Playoff hockey ‘changes everything’ from NHL regular season
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper describes the shift from the regular season to playoff hockey like getting jolted out of a deep sleep by an alarm. The change when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin is perhaps the most dramatic in sports given the level and style of play. But this may be the year a team lifts the Cup by scoring rather than locking down opponents for 16 wins over four rounds.