And Then There Were Two

If it's Saturday, my activities today included a lot of the image to the left as I continue the work on HBIC Headquarters so that it appears that someone lives in the abode. I have to admit that my shoulders are getting quite the workout weekly thanks to painting ceilings, but I have two of them so I can't complain about being too tired. After all, the job has to get done just as the Tampa Bay Lightning got the job done tonight against the New York Rangers, booking their ticket to their third-straight Stanley Cup Final.

As we heard Jenna this past week on The Hockey Show giving her Survivor: NHL Playoffs exit interview after Edmonton left the island, Bryan S. will join civilization once again after the New York Rangers had their playoff run ended tonight. We already know Matt C. booked his spot in the Stanley Cup Final after Colorado swept the Oilers, and he'll be joined by Sydney B. who has a chance to become the first Canada West player -male or female - to win the contest!

Here's the updated bracket for those keeping track at home!

Before anyone feels bad for Bryan, it should be known that Bryan is a huge Lightning fan so seeing the Lightning advance over his Rangers in this contest is literally a win-win for him. Yes, he misses out on winning the Vegas Golden Knights Reverse Retro jersey, but his favorite team will play for a third-straight Stanley Cup as the Lightning dynasty continues.

With Bryan's exit interview being setup for this week, we'll see how the Avalanche and Matt fare against the two-time defending champions in the Lightning and Sydney. For those wondering, it will be the first Stanley Cup Final featuring teams who don't pluralize their team names. It will also be the first all-weather Stanley Cup Final while Pat Maroon is seeking his fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Final after winning with St. Louis in 2019 and Tampa Bay in '20 and '21. Corey Perry will also play in his third consecutive Stanley Cup Final with three different teams after losing to Tampa Bay with Dallas in '20 and Montreal in '21.

It's sounding like Brayden Point will return for the Lightning at some point in the Stanley Cup Final while the Avalanche are hoping one or both of Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano will be able to play. All three players would help their respective teams immensely, so we'll see what the training and medical staffs can do when it comes to getting players back on the ice.

The best team in the west against the two-time defending champions: the storylines are set for Wednesday night when Game One starts in Colorado. It should be a beauty!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!