Tampa Bay has been in this position multiple times before and knows how to seal the deal. Kudos to Colorado for getting over the hump in these playoffs, but the last step of this process is always the steepest. WHY: The Avalanche may actually boast more offensive talent than the back-to-back champions, but the Lightning have the better goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who just so happens to be the best in the NHL at his position and has thrived once again this postseason. If the Avalanche execute something close to their best game, the Cup is theirs to win.ĬONN SMYTHE WINNER: Cale Makar, Avalanche Brian Compton, managing editor Tampa Bay executed beautifully and dominated in the previous two Finals, true champions and full value for their titles, but they are in very deep this season. They are facing the best team in the opposite conference, which I don't think was the case the past two years against the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens. WHY: The defending champion Lightning are going to get their toughest test of the three straight Stanley Cup Finals they've contested. The rest that the Avalanche got will prove the difference between two extremely talented teams.ĬONN SMYTHE WINNER: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche Tim Campbell, staff writer I see the same thing happening in this series. It didn't help the Lightning initially, but by the end, it came up big. WHY: In his press conference after Game 6 against the New York Rangers on Saturday, Lightning coach Jon Cooper acknowledged how important it ultimately was that his team had gotten a break before the Eastern Conference Final after sweeping the Florida Panthers, something the Rangers didn't get with their seven-game second-round series win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Here is how the experts picked and why: Amalie Benjamin, staff writer Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was the only Lightning player to get multiple votes with three defenseman Victor Hedman and forwards Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each got one. Of the 16, 10 predicted the Avalanche to win the Cup, and the other six think the Lightning will skate away with their third straight championship.Īs for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar got six votes and his teammate, forward Nathan MacKinnon, got four votes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |