And then there were four. Now that the 2020 Stanley Cup has reached the halfway point, four teams are left standing after what proved to be a lengthy battle with three series going the distance in seven games and the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatching the mighty Bruins in five games, albeit close hard-fought contests. With little time to rest between rounds, round three begins September 6, 2020, just one day after the Islanders closed out the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games to end round two and advance to the final four.
No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars
The Vegas Knights are coming off of an emotional seven-game grind against a youth full yet surprising Vancouver squad. The Knights are making their second appearance in the Conference Finals in three years. The Stars also are coming off a seven-game series, defeating the Colorado Avalanche in a game seven overtime thriller in which they trailed by a goal three times. Dallas has not been to the Conference Finals since losing to the Detroit Red Wings In 2008.
Clutch Players
Vegas Knights: Shea Theodore is leading the Vegas attack, having scored 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 15 games. This is great considering hès a defenseman. After that, the scoring has been consistent with Mark Stone scoring (6 G, 9 A) followed by Reilly Smith with 13 points and 6 ft 4 in Alex Tuch with (8 G, 2 A), the rest of the scoring has been well balanced with eight players scoring between nine and five points, and everybody else has at least one point in the post-season.
Goaltending for Vegas has been stellar, with 6 ft 4 in Robin Lehner shutting out the Canucks in three of the four wins in round two. Lehner showcases a GAA of 1.99 with a .918 SV% and is 8-4 in the playoffs.
Dallas coach Rick Bowness is quoted as saying, “They’re big, they’re heavy, they’re experienced, they’re fast,” “This is a whole new challenge for us…I know they’re the favorites, based on the regular season, based on the round-robin, as they should be. That’s fine. We’ve been the underdog in the other two series as well.”
Dallas Stars: Like the Vegas Knights, Dallas’s top scorer is defenseman Miro Heiskanen (5 G, 16 A). Dallas has six players in double-digit points in the post-season and balanced scoring throughout the remainder of their roster. Denis Gurianov is tied with Center-man Joe Pavelski with eight goals, followed by Alexander Radulov on the right wing with seven tallies.
Goaltending, Anton Khudobin has shouldered the weight playing in fourteen of Dallas seventeen post-season games. Khudobin is 8-5 in games won and has a 2.94 GAA, with a .909 SV% and no shut-outs, not as impressive as Lehner, but he has been there when needed the most.
Dallas has been a resilient bunch coming from behind to convincingly beat Calgary in the first round and weathering the storm against the high powered Colorado Avalanche in round two after blowing a 3-1 series lead and trailing three different times in game seven; only two win the series in overtime.
The Vegas Knights are the favorites in this series, but Dallas is opportunistic, and they’re firing on all cylinders; still, I’m predicting Vegas Golden Knights in seven games.
No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 6 New York Islanders
Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites to win the 2020 Stanley Cup. After dispatching the Boston Bruins in five games, the Lightning hasn’t played since last Monday, August 31. On the other side, the Islanders are in-game shape after going the distance with the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games
Tampa Bay’s only cup win was in 2004 in seven games against the Calgary Flames, since then they have made the Finals one other time, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in 2015.
The New York Islanders haven’t made an appearance in the Finals since losing in five games to the Edmonton Oilers in 1984, and it is the first time since 1993 that the Islanders have been to the Conference Finals when the lost to the eventual Cup-winning Montreal Canadians in five games.
Clutch Players
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning are a team on a mission after eliminating their demons of last season with a first-round victory over nemesis Columbus Blue Jackets and rival Boston Bruins in five games, respectively. Jon Cooper has his team focused and playing with grit and determination. Braydon point has been the playoff hero, scoring (6 G, 12 A) followed by Nikita Kucherov (4 G, 12 A); Victor Hedman is third in scoring on the team with a plus/minus of +11. Tampa Bay is deep in-depth and is capable of adapting to any style of play. Very impressive for a team without its superstar Steven Stamkos, who will remain sidelined for the entirety of the third round against the Islanders.
Goaltending for Tampa has been exceptional with Andrei Vailevskiy between the pipes for all 13 playoff games. Vasilevskiy is sporting a 10-3 record with a GAA of 1.91 and SV% of .931; his 6 ft 3 in frame is more than capable.
New York Islanders: Josh Bailey leads the team in scoring with (2 G, 15 A), followed by four other players all in double digits, Brock Nelson (7 G, 8 A), Mathew Barzal (5 G, 8 A), Anthony Beauvillier (8 G, 4 A) and the baby faced assassin Jordan Eberle with (3 G, 11 A). The Islanders can fill the net.
Goaltending: Semyon Varlamov has borne the brunt of the goaltending, appearing in 14 contests with Thomas Greiss coming in for three games. Varlamov has a .921 SV%, 2 GAA, and two shutouts, while Thomas Greiss boasts an SV% of .960, GAA 1.08, and one shutout, an excellent option for the Isles, pick your poison. Either way, the netminding for the boys from Long Island is exceptional.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites to win this series, but the New York Islanders are not to be taken lightly. With everything considered, I am predicting that Tampa Bay will win this series in six, and advance to the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in franchise history.
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