Carson Anderson
The Stanley Cup Playoffs provided stellar drama throughout the first two rounds. After some fun action so far, it’s officially time to turn our attention to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.
Three of the top four still remain in playoff contention. The New York Rangers will host the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the East Finals on Wednesday, while the Dallas Stars will host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in the West Finals series opener. Our analysts weighed in on their picks for both series.
(1) Rangers vs. (1) Panthers
Chris Bengel: The Rangers folded like a cheap suit in the opening round of last year’s playoffs, but it was a completely different story in 2024. New York won the Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the most points during the regular season – something that is normally a curse for teams when they reach the postseason – but obviously it hasn’t affected them so far.
After a victory over the Washington Capitals in the first round, the Rangers had everything they could handle against the Carolina Hurricanes in what turned out to be a very close series. In fact, if not for the Hurricanes’ monumental collapse, perhaps a different team would have advanced to the East Final. The Panthers and Rangers are two offenses that match up very well, as they are both averaging over 3.5 goals per game this postseason.
With star power on both sides, this series could definitely come down to which veteran goalie rises to the occasion more often. Sergei Bobrovsky helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final last year and has proven to be strong between the pipes once again with a 2.37 goals against average in these playoffs. Meanwhile, Igor Shesterkin, who was outplayed by Jonathan Quick a few times during the regular season, has given New York a steady net presence thus far with an 8-2-0 record and a .923 save percentage.
This will likely be a very physical and tight series that will feature a lot of offensive outbursts. When push comes to shove, the Panthers are the team I think has the courage to persevere after being pushed to the limit against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins in the first two rounds. Choice – Panthers beat Rangers 4-3
Austin Nivison: These two teams have been the best in the Eastern Conference all season, but they got here in very different ways. While the Panthers love to control the five-on-five game, the Rangers use elite special teams and world-class goaltending to punish opponents.
Looking at the Rangers’ five-on-five profile is a fool’s errand. They’ve been posting middling numbers at even strength for years, but that doesn’t matter. Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin have spectacular finishing ability, the power play is almost as lethal as the Oilers’ and Igor Shesterkin is playing at Conn Smythe level this postseason. To make things even more difficult for the Panthers, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere joined the offensive bonanza.
Few teams have been able to surpass the amount of skill at the top of the Rangers’ lineup, but the Panthers may be up to the task. Florida has plenty of skills of its own, with top scorer Sam Reinhart with 57 goals and Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov in the mix with Matthew Tkachhuk and Carter Verhaeghe. Perhaps most importantly, the Panthers have Gustav Forsling in the backfield. One of the most underrated players in the NHL, Forsling can succeed in even the toughest matchups, and he did just that against David Pastrnak in the second round.
When it comes to special teams, the Rangers have the advantage, and it’s not very close. Both teams have a strong penalty kill, but New York’s power play is much more efficient and consistent than Florida’s. The Rangers have two more power play goals (11) than the Panthers (9) in six fewer opportunities.
The goaltending battle features two incredibly talented Russians, but once again, the Rangers have the edge. Sergei Bobrovsky was perfectly fine for the Panthers through two rounds, but Shesterkin was almost superhuman at times for the Rangers. This matchup doesn’t bode well for Florida, but the Panthers just overcame a goaltending deficit against Jeremy Swayman in the second round.
I’m fascinated to see how these competing styles play out on the ice and look forward to the closest series we’ve seen yet. However, only one team can advance, and I believe the Panthers are just a little more complete than the Rangers. Choice – Panthers beat Rangers 4-3
(1) Stars vs. (2) Lubricators
Chris Bengel: The Stars had one of the toughest paths to the conference finals. Dallas faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round of the postseason, and the series ended at seven games. Additionally, the Stars faced the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, which resulted in them winning the series in six games. Facing the last two Stanley Cup champions isn’t exactly the ideal way to start the playoffs, but at least it proved the Stars are capable.
Entering the Stanley Cup playoffs, goaltender Jake Oettinger’s performance was certainly a controversial topic after some struggles during the regular season. It’s safe to say that Oettinger saved his best hockey for the most important time of the year. Entering the Western Conference Finals, the veteran goaltender posted an 8-5-0 record with a 2.09 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. According to Money Puck, Oettinger posted a .966 save percentage when facing unblocked shots, so he made some big saves along the way.
In addition to getting supreme production in the box, Dallas has been a lethal scoring team throughout the season. After all, this is a team that finished third in the NHL in goals per game (3.59), and scored at least four goals in three of six games against the Avalanche in the previous series. The Stars have plenty of scorers, with eight players scoring at least 20 goals during the regular season. Forward Wyatt Johnston is on fire with seven goals in the playoffs, including two two-goal performances. If center Roope Hintz is ready to play most of the series, it’s hard not to like the Stars’ chances.
If the Oilers want to win this series, they will have to continue to excel on the power play. Edmonton has converted 37.5% of its man-advantage opportunities during the playoffs. On the other hand, the Stars are 11th among playoff teams with just a 69.2% penalty rate. If there is one area where the Oilers could have an advantage, it is definitely on the power play. Choice – Stars beat Oilers 4-2
Austin Nivison: Throughout these playoffs, the Stars have showcased their elite depth and versatility. One night, Jamie Benn performs a great play. The following night, Matt Duchene scores a decisive goal. Seemingly every night, Wyatt Johnston does something incredible while cementing himself as a household name.
The real X-factor for the Stars could very well be defenseman Chris Tanev, acquired before the trade deadline. Tanev gives Dallas a valuable shutdown option to play on the ice against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In the second round, Tanev received a strong dose of Nathan MacKinnon and did extremely well. The Vancouver Canucks just gave the Stars a plan on how to contain McDavid, and Tanev will be tasked with executing it on the ice.
The Oilers, on the other hand, are here despite just two goals from McDavid in the postseason. That’s because Zach Hyman (11 goals) and Draisaitl (8) are celebrating while McDavid dished out 19 assists. A good portion of that production came from the power play, and that’s the clearest advantage for the Oilers in this series. This unit converted 37.5% of its opportunities and could tip games in Edmonton’s favor.
That said, the Oilers’ special teams advantage may not be as great as it was against the Canucks. The Stars’ power play is operating at a 29.0% rate, which is a notable improvement over Vancouver’s paltry 13.9% conversion rate.
The biggest difference between the two teams is at the crease. The Stars have a bona fide No. 1 goalie in Jake Oettinger, and the Oilers had to split minutes in their previous series between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Oettinger has a .918 save percentage in the playoffs. Skinner and Pickard combined for a .888 save percentage. If these trends continue, the Oilers will be in trouble.
I predict it will be a back-and-forth affair, but the Stars’ depth and goaltending ability will be too much for the Oilers’ star power to overcome. Choice – Stars beat Oilers 4-3
