Stanley Cup Qualifiers 2022 – X Factor, Storm Bruins predictions, Lightning-Maple Leafs, Kings-Oilers
While the first round of Stanley Cup knockout round 2022 has included too many matches for our liking, it has also provided at least three games 7, the final “tense convention”.
According to ESPN statistics & information, Saturday will be the first time since April 30, 2014, that there will be three Game 7s played on the same day, and it will also be the first time in NHL history that two Game 7. hosted by Canadian teams on the same day.
To help you get ready for Boston Bruins–Hurricane Carolina (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), Tampa Bay Lightning–Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET, TNT) and Los Angeles Kings–Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN), we’ll break down the path to victory for each team, determine the X-factor in all three competitions, and make a final score prediction.
Transfer to:
CAR-BOS
TKTC-TB
EDM-LA
4:30 p.m. ET | Watch live on ESPN
Top scorers: Brad MarchandBruins (4 G | 7 A)
Tony DeAngeloStorm (1 G | 7 A)
Road to victory for Boston: The best news for the Bruins here is that they have nothing to lose. Overall, Carolina is the better team in this series. They are the higher seed going forward. However, Boston still has a chance to surpass them.
All the pressure is on Carolina to perform in Game 7. The Bruins simply get to go out and play. And that would be the Bruins’ superpower. They have veteran know-how from Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. They have the scoring talent of David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. They have solid scoring ability from Jeremy Swaymanand a backing led by the talent of Charlie McAvoy. To win game 7, Boston has to be himself. – Shilton
Road to victory for Carolina: This is why the regular season matters. The storms return to Raleigh to lick their wounds, but know they’ve completely dominated the Bruins on the home ice in this series.
They took a 15-4 lead, but more importantly, they scored early and often. Carolina has led 2-0, 3-0 and 4-0 in their home wins. They have taken fewer penalties in all three home games. They achieved better goals, like Antti Raanta there is a .974 savings percentage in Raleigh. They can get the games they want with the Bruins’ top two lines. “Obviously at home you get the last change, that’s an advantage. But you still have to come to play,” said the guard. Jaccob Slavin. With the number and enthusiasm of home fans, they will come to play. – Wyshynski
Shilton’s X Factor: This could be due to the goal. Carolina played an entire series without a starter Frederik Andersen. Raanta has been fantastic in his absence, and Swayman has been equally brilliant since taking over Linus Ullmark. Even so, Swayman is lifting a win in Game 6, and that confidence could go a long way in favor of the Bruins.
Wyshynski’s X Factor: Line match. Coach Rod Brind’Amour wave the white flag in Boston when it comes to Sebastian Aho away from the Bruins duo Bergeron and Marchand. The Bruins made their final substitution, and Bergeron played most of his time in front of the Hurricanes’ frontline. In their previous three wins, Carolina has sent Jordan StaalTheir lines act as a countermeasure against Bergeron and Marchand, and also keep Aho away from them. Do it again, and it could be the Aho line, that’s the difference in Game 7.
Predict the final score: Shilton: 3-2 Bruins
Wyshynski: Storm 5-3
7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Top scorers: Nikita KucherovLightning (2 G | 6 A)
Auston MatthewsMaple leaves (4 G | 4 A)
Path to victory for Tampa Bay: The Maple Leafs can say all they want about being the better team in the series, and their past playoff failures – without winning a playoff since 2004 – are buried in past. But that’s Game 7. It’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. For the first time in all of the movies, Lightning had to plant those seeds of doubt in his opponents’ minds and see what sprouts from them.
Tactically, Lightning has to play more defensively than before Andrei Vasilevskiy and cannot allow the Leafs to score as many consecutive goals as they have in the last two games. The path to victory is clear. It was previously illuminated by Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Brayden’s pointNikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning won Game 7 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. The Leafs are 0-8 in Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner era when there was a chance to eliminate their opponents. – Wyshynski
Road to victory for Toronto: The Leafs’ recent sad history of failing to advance to the knockout stages should have been enough motivation to get the job done in Game 7. Toronto was the better team in Game 6. Losing in extra time was a hard medicine. swallow because of the number of chances. they had. Vasilevskiy scored impressively, and Toronto will be hoping that happens again in Game 7. The Lightning have certainly proven over the past two years they know how to win on a big stage.
