The second round of the NBA and NHL playoffs are now in the books. It’s time to look back at the series that were and determine how far the winners can go and what changes the losers need to make to climb further toward championships. The Conference Finals are about to be underway.
NHL
Dallas Stars 4 Colorado Avalanche 2
- The Stars advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. They look like just about the deepest team in the entirety of the NHL. 21-year-old Wyatt Johnston has been the story for the Stars as his play has helped carry them to this WCF. Not many players in the NHL if any can strip Cale Makar of the puck and take it back for a goal. Johnston has 11 points in this run and the Stars have five players with 8 points or more. The team is deep, not to mention that Jake Oettinger looks like a top-two goalie left in these playoffs. The Stars should be the favorites to get out of the west, and honestly, to win the cup. They have been since February.
- Players not to blame for this Avalanche collapse? Alexander Georgiev, AG had perhaps his best performance as an Av period during this second round of the playoffs. Hanging on to him and moving forward feels like a solid strategy at this point. Valeri Nichuskin and his demons are what ultimately cost the Avs this series. If he doesn’t suck the momentum out of the locker room right before a crucial game four the Avs go back to Dallas tied 2-2 and it’s anyones series. Safe to say, big Val should never suit up for the Avs again. Once again the issue for the Avs in this playoff series was depth. However, the big guns got shut down as well. Aside from basically one good game from each of them Cale Makar, Nathan Mackinnon, and Mikko Rantanen all had awful series. They never played their best games in the same game and that ultimately costed the Avs.
- Gabriel Landeskog needs to be ready by November or retire, the Avs can’t play a waiting game with him for a third straight year. Resigning Casey Middlestat to be 2C seems like a no-brainer. Johnathan Drouin likely walks, as does Cogliano, Jack Johnson, and retiring Zach Parise. The point of the off-season will be spending small assets to improve depth, but ultimately, if the Avs want another cup the core will need to step up in the playoffs and carry them to one.
Florida Panthers 4 Boston Bruins 2
- For me, there are concerns with the Panthers. You can credit Boston’s two wins to an insanely hot goalie in Jeremy Swayman but the Panther’s inability to close the series leaves cause for concern. That concern is mitigated in the east as the New York Rangers also almost blew an insurmountable series lead. Matthew Tkachuk continues to prove he is a player built for these NHL playoffs. Physically dominating, fast, a pest, and an insanely skilled scorer of the puck. The Panthers have the depth needed to chase a cup, assuming the Stars are the opponent from the west, the two styles match up well. Sergei Bobrovsky had momentary lapses in round two but remains an elite Vezina-caliber goalie. The Panthers have small concerns here and there but this team is one deserving of a conference finals berth, the team is good.
- The Bruins are at a crossroads, good enough to make the playoffs, but not a roster deep enough to make a Stanley Cup Finals run. Linus Ullmark, the Bruins Vezina quality backup goalie likely walks this summer and the B’s find themselves in a strenuous cap situation from their last core. Ultimately losing Brad Marchand for a portion of the series hurt the Bruins badly, David Pastranak was pretty much a nonfactor in the playoffs save for a game 7 overtime winner against the Maple Leafs. The Bruins could get a lot of really solid assets in return if they went for a rebuild this off-season.
New York Rangers 4 Carolina Hurricanes 2
- Is it concerning that a Rangers 3-0 series lead nearly turned into a game 7 if not for a heroic third-period comeback? Yes, of course, but the Rangers held strong. Cup runs take adversity and from goaltending to scoring depth the Rangers probably have the best remaining on paper roster in the playoffs. The Rangers look like a team destined to make a Cup run, the Eastern Conference Finals are a toss-up for me. Igor Shersterkin makes a world of difference though.
- For the Carolina Hurricanes now things get very difficult. This was it, this year was the final of the window, now contracts get expensive, assets are limited and the team has no silverware. Rod Brind’Amour got re-signed, so the team remains in good hands and should remain a playoff threat but this core has not delivered thus far.
Conference Finals Predictions
Rangers over Panthers in 7
(West TBD, updated tomorrow)