Win to go to the show. 4 teams left and one will get to hoist Lord Stanley, but first we have conference finals to play.

Now, I thought we were getting a rematch of last years eastern conference finals but nope, we have Rangers VS Cats.

These two teams met three times throughout the regular season where the Panthers took 2/3 games.

Florida has shown that they can be and will be physical throughtout these playoffs and while the Trouba train has come down the tracks, we haven’t seen New York’s tall tower of a man in Matt Rempe play much.

If the Rangers are going to win these series they will have to rely on depth scoring as New York has seen the most production comes from it’s top guys and the bottom tier players have had moments but not a shining moment, like Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin have had. Plus goaltender Igor Shesterkin will have to be lights out and steal 1-2 games.

The Cats meanwhile have claws, they will hit and they will hurt you. Like exhubit A

🚨 New angle just dropped of Sam Bennett punching Marchand in the face 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fL8dNXWeR7

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 12, 2024

The Panthers also have a defencecore who has shut down the likes of David Pasternak who after scoring the game 7 OT series winning goal VS Toronto was held to 1 goals and 2 assists in six games. Hence why if New York’s top guns can’t get going, guys like Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow will need to get on the scoresheet more often than not.

Add on the fact that Sergei Bobrovsky can make silly saves like the one below, things are setting up for the Florida Panthers to make a second trip in a row to the Stanley Cup Finals.

SERGEI BOBROVSKY WITH THE SAVE OF THE PLAYOFFS SO FAR 😱

📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/urBTccXAuN

— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2024

Now for my pick, I truly think we’re getting a full on war here, teams taking game after game setting up a game 7 at Madison Square Garden, with the Florida Panthers going back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Panthers in 7.