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Now, who do you think will represent the East in the Final? |
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So much happened this trade deadline, and now that we’ve seen a couple games with each team in their new format, it’s time to look at who’s going to win the East. I’ll do the est tomorrow…
Washington?
It’s kind of amazing how little respect the Capitals get around the NHL right now. It’s commonly heard that teams aren’t afraid of them in the playoffs and no one really thinks that they will be able to go long or deep into the playoffs even if they win the President’s Trophy. They only added Anthony Beauvilier at the deadline, but they were already very set and Anthony has looked very good so far…
Florida?
We’re not gonna get a chance to see the entire Panthers team together until the third game of the playoffs when Ekblad returns, but missing Aaron is something the Panthers have dealt with before very well. Even back when they didn’t have a Seth Jones to step in. The former cup champs are scary and no one wants to play them in the playoffs…
Toronto?
So far, Laughton and Carlo have struggled a bit to fit in, and the whole Mitch Marner controversy is hanging out there, but I still believe these Maple Leafs are the best built for a playoff run of any Toronto team in years. I really like what Berube has done with these guys. And Matthews has to be considered for the Selke.
Tampa?
Tampa just keeps rolling. Their two key acquisitions are playing together and they look good together, which makes this team just deeper and deeper…. All throughout the lineup you can sense the Lightning ramping up for that next level…. They are just solid at every position, have a coach that knows exactly what to do, and has done it before…
Carolina?
I still have a weird feeling that the Hurricanes are going to be a force in these playoffs. All the turmoil sometimes can make a team feel like it’s “us against the world” and I could see Brind’amour playing that card perfectly….
So who do I think will represent the East in the Finals?
I’m gonna go back with the Panthers again. I just think they have been perfectly built for this and they know how to win. This will be their third straight trip to the Cup finals, and that is incredibly hard to do in the NHL with so many changing pieces every year…. But they have the forwards. they have the defense, and most importantly they have Bob to fill in any mistake they make… This allows them to be aggressive without fear. The Panthers “play to win” and never get caught in that “playing afraid to lose” mode most teams with playoff expectations fall into too often…
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