The Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers and Florida Panthers are all looking for a spot in the Stanley Cup final. Adam Proteau predicts which two teams will make it.

The NHL’s conference finals are now set, so it's predictions time once again.

The Edmonton Oilers take on the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference, and the Florida Panthers battle the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference. 

This writer had a solid showing with his second-round predictions, going 3-1 to bump up his post-season predictions results to 8-4.

Who will win their respective conference final and make it to the Stanley Cup final? Let’s break things down below and make two more predictions:

New York Rangers (M1) vs. Florida Panthers (A1)

Why the Rangers could win: The Rangers had a much tougher go of it in their second-round series win over the Carolina Hurricanes, needing six games to send the Hurricanes home for the summer. 

The Blueshirts took out the Washington Capitals in four games in Round 1. In both series, the Rangers demonstrated why they were the NHL’s best regular-season team, overwhelming opponents with a high-energy attack on offense and leaning on the superstar talents of goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

With due respect to Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, Shesterkin is the better goalie in the Eastern final, and the Rangers’ depth is at least equal to Florida’s.

The Panthers looked great in eliminating Tampa Bay and Boston, but neither of those teams has the skill, speed and all-around talent the Rangers have. The Blueshirts are a well-coached group that can dig itself out of a hole, and they’re rightfully confident in their chances to win their first Cup in three decades.

Why the Panthers could win: For the second straight post-season, the Panthers have been a dominant bunch, making it to their second consecutive Eastern final. And once again, their punishing, slick offense and stifling defense have led them to victory. 

Only once in their second-round series against Boston did Florida allow the Bruins to score more than two goals, and in two games, Florida generated six goals. That team can beat you any way you want to play, and the Panthers are now tasked with limiting the Rangers’ high-octane attack and solving Shesterkin in a way the Capitals and Hurricanes couldn’t.

Florida also is a well-coached squad, and Paul Maurice will have the Panthers motivated to get to the Cup final and win it all from there. 

If they do eliminate the Rangers, Florida will be the Cup favorite in the minds of many, and they’ve earned that designation. The first Cup in franchise history is only eight wins away, and the Panthers can smell blood in the water. They will win games in this series, and the only question is whether they win three or four.

Who is going to win: Rangers, in seven games

As we said before the second round, the Rangers were our selection to win the East, and we still feel the same way today. 

With Shesterkin and captain Chris Kreider leading the way, the Blueshirts are the class of the East. While it won’t be easy to eliminate Florida, the Rangers have what it takes to outlast the Panthers and make it to the Cup final for the first time in 10 years.

The Rangers have very few flaws, and their core talent is hungry and determined to improve. Although the Panthers will probably push the series to its limit, the Rangers are the better team on paper and on the ice.

Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2)

Why the Stars could win: The Dallas Stars were this writer's pre-season pick to win the Cup, and we’re still feeling very good about that choice. 

The Stars wobble at times, and they do bend but never break. 

Knocking off the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche is no small feat, but the Stars did that this spring, and they’ve now got home-ice advantage over an Oilers team that narrowly avoided elimination in the second round. They may need that advantage, but there’s so much to like about the Stars that it’s clear they deserve to be the favorite against Edmonton.

Dallas has the better goalie in the series in Jake Oettinger, and Edmonton had to make guessing-game decisions with their netminding against Vancouver in Round 2. 

The Stars’ defense is better than the Oilers’, and their forwards are at least as good as Edmonton’s. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the best skaters in the series, but Dallas also has its share of terrific individuals. Their performance against Vegas and Colorado demonstrated how well-balanced the team is, and Edmonton will have its hands full against them in the West final.

Why the Oilers could win: The Oilers had to win the final two games against Vancouver to stay alive, and they deserve credit for their tenacity in doing so. 

McDavid and Draisaitl haven’t been highlight-reel machines the way they were in the regular season, but they still contributed in both playoff rounds this season. The Stars also have their flaws, and if Edmonton puts pressure on Oettinger, they can shock people and put Dallas on its heels.

The Oilers are back in the conference final for the second time in the past three seasons, and they looked good in the first two rounds of the 2021-22 post-season before the Avalanche swept them. We’re definitely not suggesting the Stars will roll over them in short order, but Edmonton deserves to be the underdog in this showdown. That said, anything can happen in the playoffs, and the Oilers might outlast Dallas in a seven-game series.

Who is going to win: Stars, in six games

Dallas is a team brilliantly constructed by GM Jim Nill, and they’ve got a slew of veterans and youngsters – Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen and numerous others – who can be difference-makers against any opponent. 

So long as Oettinger gives them a save percentage of .900 or better, they will produce enough offense to win games against the Oilers.

Dallas wasn’t everyone’s pre-season pick to win it all, but they were our pick, and we’re sticking with them. The Stars have the experience and vigor to win this round, and we expect nothing less than another impressive performance from them against the Oilers. 

It may take Dallas seven games to eliminate Edmonton, but getting that task done could take less than that. The Stars are just that good, and they should be the West’s representative in the Cup final for the second time in the past five years.

Which teams do you think will make the final? Let us know in our forum by clicking here.

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