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Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017: Canadian Teams Take Control of Their Series

By Johnathan Moran

Apr 9, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock talks to his players during a time-out called late in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Air Canada Centre. The Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock talks to his players during a time-out called late in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Air Canada Centre. The Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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After no Canadian team qualified for the postseason last year, five Canadian teams made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. It didn’t start off well for them though as they went 0-5 in game one. They bounced back though and four out of five Canadian teams are now leading their series.

It all started late Monday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs won 1:37 into overtime off Tyler Bozak‘s goal, taking a 2-1 lead in their series against the Washington Capitals. It wasn’t long after that when the Ottawa Senators scored 5:43 into overtime off Bobby Ryan‘s goal to take their own 2-1 lead against the Boston Bruins. The Calgary Flames even almost won their game against the Anaheim Ducks, losing 5-4 in overtime, showing the Canadian teams are in control of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This was a night after that the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers each had regulation wins to take their own 2-1 lead. Now after Canadian teams went 0-5 in game one of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, four out of five find themselves in a 2-1 lead in their series over their opponents, going an overall 8-2 since.

After the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs all lost the first game of their playoff series, it looked like it might be another Stanley Cup Final without a Canadian team. All those teams but the Calgary Flames came back to win games two and three and take a 2-1 lead in their series. Now the odds are looking to come back in favor of the Stanley Cup making its way back to Canadian soil.

That leaves 4 out of 8 series in the first round of the Stanley Cup Finals being led by a Canadian team. Three out of four of those series are taking place in the Eastern Conference and if the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens go on to win their series, it guarantees a Canadian team in the Eastern Conference Final. Either one of those teams could end up meeting the Toronto Maple Leafs in that series. That is if the Toronto Maple Leafs end up eliminating the Presidents’ Trophy winner, Washington Capitals and either the Pittsburgh Penguins or Columbus Blue Jackets. The Pittsburgh Penguins are leading their series 3-0 and are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Giving the Toronto Maple Leafs have the hardest path to a Canadian opponent.

The Edmonton Oilers are the lone Canadian team that is leading a series in the Western Conference. Even if the Calgary Flames were to make a comeback in their series against the Ducks, they’ll be matched up against the Oilers, ensuring one Canadian team goes to the Western Conference Finals.

In a perfect Canadian scenario and that were to happen, it would be the first Stanley Cup Finals between two Canadian teams in 28 years. The last time two Canadian teams met in the Stanley Cup Finals was in 1989 when the Calgary Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens in six games to win the only Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Next: Rangers Look to Even the Series Against Montreal

It could also end up being the first time a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did in 1993.

Even though all Canadian fans might have their team they’re loyal to, in the end, they just want to see Lord Stanley returned to Canada and it might just happen in 2017.

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