Tragedy in Toronto darkens the playoff sheen

TORONTO 3 BOSTON 1 (Series tied 3-3)

Tragedy in Toronto made NHL playoff hockey seem like a trivial distraction. After such a senseless incident, a rallying point for the city was on the ice as the Leafs pushed to keep their playoffs going for another game.

The game began with a moment of silence for the victims of the barbaric attack. And the Leafs came out hungry - played to keep the series alive, downing Boston, 3-1 and forcing a game 7 on Wednesday in Beantown.

The only game 7 in the first round. The first game in their series made a Bahston sweep seem more likely than a Vegas broom, but who knew the Leafs could win 3? Can they win 4 and split the “Canada’s Team” honours with Canada’s other, less important, team in Winterpeg?

WASHINGTON 6 COLUMBUS 3 (CAPS Win Series 4-2)

Ovi gets 2, Caps win 6-3 and eliminate the Blue Jackets in 6 games, despite Torts promising after game 5 that there would be a game 7 in DC. Caps kept Panarin off the scorecard and seemed the hungrier team. That and home ice advantage for the BJs wasn’t. Torts said he’d prefer to play the entire series in Washington. But, Seattle doesn’t have their rink ready yet.

NUCKS WIN (at a distance)

While all the hype and blah blah blah of this fake Cup commotion is fine for the fans of the remaining 10, soon-to-be 8 teams, out here on the sunny wet coast, we’re looking to the future.

And the future is here. Pretty much.

Elias Pettersson is the Swedish League playoff MVP. His team, the Vaxko Lakers won the SHL championship this past weekend. Elias won the playoff Scoring title while breaking records.

19 points in 13 payoff games - a record for a junior-aged SHL players, passing Alex Holmstrom and finshing with better totals than both Sedin twins and Anze Kopitar. And he’s coming to us. Soon(ish).

The skinny center from Sweden is just what we need next season...or after an excruciating number of sleepless days, possibly nights too, until the season after. Then Elias could be breaking records. For us. In the NHL.

And our Euro skating frenzy continues as JB signed forward Lukas Jasek to a three-year entry level contract. Jasek was drafted 174th in 2015. Lukas will be playing with the Comets, who will be playing the Marlies on Wednesday in the 3rd game of their series. Reid Boucher cleared waivers and the Comets’ scoring leader will be back to tilt the eastern ice.

Comeback Comets is the theme song we need to play in our little Calder Cup minds.

All the Calders belong to us. If you hadn’t heard over the noise of the neighbour’s lawnmower, Brock has been officially nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Barzal is probably going to get the bragging rights, but for an errant check...

And that’s the roundup. Go Coco-Comets!