NHL Conference Finals Preview: The Finals Nobody Saw Coming?

As the NHL firmly establishes itself into the month of May, the list of teams still competing was recently sliced in half as the Capitals, Rangers, Oilers, and Blues were all bounced from the playoffs reducing the number of teams from 8, to 4. The conference finals series set to take place feature the Pittsburgh Penguins battling the Ottawa Senators in the East, while in the West the Nashville Predators set to collide with the Anaheim Ducks. The 2017 NHL Playoffs have seen a pair of surprises reach this point of the season (Predators and Senators), but is this the end of the road for both of these clubs? Or will they be making an appearance in the NHL's pinnacle, The Stanley Cup Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals: Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Ottawa Senators, the team that won three of their final nine games before entering the playoffs now finds themselves four wins away from a Stanley Cup Final. It is crazy how much has changed in such short time for this Senators team. Despite making it to the Conference Finals, many do not believe the Senators are the real deal as they defeated the 7th and 5th best teams in the Eastern Conference to arrive where they are. On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the teams which boasted the 3rd and 1st best records in the Eastern Conference. Forget all of that however, because the Ottawa Senators coming into this series hold an X-Factor: Goaltending. While the play of Marc-Andre Fleury has been admirable these playoffs, he will be taking a backseat to Craig Anderson when discussing the best goaltender in this series. Craig Anderson has been everything for the Ottawa Senators this post-season keeping them in games they have had no business being in and seemingly always coming up with a big save when needed. The numbers may not fully back it up, but the eye test from what I have seen has told me a completely different story. Sure Pittsburgh rocks a better offensive group with Crosby, Guentzel, Kessel, and the playoffs best player in Evgeni Malkin all performing well, but I think Ottawa's advantage in the defensive and goaltending department will be what puts them over the edge, and what vaults them to their first Stanley Cup appearance since 2007.

My Prediction: Ottawa Senators defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 Games.

Western Conference Finals: Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks

You want to get noticed in the playoffs? Becoming the first team in North American sports history to sweep the 1 seed as an 8 seed is a pretty good way to go about it and that is exactly what the Nashville Predators did in round one bouncing the class of the Western Conference out with four straight wins. The reason Nashville has been so successful comes with the fact that the Nashville Predators are the most complete team in the NHL Playoffs. Looking up and down the offensive lineup for the Predators, they possess weapons such as: James Neal, Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan Johansen just to name a few. Defensively there is no shortage of talent with names like P.K Subban, Roman Josi, and playoff breakout Ryan Ellis who have been admirable in both ends of the ice and have made life easier for a man who is already a standout goaltender, the playoffs best in Pekka Rinne. The Anaheim Ducks come into this series, and in my opinion, they will falter due to the minimal rest time they have had between series. Taking a look at the birth certificates, you can tell the Ducks roster features players a little longer in the tooth than the Predators with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Andrew Cogliano, and Ryan Kesler. I also believe the Ducks defense is weaker than the Predators, and if Bieksa does return for Anaheim I would be shocked if he was 100%. The Ducks walk into this series with the 3rd worst powerplay of the playoffs, and the 2nd worst penalty kill. While the special teams are not pretty, neither has the play of John Gibson been in the playoffs. Gibson to me has been the Western Conference's version of Braden Holtby, however Gibson has been lucky enough with support to get into the Conference Finals. While a big goalie, Gibson has been anything but impressive. With that in mind, I believe the Nashville Predators will represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

My Prediction: Nashville Predators defeat the Anaheim Ducks in 5 Games.

When this round is all said and done, it is the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators I see clashing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Could you imagine the reception for Mike Fisher in Ottawa (Yowza!). I could guarantee, if you were to poll one hundred hockey pundits before the playoffs began, not one of them would have pinned the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators in the Conference Finals, and that is what makes the Stanley Cup Finals so compelling, it truly is unpredictable.