After a record season, the Boston Bruins find themselves on the brink of a surprise first round defeat against the Florida Panthers. Can the Presidents’ Trophy winners avoid becoming the last NHL team with the best regular season record to fail in the playoffs? Or will the Panthers pull off the huge upset and advance to the second round?
In the Western Conference, the defending champion Colorado Avalanche try to keep their hopes up in the face of new arrivals Seattle Krakenwho are looking to progress in the franchise’s second season.
How did Florida frustrate Boston? Who was the MVP of the Colorado-Seattle series? Who will win or go home games? Our journalists and analysts are here to answer these same questions:
9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Who has been the MVP of the Avs-Kraken series so far?
Clark: Philip Grubauer. The Kraken were bottom 10 in team save percentage in play at 5-on-5, so that raised questions. Grubauer answered those questions by posting a .919 save percentage in the playoffs after having a .895 save percentage in the regular season.
Ocal: The Kraken scoring committee: 14 different skaters have goals for Seattle. People have written them off, and they continue their huge regular season shine from Years 1 to 2 with a chance to eliminate the defending Cup champions in Game 7.
Shilton: Yanni Gourde. The Kraken forward does it all: game-winners, blocked shots, takeaways, stick checks, forechecks, backchecks. He is everywhere, all the time. Seattle wasn’t an all-star team this season, but Gourde stood out to me as a team this series.
Wyshynsky: Jared Bednar. The Avalanche faced absences and adversity, and the coach helped keep things from getting out of hand. He made some good line shuffles, including for Game 6. Once again, Colorado was without Gabriel Landeskog for the season, Cale Makar for a one-match suspension and Valéri Nichushkine for undisclosed reasons after Game 2. Bednar was also expected to be the one to answer questions about Nichushkin’s absence after an incident in a hotel room in Seattlebecause the team management refused to do so.
What is your final score prediction for Avalanche-Kraken Game 7?
Ocal: 3-2 Seattle. Grubauer plays a great game, Jordan Eberle finds the back of the net and Matty Beniers provides the dagger.
Shilton: 4-2 Colorado. It pains me to say this, because Seattle is fun to watch. However, after Game 6, and seeing the defending Stanley Cup champions push back like they did, it’s hard to bet that they won’t do it again in Game 7. I’d be happy to be proven wrong here , However.
Wyshynski: 3-2 Seattle (OT). The Kraken should still feel good about where their game is, even if they weren’t able to close out this series at home. They’ve played three straight solid defensive games against a high-octane offense. They know how to achieve a victory on the road. The loss of Andrew Cogliano to a broken neck is yet another subtraction from the Avalanche roster against a deep Seattle team. I think the Kraken succeeds in pulling off the surprise, but it will take overtime. Let’s go with Gourde as the winning scorer, because he’s no stranger to Game 7 heroics.
6:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
What are the Panthers doing that is causing the Bruins so much trouble?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: This is their approach to the third period. Look at their wins, and a strong third period is at the heart of that success. They scored four goals in the third to win Game 2. They scored four more goals to win Game 6 and force Game 7.
Arda Ocal, NHL analyst: Being physical – every Panthers player had at least one hit in the first game, and that was a theme. Not giving the Bruins a lot of space, being tough and competing in front of the net, especially Matthew Tkachukwho was great in his office.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: The Panthers had/have nothing to lose here. That mentality clearly helps Florida handle the emotional swings of this series better than the Bruins. Many of those Panthers remember the feeling of being under pressure as Presidents’ Trophy winners. Boston tenses up with every back and forth, with every little mistake. Florida simply stayed in the fight, knowing it doesn’t have to be perfect; just do it.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Capitalize on mistakes. I don’t want to take anything away from what the Panthers did here – especially the part where Tkachuk essentially took over the series. But the Bruins did well in Game 2 and made some critical mistakes in Game 5 (including the one Linus Ullmark turnover in overtime) and then gave up several leads in Game 6. I don’t know if it’s because of the injuries or the weight of the Presidents’ Trophy or what, but the Bruins did a remarkable number of un-Bruins-like things to push this to seven games.
What is your final score prediction for Panthers-Bruins Game 7?
Clark: 5-4 Panthers OT. There’s little reason to think there won’t be tons of goals, considering the Bruins and Panthers have scored an average of 8.4 per game since Game 1. And even though the Bruins were one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, the Panthers led the league in most attempts. danger chances over 60 and have scored 11 goals in their last two games.
Ocal: 4-3 Bruins in overtime. The Panthers are pushing hard – this one features tons of drama – but the Bruins’ record-breaking season continues, with plenty to unpack in the first round. I’m curious to know if Jeremiah Swayman Game 7 begins.
Shilton: 5-4 Bruins in overtime. Matthew Tkachuk will lead this spirited Panthers group to a dramatic finale. But with their seasons on the line, I’m betting on Boston’s experience over Florida’s grit.
Wyshynski: 4-2 Panthers. A team is playing with house money, adopting that “y’all thought we were going to get swept” mindset that Tkachuk expressed a few games ago. The other team watches the balloons pop at their coronation party. Do I trust the best regular season team (ranking-wise) in NHL history or the unshakable voodoo of the Presidents’ Trophy curse? I choose chaos.
