Why Each Team Will/Will Not Win the Stanley Cup: Eastern Conference
Photo by Matthew J. Lee from the Boston Globe
On Saturday, 16 teams will try to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup as the champion of the National Hockey League.
Obviously, only one will.
So let’s just dive right into why each team from the Eastern Conference either will or will not win the Stanley Cup.
New York Rangers
Why They Will
Well, they have a fantastic offense, solid defense, and one of the league’s best goaltenders.
That recipe won them the President’s Trophy as the leagues best team.
Why They Won’t
There hasn’t been a President’s Trophy winner who also won the Stanley Cup since the Blackhawks in 2013.
There hasn’t been one in a FULL season since the Red Wings in 2008.
Add in the Rangers lack of playoff success throughout their history, and the odds are stacked against them.
Carolina Hurricanes
Why They Will
The Canes are essentially the same team as the Rangers.
They are incredibly good from the top down, and very well coached.
Well balanced teams go very far.
Why They Won’t
I trust Igor Shesterkin in goal for the Rangers.
I’m not sure I trust whoever the Canes put in net, whether it’s Freddy Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov.
Both Andersen and Kochetkov had good numbers, but the playoffs are a different beast entirely.
New York Islanders
Why They Will
Another team with a goaltender I heavily trust, is Ilya Sorokin for the Islanders.
Goalies can be complete game changers come playoff time, and Sorokin is just that.
Why They Won’t
The Islanders have the most overtime and shootout losses of any team that made the playoffs.
In the regular season, you get a bonus point for an overtime or shootout loss.
In the playoffs, you get nothing.
Can’t rely on the loser point anymore.
Washington Capitals
Why They Will
The Caps, during their hot stretch to make the playoffs, relied on very good defensive strategy and hot goaltending from Charlie Lindgren.
Sure, they snuck into the playoffs with that strategy.
So did the 2012 Los Angeles Kings.
And they won the whole damn thing.
Defense and a hot goalie is a tried and true recipe to get hot and win the Cup.
Why They Won’t
The Capitals have the 3rd worst goal differential of any team that has ever made the playoffs.
When they win, they win close.
When they lose, they get torched.
Maybe that’s bad luck, but maybe all the one goal wins are just puck luck.
Either way, the Caps don’t look poised to make a deep run.
Florida Panthers
Why They Will
The offense is excellent, and has a clear cut playoff performer in Matthew Tkachuk.
They also had the led the league in expected goals against, so the defense is a total shut down defense.
The only question with this team was goaltending, but Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz of all people have answered the call.
Why They Won’t
They aren’t playing their best hockey as of late, and this is the worst time to be playing poorly.
They finished the year with 4 straight wins, but with a 7-8 record in their last 15.
That’s not going to cut it against the best of the best.
Boston Bruins
Why They Will
The goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have been excellent for the Bruins this year.
Sure, they have excellent forwards and a good back line, but having that duo in goal meant that even with a backup, you can expect a Bruins win.
Why They Won’t
How good were Ullmark and Swayman?
They were so good, that the Bruins led the East in goals against above expected, with -33.84.
Again, that’s really good for the goalies!
But what happens if the goalies have an off series?
Suddenly, those poor underlying defensive stats catch up to you.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Why They Will
With all due respect to Ovie, Auston Matthews is currently the best goal scorer in the NHL, and he’s shown multiple times how good he is in the playoffs as well.
The Leafs can score at will, and they usually do.
You gotta score to win!
Why They Won’t
You also have to keep the puck out of the net to win, and the Leafs aren’t so good at that, giving up 263 goals on the year and having a, let’s say “hit or miss” goaltending situation.
Plus, c’mon.
It’s the Leafs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Why They Will
Solid offense, solid defense, excellent goalie.
There’s a reason the Lightning have been one of the truly elite teams in the NHL the past 5 years.
Why They Won’t
This Lightning team isn’t the same as years past.
Everyone’s getting a little bit past or near the end of their prime while the contenders in the East are all smack dab in the middle of their primes.
Hockey season is long.
Does Tampa still have the legs to make a run? I’m not so sure.
