Cup Chasers
Conference finals and other shenanigans.
As a preface, all information regarding this post has been written prior to the outcome of the Colorado Avalanche @ Vegas Golden Knights Game 4 (24 May, 2026 @ 9:00 pm EST). Any changes past that time are for grammatical reasons (because Grammarly is passive-aggressively telling me to edit with all its red and yellow lines).
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Because ye good ole Dallas Stars have thus been eliminated from playoff contention (I know, sad times indeed), I have decided to make a “state your case” for the Stanley Cup Final. With four teams left chasing glory, I want to take a moment to look at what the pros and cons are in eaches ability to win their conference.
Eastern Conference:
The Carolina Hurricanes —
The Carolina Hurricanes have so much good going for them right now, it’s impossible not to consider them a contender. Stellar goaltending in Freddie Anderson, depth scoring in Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, and top-tier coaching in Rod Brind’amour. They have been easily one of the best, if not THE best team this postseason, going undefeated with a whopping 8–0 record. While there are a lot of good things to see in Carolina right now, I believe that the fact that they are currently 8–0 may be an issue for them. They haven’t lost a game yet. They don’t know what it’s like to lose. With the outcome of Monday’s game, they will be playing a cup-hungry team, spearheaded by young guns, that has fought and clawed its way out of two long playoff series. The Montreal Canadiens have, thus far, kicked and bit their way out of a game 7 the past two rounds. They will be facing a team whose offense could come from anywhere — fourth lines, defensemen, the works. Possibly Carolina’s biggest issue is their lack of all-around scoring, most notably, the lack of scoring from Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. Being faced with one of the most stellar goaltending in Jakub Dobeš will require more out of the Hurricanes than just Stankoven, Blake, and Hall.
The Montreal Canadiens —
The Montreal Canadiens have been my underdog team for this season’s playoffs. They have held true thus far. With their early exit last postseason, not many people had confidence that they would make past the first round, let alone get to the conference finals. There were mixed opinions on whether or not the Canadiens would take Tampa. (I believe! Check my bracket!) (Wait, don’t because I don’t feel like being shamed for picking the Stars to win.) They did, and they also took Buffalo, even though the odds were in the Sabres' favor. What makes this team stand out and gives them the ability to beat two teams as good as Buffalo and Tampa? For Montreal, that has to be their depth scoring. The Canadiens have had top goal scorers — and point scorers — throughout the regular season in their top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovský. While that line hasn’t been producing as much during the postseason, it has still been producing. Add in guys like Alex Newhook, Alexandre Texier, and Ivan Demidov, and you’ve got a well-rounded team with the ability to create offense from just about anywhere. Their issue comes from their goaltending. While Jakub Dobeš has been a great asset to the Canadiens, he has also been a bit of a liability. His inconsistent performance has been what has led the team to play fourteen games already — the most this postseason. Yes, the Canadiens can fight — their high scoring games are proof of that — but Dobeš needs to be near perfect if they have any hopes of getting past Carolina — and Freddie Anderson.
Western Conference:
The Colorado Avalanche —
Let’s face it, even delusional Stars fans like myself know that if the Stars had made it to the second round, they weren’t getting past Colorado. They were way too good in the regular season to have a short-lived exit. For some teams, it does go like that. They put up the most stellar regular season performance, then tank in the playoffs. Colorado isn’t one of those teams. They give as good as they get. Late additions like Nazem Kadri and Nicholas Roy have proven beneficial to the Avs, providing them with depth scoring and a more active Power Play. The Avalanche have, in fact, been so successful, it’s tough to find a fault in their lineup — but find one I did. The Avalanche lean very heavily on defense in their top pairing of Cale Makar and Devon Toews. With Makar being out of the lineup for Game 1 against Vegas, the tone will be set, proving whether or not Colorado crumbles without their Norris-winning defenseman, Cale Makar. Obviously, I may or may not be proven wrong in this assumption by the time I get this post out. But the Avs have allowed six goals in a single game. Without Makar in front of Scott Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood, will the Avs crumple? They are up against the most recent team from the Western Conference to win the Stanley Cup. They are up against stellar defenseman Rasmus Andersson and a top scorer in Jack Eichel. They are up against Mitch Marner, who is determined to prove something everyone already knows — he is good enough to win the Stanley Cup.
