Two iconic hockey clubs have renewed hopes that a decades-long wait for a Stanley Cup win is over—both for themselves and for Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have been champions many times, but not recently. And Canada hasn’t had a Stanley Cup champion since the Montreal Canadiens won in 1993.
What’s more, the Stanley Cup playoffs are wide open, with the top team during the regular season—the record-setting Boston Bruins—eliminated in addition to the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
Last year, Toronto lost to two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the first round. This year, they beat the Lightning in six, advancing to the second round for the first time in 19 years. Sports talk show host Rod Pedersen says the progression bodes well and might just result in a championship….