From 16 teams, the NHL Playoffs is now down to just two, the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings. Both teams were overlooked by most pundits in our first edition of the experts’ picks and predictions article…including us. Now that the potential Stanley Cup champion is now narrowed down to a field of two teams, we’ve compiled the analysis and predictions of the media’s sharpest hockey minds for the benefit of fans and bettors alike. For a more detailed breakdown of this highly anticipated Stanley Cup Final, check our series preview or Game 1 preview. Keep reading for a full suite of predictions on this marquee hockey final and create a betting account now to cash in on the team you think will lift the Stanley Cup next week. [sc:NHLArticles ]
Expert Predictions for the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals
Bleacher Report
Acknowledging the pointlessness of home-ice advantage, since both the Rangers and Kings have been terrific on the road, Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report instead based his prediction on other tangible factors. He first pointed out the goalie matchup, which will be among the most scrutinized aspect of the series moving forward. [sc:NHL240 ]According to Zucker, while he thinks that Henrik Lundqvist is better at this point of the season than Jonathan Quick, the Rangers’ goalie will have to be near flawless in order for New York to hoist the Cup this year. As good as Lundqvist has been, the Kings have a far deadlier offense than New York, and should be able to pot more goals when it counts.
Expert
Stanley Cup Champion Pick
Joseph Zucker
Kings (6)
In short, Quick can afford to see a couple of goals get past him each game, but can expect the Kings’ scorers to make up for it. Case in point: Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. In that game, Quick allowed two early goals to the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Kings tremendous offense was able to save him from further blame.
Sports Illustrated
Expert
Stanley Cup Champion Pick
Boomer Esiason
Rangers(7)
Meanwhile over at Sports Illustrated, Boomer Esiason took a break from analyzing what’s going on in the NFL offseason to offer his prediction in the Stanley Cup Finals. Esiason, who admitted that he was bias in favor of the Rangers, made an interesting comparison between the Blueshirts and the 2007 Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants, saying that like the Eli Manning-led team, the Rangers will win the NHL Finals in seven games as underdogs.
ESPN
Expert
Stanley Cup Champion Pick
Pierre LeBrun
Kings (7)
The well-respected ESPN columnist, Pierre LeBrun, also share the same sentiment. He sees the Kings wrapping up the series in seven games. LeBrun broke down a few factors he anticipate to play a big roles in the series. Among which he mentioned is the potential of Rick Nash to be the hero of the series. Nash was a no-show in the first two rounds against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively, in which he scored no goals. However, he broke out of his slump in the conference semifinals against Montreal, scoring three goals. LeBrun believes that if the Rangers are to subdue Los Angeles, New York needs Nash to use his size and strength advantage just as he had against the Habs. The hockey writers at USA Today sees a series going at least seven games with the Kings getting five of their six votes. Kevin Allen notes the robust offense of the Kings to be the deciding factor in the series, and we totally agree with that. It’s also worth noting that their ability to score while under tremendous pressure is a quality to reckon with in the Stanley Cup Finals.
USA Today
Expert
Stanley Cup Champion Pick
Kevin Allen
Kings (7)
Mike Brehm
Kings (7)
Rick Ross
Kings (6)
Jimmy Hascup
Rangers (7)
Andrew Forbes
Kings (6)
Kristen Shilton
Kings (7)
As the lone supporter of the Rangers among the group, Jimmy Hascup brings up the Rangers’ deep blue line to cause Los Angeles’ scorers to regress. While Hascup has a point, it’s tough to imagine any team, let alone the Rangers, to have the perfect solution against the Kings’ top line and a rapidly improving second line at this point of the Playoffs. Top Bet
Expert
Stanley Cup Champion Pick
Writer’s Prediction
Kings (7)
We predicted that the Canadiens and the Blues would reach the Stanley Cup Finals, with Montreal winning it all. Montreal may have made us proud with another upset in the Conference Finals but for the health of Carey Price, who was replaced admirably but still left the Habs without an x-factor in net. The Blues were…less close to the Finals. Still, we’ve got our pride: it’s time to get this right. We like Los Angeles to capture the title. Other than Lundqvist, we simply don’t see an single aspect of the game the Rangers have over the Kings. Lundqvist’s advantage over Quick isn’t overwhelming–they are both truly elite–and the rest of the Kings should simply outplay the Rangers. That said, it should be an outstanding series. Who do you think will win? The Kings are favorites at -170 to win the series, so it’s the Rangers that offer the big time value in a close final at +150. [sc:NHL490 ]
