NHL Playoffs Tighten as the Field Keeps Getting Smaller

The NHL playoffs are doing what they always do this time of year - squeezing every team until the pressure leaks out somewhere. The stakes rise with every game, and the margin for one bad period keeps shrinking. Coaches start shortening benches, veterans start logging absurd minutes, and front offices start pretending they are not already thinking about July. This is the part of the season where every shift feels like it has a mortgage attached to it.