May 31, 2022 - Sports

A look ahead at the NHL conference finals

Kendall Baker

The New York Rangers celebrate. — Chris Kreider celebrates with teammates after his third period goal. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

After a thrilling first two rounds, the NHL's final four is set — and it should be a great one.

Driving the news: The Rangers handed the Hurricanes their first home loss of the playoffs on Monday, beating them 6-2 in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Lightning.

Chris Kreider (two goals) now has 15 career goals when facing elimination. Mark Messier (16) is the only player with more.
Igor Shesterkin (36 saves) was outstanding in net, as the Vezina Trophy favorite delivered yet another dominant performance.

Wild stat: The Canes' first 13 playoff games were won by the home team, the second-longest streak in NHL, NBA and MLB postseason history. Finally, when it mattered most, the Rangers broke the away team curse.

Looking ahead: These NHL playoffs have been full of excitement (especially compared to the NBA), and the conference finals are full of intrigue — the kind that should deliver big ratings for the league.

The East Finals, which begin tomorrow, will pit Shesterkin against fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy in a dream goalie matchup made for the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Tampa is eyeing a rare three-peat, but went 0-3 against New York this season.

The West Finals, which begin tonight, will see two of the NHL's best young superstars — Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon — go head-to-head. The Avalanche are a goal-scoring machine, while the Oilers are vying to become the first Canadian champion since 1993.

The bottom line: The NHL is very good right now. Don't miss it.

Add Axios on Google

A look ahead at the NHL conference finals

What to read next