NHL Notes

A 21st different, current NHL franchise will win the Stanley Cup as this year’s opponents, the slightly favored NHL West “1” seed Las Vegas Golden Knights and East “8” seed Florida Panthers, the latter as is the case with fellow South Florida “8” seed finalist, Miami (Heat) barely made the ‘offs, are both (0-1) in previous NHL final appearances.

In fact, each team has a 4 game final round losing streak.

The Golden Knights lost games (2-5) vs the Washington Capitals in the 2018 NHL final, the last time two teams sans a Stanley Cup crown, met in the NHL final.

Meanwhile the Panthers were swept out in 4 straight games (Uwe Krupp’s late Monday night 3rd overtime goal, the game’s only, clinched it. ? if Uwe Krupp scores late on a Monday night/Tuesday morning to clinch the Cup, does anybody see it? Then I watched almost all the games and certainly the Cup clinchers, now it is an all TNT final with Kenny Albert, the lead announcer no less. In days the NHL had no major U.S. TV contract and Albert’s “paved his way” father was the “lead,” I recall watching those tilts on over the air, albeit independent television stations), by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 final.

This year’s NBA final is a MIami/Denver redux of that ’96 NHL final with Denver (Nuggets) a too big 4 to 1 or so “fave.”