Most productive player
The conference finals featured just nine games, and player productivity reflected that. The top spot went to Danish forward Nikolaj Ehlers from Carolina, who scored two goals and added three assists in five games.
His goal in the second game against Montreal in overtime was especially crucial, tying the series at 1-1 and setting up the Hurricanes to advance in five games. The former longtime Winnipeg forward clearly showed why he was one of the most sought-after free agents last summer.
And it’s safe to say he doesn’t regret signing with the Canes.
Best goaltender
Here too, the winner is a Dane from Carolina. Thirty-six-year-old Frederik Andersen allowed ten goals in five games and recorded one shutout. Even though he faced an average of only 17.6 shots per game, he made several key saves and, with his third playoff shutout, etched his name into club history.
He now has five playoff shutouts, a new team record, surpassing Cam Ward. He’s also just the third goalie in NHL history to win 12 of his first 13 playoff games in a single postseason.
He dedicated the last clinching game against Montreal to Claude Lemieux, who passed away last week.
Moment of the round
When the Vegas Golden Knights fired coach Bruce Cassidy at the end of March and replaced him with John Tortorella, there were only eight games left in the regular season. The reason was clear: just four wins in their last fifteen games. Still, making a coaching change this late, when the club was almost certain to make the playoffs, is unusual.
Two months after this unconventional move, it’s clear the change paid off. The Golden Knights were down 1-2 in the series against Utah and also battled Anaheim, but their sweep of the regular season champions Colorado in four games showed their immense strength.
Yet, in the regular season, the two teams weren’t even close. Colorado finished with 26 more points and 17 more wins. Wins have been a big topic for the Golden Knights, who managed just 39 in 82 regular season games. In fact, seven teams that missed the playoffs had more!
"Our main goal is to win the Stanley Cup," captain Mark Stone told NHL.com, after scoring in both games of the series. "But we still need four more wins, and that’s what we want," he said briefly after advancing, which means a third final for the Golden Knights since joining the NHL in 2018.
Colorado sorely missed defenseman Cale Makar in the first two games, but the main issue was the lack of production from their top offensive stars. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas, Brock Nelson, and Artturi Lehkonen combined for 145 goals in the regular season. But against Vegas—not a single one…
Stat of the round
Since 2000, only five teams have managed to win the regular season and then go on to win the Stanley Cup, with the last being the Chicago Blackhawks 13 years ago. This year, the regular season powerhouse Colorado Avalanche added to the curse, suffering a humiliating four-game sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights.
In the regular season, Colorado racked up an impressive 121 points and lost no more than three games in a row—and that only happened once.
Social media highlight
There wasn’t a game where Jakub Dobes didn’t make his presence felt in some way. One of the highlights was when Montreal’s goalie was attacked behind the net by forward William Carrier, who threaded his stick through the Czech goalie’s equipment.
Image of the round
When Colorado bowed out of the Stanley Cup race, it might have been the last time we saw defenseman Brent Burns on the ice. The Canadian veteran, at 41 the oldest player in the NHL, made his debut on October 8, 2003, with Minnesota. He’s the last active player who still remembers when games could end in a tie…
However, Burns’s NHL days may not be over yet. Although his one-year contract with Colorado has ended, he played all 82 games, tallied 35 points (12+23), and has an active ironman streak of 1,007 consecutive games. If he wants to continue his career and make one more run at the Stanley Cup, he’ll likely find a spot in the NHL.
