The Conference Finals: Short, Sweet, and to the Point

(Photo Courtesy of Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports)

Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks

If you wanted a series pitting experience against experience then this is one of the best matchups you can get. These teams have won three combined Stanley Cups in the last four years and have kept their cores intact year after year. As I am writing this, the series is all tied up 1-1 with Chicago winning Game 1 and Los Angeles coming from behind to steal Game 2.

When I look at Chicago the first thing I notice is how well they stick to their game plan. They sit back, block shots, make smart passes out of their zone and wait for their opponents to make mistakes so they can force odd man rushes. Duncan Keith is once again nominated for the Norris trophy due to his defensive awareness, his consistently mistake-free play, and his ability to create sustainable offense from the blue line. Jonathan Toews is the epitome of a two-way center. His skating ability and lead by action mentality make him one of the most prized players in the game today.

On the other hand you have LA who is arguably the most resilient team in the entire National Hockey League. No matter if they are up by a pair or down, they find a way to keep their composure. Anze Kopitar is currently leading the NHL Playoffs with 5 goals and 15 assists, Trade deadline acquisition Marian Gaborik sits on top with 9 goals.

With both teams lining up fairly even across the board it’s obvious why they’re both champions. They both possess winning goaltenders in Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. They have All Star forwards blended with young, promising talent. They play a full 60 minutes and when they get hot, they stay hot. Their passes are tape to tape and they never say never. At this point in the series I’m looking at our hometown hero (or antihero) Patrick Kane to bring his world class hands to the forefront to generate some top grade scoring chances on Quick. Also, you have to look at Drew Doughty on defense to prevent those opportunities so that LA’s gritty forwards can throw the puck in and control the tempo.

Ultimately, I predict Chicago will win the series in six games.

 

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadians

First things first, this is by far one of the most emotional series there may ever be. The New York Rangers were one game away from elimination when Martin St. Louis’s mother passed away. Both his teammates and Marty decided to focus their sympathy and tragedy into making the treacherous climb against Pittsburgh. Henrik Lundqvist began to stop pucks like his life was on the line and the Rangers power play became lethal overnight. Now they are facing the Montreal Canadians who are already in a 2 game hole after upsetting the Boston Bruins.

They too now have an opportunity to stand up in the face of adversity after Carey Price was injured when Chris Kreider crashed into his crease during their second game. Without him the Canadians are going to have to put their best foot forward and even the series away from home while their fallen star is recovering. P.K. Subban has been electrifying with his footwork and offensive capabilities, but Montreal’s offense has been stagnant lately. Our old favorites Danny Briere and Thomas Vanek have not been the same players they once were and Max Pacioretty has been extremely inconsistent throughout the playoffs. It seems their entire game is based on how well Subban in playing. Now that the series is switching to Madison Square Garden it is pivotal that the Canadians rise up and play their hearts out. They have speed and youth on their side, but without lessening the mistakes and staying out of the penalty box, they will be golfing by the end of the weekend.

At this point I see Montreal finding a way to remain in the series by winning tonight in New York, but I don’t know how much of a chance they have without Carey Price doing cartwheels in net to keep the games close. I look for Rick Nash to improve as the playoffs continue, which makes New York all the more dangerous on the powerplay. With Montreal, players like Pacioretty, Plekanec and Vanek need to reestablish themselves offensively. As much as I want to see Montreal win, there’s no secret that they’ll need a miracle to find themselves going on to the finals.

New York finishes this series up at the Bell Centre in Game 5.