I think Colorado would beat the Rangers. Shesterkin would have to play in "God mode" to give them a chance at the upset. Tampa (IMHO) would have a better shot. My guess is whoever wins tonight's game 4 will win the East.
That is an interesting take. To me, the Colorado Avalanche are the far superior team in the NHL this year. No one is really even close. It would be a pretty big upset if the Rangers or Lightning beat them in the Cup Final.
Igor is at a .930 SV%. This would rank him top 3 all time for postseason play. How much more "god mode" does he need to go? lol https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/records/nhl-goalies-all-time-playoff-save-percentage-leaders.html 20 Games min. Igor is at 18.
17 goals saved above expected for Igor this playoff and has 50 more saves made in the inner slot than 2nd. He’s easily the Conn Smythe is the Rangers win the Cup and isn’t even fucking close. For some extra perspective, Vasilevskiy is has saved 8 goals above expected.
I think Colorado would skate circles around the Rangers defense. That is the weakest part of their team even though Fox is very good. Shesterkin except for games 3 and 4 at Pitt has been outstanding. Against the Avs he would be under constant pressure IMHO. The Rangers would also get their chances against Colorado but I just think the better team would ultimately win and that is the Avs. This is assuming the Rangers get by Tampa.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the Rangers defense is the same as the Oilers, how many of the goals Smith let in are likely saved by Shesterkin? I’d say half, which puts the Avalanche scoring at about 3 per game as a best case scenario. And if Shesterkin and the defense is even better? I think the Rangers can get 3-4 goals on the Avs.
They are definitely a great team, but they aren’t as dominant a playoff team as their record indicates IMO. They can be shut down by strong goaltending and that’s what they are going to face in the finals.
On the flip side I think the Oilers have a better offense even though the Rangers also have a good offense. It's just that McDavid is on a different level than everybody else. I think this is the Avs Cup to lose. Also isn't Kuemper close to returning? Shesterkin is better but the Avs getting their starting goalie back would be huge for them
The Oilers offense is pretty top heavy; McDavid is the best player since Gretzky and Lemieux, and Draisaitl is a great scorer made more dangerous being paired with McDavid, but I think the Rangers (or Lightning) can score and generate offense from more players. but, ultimately, if the Rangers are going to beat them it will be because of Shesterkin holding them to 2-3 goals per game.
I get what you mean, especially since the Western Conference really hasn't even played true playoff hockey. It has been wide open and crazy. High scoring. Kinda ridiculous. The Lightning and the Rangers really have been playing playoff hockey and have had strong goaltending. On the other hand, whoever wins the East could be exhausted and beat up. Colorado will be as fresh as any team could possibly be come Stanley Cup Final time.
If this goes 7 games then the Avs would be sitting for almost two weeks. I believe they said 12 days until they play again. That could work against the Avs.
The Finals will either start the 15th if the Rangers win in 5 and will definitely start on the 18th if it goes 7; what happens if it goes 6 hasn’t been stated yet. Either way, IMO, you want to keep playing with momentum and 8 days off is a burden and 11 days off a disaster. But maybe the Avs are better than I give them credit for and won’t be affected.
Yeah, I am sure they would prefer Game 1 to be tomorrow, but that's life. I look at it as a good thing. Less wear and tear, while your opponent is playing extra games, taking extra hits, etc. When the puck drops Game 1, you have no excuse to not play your best. It's for the Stanley Cup. Pretty sure Colorado will have home ice too. They'll be ready to roll, and if they lose, I would not blame the layoff.
I thought that, because how much hockey they’ve played the last few years, the long break would be to Tampa’s advantage; I was clearly wrong. If Colorado comes out the same in game 1 and loses, and loses the series in 7, the break could certainly be the biggest factor in their losing. But that’s all hypothetical at this point.
I think the Rangers need to get my Tampa Bay first. That's not a given and I'm a Rangers fan. I think the Rangers are going to be even better next year. This could be the year where they just fall short but it sets them up for a big run next year. They are so young and I believe they have the best goaltender in the league. It's a good time to be a Rangers fan.
Most definitely!! I'm super nervous about tonights game and not thinking ahead at whatsoever. Only hopped in here or even brought up the Rangers was because someone said Igor needed to play even better if they went up vs the Avs and just wasn't sure how much better he could even get lmao
After watching game 4 I have come to one conclusion. The city of Denver may now begin preparations for that Stanley Cup parade.
