SPORTS TALK: Dallas Stars will win the Stanley Cup
By Greg Buchanan
As the NHL playoffs kick off one team many here in Western Canada know very little about are the boys from Broadway. But In clinching the Presidents’ Trophy – awarded to the team with the best regular season record – the New York Rangers will look to break the curse that purportedly jinxes its holders to playoff failure. It’s been a decade since a Presidents’ Trophy-winning team, the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, went on to win that year’s Stanley Cup. Are the Rangers that kind of team?
Keep in mind the Rangers have five players – Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Adam Fox – with more than 60 points this season. They score a lot on the power play (26.4%) and are effective on the kill (84.5%). They’re good in the faceoff circle (52.3%) and very good in overtime (win percentage: .750). They’ll even beat you when you’ve got them beat – New York had 28 comeback wins this year, the most in the league.
Teams such as Colorado, Vancouver, and Edmonton have had more attention this year, but the Dallas Stars are the true final boss in the West. The Stars had eight forwards with 20 or more goals, and two with 30 or more this season, the kind of depth that most teams – especially those who technically score more, thanks to one or two key players (see: the Leaf’s) – can only dream of. Combined with solid goaltending from Jake Oettinger (.904 save percentage), the fifth-best power play in the league, and the third-best goals-for-per-game (trailing only Edmonton and Toronto), the Stars are a serious contender. Dallas start where they left off last postseason, against the Vegas Golden Knights (Ya don’t get me going on Mark Stone) in the first round. Barring a repeat, the Stars would then face either Winnipeg or Colorado – neither of which would be easy – to get to the West final. But all things considered, Dallas are poised to go deep.
Back in October, the Edmonton Oilers looked awful. They won only two games through the first month of the season. Their once-great power play was going nowhere. Their goaltending was abysmal. And superstar captain Connor McDavid was on a multi-game scoring drought. But a coaching change in November proved to be a turning point. The Oilers went on a historic 16-game winning streak between the end of December and the beginning of February. As the season wound down, the Oilers beat both the Avalanche and Golden Knights, but only after a dressing-down from Dallas – a 5-0 loss that seemed to expose some of Edmonton’s lingering weaknesses, including ineffective power plays and multiple turnovers. Still, the Oilers, who will face LA in the first round, are experienced and motivated. The Oilers were a pre-season Cup favourite – and may still be.
Ok, as you read this your saying enough already Bucky what’s your picks , here we go;
Western Conference final
It looks like a Dallas v Edmonton matchup could be in the works, reviving a classic rivalry. Dallas will be too deep on their back end as the stars win in 6.
Eastern Conference final
An Original Six matchup between New York and Boston would be great, but it’s more likely the Hurricanes will face the Florida Panthers. Carolina can beat you in so many ways and they will against the Panthers in 6.
Stanley Cup final
The Dallas Stars win in five games against the Hurricanes to clinch their second cup. The NHL playoffs are notoriously unpredictable, but on balance, the Stars look like the most complete team heading into the postseason. Their depth, their size, and their hunger after being so close so many times recently could all combine into the right championship mix.