The Stanley Cup Playoffs are always fairly unpredictable, but in Round 1, it was as unpredictable as ever.
Not only were the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated in the first round in a surprising sweep, the leader of the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames, were knocked out as well. Never before have the best in the West and best in the East both been eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs. In fact, for the first time in the history of any of the four major North American professional sports leagues (NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL), every division leader lost in the opening round.