Since I'm apparently the only poster interested in the grueling playoffs of a great, 95 percent White sport, here's an update for lurkers:
The Islanders just defeated the Flyers to go up 3-1 in their series. The Lightning are up 3-1 over a very strong Boston team in the other Eastern Conference semifinals matchup. In the West, the Stars are up 3-1 over the Avalanche, while the Golden Knights are about to drop the puck on Game 4, up 2-1 over the Canucks.
I thought this could be the Flyers' year to end their 45 year drought since winning the Stanley Cup in back to back years in '74 and '75, but if they don't rally it will be the Islanders trying to win for the first time since their dynasty, the last true NHL dynasty, ended after a four year run in 1984 when they lost to the upstart Wayne Gretzky-led Oilers when going for a fifth straight Cup.
I've watched more of the East than the West, but am impressed with the skill and determination of all the remaining teams. In the East, prima donna losers like the Capitals and Penguins played like they wanted to go golfing, but to their credit the teams remaining in both conferences are playing just like it's a normal Stanley Cup playoffs.
It looks like Vegas vs. Dallas in the West and Tampa vs. NY Islanders in the East barring comebacks. I've decided to make the Islanders my team for this playoff run. They're disciplined, relentless, and have a lot of talent. Head coach Barry Trotz is one of the top of his profession going back to his success with the expansion Predators followed by leading the otherwise cursed Capitals to their only Cup win in '18, only to be cast off by the idiots running the Capitals.
Gotta say also that the fake crowd noise for the NHL playoff games is topnotch, continually piped in and instantly raised for goals and other moments.