The Stanley Cup Playoffs field is down to four teams. The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are duking it out in the West, while the Montreal Canadiens face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in what should be a fast-paced series in the East.
After beating the Buffalo Sabres in dramatic fashion, the Canadiens took on the top-seeded Hurricanes in the conference final. Montreal handed Carolina its first loss of the postseason in Game 1, winning 6-2 and ending the Canes' bid for a perfect 16-0 run.
Juraj Slafkovsky was terrific, recording two goals and one assist. Jakob Dobes, the 24-year-old goaltender, stood tall between the pipes once again.
Avalanche-Golden Knights Series Preview
The Colorado Avalanche have been arguably the best team in the league all season, and that has carried over to the playoffs. They swept the Kings in the first round before knocking out the Wild in the second round. Colorado closed out the Minnesota series with an astonishing three-goal comeback in Game 5.
The level of difficulty will ramp up for the Avs in the Western Conference Final, however, as they face the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas has closed out each of its first two opponents — the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks — in six games.
To beat the Avalanche, the Golden Knights will have to counter their depth as 17 different Colorado players have scored through just nine games.
Conference Finals Schedule
Eastern Conference Final: Carolina Hurricanes (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (3)
Western Conference Final: Colorado Avalanche (1) vs Vegas Golden Knights (1)