It was just a weird playoffs. Took care of Columbus easily, but then Washington more or less dominated us all series and yet Maf and timely scoring was the difference. After game 6 vs the Caps, I thought we were done. Game 7 was hugely surprising to me. The Pens changed how they were playing and got super aggressive on pinches/forecheck and the Caps were taken aback by it because we were the team playing on their heels all series. Caps didn't recover in time, and that was all she wrote.
Then comes Ottawa, and we blow game 1. Bobby Ryan gets a breakaway and we realize just how slow Olli Maatta is because he never comes close to catching him. Then for most of that series we look like the better team, but Ottawa keeps showing grit and finding timely goals. In short, they do what we were doing to Washington. Schultz scores in game 7 and I think this is it, Murr isnt' gonna blow this. And then Ottawa finds a way and dread sets in for me, especially after some of the missed chances in OT. Kunitz ending it was a huge relief.
And then...the Preds. We come out enormously flat in game 1, and have a tough time in game 2 up until we get that early goal in period 3 and get rolling. Preds even it up. I go to game 5 in person, and we just totally destroy them. That was the first time all playoffs where I just knew we were gonna win the Cup. That was it. Sid got that look in his eye where he wasn't gonna be denied. I had a funny feeling driving home that we'd win game 6 too, and so we did.
Such a bizarre playoffs though. Our play was all over the place. It was a much different win from 2016 where we pretty much dominated from start to finish and our only big test was facing elimination vs Tampa but iirc we outshot Tampa every single game that series. I had a good feeling in 2016 we'd go all the way after beating the Rangers in 5 but I didn't get that feeling next year up until game 5 vs Nashville.