LORD STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS- WESTERN CONF. PART III
Gary Norris Gray-BASN Staff Reporter
WEST-
Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken- Colorado in seven
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild- Dallas in seven
Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets- LasVegas in seven
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings- Edmonton in seven
There are four teams that battled the complete season with the separation of 11 points at the end of the year. Very little sepreation between these teams and the playoffs will prove this. Picking all four series to go seven games.
Las Vegas Knights- This team is doing it with smoke and mirrors with the owners imposing a salary cap and the multiple injuries, still won the Western Conference. This team is also wearing the new mustard gold uniforms this year so that might help too. The Knights do not have to worry their goalies with Jonathan Quick backing up Logan Thompson. The forwards Jonathan Marchessault-Jack Echel line has to continue to produce to reach the Finals. The Golden Knights now have the experience of the playoffs so should play better this year.
Los Angeles Kings- The Kings have reorganized their team for the future while keeping few veterans. Will the Kings get over the loss of veteran goalie Jonathan Quick to rival Las Vegas. Goalies Pheonix Copley and Joonas Korpisalo needs to step up in net or the Kings will be out after the first round. Veterans forwards Anze Kopitar, Andrian Kempe, and defensemen Drew Doughty and Alexander Edler have to carry this Southern California team. Kings weakness is the penalty kill teams near the bottom of the league. Players cannot be setting in the sin bin against Edmonton and win. This is a bad combination for Los Angeles as the Oilers have the best power play team in the west. This could be pin ball wizard on ice.
Edmonton Oilers- The Oilers have the best power play in the west and also the best scoring team in the west. The Oilers also have the two best Black players in the west, defensemen Darnell Nurse and winger-Evander Kane. Edmonton will go as centers- Leon Draisaitl and Conner McDavid take them and have to produce in order for them to move on to second round. This is their ninth year in the great northwest and this was their best plus-minus season with Oilers. They also don’t have to worry about their Alberta sister city Calgary who did not make the playoffs this year.
Dallas Stars- The Stars are trying to copy Edmonton with their neon light green and black uniform. Please Edmonton and Dallas put that uniform away. The Stars lost the Central Division to the Colorado Avalanche on the last day of the season. Do not like their goaltending crew of Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood not strong when they get swarmed in the net. The San Jose Sharks gave them a great player in forward Joe Pavelski and the sparkplug of Dallas offense. Love defensemen Ryan Suter and Colin Miller. Watch forward Jamie Benn.
Winnipeg Jets- This could be the surprise Canadian team, the Canadian team that could finally bring the Cup North. The Jets could slip by everybody with their style on the ice. The fast pace Jets will fly past teams with their pushing the puck past blue line. Its the New Jersey Devils on steroids in Canada. Winger Blake Wheeler and the Power Play team can carry this team. Wingers David Gustasson, Kyle Conner, and Nino Niederreiter must score to help Jets move on to second round. Still question the goalie que with Connor Hellebuyck, David Rittich and Oskari Salminen.
Minnesota Wild- The Wild are one of the best defenses in the west.. But they have to make decision at the goalie position with the young Flip Gustavsson and the veteran Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury leaves too many rebounds around net and could cost Wild in close game. Forward Goal Brother Ryan Reaves stabilizes the second line while the first line of Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, and Marcus Johansson have to produce against Dallas while slowing down Stars grind line. Love the defensemen Matt Dumba and Jake Middleton.
Colorado Avalanche- This team does not get the respect it deserves winning 51 games and winning the Central Division on the last day of the season, still no respect. The Aves are going to have to prove it on the ice.
Forwards Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon have to carry Colorado to the second round.
Goalie Alexander Georgiev will be the last line of defense they have a decent power play team but they will have to improve in the playoffs.
Aves are the unknown power in the west and being in Denver people forget about them until they step on the ice.
Seattle Kraken- Do not know this team just like the 2017 Las Vegas Golden Knights, unknown quality team. It takes awhile to see an expansion team and being in the Northwest the Kraken have deal with the east coast bias too. The Kraken are taking the lesions from the Golden Knights and not falling into the same traps.
Seattle has a very potent offense but terrible defense so they are fighting themselves in winning 54 games this year. The Kraken can be hot and cold so next year they have to stabilized the rollercoaster ride.
Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer will be the last line of defense in the nets. Jarrad McCann is the Iron man for this team and must shine if Seattle plans to move on too second round.
Gary Norris Gray – Writer, Author, Historian. Gibbs Magazine-Oakland, California and New England Informer- Boston Mass. THE GRAYLINE:- The Analects of A Black Disabled Man, The Gray Leopard Cove, Soul Tree Radio In The Raw, and The Batchelor Pad News Network Disabled Community Activist. Email at
glcgray@gmail.com
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