Building the ultimate NHL playoff team from 2018 contenders
By Connor Ulrey
From the NHL teams that held spots in the postseason, which coach and players would make up the ultimate playoff contender?
Cue the sad music, or the Titanic music, whichever fits the scene. Another NHL season draws to a close, and the long wait for goal songs and playoff beards begins.
In what was a historic year for the league both conversationally and on-ice, the NHL has hit a new level. We got a really fun Cup Final matchup that pitted the most successful expansion team of all time against a legend waiting and working for his first chance at lifting the Cup.
It was a postseason to remember with highlights in every round on the road to the Final — from Vegas sweeping the Los Angeles Kings and going on to lose just two games en route to the Final, to the Capitals bouncing back from 2-0 down in the first round to becoming road warriors dominating every stretch of play en route to their first Cup berth in two decades.
Everything from an outright slugfest between Nashville and Winnipeg in the Western Conference Semifinals to a trio of Game 7s, hockey was at its peak over the course of the past month.
After the Capitals closed out the Cup Final in Vegas on Thursday night, the celebration began and the retrospective on another league season is underway.
But let’s pause for a second and have some fun. If we took two goaltenders, 12 forwards, six defensemen and a coach and formed a playoff super team from this year’s postseason contenders, who would make up the best team?
What have you done for me lately? Let’s dive into it.
Arena
T-Mobile Arena
How could we not go to Vegas to start? There were a lot of great atmospheres in the league this postseason. Bridgestone Arena is huge for the Nashville Predators and creates an insane scene for playoff hockey. The same could be said for Bell MTS Place, which was rocking for the Winnipeg Jets’ run to the Western Conference Final.
Vegas was a homebody this postseason. We’re talking atmospheres, and in their first postseason appearance, the Golden Knights had crowds for every game at T-Mobile Arena.
Add in the insanity that was the pregame entertainment from the Golden Knight on the ice — I mean, he cut a jet in half — and the Knights went above and beyond. I can’t say I wouldn’t want to catch a game in Sin City.
Mascot
Gnash
It’s hard to talk about Mascot production and not look at Nashville. Gnash is fundamental to the Predators and makes everything in the city fun. After their run last year to the Cup Final, the Predators fell at home in Game 7 to Winnipeg and went golfing early, but Gnash lives, breathes and sleeps hockey.
He also didn’t forget to give credit to former Preds coach Barry Trotz:
Gnash has upped the antics since taking the mantle as mascot for the Predators and in their boom of success has been a showstopper. It’s hard to top him currently in the mascot landscape!