Slapshots - Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017: Conference Finals Edition

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

This year’s Western and Eastern Conference Finals are set and are eerily similar as far as storylines go. Each series features a relatively new team lacking tons of playoff history, with the Ottawa Senators making it to the Conference Finals for just the third time in franchise history and the Nashville Predators making it for the first time ever. A Stanley Cup Finals berth would be huge for either club, as both look to hoist the trophy for the first time.
 
In the other corners are the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins, two experienced and powerful avian teams coming off game seven victories. The Ducks, who had been eliminated for four years straight in every series that went seven games, finally exorcized their “game seven” demons with a win against the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins, on the other hand, prevented the exorcist from visiting the possessed Washington Capitals who suffered another playoff collapse following an impressive season. The Pens hope to become the first back-to-back champs since the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings. The Ducks last won it all in 2007. 

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WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
(Season Series: Anaheim 2-1, w/ one OT win)

While the Ducks were going the distance with the Oilers, the Predators were done with their series and resting up. Anaheim will take the ice for game one on less than 48 hours rest, having just finished their second round on Wednesday. The Preds come into this series with a few days of extra rest and will look to jump on the banged up Ducks early to steal a road win.
 
Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf is on a tear, second in playoff scoring (eight goals) and third in playoff points (15 points). Winger Jakob Silfverberg isn’t far behind with seven goals of his own. That offense, along with an impressive top couple of defensive lines, could make the Ducks a contender, as long as young goalie John Gibson can hold his own.
 
Nashville will hope that goalie Pekka Rinne hasn’t cooled down. With Nashville’s deservedly vaunted defense, that shouldn’t be too much of a worry; the team has done a great job in minimizing shots against throughout the playoffs. Despite entering the playoffs as the West’s eight-seed, the Predators have been the most dominant team, cruising to the Conference Finals in just 10 games, fewer than any other team.
 
Series Pick: Nashville Predators in 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Pittsburgh Penguins v. Ottawa Senators
Season Series: Ottawa 2-1, w/ one OT win)

These two strong Eastern Conference teams should come together for a highly exciting matchup. The Senators took the Bruins and Rangers out in six impressive games each.  The march of the Penguins to the Eastern Conference Finals hit some snags as the well-matched Washington Capitals rallied, but Pittsburgh has begun to look like the Cup winners of last year.
 
I owe a fair number of apologies to the Ottawa Senators (insert joke about Canadians stereotypically saying “sorry” here). I thought the Senators were the most flawed team in the entire playoff bracket and I picked against them in both the first and second round. With plenty of goals from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and with Erik Karlsson finding everyone’s stick with assists, Ottawa has shown that they belong. Things will get a bit tougher this next round as they take on a higher-seeded opponent for the first time, but they have the talent to at least make it a series.
 
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a very powerful, high scoring, finely-tuned athletic machine. They’ve overcome key injuries (like…I don’t know…to their starting goalie) and put themselves in a position to repeat. The Pens are dominating the offensive stat sheets, with Evgeni Malkin leading the playoffs in assists (13) and points (18), and with Jake Guentzel leading in goals (9). They’ve also got some guy named Sidney Crosby sitting fifth in points (14) and fourth in assists (10). With so much production coming from all around their lineup, Pittsburgh is hard to stop.
 
Series Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins in 6