NHL Stanley Cup Cup Playoffs 2024 Preview
Eastern Conference Finals: More of the Same or David vs Goliath
The Stanley Cup playoffs are always wild and have plenty of drama–this year is no different. From Tom Wilson fighting on the benches after the game was over, or Mikko Rantanin scoring three hat-tricks in three games, two of them in game six and game seven, to beat the Avalanche in the first round, or the Florida Panthers coming back after starting the series down 2-0 and beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in game 7 in Toronto, causing the Maple Leafs to lose another game seven in the playoffs. With that said, let's take a look at the two teams in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Kings of the East
The reigning Stanley Cup Champions and the Eastern Conference champions of the last two years, the Florida Panthers, whose lineup is mostly unchanged from the previous two seasons. The heart of this team is led by Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett. They have been the heart of this team for years now, and it has shown with their success. This year, they look to do it again and make it to their third straight Stanley Cup Finals and win their second championship in a row. This team has been a freight train for three years now with Paul Morise at the helm, who demands the absolute best from his players and isn't afraid to let them know he isn't happy with their play in the middle of a game.
Can Carolina finally get over the hump?
On the other side, the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to avenge their Eastern Conference finals loss to this Panthers team two years ago, when Florida swept them in a quick and decisive series. Carolina has done a lot of growing up since that series, and it has shown. Carolina’s play style is a stark contrast to Florida's. Carolina is known for their team play and being able to hold opposing teams on their defensive end for extended periods. They are first in the league in the playoffs in offensive zone percentage. But they have the least amount of goals of the teams remaining in these playoffs, This could come to haunt them if Florida has a game where they are scoring a lot of goals. Carolina finally has consistent goaltending, which is why they are back in the conference finals. Frederik Anderson has played outstanding in these playoffs with a 7-2 record and a .937 save percentage, while also having a 1.37 GAA (goals against average)
The keys for each team
The paths to victory are quite simple. For Florida, they need to drag Carolina out of their comfort zone and make them play fast, gritty hockey. If they can do that, then this could be another repeat of 2023, quick and ugly. For Carolina, they have to stop the freight train that is this Panthers team, and how they do that is by holding possession and not letting Florida get out and run. They need to play their style of hockey and not let Florida bait them into just playing a super-fast style of hockey, which Florida has lived by for three years now. It won't be easy for Carolina, but they have the best team they’ve had in years and the most consistent goaltending they’ve had in a long time. If Carolina plays like they have been these playoffs, this could be a very fun series to watch and could go all the way to seven games and be an instant classic of a series.
