Colorado Avalanche Fan Guide to the 2018 Playoffs’ Second Round
Colorado Avalanche fans watching the second round of the playoffs — where are your allegiances?
The Colorado Avalanche are no longer in the playoffs, and that’s a sad thing. We’re all hoping that this making the playoffs thing becomes a regular occurrence and that they even make deeper runs.
For now, though, the second round of the 2018 NHL playoffs start tonight. That means we still have a full three rounds of playoff hockey in front of us. It even means that we still have hockey on a mostly nightly basis.
It’s always interesting to see what hockey fans do when their team has been eliminated from the playoffs — or even playoff contention entirely. Some fans, such as myself, maintain allegiances to secondary teams, especially in the Eastern Conference where we don’t play them enough to develop rivalries. Other fans, also somewhat like me, maintain allegiances with former Avs players.
Other fans just look for the shiniest thing around.
Well, with all that in mind, let’s look at the matchups for the second round of the playoffs.
Washington Capitals (M1) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (M2)
The Washington Capitals are my Eastern Conference team. I like their style of play, and I rather wish the Colorado Avalanche would play with such precision as they usually do.
The Caps have also failed to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in recent years. In fact, Washington has lost to Pittsburgh every time in the last seven tries dating back to the 1994-95 season — they beat the Pens in the Conference Quarterfinals the previous season.
In other words, Alexander Ovechkin has never been able to get past Sidney Crosby, and every year that’s what this leg of the playoffs looks like. Because the Avs are perennial underdogs, that’s another reason to root for the underdog Caps.
That said, if you’re looking at the shiniest thing around, it’s hard to argue that it’s the dynastic Pittsburgh Penguins. They won the Stanley Cup the last two years and look good to make a run at a three-peat.
Schedule:
Thursday, April 26, 5 pm MT: Penguins @ Capitals | NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 29, 1 pm MT: Penguins @ Capitals | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Tuesday, May 1, 5:30 pm MT: Capitals @ Penguins | NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2
Thursday, May 3, 5 pm MT: Capitals @ Penguins | NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports
*Saturday, May 5, TBD: Penguins @ Capitals | TBD
*Monday, May 7, TBD: Capitals @ Penguins | TBD
*Wednesday, May 9, TBD: Penguins @ Capitals | TBD
Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs Boston Bruins (A2)
If the Capitals don’t make it to the Cup Finals, my hope is for the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’ve never been a fan of the Bruins, and I can’t stand Brad Marchand. (Join the club, right?)
What’s more, the Lightning should be who the Avs want to be when they grow up. They’re a skilled, speedy team that perennially make the playoffs — and compete for the Cup.
On the other hand, Boston’s thrilling win last night was pretty impressive. Overall, this will be a good matchup between two teams who know how to work the playoffs.
Schedule:
Saturday, April 28, 1 pm MT: Bruins @ Lightning | NBC, SN, TVA Sports
Monday, April 30, 5 pm MT: Bruins @ Lightning | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Wednesday, May 2, 5 pm MT: Lightning @ Bruins | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Friday, May 4, 5 pm MT: Lightning @ Bruins | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Sunday, May 6, TBD: Bruins @ Lightning | TBD
*Tuesday, May 8, TBD: Lightning @ Bruins | TBD
*Thursday, May 10, TBD: Bruins @ Lightning | TBD
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs San Jose Sharks (P3)
I don’t like either of these teams. However, I don’t really hate them either. So I guess it’s a question of which team I hate less, and I’m kind of leaning toward the Sharks.
However, no one can question the feel-good nature of the expansion VGK not only having a winning season but sweeping the LA Kings in the first round to reach the second round in their inaugural year. That’s pretty shiny if you’re looking for shiny.
It’s also annoying. I’m ready for the Knights to go away. Plus, there’s that whole stealing of fan favorite Calvin Pickard only to throw him away. Let’s go Sharks.
Schedule:
Thursday, April 26, 8 pm MT: Sharks @ Golden Knights | NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Saturday, April 28, 6 pm: Sharks @ Golden Knights | NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Monday, April 30, 8 pm MT: Golden Knights @ Sharks | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Wednesday, May 2, 8 pm: Golden Knights @ Sharks | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Friday, May 4, 8 pm: Sharks @ Golden Knights | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports (I don’t know why the time for Game 5 has already been set.)
*Sunday, May 6, TBD: Golden Knights @ Sharks | TBD
*Tuesday, May 8, TBD: Sharks @ Golden Knights | TBD
Nashville Predators vs Winnipeg Jets
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On the one hand, you want the team that eliminated yours in the playoffs to go on and win the Stanley Cup. There’s no shame in losing to the eventual Cup winners. On the other hand, there’s no shame in anything the Colorado Avalanche accomplished this year, so that rationale doesn’t necessarily follow.
I’d say, before the first round matchup, most Avs fans hated the Winnipeg Jets more than the Nashville Predators. While the Preds had our number, the Jets were just vile. Plus, they have that big goon bug, Dustin Byfuglien.
I don’t know about your guys, but I spent a good portion of Game 6 fantasizing about Big Buck wrecking some Predator bodies. “You want to hit the ice? I’ll give you a reason to hit the ice. It’s called the force of my gargantuan body slamming into yours.”
I guess I won’t be super-upset if the Predators win this round. However, I think I’d be a little happier to see the Jets. Or, at the very least, to see Big Buck level Austin Watson, Ryan Hartman, and/or Ryan Ellis. P.K. Subban may have won back my respect after the series with the Avs, but those three did not.
Schedule:
Friday, April 27, 6 pm MT: Jets @ Predators | NBCSN, CBC, SN360, TVA Sports
Sunday, April 29, 5 pm MT: Jets @ Predators | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Tuesday, May 1, 6 pm MT: Predators @ Jets | CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Thursday, May 3, 7:30pm MT: Predators @ Jets | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Saturday, May 5, TBD: Jets @ Predators | TBD
*Monday, May 7, TBD: Predators @ Jets | TBD
*Thursday, May 10, TBD: Jets @ Predators | TBD
Next: Playoffs Takeaways for the Avs Youngsters
The action starts tonight with the Capitals first hosting the Penguins and then the Knights hosting the Sharks.