Eastern Conference Finals Put The League’s Pressure Points On Display

The Eastern Conference Finals are exactly where the NHL stops pretending this is just another round and starts revealing who can handle the heat. This stage usually exposes every soft spot, from matchup flaws to goaltending nerves to the kind of bench decisions that keep GMs awake at 3 a.m. The teams left standing know one bad shift can change the tone of an entire series, and the chess match between coaches gets mean fast.