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The Vegas Golden Knights —
I’ll admit, the Knights snuck up on me. Ironic, considering they were the Pacific division half of the Western Conference Final in my playoff bracket. My skepticism definitely stemmed from the out-of-the-blue firing of Bruce Cassidy late in the season, but since the Olympic break, it feels like Vegas just keeps doing the right things. John Tortorella coming in may have caused some sideways glances, but his coaching of the Knights thus far has been impeccable, and he has quieted the critics. The Knights are a great cup-contending team because of their roster. They have a mix of veterans — like Mark Stone — and young guns — like Brett Howden. Also, like previously mentioned, the Knights are the last Western Conference team to have won the Stanley Cup. The Knights, of each of the remaining teams, are the most well-rounded. Their Power Play is solid, and they have a very strong offense with the ability for any player to score from anywhere. Their issue comes from their special skill of blowing a seemingly guaranteed win. Against a team like Colorado, who clawed their way back from a 3-0 deficit to eliminate Minnesota, the need to hold on to a lead will be crucial if the Knights want any shot at the Cup.
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X-Factors: Each team has the ability to get to the cup, but it takes a special factor to propel the team forward. I have selected a player from each team that I think will give their team the extra momentum needed to swing themselves into the Cup Final.
The Carolina Hurricanes —
The Hurricanes have been good. Freddie Anderson has been good, but in a match-up between two of the best goalies in the league, in Anderson and Dobeš, someone, not a goaltender, will have to break the silence. For the Hurricanes, that is none other than Nikolaj Ehlers. Coming over in the offseason, Ehlers has been a wonderful fit for the Hurricanes, putting up the most points in a single season of his career (71 P, 26 G, 35 A). After spending his whole career in Winnipeg, the trade had me wondering if he was a good fit, but he showed up in Carolina, and, well, color me impressed. While he does not have as many points this playoffs as people may assume a man of his stature should have, he’s come in clutch for many specific moments — most notably, his Eastern Conference Final Game 2 overtime winner that gave the Canes the momentum to take the lead in the series.
The Montreal Canadiens —
As I said, even though Jakub Dobeš has been a standout, stand-on-his-head addition to the Canadiens, the outcome of this series is going to be determined by a factor outside of goaltending. For the Canadiens, I think that factor is found in Alex Newhook. Newhook had been a staple through the first two rounds for the Canadiens, notably scoring the OT winner in Game 7 of the second round. While he has definitely quieted this round, I bet he still has more brewing, and can bring the boost the Canadiens need to holster themselves into the Cup Final.
The Colorado Avalanche —
Even with the Avalanche floundering in this Conference Final, they are still good enough to dig themselves out of a hole. The issue is that their X-Factor player is injured. Cale Makar has not made much noise in his place in the lineup, but his absence from it has spoken volumes about the team and their inability to collect themselves without their top defenseman. Wedgewood, who had been a stellar goaltender throughout the first two rounds, seems choked without Makar in front of him. Makar runs the Power Play, he runs the Penalty Kill, he runs it all, and it’s all been floundering in his absence. Even with Makar back in the lineup, the team still isn’t cohesive because he is obviously playing while still injured.
The Vegas Golden Knights —
Up and down the Knights’ lineup, there is talent to spare. Additions like Rasmus Andersson and Mitch Marner have really added a boost to the Knights’ Stanley Cup chances. You could put a finger on any of the Knights’ players and call him their X-Factor, but my choice is unanimous — you know, among myself. Carter Hart. Yeah, I know. A lot has happened these past few years regarding Hart, Hockey Canada, and then backlash for Vegas signing him. If you don’t know the story, well, it’s not mine to tell. The point is, Hart has exceeded any and all expectations placed on him. He has been the reason the Knights have made it this far. Having prior experience with John Tortorella’s coaching style (Tortorella coached Hart from 2022–2025 with the Flyers), Hart has been excelling under his second chance to receive coaching from him. The young goaltender has reaped astronomical results for the . With so many star players who have the ability to score, the real power is going to be having the ability to stop Colorado from scoring, from gaining any sort of lead. Hart has the ability to do that.
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It will be exciting to see how this plays out, especially since we don’t have the possibility of an Oilers Panthers Final this year.
:)
