There is a lot that can be said about the 2021 NHL season. For the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it hasn’t been dull.

This season, four different divisions were created, with all seven teams in Canada in one due to COVID-19 issues, and teams just played the ones within their divisions all season long and through the second round of the playoffs.

Somehow, the Montreal Canadiens made good use of the system. They were the 4th-seed in the North Division, and found a way to come back against Toronto, sweep Winnipeg and send the Golden Knights packing, landing in their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993, which also marks the last time a team from Canada won it all.

On paper, Tampa Bay should win this Final in five games, but with Montreal on its current hockey heater, you can’t rule them out. I’ve done it all spring and have looked foolish each time.

Here’s your Mix & Match Monday: Week of June 28 Edition…

-My future brother-in-law’s bachelor party in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland was a good time. Very low-key, several games of cornhole with a lot of beer drinking. Played “hot potato” for the first time ever. Everyone is in a circle tossing around a beer that’s been shaken up. You drop it, you chug it. I lost three or four times. The first two go down easy, but after that, your stomach is fighting off the IPAs you drank earlier, along with the burgers, hot dogs and junk food. At 32, I was the second-oldest person there. My other brother-in-law saved me by being older by about 1.5 years.

As a Pittsburgh native, that was my first trip to Deep Creek, which is only a two-hour drive, and I wish I made more trips there in the past. Currently living in Cincinnati, the drive was about five hours. It was an excuse to put in a good-sized Sheetz order at the Triadelphia, West Virginia location off the interstate.

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-On Thursday night, my girlfriend and I attended the Reds-Braves game, and it turned out to be a good time and good game. We didn’t get there until after first pitch since we got caught up in the new DORA at the Banks. There’s nothing like going to a baseball game, especially after we couldn’t go at all last season.

You can’t beat the view from the 400 level behind home plate at Great American Ballpark.

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-I‘ll be honest, I know who is in the NBA Playoffs still, but I’m not really following it. I guess I will pull for the Phoenix Suns.

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-Last week, I talked about it being “air conditioning” season, and its out in full force. The first bill for the summer is $51 for my one-bedroom apartment. I’d try to live without it, but the humidity has me surrendering to the conditioned air and higher bills.

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-Netflix needs to step up its game. I’m not too thrilled with the latest selection. On Sunday night, I tuned into “Fresh, Fried and Crispy”, a traveling food show hosted by Daym Drops, the Grandfather of Food Reviews on YouTube, where he is eating a lot of fried food around the country.

Now, all that food he eats looks amazing and anything that is fried is delicious, but I also remember that I’m someone who tries to avoid eating a lot of fried foods, so while watching this show, I’m also thinking about what this stuff is doing to his arteries.

This is where I’ve landed while waiting for the next season of “Big Mouth” to drop.

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-I have been taking advantage of my free year of Apple TV+.

I just finished season 2 of “Mythic Quest”, started season 2 of “Central Park” (if you like “Bob’s Burgers”, you’ll like that show) and “Physical” which just premiered over a week ago. The one I am really excited for is season 2 of “Ted Lasso”. This was the kind of show people needed during the pandemic and this season (and the 3rd season already ordered) should be great, too!