NHL Playoffs - Conference Finals

Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook screams in celebration following his series-winning overtime goal against the Red Wings.

So here we are at the Conference Finals. I couldn’t be more satisfied with who’s left alive in the playoffs; the past four Stanley Cup champions: Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Whoever wins the Cup completely deserves it, and will be remembered as the true dominating team of the early 2010’s. Just imagine if the Kings go back-to-back, we’ll basically have a modern day New York Islanders! My bracket, although working out a little differently than what I predicted, has three of the four teams correctly slated (I admit, choosing the Capitals was a gamble).

(1) Chicago Blackhawks and (5) Los Angeles Kings

For the second postseason in a row, the Kings have been extremely competitive without having a high number of points to show for it in the regular season.  Having them up against the President’s Trophy winner seems only fitting, and is the ultimate test for LA to prove their dominance was not for a short period of time. The series is too close to call, especially after Chicago faced the Red Wings in the conference semifinals. The Blackhawks, down 3-1 in the series, woke up and started playing powerful, disciplined hockey like that of their amazing season. This is, by far, the most enticing matchup of the playoffs so far…Toews and Kane need to start scoring some goals to put Chicago over the top. As Don Cherry said, the Blackhawks also need to be prepared for the hitting of the Los Angeles Kings; something the Red Wings did not pose a threat with.

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins and (4) Boston Bruins

Like I said, the Penguins would go far with Tomas Vokoun; 6-1 with a GAA of 1.85 is absolutely fantastic for a backup goaltender. Another series that is too close to call; Pittsburgh and Boston lead the way in the playoffs for goals scored per game, but Pittsburgh soars ahead in that statistic with 4.3 (Boston has 3.2). Both teams are coming off series where they won in five, but had a bit of a layoff before the start of the conference final. There is no telling who will have momentum, yet.