However, Toronto has played better than Tampa more often than not in this series. The core stars of the team – Matthews, Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares – were both important contributors in the last two matches. Jack Campbell has returned to the point in the network. If the Leafs can simply maintain that status quo and challenge Vasilevskiy a little more with the volume of traffic ahead, they have a great chance of passing. – Shilton
Shilton’s X Factor: It is not a player too much because it is the ability to handle situations. This series has been defined by momentum fluctuations – big swings. By the penalty is called, and not. By chance seize, and miss. Tampa has Stanley Cup pedigree here, but Toronto shouldn’t let that intimidate them. Campbell has a savings percentage below 0.900 on this series (0.893) – but so does Vasilevskiy (0.885). Almost everything so far has been matched evenly. Game 7 will be decided in favor of which team can stay calm, calm and collect the longest.
Wyshynski’s X Factor: For all the talk of Lightning’s incredible 17-0 record following a post-season loss, the Maple Leafs will have to break another chain of thought to advance to the next round (eight consecutive losses in the season). matches where they will win a series). Vasilevskiy closed in on the final game of Tampa Bay’s last five wins, including two Stanley Cup wins. Let’s be honest: He hasn’t been outstanding in this series, with a save rate of 0.885 behind a rather open defense. But when Lightning was ready to close, he’d slammed the door shut in many movies in the past.
Predict the final score: Shilton: 4-2 Maple Leafs
Wyshynski: Maple Leaf 4-3 (OT)
10 p.m. ET | Watch live on ESPN
Top scorers: Adrian KempeKings (2 G | 4 A)
Connor McDavidOil (3 G | 9 A)
Road to victory for Los Angeles: “First goal won” was one of the more slang words in the Stanley Cup knockouts, but it’s undeniably applicable in this series. Of the three victories of the Kings, they succeeded first; in their three losses, they didn’t. Scoring first allows the Kings to set up in their defensive stance. The lead builds a safety net as Connor McDavid inevitably scores for Edmonton.
But to win game 7, they’ll need two things. First, to raise their competitive edge to match the Oilers, the team is better at 5v5 in Game 6. Also, they’ll need someone to be a difference maker in attack. . Trevor Moore had three points in their 1 win. Carl Grundstrom got three points in their fourth win. Adrian Kempe had three points and was the winner of overtime in their game 5 victory. Who will be the hero this time? – Wyshynski
Road to victory for Edmonton: Give it to Connor McDavid. Just kidding (something like that). However, the stars of Edmonton brought a day in this series, from McDavid (12 points) to Evander Kane (seven tables) to Leon Draisaitl (eight points). Those big names have to show again, against a Kings team that possesses great attacking depth and is able to lock down the defence.
And then there’s Jonathan Quick, who was revealed and creaked equal parts in this series. Oilers love to create rush opportunities, but making Quick uncomfortable with the traffic and more committed to the cycle game can pay off early. Finishing the last game of any series is a marathon endeavor. Oilers must treat Game 7 that way. – Shilton
Shilton’s X Factor: Phillip Danault. How good has he really been to the Kings in this series and the whole season? He has let the Oilers down again and again with a breath-taking defensive game. Danault does it all for LA, whether it’s winning important head-to-head matches, scoring goals in time, or successfully fighting for change. He’s the definition of a difference-maker, with the ability to turn Game 7 in LA’s favor.
Wyshynski’s X Factor: Does Quick have yet another classic performance? The Kings keeper has fought in every one of their victories, including his performance of 31 Game 4 saves that made this a run of games. While we don’t expect that kind of effort in this game, Quick is the primary definition of the X-factor. If he’s above, he’ll be the difference.
Predict the final score: Shilton: 4-3 Kings
Wyshynski: 3-2 Kings
