The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has officially come to a close, and the conference finals have been set. Before revealing my conference finals predictions, a brief overview of the second round: I thought the Capitals would put up more of a fight and possibly advance past the Hurricanes, but the end result of Carolina winning that series should not be super shocking considering that the Capitals have only made it past the second round once in the past several years. As for the Oilers-Golden nights series, I am most proud that the Golden Knights did not stand much of a chance and their season was ended by Edmonton in round two. Jets-Stars was a great series, and I am glad the the better and my preferred team in the Stars prevailed. I also feel for Mark Scheifele, whose dad unexpectedly passed away the day before his Jets were eliminated in Game 6. Lastly, the Panthers-Maple Leafs produced some fireworks, but I knew all along that it would result in the Leafs choking and the Panthers finding a way to advance once again.
We are also now at the point where there is just one game per day, increasing the stakes and importance of every game further. Per usual, as the rounds progress, I expect the intensity, physicality, and overall compete level to increase as well among all the remaining teams. More greatness and history are in store for the next two weeks, with every conference finals series appearing evenly-matched and having the potential to go the complete distance. Without further ado, here are my official conference finals predictions for this year with who I want to see advance to the Stanley Cup Final alongside each prediction:
Eastern Conference Final: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Prediction: Hurricanes in 7
Who I Want to Win: Hurricanes
Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
Prediction: Stars in 7
Who I Want to Win: Stars
In other news, the Sharks signed forward Yegor Afanasyev to a one-year contract worth $800,000. He was originally acquired by the Sharks last offseason in a trade that sent Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Predators and spent last season with CSKA Moskva of the KHL in Russia, collecting seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 53 games. He also recorded tow goals and two assists for four points in six postseason games. Both Afanasyev and CSKA Moskva have agreed to mutually terminate his KHL contract after this past season, and Afanasyev has a great chance to crack the Sharks roster in a bottom-six role heading into next season.
Source: Sharks + SAP Center App
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