By Sean Gentil, Shayna Goldman, Jesse Granger, Mark Lazerus and Athletics NHL staff
The NHL Four Four is defined.
The Florida Panthers continue their quest to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup on Tuesday evening when they open the final of the East Conference against the Hurricanes of Caroline, and Connor McDavid and the Oilers of Edmonton launched the final of the Western Conference Wednesday evening against the stars of Dallas for a second consecutive spring.
The stars opened the second round as Athletics NHL staff staff are the favorite to win the Cup. Are they still our first choice? And who do we see taking it after our choice of pre -game – the Tampa Bay Lightning – was eliminated? What about the favorite Smythe Conn?
Here are the results of our survey on staff after the second round, with the analysis and criticism of senior writers Sean Gentil and Mark Lazerus, the analytics Know-Ite-All Shayna Goldman and the expert of goalkeepers Jesse Granger.
The figures are rounded.
Final predictions of the conference
Eastern conference: Florida Panthers (3A) against Carolina Hurricanes (2m)
| Voting percentage | Panthers | Hurricanes |
|---|---|---|
4 games | 0.0% | 0.0% |
5 games | 3.2% | 0.0% |
6 games | 29.0% | 16.1% |
7 games | 29.0% | 22.6% |
Total | 61.2% | 38.7% |
Kind: Panthers are reigning champions, so I understand why there is a gap … but they were also pushed by the edge by the Maple Leafs of Toronto. How good could they really be? (It’s half a-white.)
Goldman: Like the leaves, it will be a narrower series than than 2023. Cannes are a better team, but the panthers too … which just be the reigning champions. It is logical that they have the advantage in the vote, but at least we all think that it goes deep.
Lazerus: As well as the canes have been for several years, they did not win a single final conference match at that time, having been swept by the Bruins in 2019 and by the panthers in 2023. None of us expect that it happens. But Carolina, also implacable and impressive, still cannot measure the panthers in terms of high -end finishers and goalkeepers.
Granger: For once, I think Carolina is well measured in the goalkeeper department. Frederik Andersen was the best goalkeeper of the playoffs, and he was exceptional on shots just opposite the net (Florida specialty). Given its history and the tendency of the panthers to be … physical … with the opposing goalkeeper, it is a great “if”, but if Andersen remains healthy, I really like Carolina in it.
Frederik Andersen is currently carrying out all the guards of the playoffs in goals against the average and the percentage of economy. (Images Jared C. Tilton / Getty)
Western conference: Edmonton Oilers (3p) against Dallas Stars (2C)
| Voting percentage | Oilers | Stars |
|---|---|---|
4 games | 0.0% | 0.0% |
5 games | 0.0% | 0.0% |
6 games | 6.5% | 35.5% |
7 games | 16.1% | 41.9% |
Total | 22.6% | 77.4% |
Kind: I like Dallas in it, but an edge of 54.8% seems high. Edmonton did a fairly light job from the Golden Knights. It could be a case “out of sight, out of mind” for our voters.
Goldman: I think it was fairly easy to tell you about the ilers at each turn – it was the best version of the Kings, the Golden Knights are filled with arrest talents, and the stars are one of the deepest teams now that they are actually healthy. But Edmonton came to play this qualifying series, and there are only four games separating them from a return to the final.
Lazerus: While I went with Dallas too, I am a little shocked by this disparity. So far, the Oilers have won two very impressive victories in series in playoffs and reminded everyone why they were the most trendy choice of the Stanley Cup in October. But there are simply no people in which I can bet on Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard against Jake Oettinger. It is the spring in which Oettinger is finally recognized as one of the very great goalkeepers of the game.
Granger: What a heavyweight fight is to top the best in the West. Not only is it a revenge of the final of last year’s conference, but at least one of these two teams has played in this series in five of the last six seasons.
Beyond the third round
Stanley Cup champion
| Voting percentage | Pre-1er | Before the 2nd | NOW |
|---|---|---|---|
8.8% | 47.2% | 64.5% | |
2.9% | 2.8% | 22.6% | |
2.9% | 19.4% | 6.5% | |
0.0% | 0.0% | 6.5% | |
17.6% | 16.7% | 0.0% | |
8.8% | 8.3% | 0.0% | |
8.8% | 2.8% | 0.0% | |
0.0% | 2.8% | 0.0% | |
29.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
20.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Kind: No more evidence that I jumped from the stars train at the wrong time. In addition, the western conference is clearly in force.
Goldman: It actually surprises me that the vote for the panthers was broken after Tour 2 – of course, they needed seven games, but watch how they dominated the match 7.
Lazerus: I guess you think it is a positive thing that Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, Tyler Seguin and many others have not produced in the playoffs at all (they are due!) Or if you think it is a negative thing (Mikko Rantanen cannot do everything against a team that scores like Will Edmonton!). You all believe. (I can say “all of you” now, because I live essentially in Texas now.)
Granger: Stars certainly feel like the most balanced team. They have the power of the star at the front (with Rantanen delivering significantly). The Blue Line is dangerous with Miro Heiskanen in the fold and Thomas Harley currently second in the playoffs for points by a defender. Oettinger is solid rock in the net. It is really difficult to find a reason why this team loses apart from “Pete Deboer has come closer so many times and has never won a cup”. It may be the year of Pete.
Mikko Rantanen is currently the top scorer in the playoff series. (Jerome Miron / Imagn images)
Conn Smythe Winner
Kind: The most impactful player and the top scorer is the general favorite. No need to become cute here. Andersen is however a decent black horse. Zero Hurricanes skaters obtaining a vote is also a little wild.
Goldman: I receive Andersen media threshing; He won it, but I think that soi Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin should be in the mixture for the canes. And if the panthers accumulate again at the top, Brad Marchand is probably at the top of this list.
Lazerus: Do not sleep on Oettinger here. Rantanen has one point in his last three games and a goal in his last five. This race he had was spectacular, but Oettinger was the key to the Winnipeg series, and he was by far the most coherent stars player.
Granger: I love all this discussion of goalkeeper for Conn Smythe, given the way in which this playoff series took place for the vast majority of goalkeepers. With the percentage of the average economy of the league seated in a cool .898 in these qualifying series, Oettinger and Andersen have more than gained the threshing media with their regular game.
How have we done so far?
Here is how our first and second round forecasts maintained, with the real result of the series, the percentage of voters who chose the right team and the percentage that chose the right team and the right number of games:
Predictions of the series in the first round
Predictions of the second round series
(Illustration: Will Tullos / Athletics; Jeff Bottari, Ashley Potts, Jared C. Tilton, Peter Joneleit / Getty Images)
