NHL Playoffs Begin Tonight

The N.H.L. playoffs begin tonight with 3 games.

Tomorrow night, top seed, Nashville (Predators) hosts Colorado (Avalanche). Last season, the Predators made the Stanley Cup final (they lost to the repeat title winning, Pittsburgh Penguins, who clinched the crown with a Sunday night road win for the second straight season).

Though only two original 6 teams, Boston (Bruins) and Toronto (Maple Leafs) made the ‘offs, NBC and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, can’t be too upset, as only two teams from Canada made the fray (the other, the Winnipeg Jets, who finished second to Nashville in its “div” and the entire league in points.

Pittsburgh, second in its “div” faces Philadelphia (Flyers) in another first round series. Later in the series, I will post notes on simultaneous Pittsburgh and Philadelphia champions, which is the case right now as the Penguins, Philadelphia Eagles and Villanova University (Philly) all are their entity’s champion.