Humour, Sports

The Hockey Playoff Roundup: In Memes

Posted by Julia Suljak - 3T Chemical on May 27, 2025 0 Comments

Mark Scheifele poster at Activa Sportsplex in Kitchener. Photo Credits: Adam Suljak

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Okay, I’ll be honest. I was really  trying to write an article about the Leafs’ yearly playoff demise. I wanted to write about the Core Four era of the Leafs (finally) ending, and how the way Mitch Marner is currently being treated reminded me quite a bit of the treatment Phil Kessel got towards the end of his tenure in Toronto back in the mid-2010s. But the article wasn’t working out, and it probably would’ve gotten way too long if I had finished it. So instead, I present to you a visual “scrapbook” of what’s been happening in playoff hockey over the last few weeks. Humorously, of course. Special thanks to my brother Adam for the help.

First, on a serious note, I want to give a shoutout to the Winnipeg Jets. Their Game 7 in the first round against St. Louis was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. Even though they lost in the second round, they put up a great fight in these playoffs. Kitchener native Mark Scheifele (pictured above) playing in Game 6 against Dallas hours after losing his father the night before was a true act of team dedication, and seeing him open the scoring was a perfect moment. Even though the Jets lost that in overtime and were eliminated, seeing the team rally around him as he was noticeably emotional afterwards showed how important he is to the team. He played a great game, and him and the Jets have so much to be proud of for their season. I also want to mention the outpouring of support for Scheifele from hockey fans, specifically Dallas Stars fans, through donating to various charities in Winnipeg and KW that Scheifele is involved with.

Photo Credits: Sportsnet (Sportsnet. (2025, April 15). Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson Fight On Capitals Bench [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLO9Vcc_fM)

Hot take: This game was, by far, the best game of the first round until Winnipeg/St. Louis Game 7. Game 3 between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, the first playoff game in Montreal with a full Bell Centre since 2017, would’ve been eventful enough with a 6-3 win for Montreal, but a full on bench brawl at the end of the second period made it the highlight of the night in the playoffs. If you haven’t seen the full video, you really should just watch it to see everything. Notice Josh Anderson (circled) on the Washington bench fighting Tom Wilson. Although the Capitals won this series in 5 games, it really was a lot closer than that, and showed glimpses of the bright future in Montreal.

Photo Credits: Nav Rahi, CBC (Rahi, N. (2025). The Maple Leafs react after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers in Game 5 [Photograph]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs-florida-panthers-game-5-nhl-recap-may-12-1.6842349)

There are already enough memes about both the Leafs and that Triumph song (for those unaware, Rogers used it in a commercial that plays during every single break during a playoff game). The Leafs did win their first round series against Ottawa, but that was expected. Their second round series against the Florida Panthers was the true test, especially since it went to Game 7…and we all know how the Leafs have historically done in those. When the Panthers scored to make it 4-1, restoring their 3-goal lead just 47 seconds after Max Domi had cut it to two, everyone I was watching the game with claimed it was likely over now, despite it only being three minutes into the third period. When Brad Marchand (still weird seeing him in a non-Bruins jersey) scored the empty netter to make it 6-1, no one was even surprised. The NHL’s soap opera wraps up another season, and with Mitch Marner and John Tavares both at the end of their contracts, this era of the Toronto Maple Leafs is officially over.

Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated (Rasmussen, K. (2025, February 26). Connor Bedard Looked So Defeated Sitting in Penalty Box During Blackhawks’ Latest Loss. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/nhl/connor-bedard-looked-so-defeated-sitting-in-penalty-box-during-blackhawks-latest-loss) and San Jose Sharks on Instagram (San Jose Sharks [@sanjosesharks]. (2025, March 5). Nothing like a post win family sleepover [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DG1L0h7yzxd/)

For teams who didn’t make the playoffs, the only thing fans were excited about recently was the NHL Draft Lottery. In an extremely unlikely turn of events, the New York Islanders won the lottery for the first overall pick, which they only had a 3.5% chance of doing. This leaves the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks – two young teams who had similar seasons but very different vibes (shown above) – selecting second and third overall respectively. Here’s hoping some help comes for Connor Bedard soon.

Photo Credits: The PWHL on X (The PWHL [@thepwhlofficial]. (2025, May 26). Back-to-back! [Photograph]. X. https://x.com/thepwhlofficial/status/1927157246393221442/photo/1)

In the PWHL, the Minnesota Frost won the Walter Cup for the second year in a row, beating the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the best-of-five final. With two new teams coming to the league this year, they are the only team to win the Walter Cup in “The Inaugural Six” era. Personally, I can’t wait to see the new teams next season. So I know this isn’t really a satirical post, but I just wanted to mention it.

Photo Credits: Hockey Canada (Hockey Canada. (2025.) Schedule and Score – 2025 IIHF World Championship. https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/team-canada/men/national/2024-25/world-championship/stats/schedule)

The IIHF Men’s World Championship happens every year during the NHL playoffs, so no one really pays much attention to it. NHL players on teams that don’t make the playoffs or get eliminated in round one make up the North American teams (and part of most European rosters). But this year Team Canada had more big names than usual: Sidney Crosby, Nathan Mackinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Marc-Andre Fleury, and more I won’t even list. So, naturally, after winning all their round robin games and finishing first in their group, they lost 2-1 to Denmark in the quarterfinal, with the winning goal coming in the final minute. I don’t want to talk about it. But it was fun to watch while it lasted.

Photo Credits: Christine Olsson, Getty Images (Yohe, J. (2025, May 21). With Sidney Crosby by his side, Marc-Andre Fleury pens fitting farewell. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6365514/2025/05/21/marc-andre-fleury-retirement-sidney-crosby-canada-hockey/)

Seeing Crosby and Fleury reunite to play for Canada together one last time was so wholesome. It made us all wish Fleury never left Pittsburgh in the Vegas expansion draft. It’s hard to think of anyone in the NHL who has been so well-liked and as much of a fan favourite as Marc-Andre Fleury, and he will be missed next year. Happy retirement, Flower!

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