The 2012 NHL Conference Finals are set. In the East, the New York Rangers will take on the New Jersey Devils and in the West, the Phoenix Coyotes will play the Los Angeles Kings. A quick look at the four teams remaining shows that strong goaltending has been critical to success in 2012. With that being said, let’s take a deeper look at how these teams got to the Conference Finals and see which teams will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals:
Eastern Conference
1] New York Rangers vs. 6] New Jersey Devils
Rangers:
In the first two rounds, the New York Rangers were pushed to the brink of elimination by the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators and the seventh-seeded Washington Capitals, but were able to advance both times by winning the decisive game seven by a score of 2-1. Through the first 14 games of the playoffs, the Rangers have played in 11 one-goal games, four of which were overtime games, including a triple overtime thriller against the Capitals. The Rangers are no stranger to close games, and this should come as little surprise since the Rangers are a defensive team that relies on timely goal-scoring and superb play from Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist has continued his strong play from the regular season, coming up with crucial saves in close games against some of the top forwards in the league, and the team has gotten timely goals from Brad Richards, especially in the last few games.
Devils:
In the first round, the Devils went to seven games with the Florida Panthers and were able to advance with a 3-2 double overtime win on the road. Then, the Devils dominated the Philadelphia Flyers and defeated their Atlantic Division rival in five games to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur was inconsistent in the first round and faced fewer shots through the second round, but still showed flashes of brilliance at times. The Devils play a defensive style of hockey and have shown the ability to capitalize on turnovers from their opponents. The team feeds off the energy and play of captain Zach Parise and will look to Ilya Kovalchuk to score goals. Head Coach Peter DeBoer has pushed all the right buttons and has gotten the most out of his players to this point in the playoffs.
Prediction: The New York Rangers know how to win close games and have a bit more talent than the New Jersey Devils. Rangers in 6 games.
Western Conference
3] Phoenix Coyotes vs. 8] Los Angeles Kings
Coyotes:
The Coyotes have simply found ways to win games in the first two rounds. After beating out the San Jose Sharks for the Pacific Division Title, the Coyotes earned home ice and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Then, the Coyotes took advantage of a Predators team that had players miss time due to off-the-ice issues. The Coyotes won the series in five games and goaltender Mike Smith played as well as, if not better than, Pekka Rinne. After a few non-impressive seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Smith has emerged as an elite goaltender in Phoenix (at least for this season) and is the main reason the Coyotes have been able to advance this far in the playoffs. The forwards in front of Smith have been successful because they play well defensively and do not make many mistakes. Veteran forward Antoine Vermette, who was acquired from Columbus before the trade deadline, has been the top goal scorer for the Coyotes and has provided offensive support for captain Shane Doan. The fans are excited in Phoenix and will provide a tough atmosphere for the Kings.
Kings:
To the surprise of many, the Kings have been the most consistent, and most dominating, team in the playoffs. After knocking off the Presidents’ Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks in five games, the Kings then swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, winning all four games by at least two goals. As is the case with the other three teams remaining in the playoffs, the Kings have been led by outstanding play in net and timely goal-scoring. Goaltender Jonathan Quick has the lowest goals against average (1.55) and the highest save percentage (.949) of any goaltender remaining. While the Kings could not score consistently during the regular season, various players, including captain Dustin Brown, have put the puck in the back of the net in the playoffs. Finally, it is important to note that the team plays very physical and wears down opponents by the end of the game.
Prediction: In a low-scoring match-up of strong goaltending, the Kings find any way they can to score and Jonathan Quick outplays Mike Smith. Kings in 6 games.
