A pair of players with local connections still vying for Lord Stanley’s mug. Pictured: Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Photo Credit: Jason Robertson/X.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are left wondering again what could have been.
Changes will be coming in Leafs land, that’s for sure.
Elsewhere, the defending Stanley Cup Champion, the Vegas Golden Knights, are done too as the second round of postseason play is underway in both the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association.
In fact, we’re down to the final eight in both leagues.
Let’s continue the conversation surrounding the NHL first. A Canadian team will make the final four after it was determined the Vancouver Canucks would face the Edmonton Oilers in Round Two beginning Wednesday night in British Columbia.
The other NHL Western Conference series features the Dallas Stars, who downed the aforementioned Golden Knights, taking on the Colorado Avalanche.
The Stars feature former Niagara IceDog Jason Robertson.
In the East, the New York Rangers took Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers got underway Monday night in Sunrise, Florida.
Former Niagara IceDogs captain Carter Verhaeghe is once again coming up big for the Panthers in the postseason.
Here’s a look at both NHL Eastern Conference semi-final schedules, starting with the all-Canadian matchup:
All series are best of seven.
Oilers vs. Canucks:
- Wednesday May 8th: Edmonton at Vancouver 10 pm EST
- Friday May 10th: Edmonton at Vancouver 10 pm EST
- Sunday May 12th: Vancouver at Edmonton TBD
- Tuesday May 14th: Vancouver at Edmonton TBD
- Thursday May 16th: Edmonton at Vancouver TBD *
- Saturday May 18th: Vancouver at Edmonton TBD *
- Monday May 20th: Edmonton at Vancouver TBD *
* – indicates if necessary
Bruins vs. Panthers
- Monday May 6th: Boston at Florida 8 pm EST
- Wednesday 8th: Boston at Florida 7:30 pm EST
- Friday May 10th: Florida at Boston 7 pm EST
- Sunday May 12th: Florida at Boston TBD *
- Tuesday May 14th: Boston at Florida TBD *
- Friday May 17th: Florida at Boston TBD *
- Sunday May 19th: Boston at Florida TBD *
* – indicates if necessary
Onto the NBA, where the Eastern Conference semi-finals feature the Boston Celtics against the Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, while the west sees the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Dallas Mavericks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets facing off.
The Nuggets are the defending NBA champions and feature Canadian Jamal Murray, while fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is one of the finalists for NBA Most Valuable Player, is the key cog for the Thunder.
Here’s a look at the NBA semi-final schedules:
Thunder vs. Mavericks
- Tuesday May 7: Dallas at Oklahoma City 9:30 pm EST
- Thursday May 9th: Dallas at Oklahoma City 9:30 pm EST
- Saturday May 11th: Oklahoma City at Dallas 3:30 pm EST
- Monday May 13th: Oklahoma City at Dallas 9:30 pm EST
- Wednesday May 15th: Dallas at Oklahoma City TBD *
- Saturday May 18th: Oklahoma City at Dallas 8:30 pm EST *
- Monday May 20th: Dallas at Oklahoma City: 8:30 pm EST *
* – indicates if necessary
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves
Game 1 Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99 — Minnesota leads best of seven series 1-0.
Upcoming games:
- Monday May 6th: Minnesota at Denver 10 pm EST
- Friday May 10th: Denver at Minnesota 9:30 pm EST
- Sunday May 12th: Denver at Minnesota 8 pm EST
- Tuesday May 14th: Minnesota at Denver TBD *
- Thursday May 16th: Denver at Minnesota 8:30 pm EST *
- Sunday May 19th: Minnesota at Denver TBD *
The Niagara Independent will keep you updated on all things NHL and NBA playoffs.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
