Stanley Cup Conference Finals Preview

We started this crazy run with sixteen teams standing. Now we're down to the final four. Winners of these two series will advance on to play for the holy grail of hockey, the Stanley Cup. There's a lot to look forward to in this round of the post season. The West has two teams in it who nobody really expected to get there when the playoffs began. One is a relocated franchise, while the other is an expansion franchise. The East is a battle of teams who have storied pasts. One is a team that has been trying to break through the glass celling for the last twenty years or so, while the other one is trying to build off a record of sustained excellence. The final four has arrived and over the next two weeks we will determine who has earned the right to play for the holy grail of hockey. So lets get right into it and break down the conference finals.

First up, its the Eastern Conference Finals between the Atlantic Division Champion Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Metropolitan Division Champion Washington Capitals. For the first time since 1998, the Washington Capitals are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. They got here by beating the Blue Jackets in six games in the opening round, then following it up with a win over the Penguins in six games in round two. Washington is now 19-27 lifetime in the playoffs. As for Tampa Bay, this marks their first trip to the conference finals since 2016 and the third time in the last four years. Tampa got here by beating New Jersey in the first round and Boston in the second, both series coming in five game wins. This is the third playoff meeting between these teams with Tampa Bay winning both previous series. They last met in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which Tampa Bay won in a four-game sweep. This is the Lightning's fifth appearance in the Conference Finals, while this marks the Capitals third Conference Finals appearance. They last made the Conference Finals in 1998, in which they defeated the Buffalo Sabres in six games. Tampa Bay won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times of every game in this series:
May 11 Washington Capitals 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 13 Washington Capitals 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 15 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Washington Capitals Capital One Arena
May 17 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Washington Capitals Capital One Arena
May 19 Washington Capitals 7:15 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 21 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Washington Capitals Capital One Arena
May 23 Washington Capitals 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena

So now that Washington finally has the Piano off it's back about not getting past the second round, they have to try and prove that what just happened against Pittsburgh was no fluke. Alex Ovechkin has a lot left in the tank and is trying to add to his trophy case with a championship. Part of what is holding back his legacy is his ability to lead Washington to a championship. He's got 15 points so far in 12 playoff games, so he playing like a man on a mission. So to was Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was the hero against the Penguins in the last round. And Washington was able to pull this off with Nicklas Backstrom having missed a little time in the last round due to injuries. So with him back in the lineup and healthy, the Caps could be a tough test in the Conference finals. That and with the way Brayden Holtby has been playing so far, he making life difficult for the opposition. Its funny, because Philip Grubauer was given the honor of being the guy in Washington's net to start the playoffs. But when he stumbled in the first two games of the playoffs, Holtby has come back into the mix and won eight of his 10 starts and sports a .926 save percentage. Washington has managed to be able to clamp down on defense as the playoffs have worn on. Don't believe it? Just as the Penguins.

Now they got to face the fastest and most balanced team in the playoffs in the Lightning. See what Boston relied on was one line to really power their hockey club, while Tampa has their top two lines firing at just the right time. Everybody has been talking about the Bolts top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Miller and rightfully so. They've been an noutstanding top unit, with Kucherove leading the charge with 12 points and Stamkos chipping in ten points in ten games. Its not just all on that unit. The Bolts second line of Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. That line has not only been contributing as much as the top unit, but they did a fantastic job of shutting down Boston's top unit in the last round. Tampa has had a four-line rotation that's been on full display this post season and it will continue to be a weapon against Washington, which is something that the Caps might not be ready to deal with in this series.

As glad as I am that the Capitals have finally climbed over the mountain top to get to the East finals, they've got one more hill to climb in the East and its the best team left standing in the Bolts. Washington is a very skilled hockey club, but they've now got to deal with the best and deepest team in the East, a team that has all four lines rolling right now and are a club that's going to be very hard to contain. As good as Washington has been, they're not going to have enough in the tank to get it done here. Tampa is just too good.

Prediction: Lightning in 6!

Next in the Western Conference Finals its the Central Divisions Second Seeded Winnipeg Jets taking on the Pacific Division Champion Vegas Golden Knights. For Vegas, they got here by sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and then beating the San Jose Sharks in six in the second round. This is the furthest that an expansion team has ever gone in the playoffs, with Vegas winning their first two playoff series ever. As for Winnipeg, they knocked off the Minnesota Wild in Five and the Nashville Predators in seven. This is also the farthest that the Jets have gone in the playoffs, getting swept in their first two previous playoff appearances. This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams. This is the first Conference Finals since 2003 (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Minnesota Wild) to feature two teams making their Conference Finals debut. Winnipeg advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in their 19th season after entering the league in 1999 as the Atlanta Thrashers. Vegas made the Conference Finals in their inaugural season becoming the first expansion team since the St. Louis Blues to advance past the second round of the playoffs. Vegas won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times of every game in this series:
May 12 Vegas Golden Knights 7:00 p.m. Winnipeg Jets Bell MTS Place
May 14 Vegas Golden Knights 8:00 p.m. Winnipeg Jets Bell MTS Place
May 16 Winnipeg Jets 9:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena
May 18 Winnipeg Jets 8:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena
May 20 Vegas Golden Knights 3:00 p.m. Winnipeg Jets Bell MTS Place
May 22 Winnipeg Jets 9:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena
May 24 Vegas Golden Knights 8:00 p.m. Winnipeg Jets Bell MTS Place

This is going to be a fast and fun series to watch. Vegas wasn't really projected to be here, because this was a group of players that was viewed as castoffs from the other thirty teams around the NHL. Now here they sit, just four wins away from playing for the biggest prize in all of the sport. They are a team that goes to show that anything is possible. Vegas has been dominating teams in this years playoffs with their speed, there's not been a team that has come close to being able to match the Golden Knights speed. Powering this offense is the top line of Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. They've been nearly unstoppable this year in the playoffs and could very well be the best trio left standing. The only thing you have to worry about with this Vegas team is the possibility of turnovers. They have the speed and are great in transition but if they turn the puck over that could spell trouble. What could bail Vegas out is the play of Marc Andre Fleury, who's been playing out of his mind this year in the playoffs. He's got four shutouts and given up just 17 goals all playoffs. He's looking like the goalie was saw lead the Penguins to a 2009 Stanley Cup Title. He's going to have to do it again in this series to get Vegas to the finals.

They're going up against a tough test in Winnipeg, who just knocked off the Presidents Trophy winners in the last round. This team has pretty much played outstanding hockey in the playoffs, almost to the point where you really can't find a flaw in their game. Getting Paul Stastny at the trade deadline has been a brilliant move, as he's scored clutch goals in helping lead the Jets this deep in the playoffs. Then there's the play of Mark Scheifele. Three years ago, Scheifele registered just one assist in the four-game sweep by the Ducks. Since then, Scheifele has taken his game to another level, managing to transform himself into one of the top centres in the game today. Patrik Laine and Connor Hellebuyck are going to be two guys to watch in this series. Laine is getting his chances, but he only has three goals to this point in the playoffs and is due to break out. As for Hellebuyck, he's been playing almost as well as Fleury has. He's given up ten more goals in two more games then Fleury, but when the pressure is at it's highest, Hellebuyck has been just as good as Fleury.

What Winnipeg just managed to do in the last round to Nashville could be an indication of what might happen in this series. They were able to neutralize the depth of Nashville over  the long haul, which is why they walked away with the series win. They are going to do that here. Winnipeg is going to be the team to end the Cinderella run for the Golden Knights. It goes the distance, but the clock will strike midnight for the Golden Knights.

Prediction: Jets in 7!