NHL first round overreactions

The NHL playoffs have been well underway now, and everyone is going to overreact just because their team is not winning.

Here are the 5 specific overreactions that I think are being highlighted in the first round. I will give you three takes I do not agree with and two that I do agree with.

Alex Ovechkin will retire after the season

Even as a die-hard Penguins fan, I can not even agree with this take.

The Great 8 was still able to tally 31 goals this season after starting out so slow that he was in danger of not even clipping 20 in a single season.

He was able to lead his team to the playoffs as the last wild card which is impressive enough.

I think Ovechkin stays put so he can specifically chase Gretzky’s scoring record, which he has a good chance to break within the next two seasons.

The Rangers are the clear Stanley Cup favorites

Even though they have been playing very well to start the Playoffs, so have lots of other teams even in their own conference.

A potential matchup with either the Hurricanes or Islanders would be a tough matchup for the Rangers in the second round.

The Rangers also had the most points heading into the playoffs, which history tells us is not the best thing.

The last team to win it all with the most points entering the postseason was the Chicago Blackhawks almost 10 years ago in the 2014-2015 season.

The Stars are a championship-or-bust team

The third overreaction I disagree with is this one.

The Stars are a team that has proved they can get to the cup final like they did four seasons ago, and the team is even younger than it was then.

Robertson is still a young superstar and there are many years ahead for him even if the Stars can not lift the cup this season.

The Stars got a tough draw in Round 1 with the defending champs Vegas, so don’t expect them to make it far in these playoffs.

McDavid needs a Stanley Cup to cement his legacy

The things Alex Ovechkin got flaked for before he won his first title, is eerily similar to McDavid.

The Oilers in my opinion need to get McDavid a Stanley Cup soon because there have already been reports of him wanting to go somewhere else if they can’t get it done.

If Connor wants to put his name up there with the greatest players to ever play the game, lifting Lord Stanley’s cup at least one time is a must.

The Oilers are currently tied 1-1 with the LA Kings in round one.

The Hurricanes are running out of time

For the past several seasons now, the Hurricanes have always been right there, and they have not been able to break through.

This has to be the season for coach Rod Brind’Amour because of the talent he has collected for this playoff run.

Guentzel and Kusnetzov are two of the more experienced players in the NHL playoffs, and anything short of a Stanley Cup is a failure in Raleigh.

The clock is ticking for the Canes as the fanbase is hoping to go back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first since 2006.

Giustino Racchini is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him please email him at gar5448@psu.edu.