Igor Shesterkin Vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy. Just those two names are enough to make this Eastern Conference one for the ages.
Written by: Jacob Kilberg
31 May, 2022
The Lightning, fresh off a sweep against the star-studded Panthers, are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and attempt to defend their title for the third year in a row. They have certainly figured out the recipe to success and are in the midst of building a dynasty. The key to success in this series for them is to not get caught up in close games. They have been in countless close games and have been able to pull it out, but the Rangers are better than what they have seen before. Their whole team is contributing and doing so at an elite level, but I think they just need a bit more to get back to the Cup. On the other hand, the mighty resilient Rangers. These guys simply don’t quit and have inspired many hockey fans to support them throughout their run. The question for them becomes, Why Not Us? After defying the odds, and coming back from down 3-1 against a fantastic Penguins team, then coming back on the road down 3-2 against the Hurricanes, this team is a true playoff team. Led by their incredible goalie IG-OR, they have what it takes to dethrone the Lightning and head back to the Cup for the first time since 2014. They displayed it all in Game 7 last night. The defense was on full display and Adam Fox even added a goal, Kreider sniped home two and they looked like an all-around complete team. The key for them, don’t speed yourself up. Tampa will look to play fast, and if the Rangers speed themselves up they will lose 9/10 times. If the Rangers can find a way to snag a few games early in the series, they could be looking at another banner to hang in MSG. We will get a memorable series, but in the end, Tampa’s experience proves to be too much, and Vasilevskiy outshines Shesterkin, leading Tampa back to the cup in six games.
Comments