With the glut of sports available to us these days it's becoming even more than a suggestion to pass on the regular season and check in on the playoffs. I'm specifically talking the NHL and NBA. Both have seasons are far too long, 82 games to be exact. The NHL starts in early October and the NBA in the latter part of the same month.
I like both sports but there are others that are in competition with my TV watching. In October you have the MLB running down to the World Series. The NFL is a month into play then too....same for college football. Volleyball is making a run for "eyes" to the TV set these days. The women have made this sport one that has attracted a rabid fan base. It remains to be seen where it will go. Then there's Tennis which is pretty much year-round. Golf begins early in January. It seems like soccer is always on the tube somewhere. Then the MMA. Whew! Have I forgotten anyone?
Before anyone calls me on it, there are roughly 200 sports that have international recognition through an international governing body of some sort, also a small part of the estimated 8,000 played world-wide. Yes, 8,000.
Now that we've proven how sports crazy we've become, I think it's time to dial in on just how special post-season has become.
The NHL games have been wild to say the least and we're only in round two of the playoffs. In the Western Division there were two opening series that were decided by a 4-3 games margin: Winnipeg over St. Louis and Dallas over Colorado and two decided by 4 games to 2: Vegas over Minnesota and Edmonton over the LA Kings. In the first round of the East, 3 series were decided by 4-1 margins: Washington over Montreal, Florida by Tampa Bay and Carolina over New Jersey. The lone series that went six was Toronto over Ottawa.
At the time of this posting (through Monday night) the second round looks like this in the West: Dallas is up 2-1 on Winnipeg and Edmonton is up 3-1 on Las Vegas. In the East: Toronto and Florida are tied 2-1 and Carolina is up 3-1 on Washington. Washington came into the playoffs as the #1 team in the East, they've not played like it whatsoever. There have been no sweeps thus far and based on the competition we've seen, I'm not sure that we will. The play has been sensational. Big comebacks and huge late goals have been the spice of the 2025 playoffs. The biggest was the Vegas goal with .4 seconds left by Reilly Smith to seal a 4-3 win. Dallas has also been on a hot streak riding the heroics of Mikko Rantanen. Over the last six games, Rantanen has scored 9 goals and has 8 assists. His play alone is leading the Stars to a Stanley Cup run. They'll have to beat #1 rated team in the West, Winnipeg, to do that. Mikko's name is derived from the Hebrew name, Michael, meaning "Who is like God"? If Rantanen leads Dallas back to the finals, somewhere they haven't been since 2020, they might very well start calling him that.
What has been most noticeable is the number of games won by the road team. The "roadie" is winning at a 60% rate this season making home not the "place to be" especially in a Game 7.
It's still early yet, but I am leaning towards the Florida Panthers to repeat. They are so talented, play really "heavy" hockey. They are big and are very, very physical. And they have one of the best in the nets, Sergei Bobrovsky.
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| Will the Panthers do a repeat? |
The team with the longest active Stanley Cup drought is the Toronto Maple Leads, currently at 57 years since their last championship in 1967 before the NHL's first expansion era. But hey, their still in it. They're due for that sad stat to end. My dark horse is the Edmonton Oilers. They got a shutout from backup Calvin Skinner Monday night in a 3-0 game with the Golden Knights. If Edmonton gets starting goalie Calvin Pickard back for game five it might signal the end for Las Vegas. (UPDATE): Pickard is out for the rest of the series
The NBA has been equally tantalizing. If you're a favorite look again, especially in the East. New York has given the Boston Celtics all they've wanted. They're now up 3-1 after winning Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. And to make matters worse, star Jason Tatum went down with an ankle injury no doubt putting him out for the next game at minimum (UPDATE): Tatum ruptured his Achilles and is done for the year. The Indianapolis Pacers have done the same as they've not only beaten Cleveland, but they've also humiliated them. The 20-point win they had Sunday night wasn't even that close. It was a 41-point difference at the half. The Pacers could be a tough out for either the Knicks or Celtics. Tyrese Haliburton has been the catalyst for their stunning play. The Pacers had 14 less wins on the season to Cleveland's 64. The Knicks had ten less than Boston. So much for the regular season, as I said earlier.
Out West, top-seeded Oklahoma City has had more than it bargained for against the tough-minded Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets were the #4 seed going in with 18 less wins than OKC. At present, that series is tied 2-2. The other matchup featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State has been somewhat interesting. The Warriors stole a game in Minneapolis but couldn't use that momentum to maintain their edge. The Wolves win on Saturday night 102-97 and Monday night 117-110 might very well have put them closer to advancing to the Finals for another straight season. Anthony Edwards has risen to the top of his game. Seth Curry's injury most likely has ended any chances the Warriors have.
So, enjoy the remaining playoffs. There are no doubt going to be some more spectacular games fueled by some of the best athletes in the world. We'll find out who has the best team to win on the road. That's where the Champions are going to come from.
Just think, NFL camps begin in July. It'll be here before you know it.
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