from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

This notion that the Stanley Cup playoffs will be a greater challenge this year than ever before is nonsense. Promotional nonsense spewed out by the NHL, which is desperate to attract eyeballs starting next weekend by making it seem as though we are about to witness the most frantic, intense competition in league history.

The NHL versus the Coronavirus. Game on.

Now, if you suggested it will be harder to win the Cup under this awkward summer format than in pre-1967 days, when a team only needed to play two series before hoisting the trophy, that might make some sense. If you suggested it will be more arduous than the days when all the ’67 expansion teams were piled into one sub-mediocre conference, sure.

But compared to the last 40 years? Nonsense.

The two most significant elements that have defined the physical and mental challenge of winning an NHL championship since 1980, folks, have been removed.

First, the punishing travel is gone. The biggest road trip will be for those teams that have to take the three-hour plane ride from Toronto to Edmonton for the final stages of the playoffs. That’s it. Otherwise, it’s a series of games in the same location.

Second, NHL teams have traditionally entered the post-season battered and on the limp.

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