Spring has sprung and play-offs have begun! If you’ve been too busy to keep track of the NBA and NHL games this past week don’t worry, Legend Rings is here with your bite-sized second-week playoff updates.

NBA

How it works:

The Top 8 teams in both the East and West NBA Conferences qualify for the NBA playoffs based upon their win-loss records. Unlike the NFL the brackets are fixed once the Top 8 teams are announced and the matchups are not re-seeded. The Top 8 teams in both divisions are seeded  1–8, 2–7, 3–6, and 4–5 based on the team’s placement in the regular season. Each round is the best of 7 games and once a team has won the majority of those games (4 wins) they move forward to the next bracket to face a new team for the consequent round.

What Has Happened So Far:

Kevin Durant with the highest points for any player so far in the playoffs leads the Golden State Warriors 3-1 against the LA Clippers.

 

Houston leads the series against the Utah Jazz 3-0 hosting the 4th ranked PPG scorer James Harden.

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder is one loss away from getting eliminated at their series is 3-1 for the Portland Trail Blazers.

 

The Denver Nuggets and the Spurs are in a tied series 2-2 moving into the upcoming week. With Denver having more speed, and the Spurs boasting post-season experience this matchup has been a close one.

 

Milwaukee Bucks lead the series 3-0 against the Detroit Pistons. If the Milwaukee Bucks take this series, they would have accomplished their first playoff series win since 2001.

 

The Boston Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the first series, moving closer to those Championship Rings in series 2.

 

The 76’ers lead the series against the Nets 3-1. With the Nets landing in the post-season for the first time in 4 years, we can’t help but feel for the underdogs.

 

Finally, the one and only Canadian team in the NBA, the Raptors lead the series 3-1 against the Orlando Magic.

NHL

How it works:

Consisting of four rounds with best of 7 series the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are full of energy. Similar to the NBA the 8 teams in each conference (Eastern and Western) with the highest points from the regular seasons. The final round known as the Stanley Cup Finals matches the two divisional winners against each other, to see who takes home the coveted Stanley Cup. Unlike the NBA, the NHL re-seeds based upon the results of the first series. In the first two rounds, the higher-seeded team gets home-ice advantage and hosts 3 out of the seven games in their home arenas.

What Has Happened So Far?

The San Jose Sharks and Golden Knights series is tied 3-3 after a 2OT short-handed goal causing the Sharks to claim game 6 as their own. Dubbed by us as the hundred-meter-hurdle… Tomas Hertl scored one for the highlight reels.

 

Columbus Blue Jackets swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in one of the largest upsets so far of the 2019 Stanley Cup race. Considering the record-breaking season Tampa had, to get swept in the first round by the team who filled the last wild card spot… ouch.

 

The Bruins force game 7 against the Leafs by pushing the series to a tie in game 6.

 

Washington leads the series against the Hurricanes 3-2 with the deciding game set to play Mon. April 22nd. Will the Hurricanes force a game 7? Guess it’s time to wait and see!

 

Islanders swept the Penguins showing that even with the loss of Tavares to Toronto, they are still a force to be reckoned with. Too bad for the Penguins, considering they rarely get knocked out of the Stanley Cup race in the first series.

 

The Dallas Stars have the chance to eliminate Nashville from the series on Monday, April 22nd, as they lead the series 3-2.

 

Winnipeg Jets got beat out by the St.Louis Blues, much to the dismay of their loyal fan base.

 

Similarly, central Canada is devastated as the Calgary Flames have been eliminated from the Playoffs as the Avalanche win the series.