LOS ANGELES – And then there were 4.
The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to the Final Four teams. These are the four best teams. The Rangers were the President’s Trophy winner. The Panthers were the best team in the tough Atlantic. The Stars were more than a few peoples dark horse to with the Cup. The Oilers have been the NHL’s hottest team since they fired Jay Woodcroft and made Kris Knoblauch their coach.
EASTERN CONFERENCE-
The Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins in six games. Florida was the better team all series, but Boston’s culture and Jeremy Swayman’s tremendous goaltending helped the Bruins hang around.
The New York Rangers sent the Carolina Hurricanes packing in six games. Ranger’s superstars Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad showed up against the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina was undone by ademoralizingly bad goaltending and a powerless powerplay.
The Panthers road to the Eastern Conference Final has been much more challenging than the Rangers. The Rangers may have more superstar forwards but the Panthers have more depth. The Panthers play a grittier game than the Rangers. Rangers forwards have not faced a defense a physical as the Panthers defense. Sergei Bobrovsky’s career resurgence makes goaltending a push. The Rangers defense does everything on the ice except playing defense around their net. The Blueshirts backend loves pinching up ice, open ice hits and banging in the corners. They don’t like clearing the crease. The Big Cats Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sasha Barkov and Company live and dine in the blue paint. This will throw the sensitive Igor Shesterkin off his game.
PANTHERS in 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE-
The Dallas Stars best the Colorado Avalanche in six games. The Stars are clicking on all cylinders. Young stars ( Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson) and wily veterans ( Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn) gave the Stars scoring throughout their lineup. The Avs superstars forwards ( Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen) played well but could not overcome the loss of Val Nichushkin. Why are the drug testing a guy who may win the Conn Smythe? Test him at the parade. Miro Heiskanen showed he’s in the same class of defensemen as Cale Makar. Jake Oettinger showed he’s at least one class ahead of Alexandar Georgiev in net.
The Edmonton Oilers outlasted the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. The Vancouver Canucks as JT Miller put it. “were a bounce away”. Third string goalie Arturs Silovs was amazing in net for Vancouver. Ultimately, Vancouver could not overcome Brock Boeser on the shelf for Game 7. The Oilers lived off their powerplay. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent -Hopkins , Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard put on a clinic with the man advantage.
The Dallas Stars will employ Chris Tanev, the modern yet smaller Larry Robinson to shut down McDavids line five on five. If the Stars stay out of the box should beat the Oilers easily.
STARS in 5
The NHL suits in Toronto and New York will not like it but I’m predicting a state tax free Final. Dallas vs Florida.
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