HIGHLIGHTS
- Conference Finals start Tuesday, May 20
- Oilers & Panthers favored to win Stanley Cup
- Predictions for both Conference Final series
And then there were four.
The Florida Panthers became the fourth and final team to punch their ticket to the NHL Conference Finals by taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 on Sunday night. It was yet another brutal Game 7 loss for the Maple Leafs, and while the talk in Toronto is about another collapse, the Cats move forward looking to defend their crown.
The Cats will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final for a rematch of the 2023 Cup semifinal.
It’ll be a rematch in the Western Conference Final as well. The Edmonton Oilers are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars standing in their way.
Who will be left standing in the Stanley Cup Final? Let’s get into our NHL Conference Final predictions.
Eastern Conference Final Prediction
Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction
How The Panthers Got Here
The Florida Panthers have had a tough path to the Eastern Conference Final. They faced off against their in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and took down the injury-riddled Bolts lineup.
It wasn’t a particularly close first-round series with the Panthers outscoring the Lightning 19-12 in five games. And if you take out the one Bolts victory, the Cats outscored them 18-7.
The Panthers’ run through the Atlantic Division continued on the road against the division-winning Toronto Maple Leafs. It looked like the Leafs may finally have found playoff success, but the Cats overcame a 3-1 deficit in Game 3 of a series they were trailing 2-0.
After the Maple Leafs took that 3-1 lead in Game 3, the Panthers turned it on with a goal differential of 18-5.
How The Hurricanes Got Here
While the Panthers have had a harder road to the Eastern Conference Final, the Carolina Hurricanes have had the easiest path in the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Hurricanes outscored the Devils 19-11 in five games in the first round, but New Jersey was never really in the series. Jack Hughes was out for the Devils and their defensemen were dropping like flies in that opening round to open the door even wider for the Hurricanes.
Carolina faced a tougher test in the second round, but even the top-seeded Capitals were no match for the Canes. Washington grinded out a Game 2 win on home ice for its lone victory in the series. The Hurricanes outscored the Caps 15-7 in the series, including 12-3 in the final three games.
How The Panthers Will Win
The Cats’ depth has been one of their biggest strengths in the playoffs. There have been 17 different Panthers players to score a goal in the series — 12 with multiple goals — and 21 Panthers have recorded a point — 17 have multiple.
Goaltending is always important as well.
Sergei Bobrovsky has turned it on as the playoffs have moved along with a .901 SV% and 2.31 GAA. He’s locked in the past four games with just four goals allowed on 92 shots (.957 SV%).
If the Panthers are going to get to their third-straight Stanley Cup Final, they’re going to need to stay healthy and match the Hurricanes’ intensity. The Canes don’t allow teams much time or space in their system, but the Panthers have already dealt with that with a sweep back in 2023.
How The Hurricanes Will Win
The Hurricanes have reached the Eastern Conference Final three times since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. They’ve yet to record a win in any of those 12 games, including that sweep at the hands of the Panthers.
But this year might be different.
The Hurricanes have time and the schedule on their side with four days off before Game 1 on Tuesday night. The Eastern Conference Final is scheduled for every other night, meaning that a potential Game 7 would be the Panthers’ 10th game in 19 days — and 14th in 28. On the flip side, the Hurricanes had two days off before their Game 5 clincher against the Capitals and four days off before this series began.
A team like the Panthers may know how to win in the playoffs, but a third deep run with two consecutive days off just once in four weeks is going to tire them out, especially against the Hurricanes.
There’s also the factor of Frederik Andersen in net. He has dealt with injury problems in the past, including these playoffs, but a healthy Andersen is a scary proposition. The Hurricanes don’t allow many high-danger chances, and the netminder leads the playoffs with a .937 SV% and 1.36 GAA.
Home-ice advantage will also be key for the Hurricanes. They went 31-9-1 at home vs. 16-21-4 on the road in the regular season. The Panthers had similar splits: 27-12-2 at home, 20-19-2 on the road. The Canes are 5-0 at home in the playoffs so far.
- Prediction: Hurricanes in 7
Western Conference Final Prediction
Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars Prediction
How The Oilers Got Here
The Edmonton Oilers looked like they were dead in the water after two games in the first round. The Los Angeles Kings finally had the Oilers’ number, until they didn’t.
After losing the first two games of the series in Los Angeles, the Oilers rattled off four straight wins to take down the Kings. Edmonton stayed red-hot by eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the second round.
The Oilers are rolling and face a familiar foe in the Western Conference Final.
How The Stars Got Here
While the Hurricanes have had the easiest path to a Conference Final in these playoffs, the Stars may have had the hardest.
The Colorado Avalanche were one of the Stanley Cup favorites and caught the Stars without Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen in the first round while also getting Gabriel Landeskog back themselves. The Avs had the Stars on the ropes in Game 7, but Mikko Rantanen took over to send his former team packing.
The Stars were outscored 24-21 in the series with the Avs’ three wins coming by four, four, and three goals, but Dallas was able to bounce back from each loss with a victory of their own.
Dallas continued that type of resiliency in the second round against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets. They took Game 1 before Connor Hellebuyck bounced back with a shutout in Game 2. The Stars then outscored the Jets 8-3 in two home wins, lost 4-0 on the road again, but closed out the series with a 2-1 overtime win.
How The Oilers Will Win
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are leading the way, of course, but the Oilers’ depth has been scoring as well. An impressive 16 players have scored a goal, with 19 players recording a point. It’s not quite Panthers numbers, but the issue in Edmonton has always been depth scoring. They have that this year.
The goaltending has been shaky at times in the past, but once again, Stuart Skinner is showing out after getting benched. He posted shutouts in Games 4 and 5 to eliminate the Golden Knights.
Edmonton could also get top defenseman Mattias Ekholm back at some point in this series. Jake Walman has done an admirable job in his absence, but getting Ekholm back will slot the Oilers defenders in more appropriate roles.
The Oilers have a few paths to winning, which makes them a scary team. McDavid and Draisaitl can take over the game at any point, and now, if they’re not scoring, the Oilers have at least one other line that can beat you.
How The Stars Will Win
The Stars have a few different lines that can beat you, but it’s primarily been the Mikko Rantanen show in the playoffs. Only 12 players have scored, including just six with multiple goals, but seven other players have recorded an assist in the postseason.
Dallas is going to need its depth with a capital D to beat the Oilers. Jamie Benn has as many fines this postseason as goals. Jason Robertson only has one point (an assist). Miro Heiskanen hasn’t looked like himself yet.
The Stars need their top line to keep up with McDavid and Draisaitl while the depth can outshine Edmonton’s.
It may ultimately come down to the goalie battle, though, which is the one area where the Stars may have the advantage. Jake Oettinger has a .919 SV% and 2.47 GAA in the playoffs, including just 12 goals allowed in the second round.
- Prediction: Oilers in 7
