The hotels might be posh, their amenities and service first rate, and yet life inside the NHLB次元官网网址檚 two playoff bubbles isnB次元官网网址檛 exactly glamorous.

Having spent nearly a month cooped up at the tunnel-connected hotel-arena complex in Edmonton, Alberta, Rick Bowness acknowledged thereB次元官网网址檚 times heB次元官网网址檚 had to coax himself to step outside to bask in the sun and breathe in some fresh, nonfiltered air.

B次元官网网址淚f people think living in a bubble is great, itB次元官网网址檚 tough. ItB次元官网网址檚 mentally tough. And everyoneB次元官网网址檚 making the best of it,B次元官网网址� the Stars interim coach said after Dallas advanced to the second round with Game 6 victory over Calgary last week.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not your typical playoffs. ItB次元官网网址檚 not, where, OK, you play, you jump in your car and you go home or whatever. ItB次元官网网址檚 none of that. ItB次元官网网址檚 play, go back to your room,B次元官网网址� Bowness said, beginning to laugh. B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 as easy as you think it is.B次元官网网址�

Bowness emphasized he wasnB次元官网网址檛 complaining, but simply noting the challenges that come with the NHLB次元官网网址檚 most unusual playoffs, which havenB次元官网网址檛 yet reached the halfway mark in a bid to award the Stanley Cup by early October B次元官网网址� or sooner.

B次元官网网址淟isten,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淯ntil you live in this, you have no idea what weB次元官网网址檙e doing, what weB次元官网网址檙e going through.B次元官网网址�

The potential for NHL bubble fatigue is real.

The close confines, daily COVID-19 testing, lack of freedom to venture beyond the security fences surrounding hotels and arenas in Edmonton and Toronto, and the separation from loved ones can weigh heavily on everyone. Teams have access to outdoor stadiums in both cities, and the NHL has arranged golf outings on off days, in which players are bused to and from the facilities with no access to those outside the bubble.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard when youB次元官网网址檙e in that type of environment because itB次元官网网址檚 almost like youB次元官网网址檙e in prison,B次元官网网址� Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said after Chicago was eliminated by Colorado in five games in the first round.

B次元官网网址淲hen the pandemic hit, you could still leave your house, you could walk outside and get some fresh air,B次元官网网址� Bowman added. B次元官网网址淏ut here, I think itB次元官网网址檚 the mental toll that youB次元官网网址檙e kind of trapped. You canB次元官网网址檛 go anywhere. And over time, it does start to get to you.B次元官网网址�

Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet noted the bubble-related challenges during his teamB次元官网网址檚 three-week stay, which ended with back-to-back 7-1 losses to Colorado.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 basically monotonous every day. We had 2 1/2 blocks with nothing to really do other than hockey. This is where mental will comes in,B次元官网网址� Tocchet said. B次元官网网址淭he teams that go far, obviously you got to have the talent. But you also have to have the strong mental fortitude to get through that for sure.B次元官网网址�

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press that the league is B次元官网网址渁ctively trying to minimize the lengthB次元官网网址� of the playoffs B次元官网网址渋n part due to the dynamics and constraints of B次元官网网址榖ubble life.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

That was evident Friday, when the NHL scheduled the second round of the playoffs to open before the first round was complete. And with the conference and Cup finals set for Edmonton, the two East finalists will likely have only two days to acclimate to their new surroundings upon travelling from Toronto.

B次元官网网址淲e will continue to pursue all B次元官网网址榤ove upB次元官网网址� opportunities aggressively as we go forward,B次元官网网址� Daly wrote.

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He added the NHL is still checking with health authorities on whether family members will be allowed to enter the bubble before or during the conference finals.

In noting the bubble challenges, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand said players can also use them as motivation.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all sacrificing to be here, so I think the drive is there to want to make it all worth it,B次元官网网址� Marchand said.

B次元官网网址淪o when you get on the ice, you want to win, because otherwise this whole thing is for nothing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檒l be worth it if we win. So itB次元官网网址檚 that fear of losing, I guess, that kind of drains you mentally, and being away from the family.B次元官网网址�

Teams arrived at their hub cities on July 26, before playing an exhibition game, followed by a two-part preliminary round. The bottom 16 teams competed in a best-of-five elimination series, while each conferenceB次元官网网址檚 top four teams played a round-robin tournament to determine seeding.

The first round began on Aug 11 and lasted just 11 days.

There were no series sweeps in the first round for just the fourth time since the 2005 lockout, with no series going the maximum seven games B次元官网网址� the first time thatB次元官网网址檚 happened in the first round since 2001.

Overall, a combined 43 games were played, which matched the second-lowest total since 41 games were needed to complete the first round in 2000.

Though itB次元官网网址檚 unclear what those numbers reflect, Bowness said the notable momentum swings within a series or even a game were B次元官网网址渁bsolutelyB次元官网网址� the result of life in the bubble.

Columbus and Toronto each rallied from three-goal deficits during their preliminary round series. Dallas did the same in a series-deciding 7-3 win over the Flames.

B次元官网网址淭he way weB次元官网网址檙e living and playing, thatB次元官网网址檚 going to lead to a lot of emotional swings,B次元官网网址� Bowness said. B次元官网网址淕ive our guys credit, they battled back.B次元官网网址�

In a bid to break the monotony, Bowness scheduled a mandatory fun day for the Stars at EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 Commonwealth Stadium on Friday.

B次元官网网址淲e need to get out of the hotel. We need a mental break,B次元官网网址� he said.

The players repaid Bowness with a 5-3 series-opening win over Colorado a day later. The only drawback was Bowness and his staff couldnB次元官网网址檛 join them because they had to spend Friday at the hotel prepping for the Avalanche.

B次元官网网址淚t wouldB次元官网网址檝e been a good day for us to get out with them, but hey, that didnB次元官网网址檛 happen,B次元官网网址� Bowness said. B次元官网网址淎nd we knew when we came into this bubble, you roll with the punches.B次元官网网址�

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John Wawrow, The Associated Press

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