A quick goal and a quick fight proved that despite four months between games, the intensity of playoff hockey is not missing.
TORONTO — The puck dropped, Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin scored 61 seconds in and teammate Justin Williams fought New York’s Ryan Strome a couple of minutes later.
Hockey is back after a hiatus of more than four months.
The NHL playoffs got underway Saturday afternoon with Game 1 of the best-of-5 qualifying round between the Hurricanes and Rangers. The Hurricanes got their traditional home-game introduction a thousand miles from Raleigh, North Carolina, with no fans in the stands to appreciate it.
The dynamics are far different than usual: It’s the middle of summer, all games are being played in empty arenas in Toronto or Edmonton, Alberta. But players and coaches expect the chase for the Stanley Cup to bring the same competition level.
Slavin’s goal was the NHL’s first in the month of August. Then, Williams and Strome dropped the gloves less than three minutes in. Watching the first few minutes from Edmonton, Vancouver Canucks players could tell this was playoff hockey.
“Not necessarily laughing but just (noticing) how intense it was right away,” forward Tyler Toffoli said.
