from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: nothing beats the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

There’s upsets. There’s hatred. There’s bad calls, unlikely heroes and the kind of MVP-worthy performances that can earn a player a legacy or a unwanted reputation.

With the second round about to begin, here’s all that we loved — and put up with — in the best round of the playoffs.

WOE, CANADA

Only three out of the seven Canadian teams made the playoffs. But this year was about quality, not quantity. Calgary had the best record in the West. Toronto finished with more than 100 points. The Jets were coming off a year where they reached the conference final. The thinking was that at least one of them would end the drought and finally bring the Stanley Cup north of the border. Instead, all failed to reach the second round. The worst part is that with all the favourites falling in the first round, this year might have featured the easiest path to a championship.

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