The road to the 2020 Stanley Cup got underway Saturday as the puck dropped for the opening games of the best-of-five qualifying round.
It's a remarkable achievement for the NHL. After COVID-19 derailed the regular season in mid-March, the league and the NHL Players' Association negotiated a return-to-play plan to ensure the crowning of a Cup champion.
Opening day saw five qualifying-round games. Saturday afternoon began with the New York Rangers facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers tangling with the New York Islanders.