Lot of things to be encouraged about in that first round imo. Boeser got better as the series went along, him scoring last game is a good sign. Virtanen showed well when moved up to top lines. I like that Green mixed up the lines and it paid off, bodes well for more even distribution of scoring, to know it's an option, more weapons.
Motte steps up w/ a gwg (or 2?) Beagle with a goal. Roussel pots the odd goal. Go up and down the line up, who *isn't* playing well, or at least is a huge liability? Lot of guys w/ big moments, from the top line to the 4th.
They lose Meyers, Edler for a game, Benn steps in nicely. Fantenberg playing well. Stetcher is- scoring goals? Tanev with a series winner vs. Minny. There's been defensive lapses, but honestly less so than I anticipated.
That's w/out mentioning Petey, Miller, Horvat, Hughes. Idk but I'm liking the low key understated confidence I'm seeing right now. Knights are a great team, but they haven't been battle tested like Van so far imo and there's bit of drama/controversy w/ Fleury, every little internal fracture w/in a team can be costly in the playoffs. Think Nucks are being underestimated as they in the Blues series.
Two teams that've never met in the playoffs before, so who knows how it shakes out but this team has proven they have heart and resilience plus the belief they can win, anyone suggesting they can't hang with the Knights may be in for a surprise. Vegas with crazy depth, but Nucks have better top end offense imo, both the back end and forward, namely Petey & Hughes but also guys like Miller, Boeser, Horvat etc. have gamebreaker potential.
They're also playing better as a team than I recall seeing this iteration of the Nucks ever playing. Ego's to the side, just getting it done. Motte out there putting in *work*, scoring goals now too apparently? Which, a guy like that you love to see it. Petey will block shots, bust ass on defense and do a million little things right, and that's our star center in his second year mind you, doing that.
I've been a Nucks fan for long enough to know not to ever get ahead of myself, roughly 3 decades but I'm loving what I'm seeing from this team right now and frankly I don't count them out against anyone in the league if they keep it up, not to say they're favorites by any means and I've been conditioned to always wait for the other shoe to drop when things are going too well, but.. you never know.