Stanley Cup Closing: X elements, goalie confidence, predictions

From 32 groups beginning the 2022-23 NHL season, the Stanley Cup playoffs have whittled down from 16 to eight to 4, and now simply two stay.

The Stanley Cup Closing begins Saturday, June 3, because the Vegas Golden Knights will host Sport 1 towards the Florida Panthers. No matter which group wins, it’s going to be the first-ever championship for a franchise.

To assist get you in control earlier than the opening puck drop, we’re bringing you a mega-preview, breaking down every group in 5 completely different classes that may assist decide whether or not it’s going to be Mark Stone or Aleksander Barkov hoisting the Cup this spring.

Observe: Kristen Shilton broke down the Panthers, whereas Ryan S. Clark profiled the Golden Knights.

How they obtained right here: Defeated Boston Bruins 4-3; defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1; Defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4-0

Goalie confidence ranking: 9.5/10

Sergei Bobrovsky is enjoying the perfect hockey of his profession this postseason. That is a tall order contemplating Bobrovsky’s two-time Vezina Trophy-winner pedigree.

However not solely has Bobrovsky surpassed his personal earlier heights, he has steadily gotten higher all through the playoffs. Bobrovsky’s masterful efficiency within the Japanese Convention finals — 4-0-0 report, .966 save share and 1.12 goals-against common, plus a first-ever postseason shutout — propelled the Panthers to a swift sweep of Carolina. The three targets Bobrovsky allowed in Sport 4 have been essentially the most he’d given up since Florida’s first-round collection towards Boston.

The stats are staggering. Bobrovksy’s gorgeous. The Cup finals can be one other alternative for him to shine.

What we have discovered about this group thus far

Florida performs by its personal guidelines — and has a good time doing it. That is been the Panthers’ secret sauce since punching their last-minute ticket into the playoff area. They honestly method every recreation with a fun-focused perspective; there isn’t any strain or expectations weighing them down, and that is a present in itself.

Florida can be a superior group to the one talked about all through the common season. The Panthers can win tight-checking, defensive-heavy battles or the extra wide-open, offensively amplified ones. They’re deep, they’re harmful and most significantly, the Panthers know precisely who they’re. And clearly, they knew that way before anyone else. No matter how the finals finish for Florida, this has been a spectacular spring for a group pundits beforehand left for lifeless.

Participant who can be key to the collection

Past Bobrovsky? Matthew Tkachuk. He has been The Man in virtually each large second the Panthers have encountered this postseason. Tkachuk scored three game-winning targets within the convention ultimate alone — two in time beyond regulation and one in Sport 4 with lower than 5 seconds remaining in regulation — and is second in total postseason scoring, with 21 factors in 16 video games.

Florida’s feisty ahead is the uncommon participant who can — and can proceed being — a risk on each single shift, a pressure at 5-on-5 and harmful on the facility play. The Panthers depend on Tkachuk to drive the group’s offense, and he hasn’t allow them to down but in taking management and taking on when obligatory.

Participant who must step up

Florida’s many strengths embrace a depth of performers up entrance. This Stanley Cup Closing is an opportunity for Eetu Luostarinen to do much more in that class.

This collection might current lengthy stretches the place the highest two traces cancel one another out; Luostarinen is a strong two-way participant who might break by means of from a bottom-six spot to generate some offense. He has produced solely two targets and 6 factors in 16 playoff video games to date, however has been a dependable defensive piece that coach Paul Maurice can transfer all through the lineup. Now that the Panthers are at their pinnacle, Luostarinen should not maintain again from padding these stats and offering Florida with an actual third-line attacking presence.

The Panthers’ particular groups have not gotten their due

Florida owns the perfect playoff penalty kill (at 84%) because the begin of its second-round collection towards Toronto, permitting solely 4 targets the previous 25 occasions it was shorthanded. The Panthers’ energy play has been immaculate over that stretch as properly (30.4%), with no less than one purpose on the person benefit in six of their previous seven video games.

