The Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to four groups and one bubble.
Game 1 of the Western Convention Last between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars is at Rogers Position in Edmonton on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS). The Golden Knights and Stars each obtained Game 7 within the second round.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Unique York Islanders are the one two groups within the playoffs this year that can scoot from one hub city to 1 other to play. They’re transferring from Toronto, the attach they’ve been since July 27, to Edmonton to play the Jap Convention Last. Game 1 between the Lightning and Islanders is at Rogers Position on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Here are 5 storylines to search as the conference finals launch:
Goaltending within the West
It looks easy now to foretell Robin Lehner will launch in plan for the Golden Knights opposite Anton Khudobin for the Stars. Each and each changed into within the on-line for the majority of the second round, including his workers’s Game 7 grab.
It would possibly perhaps well well no longer end the goalies from being one amongst the finest storylines within the Western closing.
The one certainty is that Khudobin, as lengthy as he stays wholesome, would possibly perhaps well be the Stars goalie until Ben Bishop is match to play.
Bishop has been unfit to play for 10 of the previous 11 video games. He began Game 5 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, allowed four needs on 19 shots, and changed into relieved by Khudobin lower than 14 minutes into the first length. He changed into unfit to play Video games 6 and 7.
Khudobin is 8-5-0 with a 2.94 needs-against average and .909 place share. It is no longer sure if Bishop will doubtless be an possibility for the Stars on this sequence, but if he’s, coach Rick Bowness already has shown he’s sharp to hump to him since he’s believed to be Dallas’ No. 1 goalie.
Lehner clearly has develop into Vegas coach Peter DeBoer’s No. 1 possibility ahead of Marc-Andre Fleury, but that does no longer mean a loss in Game 1 would end the questions about who is going to launch for the Golden Knights in Game 2.
Lehner began Video games 6 and 7 of the second round against the Vancouver Canucks, which had been serve-to-serve, and delivered a 14-place shutout in Game 7. He is 8-4-0 with a 1.99 GAA, a .918 place share and three shutouts within the postseason.
Fleury is 3-0-0 with a 2.67 GAA and .893 place share.
Video: VAN@VGK, Gm7: Lehner dives to make a choice Boeser
Lightning layoff, response
The Lightning have not played since Monday, after they defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 within the second previous odd time in Game 5 of the second round. It is a long way the longest shatter any workers has had within the playoffs.
“To copy the depth that we had the two old sequence, it be onerous to develop,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You are positively no longer going to develop that in practice.”
There are several capacity positives to the shatter day for the Lightning.
They played 9 overtimes totaling 134: 29 within the first two rounds, so although they played 10 video games to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets and Bruins, they played higher than 12 video games in accordance with the minutes.
Nikita Kucherov changed into injured in Game 5 against Boston. The ahead is serve at practice and would possibly perhaps well well be sharp for Game 1.
It is imaginable that heart Steven Stamkos, who hasn’t played within the postseason due to a lower-body harm, would possibly perhaps well well return too.
Video: BOS@TBL, Gm5: Hedman sends Tampa to ECF with 2OT plan
Heiskanen’s ancient push
Miro Heiskanen brings an eight-sport point slither into the conference closing, the longest by a Stars/Minnesota North Stars defenseman in playoff history. He has 12 factors (two needs, 10 assists) all the most sensible doubtless plan thru the slither.
Heiskanen has 21 factors (5 needs, 16 assists) in 16 video games. Completely seven defensemen in NHL history reached 20 factors in fewer postseason video games than Heiskanen: Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers, 12 video games in 1985; Bobby Orr, Bruins, 13 video games in 1972; Brian Leetch, Unique York Rangers, 15 video games in 1994; Ray Bourque, Bruins, 15 video games in 1991; Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames, 15 video games in 1989; Denis Potvin, Islanders, 15 video games in 1981; and Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens, 15 video games in 1978.
All of them are within the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“He’s special,” DeBoer said of Heiskanen. “(Assistant) Steve Spott and I bumped into our aged captain (with the San Jose Sharks) Joe Pavelski about a cases right here within the bubble. What Joe says about him, each as a participant and as an particular particular person, carries essentially the most weight. He says this kid is a celebrity and that you simply would be in a position to even survey that on the ice.”
Video: DAL@COL, Gm5: Heiskanen wires home wrister for PPG
Islanders drought, goaltending
The Islanders are within the conference closing for the first time since 1993, the longest drought of any of the four groups calm enjoying. They’re making an are trying to secure to the Stanley Cup Last for the first time since 1984.
“The fanbase is passionate and continuously talks in regards to the (four straight Cup) wins serve within the ’80s, the groups, the guys which like obtained the Cups there,” Islanders heart Brock Nelson said. “You would also survey how worthy that choice to them, to the community. Those guys are heroes. Everybody within the room now would possibly perhaps well well be striving to be a section of history esteem that, and to jot down our like dinky chapter.”
It is doubtless that the Islanders will need each of their goalies to secure eight extra wins, but Thomas Greiss can like earned the launch in Game 1 against the Lightning with his 16-place shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers in a 4-0 grab in Game 7 of the second round Saturday.
Greiss began because Semyon Varlamov misplaced the old two video games, permitting 9 needs on 63 shots in serve-to-serve previous odd time losses. It changed into Greiss’ second launch of the playoffs though.
Varlamov has began 14 video games within the postseason, going 9-4 with a 2.00 GAA, a .921 place share and two shutouts.
“You strive to bolt the contemporary guy as lengthy as that you simply would be in a position to even after which you hump to the subsequent guy,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. We will survey the most sensible doubtless plan it performs out now.”
Video: NYI@PHI, Gm7: Greiss sends Isles to ECF with shutout
Midseason replacement coaches
A midseason replacement coach has guided a workers to a Stanley Cup championship four cases since 2009 (Craig Berube, St. Louis Blues, 2019; Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016; Darryl Sutter, Los Angeles Kings, 2014; Dan Bylsma, Penguins, 2009).
Bowness and DeBoer are making an are trying to build the likelihood to develop it too.
Bowness turned Dallas coach Dec. 10, when outdated skool coach Jim Sir Bernard Law changed into fired for unspecified unprofessional habits. DeBoer turned Vegas coach Jan. 15, when Gerard Courageous changed into fired for the reason that Golden Knights weren’t performing as much as expectations.
It is Bowness’ second conference closing as coach, first in 28 years (1992 Wales Convention Last with Bruins).
DeBoer is coaching in his third conference closing, having stepped forward to the Stanley Cup Last in 2012 with the Unique Jersey Devils and in 2016 with the Sharks. Each and each workers misplaced the Cup Last in six video games.
