After what feels like months since the end of the Conference Finals, the Stanley Cup Final will finally kick off tomorrow, Saturday June 3, out in Las Vegas. For the last time this season, we put our predictions in writing, for posterity. And future roasting. Without further ado:
Italian Joe:
The vibes are immaculate. Panthers in six.
Kelly: I’m with Joe; after the Panthers took out the Bruins in the first round these playoffs shifted to a vibes-based competition. The Panthers’ vibes are flawless right now: Bob can’t be stopped, the entire universe is in love with Matthew Tkachuk, and on top of those two this team has a bunch of sick offensive talent that no one is even talking about. That said, the Cats are where they are because of Bob. And if, at any point, Bob comes back down to Earth, it could be big trouble for these boys. But I’m thinking the vibes carry through and the Panthers take the Cup in five. Just as we all predicted a month ago.
Thomas: No one wants to see Vegas win. Panthers in five.
Maddie: I know that logically Vegas is the safer bet here, but man, this Panthers team is really something special. I’m hoping against all hope that we don’t see Bob turn into a pumpkin or the team as a whole run out of gas, because this whole run has been spectacular, and it would be great to see them win it all. Panthers in six.
Steve: There’s no way we’re all picking the Panthers, right? Panths power, baby! Does this team symbolize all of the chaos that is the state of Florida, or do they really just have a hot goalie and #clutch star player? I truly do not know. Vegas should win this in six by all accounts, but my stupid gut will not deny the Stanley Cup returning to the Sunshine State and further pissing off all people that think that hockey should not be played below a certain temperature. Panthers in seven, somehow.
Mike D: Absolutely do not want Vegas to win but they’re just deeper and have gotten enough goaltending to boot. Golden Knights in 7.
Jacob: This may be the most difficult Cup Final I’ve ever had to predict. I have no idea what is going to happen. Nothing about a matchup between Sergei “The Dominator” Bobrovsky and Adin “The Wall” Hill is predictable whatsoever. Vegas has Mark Stone, and my gut is telling me that his line will significantly slow down Verhaeghe, Tkachuk, and the like to the point where the Golden Knights’ superior depth is allowed to take over and make the difference. Florida’s other fairytale ended here too, unceremoniously with a sweep against the Avalanche back in ‘96. Once again, it comes down to Bob, he can win this series himself, but I think Vegas pisses everyone off and once again makes a cup run look like a brisk stroll. Golden Knights in 6.
Matt: I’m sticking with the same reasoning behind my pick as last round: how this could possibly affect the Flyers. If there’s any chance that Vegas winning makes the Flyers and the new management team decide to be more aggressive in terms of chasing star players, more creative in terms of cap manipulation, and more willing to take risks, then I’m picking Vegas. Of course, they’re the Flyers so there’s always the possibility that the lesson they learn is that they need to overpay in a trade for Alec Martinez. Who knows. Worth a shot though: Golden Knights in 6.
Nick: The Panthers will have had nine days off since finishing off Carolina before Game 1 and I really don’t like that long of a break for any player, especially a hot goalie like Sergei Bobrovsky. On the other side of the matchup, the general “we” have not paid enough attention to the strength of Vegas’s season despite significant injuries to Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore among others. The playoffs feel like the first time the Knights have been healthy all year, so this run shouldn’t come as a surprise. I’m taking Vegas to end Florida’s miracle run in six.
