Stanley Cup Final – Eastern Conference champion
UPDATE: The Flyers knocked off the Penguins in six to advance to the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes swept the Senators in four. The Hurricanes promptly swept the Flyers, with the other second-round series in the East between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres remaining undecided.
As for the Eastern Conference side of the bracket, well, let’s try to keep things as short as possible. The field is impressive to say the least. The Buffalo Sabres, this year’s most remarkable story, could end up going on an insane run in the postseason. A Colorado-Buffalo Stanley Cup Final series would be one for the ages.
Then, there is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts are a familiar foe. And they are as though they’ve always been. The Lightning could steamroll their way to the final, setting up a 2022 rematch. However, the Lightning’s path won’t be easy as they have the Montreal Canadiens to deal with in the first round.
The Canadiens have a 100-point scorer in Nick Suzuki and a 50-goal sniper in Cole Caufield. The Atlantic Division field also includes the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. Any one of those five teams could put up a strong run. However, it’s the Senators that Avalanche fans should keep an eye on. They are the sort of plucky team that could end up pulling off a string of upsets.
On the Metro Division side of the equation, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Carolina Hurricanes will be the teams to watch. The odds-on favorite to emerge out of the Eastern Conference scrum is Carolina. Colorado fans will recall how unfriendly it was to play the Hurricanes disguised as the Hartford Whalers.
The two clubs split the season series with the Canes taking the first game 5-4 on October 23 via the shootout. The Avalanche got the last laugh, winning their January 3 matchup 5-3 in regulation.
Should such a Stanley Cup Final materialize, it has the potential to be a seven-game classic. The Hurricanes’ suffocating style of play is reminiscent of peak Florida Panthers. But the Avalanche just has too much firepower to slide away.
Unless injuries devastate the Avalanche in the playoffs, it will be tough for anyone to match up this season. Barring a stunning upset like in 2023, the Avalanche have one of the clearest paths they’ve ever had to the Stanley Cup.
The Avs open their Stanley Cup run on Saturday against the LA Kings at Ball Arena. A strong opening game, preferably a blowout win, would set the tone for the remainder of the postseason. All the Avalanche need are 16 more wins to call themselves champions this season.
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