The Stanley Cup's First Round Is Delivering Intrigue, as Usual

If anyone thinks daily life in the Chicago was off the hook during last season's baseball playoffs, they were right.

And if they want to experience it again, they should book a trip to Toronto.

Maple Leafs fans went bonkers over simply making the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2013.

What's more, their feisty young team has already justified rising stress levels in the non-political parts of Washington.

In the cold light of harsh reality, the top-seeded Capitals were fortunate to win Game 1.

Toronto came close, but as they say, that only counts in horseshoes, handgrenades, nuclear attack, and social dancing. So in Game 2, they finished the job, needing overtime and a break -- literally -- to do it:

The young Leafs -- OK, dude: Buds -- are playing with the élan reminiscent of that Team North America outfit that brought fun-&-gun back to hockey in the World Cup of Hockey.

Both they and the Caps will have a deafening greeting awaiting them when they get to Toronto for Games 3 and 4.

It'll be even louder in the arena.

It's a good thing Caps coach Barry Trotz doesn't have a neck. It might unsettle his squad if he started clutching it with two hands. The Prez Cup holders look to be expending serious energy in this series, something they'd hoped to avoid.

Meanwhile, in America's heartland, Mike Yeo's doing his own version of The Count of Monte Cristo.

 

 

OK, he may not have thought getting dumped by the Minnesota Wild was that drastic, but landing in St Louis -- where the Blues have a wealth of talent and experience -- must've made him feel like he'd be loaded for the playoffs.

And he was. All the dude's doing is rolling four lines and not hassling with match-ups. It was good enough to claim Game 1 in St Paul, and Game 2 was no different:

Then there's Nashville.

The Predators sold out every home game for the first time in their history this season, so maybe this puckin' thing is truly catching on down there. And maybe that'll keep Blackhawks fans from overruning Bridgestone Arena for once.

Chicago needs all the help it can get, heading to Tennessee down 2-0 in the series.

Given the history of this pairing in the playoffs and Chicago's been-there-done-that confidence, this may still be the Round 1 match-up most likely to go seven.