Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals Review & Stanley Cup Final Preview

Eastern Conference Final Review

Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the New York Rangers, 4-2

These two teams took different paths through the second round to get to this point. New York needed a tense seven-game series to outlast the Carolina Hurricanes, while Tampa Bay swept the Florida Panthers with ease. This meant we were getting a well-rested Lightning team against a battle-tested Rangers team. The story of this series front the start was the battle in the net between the best in the world, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and the best this season, Igor Shesterkin. We knew what each team could do offensively, but Game 1 shocked a bunch of people. Chris Kreider picked up right where he left off with a goal just over a minute into the game, but Steven Stamkos answered before the midway point to tie it at one, where it would stay for the rest of the period. The second period started similarly. Frank Vatrano gave New York the lead back, but Ondrej Palat responded less than a minute later. With the game tied at two, the Rangers took over. Flip Chytil scored twice before the end of the second period, then Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad scored in the third to open up a 6-2 lead. While the score wouldn't change, tempers would flare before this one ended. A massive exchange led to 11 penalties for ten different players. It didn't lead to much as the Rangers dominated Game 1. Game 2 was a different story. The Lightning came out with a little bit more gumption. Nikita Kucherov scored on the power play just under three minutes into the game. The Rangers didn't respond well to this and they scored twice before the end of the period to lead 2-1. After a scoreless second period, Zibanejad scored another goal to widen the lead to 3-1 and though Nick Paul would bring Tampa within one, the Rangers would continue their winning ways at home and take a 2-0 series lead. As we've learned in recent years, Tampa Bay is where leads go to die. The story of Game 3 was all about the power play. We knew both of these teams could score on the power play and they proved it on this night. Zibanejad and Kreider scored in quick succession to open the scoring in the second period before Kucherov broke the shutout with a goal for the Lightning's power play to cut the lead in half going into the third. Stamkos added the fourth goal on the power play to tie it just over one minute into the third period and then we hit a stalemate. Neither team wanted to budge for the rest of the period, but it was New York that eventually broke. With under a minute to go and the Lightning attacking, Kucherov laid a brilliant one-touch pass to Palat and he beat Shesterkin on his short-side to give the Lightning their first lead of the night with just 42 seconds left. It didn't leave enough time for the Rangers to respond and Tampa Bay would notch their first win of the series. Game 4 was a noted change in the series. This was the first time Tampa Bay was in control. They won the Game 4-1 and it never felt like the Rangers had a prayer. With the series back in New York for Game 5, the Rangers were putting their home win streak on the line for a chance to be one game away from the final. The teams were tied 1-1 late in the third period thanks to Ryan Lindgren and Mikhail Sergachev. Just like in Game 3, this one came down to the wire. Like he did on his first goal, Sergachev let a wrister go from the point and deflected past Shesterkin off the knee of Palat to give the Lightning the lead with 1:50 left. Add an empty-net goal from Brandon Hagel and the Lightning broke the Rangers' streak at home to come one game closer to a third-straight Cup Final. Game 6 likely was a formality given Vasilevskiy's propensity for big performances in series-clinching games. On this night, things wouldn't be any different. The Bolts took a 1-0 lead in the second on a goal from Stamkos and just when it looked like the Rangers had found the solution thanks to Vatrano on the power play, Stamkos responded 21 seconds later to regain the lead. With the lead at just one, the defense from Tampa Bay held strong to earn their chance to defend their title. The goalie battle was epic between the two and while Shesterkin faced more fire and was likely the better of the two, Vasilevskiy won it when it mattered most. The top line of the Lightning was a menacing group. Palat, Stamkos, and Kucherov combined for 23 points in the series, outplaying the Rangers' line all series. They truly earned this victory and will now get to face the best of the best for their third straight. 

Western Conference Final Review

Colorado Avalanche defeat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-0

This might've been the most eventful four-game series I've ever watched. The better team absolutely won this series, yet this felt like it should've gone six or seven games. Both of these teams were starving for an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, with Colorado last playing in 2001 and Edmonton last in 2006. Game 1 was reminiscent of what we saw in Game 1 of the Battle of Alberta. It was absolutely nuts for 60 minutes. The two teams combined for five goals in the first period, but it was Cale Makar's goal late in the period that was the subject of a lot of questions. Just nine seconds after Zach Hyman tied the game at two, Makar appeared to carry the puck into the zone offsides and beat Mike Smith to retake the lead. It was cause for a lot of debate, but the review would rule it was a good goal and the Avs held the lead going into the intermission. They decided to one-up the first period by scoring six goals in the second. The Avalanche scored four of those goals and led by three heading into the third. Edmonton pushed back, scoring twice to bring the game within one with 7:24 left, but Gabriel Landeskog scored the empty-net goal to finish an 8-6 win that saw all four goalies play. Pavel Francouz, who'd come in for Darcy Kuemper after he exited with a vision issue in Game 1 and won, was tasked to start Game 2 after it was determined the Avs' starter couldn't go. He'd seen plenty of time during the Nashville series, so he wasn't coming in cold. He'd turn in the performance of his career in the second game. After a scoreless first period, the Avs offense came to life in the second, scoring three times in 2:04 and never looking back. They'd add a goal in the third as Francouz held the Oilers off the board, stopping 24 shots for the shutout and the 2-0 series lead. Game 3 was a lot tighter and Edmonton wasted no time in front of their fans. Connor McDavid opened the scoring just 38 seconds into the game to get the barn bouncing. Shortly after the goal, Nazem Kadri took a bad hut from Kane as he was cross-checked into the boards and it would knock him out of the series and likely the rest of the postseason. The Avalanche would respond at the end of the period as Valeri Nichushkin got a lucky bounce off the stick of Darnell Nurse and past Smith to even the game. Nichushkin would get his second of the night on the only goal of the second period to give Colorado their first lead, but that would be answered by Ryan McLeod in the third period to tie it once again. JT Compher would put the Avalanche back ahead just ten seconds after leaving the box, leaking a shot through Smith's five-hole and Mikko Rantanen would add the empty-net goal to put the Oilers on the brink of elimination. Game 4 through two periods didn't seem like it was going to get too crazy. Cale Makar scored on the power play in the first period before Edmonton responded with three unanswered in the second period to take a two-goal lead into the third period and they looked like they were on their way to save their season. Devon Toews did his best McDavid impression by scoring 31 seconds into the third period, but Hyman got the two-goal lead back with his second of the night just over three minutes later. The Oilers were looking really good, but "Game 1 Mike Smith" showed up and things got interesting. Colorado scored three goals in 5:49 to take the lead with 5:13 left in the period. Zack Kassian wasn't quite ready to go home and he buried a rebound from Leon Draisaitl, playing on one good leg at this point, to tie the game at five and the series went to overtime for the first time. Just over one minute into the period, Artturi Lehkonen deflected a shot on the net and potted the rebound to send the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup Final and send the Oilers' faithful home upset. The stars were out in full force, with Makar (9 points), Landeskog (6 points), Rantanen (6 points), and MacKinnon (5 points) having notable performances. Not to be outdone, McDavid (7 points) and Draisaitl (6 points) did everything they could to keep the Oilers in it. It ultimately came down to goaltending and Smith wasn't able to get the job done. 

