The Toronto Maple Leafs hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2004 season. However, with tons of cap room and the emergence of James Reimer in goal, and a young core of players that includes Luke Schenn, Phil Kessel, Dion Pheneuf, and top prospect Nazim Kadri, Toronto will be improving in the next few years. They may have the longest shot of the three to make it next, but they have the potential to be the most consistent. As for a city that has waited since 1967 for a Stanley Cup, it may take quite a few more years, but at least they won’t be one year wonders.

The Montreal Canadians probably have the best chance of the three to make it to the cup final. Having making it the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago, and being up 2 games to none, only to lose to eventual Stanley Cup Champions Boston Bruins in this year’s Eastern Conference Quarter Final, they may be only a couple of pieces away. With a top notch goaltender in Carey Price, top young defensemen P.K. Subban, and playoff scoring machine Mike Cammalleri, a couple of breaks can turn them into Stanley Cup contenders. As we saw with Tim Thomas this past post season, a hot goaltender can go a long way and Carey Price definitely has the ability to do what Tim Thomas did for the Boston Bruins.

As for the yet to be named Winnipeg team, they possess the most mysteries of any team in the NHL. They have a good group of young talent that consists of Patrick Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, and Zach Bogosian, but will these players stay. Winnipeg has long been considered a city that very few people want to play in. The winters are brutal, there isn’t much to do in the city, and they have the smallest market of any of the 30 NHL teams. However, they are nuts about hockey. If selling 13 000 season tickets in less than 17 minutes doesn’t tell you that, I don’t know what does. For a city that has been craving NHL hockey since 1996, Ed Olczyk famous line “When this team wins the cup, its coming back to Winnipeg” may be a reality, there is just no predicting when.

Therefore, just out of curiosity, as a witness, as an observer, as a fan, do these players realize they are playing for Lord Stanley’s Cup?

For sure, they have to know. They’re getting the chance to do something that millions dream of, and be able to accomplish something that Mats Sundin, Pat Lafantaine, and Marcel Dionne couldn’t do as NHL stars.

It’s not to say that the players should hold back a bit, they be crazy to do so. If that were the case, they wouldn’t even be playing in the NHL. However, there is a thin line between cheap shots and playing the game right. Things happen in an instant, players will get hurt and there will always be hockey plays where everyone will be asking why he did that? At the end of the day though, it’s the players’ responsibility to stop with these cheap shots and let the media start talking about great playoff hockey.

The game is fast pace, the game is based on quick judgement, and the game is an emotional one, but someday if this trend continues, somebody is going to cost his team the Stanley Cup.