The NHL Playoffs gather steam amid COVID-19
The NHL Playoffs have already completed the first round of play as well as the qualifying round, and as of Sept. 2, only four teams from each conference remain for the second round.
The second round of play is a best-of-seven series with the teams reseeding upon the end of the round.
The Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning are two of the four Eastern Conference teams trying to make it to the finals. The Lightning has already won that series behind Ondrej Palat’s five goals and three assists and Brayden Point’s two goals and seven assists. They will play the winner of the Islanders and Flyers series.
The other two Eastern Conference teams are the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders won that series 4-3. Both Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau have three goals while the combination of Jordan Eberle, Josh Bailey, and Mathew Barzal all have four assists.
The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are two of the four Western Conference teams trying to make it to the conference finals. Dallas has won that series 4-3 behind the play of Jamie Benn, who has racked up three goals and six assists during the seven-game series.
The other two Western Conference teams are the Vancouver Canucks and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights have won that series 4-3 behind Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch’s four goals and Shea Theodore’s seven assists.
The Knights will play the Stars and the Lightning will play the Islanders in each conference’s respective finals.

Keith Holmes Jr. is a junior double-majoring in journalism and creative writing. Keith was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and lived in both Alabama...
The Cluster’s comments section is meant to be a place for respectful conversation and reflection on issues and events affecting students at Mercer University. Comments are moderated by the student staff of The Cluster to ensure that those made visible on the website reflect these standards. Harassment, hate, spam and personal attacks on staff members will not be approved. This does not mean that critical comments will be rejected. We welcome diverse perspectives on our reporting and on students’ experiences at Mercer University. Comments will not be approved unless a valid name and email address are submitted. Please also note that our comment moderation system logs IP addresses associated with every comment submitted.
If you want a picture to show with your comment, go get a gravatar.