Stanley Cup Final Preview

Tampa Bay Lightning v. Colorado Avalanche

It isn't very often that we can say that the two best teams are meeting for a chance at the Stanley Cup. These two teams have very different pasts in the postseason. This is Colorado's first trip to the Final since beating New Jersey in 2001 in what is likely better remembered for the moment Ray Bourque finally lifted the Cup for the first time. Since then, they'd only been past the second round once despite being loaded for several seasons. The Lightning are making their third-straight appearance in the Final, the first team to do so since the Edmonton Oilers from 1983 to 1985. On top of that, they're looking to become the first team since the New York Islanders won four in a row between 1980 and 1983. A win this season could make them the next great hockey dynasty. Here's a look at how each team got to this point and what it'll take for each team to win. 

How Colorado Got Here 

The Avalanche had the easier of the two paths based on how each series played out. As the best team in the Western Conference, they faced the Nashville Predators, the second Wild Card team, in the first round. With Juuse Saros out for the Predators, Colorado picked on third-string goalie Connor Ingram for an easy four-game sweep, outscoring Nashville 21-9 and led by 10 points from Cale Makar. The second round was a tad bit tougher as they faced the St. Louis Blues. While St. Louis would put up a decent fight, staving off elimination in Game 5, the Avalanche attack was too much for the Blues as the series would end in a six-game series victory for Colorado to advance past the second round for the first time since 2002. The anticipation for the matchup with the Oilers in the Western Conference Finals was well-documented. In reality, this wasn't nearly as exciting as the Avs finished off McDavid and Oilers in four games. Makar has 22 points to lead the team and his 17 assists are the fourth-most this postseason, while MacKinnon's team-leading 11 goals are tied for the second-most. They have seven players with double-digit points in the postseason and are getting contributions from everyone throughout the lineup. Both Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz have seen significant time, each winning six games. 

How Tampa Bay Got Here

The Lightning will be the better battle-tested team after two tough series. They've yet to have home-ice advantage in the postseason after a third-place finish in the Atlantic this season. They opened the postseason with a seven-game thriller with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Down 3-2 in the series, they won Game 6 at home before earning a 2-1 win in Toronto to win the series in seven games. The Battle of Florida was poised to be a thrilling rematch of last year's six-game series. Instead, Andrei Vasilevskiy held the Panthers to just three goals in an easy sweep of the Panthers to win their tenth-straight series. They came into the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers well-rested. They fell down 2-0 in the series in New York, but rallied off four-straight wins, holding the Rangers to five goals in Games 3-6, to earn their third-straight Prince of Wales Trophy and the honor of defending their championship yet again. The brunt of the lead has been carried by the top line along with Victor Hedman and Vasilevskiy. Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 23 points while Steven Stamkos paces the team with nine goals. Vasilevskiy has been every bit as dominant as we expect him to be, winning all 12 games to this point. 

Prediction for the Series

Coming into this series, the Lightning haven't gotten much help from their depth players. Outside of the first line, Tampa Bay hasn't gotten much help from the rest of their forwards. Alex Killorn is yet to score this postseason. Anthony Cirelli has only scored one goal in 17 games. The defense hasn't provided much offense outside of Hedman. They have been able to skate by with four players doing all the scoring, but that isn't going to be enough against a team of this caliber. Hopefully, with Brayden Point likely back at some point during this series, he'll provide some new life to the offense. For Colorado, they're going to be without one of their best offensive players with Nazem Kadri out for the series. They will need a couple of guys to step up so they can replace the lost production. Another battle will be on special teams. The Lightning have made some teams look really bad with their power play and the Avalanche don't have the best kill. If Colorado wants to win this series, they need to make the Lightning's power play become a non-factor. Tampa Bay has the pedigree when it comes to winning Stanley Cups, having won the last two. This year, we're going to crown a new champion. While I think Vasilevskiy is without a doubt the better goalie, I struggle to see the Bolts' scoring enough to keep up with the Avalanche. This is going to be a serious fight, but give me the Avalanche to get MacKinnon and company their first Stanley Cup since 2001. Colorado over Tampa Bay in six games.