Coach Barry Trotz said of the fans, "Without them, I don't know if we would’ve pulled this off." A pandemic postseason outside of a bubble has created some thrilling hockey after an exhausting, condensed 56-game grind. That familiarity is responsibility for the tightness of games and series, even those that on paper looked more lopsided. A safe bet is more nail-biting with games — and even series — decided by a bounce or a big play at the right moment. "It’s going to be a really, really intense playoffs as it keeps going," Maurice said.

Source: Fox News May 27, 2021 21:33 UTC