrei Vasilevskiy is turning in another spectacular campaign and is a no-brainer to be in contention for the Vezina Trophy. Meanwhile, the familiar faces up front and on the blueline continue to guide the franchise through this period of unrivalled success – from Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos to Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev, the top end of the Lightning roster is…
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