Particular groups success can actually make or break a group within the playoffs — Carolina was 2-for-14 towards Florida on the facility play; suppose that helped do them in? The Panthers have capitalized on their probabilities this postseason, and it is what’s going to make them a fancy foe every night time of the Cup finals forward.

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How they obtained right here: Defeated Winnipeg Jets 4-1; Defeated Edmonton Oilers 4-2; Defeated Dallas Stars 4-2

Goalie confidence ranking: 9.5/10

Adin Hill started the month of Could with no single playoff look on his résumé, however he has grow to be one of many greatest causes the Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Closing for the second time in six years.

Hill changed Laurent Brossoit, who suffered an harm in Sport 3 within the second spherical, and has since grow to be one of many Golden Knights’ most constant performers. He helped the Golden Knights shut out the Western Convention ultimate towards the Stars with a 23-save shutout. Blanking the Stars means Hill enters the Stanley Cup Closing with a 7-3 report, a 2.07 goals-against common and a .937 save share whereas additionally stopping greater than 30 pictures per recreation in seven of these contests.

What we have discovered about this group thus far

Sufficient was in place on the shut of the common season to recommend the Golden Knights had depth. The playoffs have proven there are layers to the Golden Knights, and the way they function.

All of their traces can constantly forecheck, with the notion that every one of their combos have their distinctive method of making scoring probabilities. They’ve veteran defensive pairings, together with one in Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo that has three mixed Stanley Cups. However the pairing that has seen essentially the most 5-on-5 minutes is Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud. Then, in fact, there’s what Hill has completed as the newest goaltender who has offered stability within the crease.

Gamers who can be key to the collection

A participant who may be on the coronary heart of that dialogue concerning the Golden Knights and their layers could possibly be Jack Eichel. He has given them the No. 1 heart who, underneath coach Bruce Cassidy, has emerged as a two-way presence and one of many favorites to win the Conn Smythe. Cassidy has additionally pulled the perfect out of different forwards resembling Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.

There’s additionally a case for Pietrangelo. He is enjoying in key conditions, such because the penalty kill and the facility play, whereas averaging greater than 24 minutes per recreation — a close to four-minute separation between himself and Martinez, who’s second in common ice time.

Participant who must step up

Does one actually exist? Look all through their lineup. They’ve acquired contributions which have been noticeable, resembling these made by their stars, and ones which will go unappreciated in ways in which make gamers resembling Michael Amadio, Keegan Kolesar, Nicolas Roy, Hague and Whitecloud so essential to their setup.

As an alternative, it is a specific unit that should step up: the penalty kill. The Golden Knights have succeeded in killing penalties solely 63.0% of the time, which is why they enter the Cup finals ranked 14th out of the 16 postseason groups. That might flip into an enormous drawback primarily based on one other pattern: the Golden Knights have taken the second-most penalty minutes in the course of the playoffs.

May this Stanley Cup Closing change how sure entrance places of work view first-year coaches?

Take into consideration final yr’s narrative round teaching and the Stanley Cup Closing. Each Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper have been examples of why it could profit entrance places of work to be extra affected person with their bench bosses. Cooper is the longest tenured coach within the NHL whereas Bednar was third.

Quick ahead to this Cup Closing. Cassidy and Maurice have bolstered the expectation that playoff-caliber groups with first-year coaches can win the Stanley Cup. After all, that does include context. Cassidy got here to Vegas having reached the playoffs in six straight seasons with the Bruins, whereas reaching the Stanley Cup Closing again in 2019. Paul Maurice reached the playoffs in his final 4 full seasons along with having a Stanley Cup Closing look (2002, with the Hurricanes) as properly. Remember what Pete DeBoer did in his first season with the Stars, both. That is three of 4 convention finalists who had first-year coaches.

The Golden Knights confronted questions on whether or not they might contend after their first spring of no playoffs. Some questioned if the Panthers might ever get previous the second spherical. The Stars appeared misplaced in a Central Division full of monsters. However by going with a contemporary voice — the proper contemporary voice — all three pushed over the hump this season.