5 Thoughts Heading Into Game 1 in Edmonton

Never mind Christmas or your birthday, why does it always take so long for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to get here? I'm sure that's what L.A. Kings fans are thinking as they count down the hours until puck-drop Monday night in Edmonton. Same for the folks in Edmonton. And you know the players are past ready. As Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller noted on Sunday, this LA/Edmonton series will be the last of the eight first-round NHL playoff series to get going. Bring it on. So, a few thoughts while we're still in wait mode. Every year it gets said in every NHL playoff dressing room – the playoffs are a new season. It's an absolute truth but what does that mean exactly and specifically