By WAYNE REDSHAW
It’s been a longtime since a Canadian-based team won the Stanley Cup. In fact, the last time a Canadian squad drank bubbly from the Cup was 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Coincidently, that was the same year that Gary Bettman became the Commissioner of the National Hockey League.
Since then the Cup has been owned by American-based teams. Five times, a Canadian team qualified for the finals but finished on the losing side of the ledger. Twice, the Vancouver Canucks made it to the finals losing in seven games both times, first to the New York Rangers in 1994 and then to the Boston Bruins in 2011.
Calgary Flames made it to the finals in 2004 only to lose to Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The others were the Ottawa Senators, who lost in five games in 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks and the Montreal Canadiens who bowed out to Tampa Bay in five games in 2021.
With the playoffs just underway hockey buffs are wondering can a Canadian team finally end the lengthy Cup drought? There are four Canadian teams who qualified for playoffs — the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference and the Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference.
Of course, before the finals there are three rounds to be played. Here in Part Two are my fearless predictions on the four opening rounds of Western Conference playoffs.
Golden Knights vs Stars.
The defending Cup champs the Vegas Golden Knights finished in the second wild card spot in the West so they they have drawn the top seed in the Dallas Stars. Last year Vegas advanced to the finals by disposing of the Stars in six games in the Conference final.
I feel the Stars are vastly improved over last year so they should dethrone the champions. They have great depth and quality goaltending, especially with Jake Oettinger. Offensively, the Stars are loaded with Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski who can deliver.
The Golden Knights were hard hit with injuries this season and it showed on the ice. Captain Mark Stone missed the final 26 games because of a lacerated spleen. He’s skating but whether he’s 100% for this series is questionable. And the Knights encountered other injury woes with Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo all missing from the lineup during the season.
Besides the injuries, I am not impressed with the Vegas goaltending duo Logan Thompson and Adin Hill.
Prediction: Stars in five games
Avalanche vs Jets
The Colorado Avalanche slumped down the homestretch while the Winnipeg Jets finished the regular season in style winning eight in a row. The Jets also won all three games over the Avs and outscored them 17-4.
For that reason, I am picking the Jets. However, it won’t be easy. The playoffs are different from the regular season so I won’t be surprised if this series goes the limit.
The difference maker in the series will be between the pipes and I like the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck. I am simply not sold on the Colorado goaltending. The Avs are fortunate to have Cale Makar, one of the best all-round blue liners in the league.
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen should make it an interesting series. However, the Jets have Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Tyler Toffoli and Josh Morrissey to answer the bell for them.
This should be an exciting series from start to finish and don’t be surprised if overtime is necessary for a few games.
Prediction: Jets in seven games.
Kings vs Oilers.
The first couple months into the regular schedule the Edmonton Oilers were a joke despite having a talented lineup. Fortunately, management stepped in, saw the problem and made a coaching change.
The Oilers were a completely different team after the change. They started scoring and winning and there’s no reason it can’t continue into the playoffs against the Los Angels Kings. It is the third showdown between the two clubs in the playoffs with the Oilers winning the first two.
Former Leaf Zach Hyman had a banner year for the the Oilers potting 54 goals. And with Connor McDavid at the controls the Oilers should have no problems putting away the Kings. McDavid also has an excellent supporting cast with the likes of Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse on the bluline.
The Kings have some scorers with Trevor Moore (31), Kevin Fiala (29), Adrian Kempe (28) and Ange Kopitar (26). They just don’t have enough depth to match the Oilers.
Prediction: Oilers in five games.
Predators vs Canucks
Vancouver Canucks won the Pacific Division for the first time since 2013 and hosted a playoff game Sunday for the first time in nine years. They qualified for the playoffs in 2020 but due to Covid all Western Conference games were played in Edmonton with no fans in attendance.
This series will feature two quality defencemen with the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes and the Predators’ Roman Josi. Quinn led all defencemen in the NHL with 92 points on 17 goals and 75 assists. Josi ranked third with 85 points which included a league leading 23 goals.
J.T. miller led the Canucks scoring compiling 103 points on 37 goals and 66 assists. Brock Boeser was the Canucks’ top sniper with 40.
The Predators earned the first wild card in the west thanks to a 18-game point streak from February 16 to March 28. In that streak they went 16-0-2.
Filip Forsberg led the Preds offensively with 48 goals and 46 assists for 94 points followed by Josi with 85.
Goaltending appears to be pretty even with Thatcher Demko likely to go the distance for the Canucks and Juuse Saros for Nashville.
Prediction: Canucks in seven games.
(Wayne Redshaw covered the NHL and was named a Life Member of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association in 1987).
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