BY NATE MOSER
With the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes officially eliminated from the NHL playoffs, only two teams are left standing in the Eastern Conference for a chance at lifting the Stanley Cup. There is the Florida Panthers, who made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season, but were defeated in that series by the champion Vegas Golden Knights. The Panthers are still looking for their first Cup championship in franchise history. Then, there are the New York Rangers, who last made the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and are looking for their first Cup since 1994. This series should be intense. Both rosters are very deep and skilled. Here are some things to look forward to on both sides.
Looking at the Rangers forwards, they have had a balanced attack throughout their run. Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad both currently lead the team with 14 points each (Trocheck: six goals and eight assists, and Zibanejad: three goals and 11 assists). Following them are Artemi Panarin (four goals and seven assists for 11 points), Chris Kreider (seven goals and three assists for 10 points), and Alexis Lafreniere rounding out the top five scorers (four goals and six assists for 10 points). The Panthers, meanwhile, have continued their successful postseason dominance from their 2023 run. Matthew Tkachuk continues to be one of their core talents with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 11 games. Captain Aleksander Barkov had five goals and eight assists in that same span of games. Carter Verhaeghe has 11 points (six goals and five assists), while Sam Reinhart, who had a career-high regular season campaign that included 57 goals, has five goals and four assists. That is not even including Vladimir Tarasenko, who provides a veteran leadership role based on his experience but also a Cup championship with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Focusing on the blueline now, the first defenseman who comes to mind for the Rangers is Adam Fox. The 26-year-old won the Norris Trophy for Best Defenseman in the NHL back in 2021 by putting up a stat line of five goals and 42 assists for 47 points in 55 games. He finished the 2023-24 regular season with 17 goals and 56 assists for 73 points in 72 games. He is one of the best at his position in the league, and he leads a Rangers blueline who also includes the skillsets of Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Erik Gustafsson, Ryan Lindgren, and Braden Schneider. Fox has put up four assists so far in the 2024 playoffs.
Trouba, the current captain for the team, brings a physical presence that has gained his share of negative attention from others. Statistically, this postseason run, he has one goal and three assists for four points. Miller has three points (one goal and two assists) while Gustafsson has chalked up three assists.
Looking at Florida’s defense group, Brandon Montour leads the charge in stats for the club. The 30-year-old caught many eyes last year for the Panthers, and now he is continuing his solid performances in both the 2023-24 regular season, as well as this current playoff run. He has accrued the following:
- 2022-23 regular season: 16 goals and 57 assists for 73 points in 80 games
- 2023 playoffs: eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 21 games
- 2023-24 regular season: eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points in 66 games
Yes, Montour’s production dipped a bit in the regular season, but he has done well for the Panthers in the 2024 postseason with three goals and five assists in 11 games. There’s Gustav Forsling, who re-signed with Florida for eight years back in March. He had two goals and five assists through 11 games. Oliver Ekman-Larsson also has a goal and three assists for four points, while former first overall pick Aaron Ekblad has four assists.
Then, there’s the goaltending. The Rangers have been known for some absolute stars who have suited up for their organization. Mike Richter was a force between the pipes which led the Rangers to their first Cup championship in decades. Then, there is Henrik Lundqvist, who never got a Cup but was one of the goalies who defined the NHL in the mid-to-late 2000s as well as the 2010s. Now, the net belongs to Igor Shesterkin. He has been lights out for many games, and he is so crucial to the success that the team has. When he is on his game, the rest of the players in front of him get a lift in their play. He has a solid defense in front of him, but when Shesterkin is called upon, he plays so well. His 2024 postseason record, as this is being written, is 8-2. He has a 2.40 goals-against-average (GAA) and a save percentage (SV%) of .923. Shesterkin being on his game will make life so much easier for the Rangers and their fans.
For the Panthers, they have had a history of goaltending too. Roberto Luongo leads in that regard, having spent two stints in net for the franchise. Now, they have been aided by the presence of Sergei Bobrovsky. There were times the contract that he signed with the Panthers looked like an overpayment, but he has been stellar for the club lately. Last postseason, Bobrovsky put up a record of 12-6. His GAA on that run was 2.78, while he had a .915 SV%, and one shutout. Then, in the 2023-24 regular season, he posted a record of 36-17-4, with a SV% of .915 and a GAA of 2.37. So far, in this postseason run, he has a record of 8-3. His GAA is 2.37, and he has a SV% of .902. He has put up great numbers and has been on fire lately. Both goalies in Shesterkin and Bobrovsky have barely lost. If both of them play ridiculously well, one single mistake should have a vital impact in which team advances to the next round.
Making my prediction for this Eastern Conference Final matchup, I am picking the Rangers to defeat the Panthers in seven games. It will be close for sure. I do not expect this series to be one-sided. It really could go either way between both clubs. It would not shock me if either one made it to the Cup Final. I just think the Rangers will figure out how to pull it off. They were hot out of the gates, and only lost games recently. That has not doused their chances of winning it all though. They are a skilled bunch and I think they find a way to eliminate the Panthers in seven.
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