Familiarity isn’t just breeding contempt in the all-divisional NHL playoffs. It’s sparking a ton of one-goal games. More than a dozen have already gone to overtime. There have been multi-goal comebacks and momentum shifts. A pandemic postseason outside a bubble has led to some thrilling hockey after an exhausting, condensed 56-game grind. At least one series in the first round is going the distance and even the shorter matchups were close. Coaches and players only expect the intensity to ratchet up as the playoffs continue.
