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The NHL playoffs' Western and Eastern Conference finals are set.
The No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche will start the Western Conference finals on Wednesday, May 20, against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
The next day, the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Montreal Canadiens, the lone non-division winner in the group. Montreal advanced by winning two Game 7s on the road and remain alive to try to end Canada's decades-long championship drought.
There are four possibilities for the Stanley Cup Final matchup. Which one would be the most appealing championship series? USA TODAY Sports ranks the potential matchups:
Plenty of talent on both sides, but the season series was a mismatch with the Golden Knights winning 4-1 and 6-3. Pavel Dorofeyev, who's leading the playoffs with nine goals, had three against Carolina during the regular season.
Martin St. Louis, a relative newcomer as an NHL coach, hasn't won a Stanley Cup while behind the bench. But he did win one as a player with the Lightning in 2004. His coach then: John Tortorella, the coach on the other bench in this series. St. Louis was league MVP that season. Montreal beat the Golden Knights in the COVID-shortened 2021 season playoffs and Vegas fans remember that.
The 1993 Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup. Could the franchise end the country's drought? Alex Newhook is the lone Canadiens player with a Stanley Cup ring. He did it with the 2022 Avalanche, and Montreal gave up a first-round pick to land him. That has paid off with Newhook scoring the Game 7 winning goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.
The league powerhouses have combined for one loss (Colorado's) in the first two rounds and would be fun hockey to watch, provided they don't wear their World Hockey Association jerseys. It will be strength against strength. The Avalanche are averaging a league-best 4.11 goals per game and the Hurricanes lead with a 1.25 goals-against average. During the regular season, the Avalanche led in both categories, and the Hurricanes ranked second in offense.
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes' relentless pressure can disrupt the Avalanche's attack of Nathan MacKinnon, former Hurricane Martin Necas and Cale Makar. Brent Burns also had played for Carolina. The two-game season series was high scoring with the winner getting five goals.
Also to be answered: Will the Avalanche become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Stanley Cup since 2013 or will the Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour get to lift the Stanley Cup as a coach 20 years after he did as Carolina's captain?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking Stanley Cup Final matchups among NHL conference finals teams
Continue reading...
The No. 1 overall Colorado Avalanche will start the Western Conference finals on Wednesday, May 20, against the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
The next day, the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Montreal Canadiens, the lone non-division winner in the group. Montreal advanced by winning two Game 7s on the road and remain alive to try to end Canada's decades-long championship drought.
There are four possibilities for the Stanley Cup Final matchup. Which one would be the most appealing championship series? USA TODAY Sports ranks the potential matchups:
4. Carolina Hurricanes vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Plenty of talent on both sides, but the season series was a mismatch with the Golden Knights winning 4-1 and 6-3. Pavel Dorofeyev, who's leading the playoffs with nine goals, had three against Carolina during the regular season.
3. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Montreal Canadiens
Martin St. Louis, a relative newcomer as an NHL coach, hasn't won a Stanley Cup while behind the bench. But he did win one as a player with the Lightning in 2004. His coach then: John Tortorella, the coach on the other bench in this series. St. Louis was league MVP that season. Montreal beat the Golden Knights in the COVID-shortened 2021 season playoffs and Vegas fans remember that.
2. Colorado Avalanche vs. Montreal Canadiens
The 1993 Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup. Could the franchise end the country's drought? Alex Newhook is the lone Canadiens player with a Stanley Cup ring. He did it with the 2022 Avalanche, and Montreal gave up a first-round pick to land him. That has paid off with Newhook scoring the Game 7 winning goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.
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1. Colorado Avalanche vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The league powerhouses have combined for one loss (Colorado's) in the first two rounds and would be fun hockey to watch, provided they don't wear their World Hockey Association jerseys. It will be strength against strength. The Avalanche are averaging a league-best 4.11 goals per game and the Hurricanes lead with a 1.25 goals-against average. During the regular season, the Avalanche led in both categories, and the Hurricanes ranked second in offense.
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes' relentless pressure can disrupt the Avalanche's attack of Nathan MacKinnon, former Hurricane Martin Necas and Cale Makar. Brent Burns also had played for Carolina. The two-game season series was high scoring with the winner getting five goals.
Also to be answered: Will the Avalanche become the first Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Stanley Cup since 2013 or will the Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour get to lift the Stanley Cup as a coach 20 years after he did as Carolina's captain?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking Stanley Cup Final matchups among NHL conference finals teams
Continue reading...
