Questions ahead of the National Hockey League play-offs - Part 1
The National Hockey League regular season has finally ended and it time for the play-offs to take place. After each team played 82 games in the season there are only 16 teams that outplayed the others to contest for the Stanley Cup. The play-offs are two
months long and expected to bring about loads of entertaining goals, saves and tackles as things heat up even further.
New records will be made while some teams come up with upsets and all these things are under the headline of some of questions ahead of the play-offs.
Will we see Sidney Crosby rejoining the Pittsburgh Penguins after his long injury?
It is truly an amazing sight for the Pittsburgh Penguins administration that they were able to bag one of their most impressive regular seasons and that too without the inclusion of players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Dan Bylsma, coach of the Penguins
has truly done an amazing job with the team to guide them and put them in the postseason.
Malkin sustained an injury that is surely to keep him out of the season and he is expected to make a come-back during the next season. On the other hand, news flies in that there is still and outside that Crosby returns and joins the Penguins to lead them
to a Stanley Cup. Crosby has been spending some time on ice with the team, but he has not taken part in any of the full trainings as yet which means that it won’t be a shock if he doesn’t play once the play-offs begin.
How far will the Pittsburgh Penguins go if Crosby isn’t back?
The important question ahead of the play-offs is that whether or not they are a durable team in the play-offs considering the fact that they face so many injuries. The injury to several players given that they are the important members of the team, means
that there is a chance that the Penguins might not be able to survive in the play-offs.
The Penguins despite having loads of confidence and self-belief will be well aware of the fact that they will face a fully fit Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. The Penguins come across loads of problems especially after the suspensions of Matt Cooke
that will keep him out of action for the first round of the play-offs.
The Penguins will be further hurt if Crosby doesn’t return and there is great possibility that the Penguins might progress as they have a lot of talent and skill but someone needs to take the leading role in the offensive department. The Penguins can go
past the Lightning in the first round but they are not seen anywhere in the later stages considering the fact that they have no offensive leader to follow.
Best and worst entering the NHL postseason?
One of the important things in the play-offs is the fact that a team needs to be fully fit and in form if they are contesting to make a long run in for the Stanley Cup.
The Buffalo Sabres are said to be the best team in the regular season after the superb form in the final part that put them in the play-offs.
The other side of the story is that that the Atlantic Division champions, Philadelphia Flyers had a poor run in the final part of the season. They face the Sabres in the first round and there is a very big chance of the first upset of the play-offs taking
place in this tie.
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