NHL Playoff Opener Shift Ignites Fan Fury

The NHL catches heat from fans and insiders after abruptly tweaking the Sunday playoff opener schedule, a move that reeks of last-minute front-office chaos. Players in multiple locker rooms grumble about disrupted routines they've drilled for weeks, while agents whisper about potential impacts on early momentum. This kind of schedule flip isn't new in a league stretched thin by TV demands, but the backlash underscores how fragile playoff prep really is when the league pulls the rug out.