Stanley Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Final Predictions
Panthers vs Rangers
After a hard-fought first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, only four teams remain in the hunt. In the east, a high-profile New York Rangers team lines up against the Florida Panthers, who are looking to make it two straight visits to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Despite the Blue Shirts winning the Presidents Trophy as the team with the league's best regular-season record, the Panthers took the three-game season series against the Rangers, going 2-0-1.
On paper, these two teams are very similar. They both have a forward group with superstar caliber goalscorers, a defensive core that are extremely mobile, and a Russian Vezina Trophy winning goaltender. At a glance, these two teams match-up well against one another. But if you take a closer look they each have strengths and weaknesses that they or their opponents can potentially exploit.
Match-ups at Even Strength
At 5v5, Florida projects out as the better team in this series. Heading into the final four, the Panthers are ranked among the best this postseason in both shot and goal differential at this pace of play. It hasn't been an easy road either. Florida's path through the Atlantic division was much more daunting than what New York faced in the Metro. Nevertheless, the Rangers are in the conference finals for a reason and have more than enough depth to hold their own in this series.
Overall, the match-up at even strength will boil down to who wins out with their top-six forward groups. Both squads have the skaters to put up points but also possess shutdown centers who aim to stifle the opposition's best. It will be very interesting to see how the two veteran coaches on both sides decide to deploy their lines. I'm expecting to see a lot of Panthers center and 2024 Selke winner Aleksander Barkov on the ice lined up against the Zibanejad, Kreider, and Roslovic. On the flip side, New York Rangers face-off ace Vincent Trocheck will be tasked to play a huge role defensively against the likes of Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk.
The depth of these two teams is not slouched, either on the back end or in their bottom six. It shouldn't surprise anyone if we see some very timely goals from names like the Ranger's Barclay Goodrow or Florida's Eetu Luostarinen. These two teams are very similar on paper, but the Panther's track record so far this postseason makes them the choice regarding 5v5 play.
Advantage: Florida Panthers
Special Teams Head-to-Head
I expect this to be a very physical series, with the Panthers having the edge in the category. However, if the Rangers can get the Panthers to push things too far, things can lean in their favor.
So far this postseason, the Rangers have shown that they are extremely dangerous on the power play. New York has a top-two power play that has dominated through the first two rounds. This is a huge advantage, especially against the most heavily penalized team this postseason, the Florida Panthers. And even though refs tend to swallow their whistles the further teams get through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers have the talent to take advantage of those limited opportunities when they arise.
In addition to their strong power play, the Rangers also have an effective penalty kill. In fact, both of these teams rank among the top 3 on the penalty kill through two rounds. However, the Rangers have scored 4 short-handed goals and are penalized at a much lower rate than their opponents. Throw in the fact that the Rangers have one of the best defensive zone face-off takers in the NHL in Trocheck and it's hard not to lean towards them when it comes to killing penalties.
With all that being said, the Panthers are a very good team on special teams. It's very likely that they get the better of New York at certain points in this series with the man advantage. But still, I can't in good conscience pick against the Rangers here. Their dynamic power play has carried them this far, and hopefully, for them, it doesn't stop here.
Advantage: New York Rangers
Between the Pipes
It isn't often that we witness two former Vezina Trophy-winning goalies face off in the conference finals, yet here we are.
Even though it's been over a decade since Bobrovsky's first Vezina and nearly seven years since his second, the 35 year old netminder still has what it takes to carry the load for the Panthers. He's been a very steady presence for the club the past few seasons and has the confidence of his teammates. They can go out and play their game knowing he's back there to make a save.
On the other hand, Igor Shesterkin is playing the best he has all year during this postseason. He was dominate in the first round against the Capitals and carried that momentum into the next series. In the second round, against the Carolina Hurricanes, Shesterkin faced the most shots per game of any goalie and handled it with ease.
All in all, picking the advantage in this category was fairly easy. Bobrovsky's a great story and has really reinvigorated his game over the past two seasons but Shesterkin is in his prime. Still, getting to watch two dueling Vezina Trophy winning Russian goalies at this stage is something we shouldn't take for granted. This particular match-up will be one of the biggest narrative's of the Eastern Conference finals.
Advantage: New York Rangers
Who Will Make the Stanley Cup Finals?
This is definitely a "I hope both teams have fun" moment for me. I am a big fan of both these teams and have followed each very closely all season long. Make no mistake, this eastern conference finals match-up was no fluke. These were the two best teams in the east and proved it with their performances in the first two rounds.
The Rangers have the advantage in some very important categories when it comes to playoff hockey. They have an all world goaltender and power play that's carried them all season long. In spite of this, I'm leaning towards the Florida Panthers being the inevitable winner.
The Panthers are battle tested and looking for redemption after getting embarrassed by Vegas during last years Stanley Cup Final. Nevertheless, whatever happens I will be along for the ride.
Prediction: Panthers in 6
