The Rangers face a greater concern than South Florida in June: the Florida power play. The Panthers now have five power play goals in the past three games, connecting on 41.67% of their advantages. That’s not how New York wins games.
The trend that’s becoming clear is that both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will have to be otherworldly if the Oilers are going to have a chance in this series. Either that, or Stuart Skinner and the defense have to step up and stop the Stars’ attack. But given Dallas’ performance in 5-on-5, that path looks unlikely.
A 2-1 lead gives New York an edge in this series, even if the Rangers haven’t played to their level of expectations. Both of the past two games have resulted in overtime wins for New York, and they’ve survived without help from their power play.
Dallas has dominated on the road, and it’s likely to continue to control the pace of play. As long as the Stars aren’t taking penalties, it’s unlikely that the Oilers are going to get back on top in this series.
The Oil looked good at the end of the series with Vancouver, but the Canucks also seemed overwhelmed by the moment. Dallas will not be intimidated. The Stars will be ready to raise their game here.
New York barely generated anything in Game 1 to test the Florida defense, and the Rangers deservedly put up a zero for the first time since December. And now they’ve got to find a way to get past this Florida team and even the series.
The Eastern Conference finals begin, with the two strongest teams in the conference squaring off. Both teams come off a six-game series win in the previous round, so rest shouldn’t be an issue.
The Canucks have played with no pressure in the entire series, but now they must match Edmonton’s desperation. If they can, they’ll pull off one of the more surprising results of a postseason that’s been devoid of upsets.
Right now, Edmonton’s power play isn’t scoring. The Oil have converted just one chance in their past seven. If Edmonton isn’t scoring with the man advantage, this series is over.Â