Game On Magazine - April 2017 GameOn-Apr2017-P001-144-ONLINE | Page 68

MANITOBANS IN THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
“It’s better than being Regular Season (Colin Wilson),” he joked.
“It’s not the worst nickname in the world. Not like Invisible Wilson or
something like that.”
For the Predators this April’s berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs
will be the third straight for the franchise, an important and consis-
tent step for a team that feels the window to win is wide open and
waiting to enter.
“We had a bit of a younger group last year,” said Wilson. “This year
everybody’s a year older and everybody knows what it takes to get
there and what it takes to win.
“We have a good core here; a young core. We should be a good
team for a while. Really we can’t look too far ahead, but it’s always
This year everybody’s
a year older and everybody
knows what it takes to get
there and what it takes to win
an exciting time of year.”
Trying to predict which team gets to 16 wins first and procures the
Stanley Cup this season is almost folly.
Certainly, the Western Conference will deliver some key matchups
when you also include the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and
Edmonton Oilers into the mix.
However, with the Central Division filled with Manitobans, the di-
vision should be a focal point for locals to follow their favourite,
especially with the Winnipeg Jets on the outside again this spring.
Out east, the Barry Trotz coached Washington Capitals appeared
poised to make a significant challenge to their arch rival Pittsburgh
Penguins desires on capturing back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Trotz (Dauphin) had one of the best regular season teams all year
in the 30-team NHL. They made a bold move at the trade deadline
to secure the services of Kevin Shattenkirk in hopes of translating
regular season success to the playoffs and avenging last year’s sec-
ond-round loss to the Penguins.
Now, other challenges will come from the New York Rangers, who
employ Scott Arniel (Winnipeg) as an assistant coach and the Co-
lumbus Blue Jackets featuring forward Matt Calvert (Brandon).
For Columbus, it will be their first playoff appearance in three sea-
sons and only the third in franchise history, although this year might
be different for Calvert and his Jackets since they rattled off a near-
record 16 straight wins midway through the season and seemed
poised to make their deepest playoff run ever.
Since entering the league in 2000-01 Columbus has never ad-
vanced past the conference quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators could be a sleeper pick in the
East. They were unwavered in their pursuit of the Montreal Cana-
diens all season for first in the Atlantic Division. And with Winnipeg-
ger Mark Stone part of a solid offensive attack, the Senators could
be on the cusp of post-season glory.
The 24-year-old, right winger has been to the playoffs with Ot-
tawa just once in his four-year NHL career, losing that year (2014-15)
ironically to Montreal in the first round.
Now armed with three straight 20-goal regular seasons on his re-
sume entering this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stone could be a
trigger for an Ottawa franchise looking to advance past the confer-
ence semifinals for the first time in its’ 25-year history.
The list of Manitobans in the playoffs this year could also include
New York Islanders defenceman Travis Hamonic (St. Malo) and To-
ronto Maple Leafs forward Eric Fehr, making for quite a list of lo-
cal flavor chasing the same unique goal of becoming a Stanley Cup
champion. n