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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Mary Clarke

The casual hockey fan’s guide to the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round

It’s the most wonderful time of year for hockey fans. No, I’m not talking about Christmas, I’m talking about the start of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs!

After a long 82-game season, the NHL playoffs are set to begin this Monday, May 2 with the first round. It’s a time of excitement — and stress — for hardcore hockey fans and those with a team in the running for the Stanley Cup.

And yet, the Stanley Cup playoffs are also an incredible time to jump in on the action as a casual fan. If 82 games of regular season hockey weren’t to your liking, how about two action-packed months of some of the most intense and thrilling moments in sports? Where anything can happen, upsets are frequent, and overtime is the most stressful, heart-pounding affair in sports?

Do I have you hooked yet? If not, here’s everything you — a casual fan — need to know about the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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