As summer blockbusters transform the East, Vincent Goodwill examines the revamped and reshuffled conference hierarchy.
Some of hockey's biggest stars have cemented their legacies during the conference finals - from Patrick Kane's virtuoso performance in 2015 to Tuukka Rask's takeover in 2013.
In the playoffs, grinders and stars alike can seize the moment and turn into superheroes. From Mr. Game 7 to Nick Bonino (Bonino! Bonino!), these five players came up big on the biggest stage.
After a crazy night of blown leads and OT drama in all four games, the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames suffered the worst damage to their playoff hopes.
The Celtics feel disrespected as the No. 1 seed in the East. "They're counting us out already," Isaiah Thomas said. "... It's just crazy."
The matchups in the Eastern Conference first round will be: No. 1 seed Boston-No. 8 Chicago; No. 2 Cleveland-No. 7 Indiana; No. 3 Toronto-No. 6 Milwaukee; No. 4 Washington-No. 5 Atlanta.
