The conference final round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs is upon us. Sixteen teams entered the postseason tournament, but only four are left in the bracket, as the New York Rangers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East, and the Colorado Avalanche will square off against the Edmonton Oilers in the West.
To help get you up to speed before the puck drops on Game 1 of the West matchup Tuesday night, we’re bringing you a mega-preview, breaking down each team in five different categories and offering our predictions on which clubs will head to the Stanley Cup Final.
Illustration by ESPN
Note: Kristen Shilton previewed the Western Conference teams, while Greg Wyshynski previewed the two clubs from the East.
Jump to:
NYR | TB
COL | EDM
How they got here: Defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4-3.
Goalie confidence rating: 10
The Igor Shesterkin that we saw during Round 1 is not the Igor Shesterkin that the Lightning are going to see. He worked through his emotions during the Rangers’ first two games in Pittsburgh, where he was pulled twice. He battled back and won a Game 7. Against Carolina, Shesterkin gave up two or fewer goals in six of the seven games in the series and won another Game 7, this time on the road. He’s both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice.
Defenseman Adam Fox said he’s looking forward to the battle between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Shesterkin. “Obviously, Vasilevskiy has a track record that speaks for itself. But I think Shesty has one that does, too. What he’s done this year has been insanely impressive. Two good goalies coming together. But I have a lot of faith in Shesty,” he said.
What we’ve learned about this team so far in the postseason
The Rangers had their share of breaks. Defenseman Jacob Trouba’s booming hits took out Penguins star Sidney Crosby for two critical games, and then Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis in Game 7. The Rangers didn’t…
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