Four teams remain in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes have dominated with consecutive sweeps, while the Avalanche have been nearly as impressive going 8-1. Now, the Canadiens and Golden Knights must knock off the favorites to reach the Final.
Eastern Conference Final
(1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) Montreal Canadiens
Nivison's Prediction
Can the Canadiens do what no team has been able to do in these playoffs — win against the Hurricanes? Carolina has rolled to an 8-0 start with an 11-day layoff between postseason games.
The Canadiens bring different challenges than Ottawa or Philadelphia. Cole Caufield scored 51 goals, Nick Suzuki topped 101 points, and Lane Hutson tallied 78 points from the blue line. The Montreal power play operates at 25.0% in the playoffs.
Crucially, Carolina's top line of Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov has just four five-on-five points. Meanwhile, Caufield, Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky have five. Both teams' bottom lines have contributed significantly.
The Hurricanes are rested and well-prepared under Rod Brind'Amour. Their defense has been stout, allowing just 10 goals in eight games.
Pick: Hurricanes defeat Canadiens 4-2
Baumgartner's Prediction
The Carolina Hurricanes remain unbeaten this postseason after sweeping Ottawa and Philadelphia. This marks their third Eastern Conference Final in four seasons.
Taylor Hall (3 goals, 9 assists), Jackson Blake (4 goals, 7 assists) and Logan Stankoven (7 goals, 1 assist) form one of the most productive lines in these playoffs.
Frederik Andersen leads the NHL with a 1.12 goals-against-average and .950 save percentage. His dominance has been the cornerstone of Carolina's run.
With 11 days between series, the Hurricanes will be fresh and prepared for Montreal.
Pick: Hurricanes in 5
Western Conference Final
(2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (4) Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights advanced by winning each of their two series in six games. They now face the heavy Stanley Cup favorites in Colorado, who went 8-1 to reach the conference finals.
Check back for detailed predictions on this matchup.