The journey has been chaotic. The destinations, familiar. The NHL playoffs, defined by upsets and comebacks, has now delivered a conference finals quartet shaped by experience. These are not Cinderella stories. They are seasoned contenders—teams shaped by recent heartbreak and hardened by the weight of unfinished business. Dallas. Edmonton. Carolina. Florida. Four teams, eight wins away. Four locker rooms that know what it means to come close and walk away empty. And now, with the lights brighter and the margin thinner, they return—not as surprises, but as survivors. The paths here were different. The mission, shared: raise the Cup.
