The NHL playoff area included some surprising entrants, and the primary two rounds featured some surprises and a handful of upsets.
But as issues stand proper now with the convention finals starting Tuesday night time, the groups nonetheless in rivalry for the Stanley Cup are a well-recognized mixture of those that have been combating for it the previous few years.
The West remaining is a rematch of this similar spherical final yr with the Dallas Stars dealing with the Edmonton Oilers. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are within the East remaining for a 3rd consecutive spring after beating Toronto in Recreation 7 of their sequence and subsequent face the Carolina Hurricanes with these groups assembly at this stage for the second time in three years.
“We’ve already been in a conference final, and we know what’s going to happen there,” mentioned Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov, whose eight objectives are second within the postseason to solely Mikko Rantanen. “It’s not going to be easy there.”
Nothing is simple this time of yr. However some staff is eight wins from hoisting the Cup.
East: Carolina vs. Florida
The Panthers trailed the Maple Leafs two video games to none, then misplaced their first probability to maneuver on. They made no such misstep Sunday night time, waxing Toronto to arrange a rematch of the 2023 East remaining.
That was a sweep, with Florida successful every time by a aim: Recreation 1 in 4 overtimes, Recreation 2 lower than two minutes into OT, Recreation 3 1-0 and Recreation 4 when Matthew Tkachuk scored with 4.9 seconds left. The banged-up Panthers misplaced to the Golden Knights within the remaining however discovered classes that helped them win all of it final yr.
The Hurricanes, who beat New Jersey with out greatest participant Jack Hughes within the first spherical and suffocated Washington within the second, get the advantage of relaxation having performed simply 10 video games this postseason.
“You hope it’s a value,” coach Rod Brind’Amour mentioned. “There definitely is something to that.”
There may be additionally one thing to Carolina being missed every year, dogged by a string of disappointing exits. However this staff is one Igor Shesterkin goaltending showcase away from being within the East remaining for a 3rd spring in a row.
The Hurricanes have allowed the fewest objectives a recreation within the playoffs, because of Frederik Andersen’s play in web and a penalty kill clicking at a top-ranked 93.3%. Their first line of Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and former Portland Winterhawk Seth Jarvis has additionally been stellar.
However they’ve additionally performed with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder with out names-on-the-marquee star energy.
“I don’t know if this team gets maligned or this and that because we don’t have an (Alex) Ovechkin: We don’t have the greatest goal scorer of all time,” Brind’Amour mentioned. “And we don’t have a (Nathan) MacKinnon or all these superstar kind of players. We have a little different mix, and we think we do have those kind of players — they just do it a little differently. Every team counts on all their players, but I think we definitely need everyone to contribute, and that’s what you’re getting right now.”
West: Dallas vs. Edmonton
Katy Perry was scheduled to be on tour on the Stars’ enviornment on Wednesday night time. As a substitute, it is going to be Corey Perry and the Oilers.
Edmonton has rolled since opening the playoffs with a pair of losses at Los Angeles, getting again to the third spherical because of an unlikely mixture of protection and goaltending. And, oh yeah, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have mixed for 33 factors, too. No massive deal.
The Oilers received the West remaining final yr in six video games, with Stuart Skinner placing up a 1.91 goals-against common and a .922 save proportion and the Stars’ Jake Oettinger a 2.56 and .901. Oettinger has been a rock this playoffs to get Dallas via Colorado and Winnipeg and now has the possibility to point out he can carry a staff into the ultimate.
“The guys that hadn’t had any experience, we have all the experience in the world now,” Oettinger mentioned. “It’s up to us as a group to take that next step, and I think we should feel great about what we’ve done with the adversity we’ve faced. I think our best hockey is yet to come.”
Pete DeBoer has now coached a staff into the third spherical for the sixth time in seven years. He was fired twice in that span, by San Jose and Vegas.
To play for the Stanley Cup that has eluded him, the Stars must flip the script on the Oilers, with McDavid and Draisaitl additionally motivated 11 months since falling one recreation wanting hockey’s hallowed trophy.
