PITTSBURGH (AP) – They are megawatt talents so universally known in NHL towns that saying their names is not required, only their jersey numbers.
In Pittsburgh, there’s 87 and 71. In Chicago, 88 and 19. In Washington, 8 and 19. In Vancouver, 22 and 33.
Their task over the next two months is to somehow navigate the ever-uncertain waters of the playoffs, where sport’s most user-friendly trophy doesn’t always go to the teams with the brightest lights, merely the hardiest ones.
It’s a push-pull that dates from the earliest etchings on the Stanley Cup. Is it better to build a team around a pair of lamp-lighting point machines (and a hot goaltender) or four effective interchangeable lines (oh, and a hot goaltender)?
The first round marks a litmus test of sorts.