Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars will take place on Sunday (8:00 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS) at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Golden Knights and Stars each won game 7 in the second round.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders are the only two teams in the playoffs this year to travel from one turntable to another to play. They are moving from Toronto, where they have been since July 27th, to Edmonton to play the Eastern Conference finals. Game 1 between Lightning and Islanders takes place on Monday (8:00 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS) at Rogers Place.
Here are five storylines that you should see at the beginning of the conference finale:
Goalkeeper in the west
It seems easy to predict now Robin Lehner will start in the gate for the Golden Knights opposite Anton Khudobin for the stars. Everyone was online for most of the second round, including their team’s game 7 win.
It won’t stop the goalkeepers from being one of the biggest storylines in the western final.
The only certainty is that as long as he stays healthy, Khudobin will be the star goalkeeper, unless Ben Bishop is playable.
Bishop was unable to play 10 of the last 11 games. He started Game 5 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, allowed four goals in 19 shots and was relieved by Khudobin in less than 14 minutes in the first half. He was unable to play Games 6 and 7.
Khudobin is 8-5-0 with 2.94 goals against the average and a saving of 0.909 percent. It’s not clear if Bishop will be an option for the stars on this series, but if so, coach Rick Bowness has already shown he is ready to go to him as he is considered Dallas’ # 1 goalkeeper.
Lehner has clearly become the number 1 of Vegas trainer Peter DeBoer Marc-Andre Fleurybut that doesn’t mean a loss in Game 1 would stop the question of who will start Game 2 for the Golden Knights.
Lehner started games 6 and 7 of the second round against the Vancouver Canucks, which were in a row, and scored a 14 save shutout in game 7. He’s 8-4-0 with an GAA of 1.99 and a save of 0.918 percentage and three outages in the postseason.
Fleury is 3-0-0 with a GAA of 2.67 and a savings of 0.893 percent.
Video: VAN @ VGK, Gm7: Lehner dives to rob Boeser
Dismissal, reaction
The Lightning haven’t played since Monday when they beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 in extra time in Game 5 of the second round. It’s the longest break a team has had in the playoffs.
“It’s difficult to repeat the intensity of the previous two series,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “You definitely won’t do that in practice.”
There are several possible positive aspects to free time for lightning.
They played nine overtime hours in the first two rounds for a total of 134:29, and although they played 10 games to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets and Bruins, they played more than 12 games based on minutes.
Nikita Kucherov was injured in Game 5 against Boston. The striker is back in training and could be ready for Game 1.
It is possible that center Steven Stamkoswho skipped the postseason due to a lower body injury could also return.
Video: BOS @ TBL, Gm5: Hedman sends Tampa to ECF with 2OT target
Heiskanen’s historic advance
Miro Heiskanen brings an eight-point streak to the conference finals, the longest by a Stars / Minnesota North Stars defender in playoff history. He has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) during the series.
Heiskanen has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 16 games. Only seven defenders in NHL history scored 20 points in fewer postseason games than Heiskanen: Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers, 12 games in 1985; Bobby Orr, Bruins, 13 games in 1972; Brian Leetch, New York Rangers, 15 games in 1994; Ray Bourque, Bruins, 15 games in 1991; Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames, 15 games in 1989; Denis Potvin, Islanders, 15 games in 1981; and Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens, 15 games in 1978.
They are all in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“He is special,” said DeBoer about Heiskanen. “(Assistant) Steve Spott and I met our old captain (with the San Jose Sharks) Joe Pavelski a few times here in the bubble. What Joe says about him as a player and as a person carries the most weight. He says this kid is a superstar and you can see that on the ice. “
Video: DAL @ COL, Gm5: Heiskanen wired Home Wrister for PPG
Islanders drought, goalkeeper
The islanders are in the conference finals for the first time since 1993, the longest drought of all four teams still playing. You are trying to reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1984.
“The fan base is passionate and always talks about the (four successive cup wins) in the 80s, the teams, the guys who won the trophies there,” says the center of the islanders Brock Nelson said. “You can see how much that means to them, to the community. These guys are heroes. Everyone in the room is eager to be a part of this story now and to write our own little chapter.”
It is likely that the islanders will need both goalkeepers to get eight more wins, however Thomas Greiss Perhaps he earned his start in Game 1 against Blitz with his 16-save shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers in a 4-0 win in Game 7 of the second round on Saturday.
Greiss started because Semyon Varlamov lost the last two games, allowing nine goals in 63 shots in two consecutive overtime losses. However, it was Greiss’ second start in the playoffs.
Varlamov started 14 games in the postseason, 9-4 with a GAA of 2.00, a saving of 0.921 percent and two exclusions.
“You try to ride the hot guy for as long as you can and then you move on to the next guy,” said Islanders trainer Barry Spy. We’ll see how it goes now. “
Video: NYI @ PHI, Gm7: Greiss sends Isles to ECF with shutout
Replacement buses for the off-season
A substitute mid-season coach has led a team to a Stanley Cup championship four times since 2009 (Craig Berube, St. Louis Blues, 2019; Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016; Darryl Sutter, Los Angeles Kings, 2014; Dan Bylsma, Penguins , 2009).
Bowness and DeBoer try to earn the chance.
Bowness became a Dallas coach on December 10, when former coach Jim Montgomery was fired for unspecified unprofessional conduct. DeBoer became the Vegas coach on January 15 when Gerard Gallant was fired because the Golden Knights didn’t live up to expectations.
It is Bowness’ second conference final as coach, the first in 28 years (1992 Wales Conference Final with Bruins).
DeBoer is training in his third conference final, having made the Stanley Cup final with the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and the Sharks in 2016. Each team lost the cup final in six games.
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