It's eight down, eight to go for the remaining four teams in the Stanley Cup. But these eight are probably the hardest ones to get. Just ask the two teams that are left out West. Either the Blues or Sharks is finally going to play for the Cup (I said to a friend of mine a few weeks ago, "watch them play each other and one will have to not lose"). Neither has ever won it. San Jose has never even played for it, while St. Louis hasn't been in the Finals since Bobby Orr went flying thru the air.
St. Louis is the only remaining original expansion team (excluding the defunct California Golden Seals) that hasn't won at least one title. The Blues actually made it to the Finals in their first three years of existence, though, although they're 0-12 all-time in Stanley Cup Finals games, getting swept by the Canadiens in 1968-69 and the Bruins in 1970.
One of the Blues' 1967-68 expansion brethren is the Penguins, who've been the best team in hockey since the calendar flipped to 2016, and they proved it in the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they pretty much dominated Washington for the duration of the series. The Capitals were the best team in the league for most of the year, but they were outclassed in every way by a Penguins team that's better (and, more importantly, deeper) than they are. My biggest concern about Pittsburgh heading into the start of the playoffs was their inexperience at goalie, but that's proving not to be an issue. And, as Pierre McGuire pointed out after their Game 6 clincher against the Capitals, they won the Stanley Cup with a rookie goalie (Marc-Andre Fleury) in 2009.
Of course, they'll have to get past the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning in order to play for the Cup. Tampa Bay was challenged big time by the Islanders and certainly had luck (and Nikita Kucherov) on their side, but the Lightning's experience won the day. They're looking to become the first team to reach the Finals in back-to-back years since...the Penguins, who beat the Red Wings in 2009 after losing to them in 2008.
For the Lightning to get back to the Finals, they're going to need to keep playing at a high level. Pittsburgh's the better team, but Tampa Bay has the better goalie in Ben Bishop. That experience of playing Chicago last year can't be discounted, either. Now, I don't know the status of Steven Stamkos, but his return can only help. With Stamkos, they have the horses to score with Pittsburgh. Without him, I'm not sure Tampa Bay has enough. So, it'll be interesting to see what happens with Stamkos. The Lightning will monitor his situation closely, and if he can play, he'll play. And he needs to. Because I don't see Tampa Bay winning this series without him.
Out West, I think our perennial playoff chokers have both turned a corner. They were both absolutely dominant in Game 7 victories over Dallas and Nashville. The Blues' 6-1 win was made all the more impressive by the fact that they smacked the Stars around so completely in Dallas. They've beaten the defending champions and the top team in the conference in the first two rounds, and they came out of the tougher division. And they have home ice. There's reason to be optimistic that the Blues could make their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 46 years.
Except San Jose will definitely have something to say about that. One of the reasons watching the Sharks has been so frustrating in recent years is because everyone knows how much talent they have. It's finally coming together in the playoffs, and I don't see it stopping. The Sharks are just on such a roll right now. They're kind of like last year's Lightning. You knew they could make a run, you just weren't sure if they would. Well, they have. Will it result in the Stanley Cup's first visit to the Bay Area?
There are no division winners remaining, and the top seed in each conference was knocked out by the second-best team in the semifinals (more on that later, but you already know my feelings on the format). But I don't think there's any doubt that the four best teams are left. As for who will survive and play for the hardware, it really is a toss-up. I think we're in store for a pair of long series, and I can see both going either way.
As for my Finals prediction, I've got to go with the two hottest teams. And that's the Penguins and Sharks. Pittsburgh beats Tampa Bay in six, and San Jose wins a dramatic Game 7 in overtime in St. Louis.
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