2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers ruff for NHL hockey dogs
The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers were ruff on NHL hockey dogs.
The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers wrapped up on Sunday night in Edmonton, Alberta, and Toronto, Ontario, and it’s safe to say that the results were a disappointment for many NHL hockey dogs.
In their home building of Scotiabank Arena, the Toronto Maple Leafs could have used the defensive abilities of Mitch Marner’s dog, as they fell in five games to the Columbus Blue Jackets after rallying back from a three-goal deficit in the third period of Game 4.
For the New York Rangers’ Artemi Paranin and his dog Riuzi, they get more time to spend together, as the Goldendoodles of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin were thrilled with the Canes’ three-game sweep.
The New York Islanders’ Tori is a happy pupper, as her Isles defeated the Florida Panthers in four games.
For the Montreal Canadiens, team dog Flambo, along with fans like Canadian Penny and Casey Chasem, could be heard howling with joy after the Habs eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins in four games.
In Western Conference action at Rogers Place in Edmonton, In the only Stanley Cup Qualifiers matchup directly pitting team dogs against each other, Luna’s Arizona Coyotes topped Smash’s Nashville Predators in four games.
Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid will have more time to spend with reigning NHL Fan Choice Dog Lenny the Aussie/Poodle mix, as the Oilers were upset in four games by the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Minnesota Wild won the first game of their series against Vancouver for new second-generation team dog Hobey the Golden Retriever, but the Canucks proved to be the top dogs in taking the next three in a row.
Finally, the Calgary Flames downed the Winnipeg Jets in four games, frustrating the many Winnipeg Jets Dogs out there in the world.
Ovie the Bulldog’s Washington Capitals, Holland the Pup’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Alex Pawtrangelo’s reigning Stanley Cup champs St Louis Blues, and the Vegas Golden Knights pack all acquitted themselves well in the round-robin play for the top four seeds in each conference. Washington, Tampa Bay and St Louis are represented by team dogs Captain, Bolt and Barclay, of course.
Next. All 32 NHL teams as dog breeds: The complete list of hockey dogs. dark
Now the real fun starts as the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs officially get underway on Tuesday afternoon on the NBC Sports Network. As always, for the latest news, opinion and analysis, be sure to check out our FanSided Network sister site Puck Prose, and the respective site that follows your favorite team.