Here are some of the Maven's thoughts heading into the Rangers Eastern Conference Final matchup against the Panthers.
1. My Rangers MVP over two series has to be Igor Shesterkin. The non-goalie Maven Wooden Medal is for Chris Kreider and I don't have to tell you why.
2. Still, the top prize had to be for Iggy's grand work in the Canes series. (The first round – vs. Washington – was more like a September exhibition game.)
3. In retrospect, I'm sorry Matt Rempe refused Tom Wilson's invitation to go a round or three. Everyone wanted to see it happen; with the possible exception of Peter Laviolette.
4. My Florida undercover agents report that "The Most Underrated" Panther is defenseman Gustav Forsling, a brilliant waiver pickup in 2020.
5. Apart from scoring the series-winner against Boston, the Swede is very tough to get around and "is great with the stick." Or, as coach Paul Maurice says, "Gus is best at breaking up plays."
6. Here's what one scout likes about the Rangers: "They have a core of very intelligent and good people." (Now guess which ones he named.)
7. His first choice was Maestro Mika Zibanejad, followed by Mister Hat Trick Chris Kreider; then The Breadman Panarin and – surprise, surprise! – Filip Chytil.
8. Ex-goalie Marty Biron – he's made it big as a TV analyst – says he likes the Rangers over the Panthers in all the following key areas: goaltending, defense and offense.
9. "However," cautions Biron, "there are 'X-Factors' that could change things and one of them could be Aleksander Barkov."
10. Those of us who gasped as the Rangers 3-0 lead in games dwindled to 3-2 know that the Panthers will exploit that stuff a heckuva lot better than Carolina.