So what will I be looking for in the Conference Finals? Here are some questions for all four clubs.
As mentioned earlier, Pittsburgh has not been as dominant as it was during last year's playoffs. But they also faced two of the top regular season teams in Columbus and Washington. Will the Penguins be able to carry play for longer stretches against the Sens? Or again will they be forced to rely on strong goaltending and opportunistic offense?
On the flip side, can Ottawa dictate play as much as the Blue Jackets and the Caps did against Pittsburgh? If not, will the Sens be forced to come up with more game-saving plays? Also, can Erik Karlsson, who has been one of the best players in this year's postseason, maintain his incredibly high level? He's the top scoring defenseman in the league and averaging nearly 29 minutes a game. All while playing on an injured foot.
Anaheim had a bumpy ride against Edmonton. The Ducks lost the first two games of the series at home and trailed Game Five, 3-0, late in the third before rallying. They also blew a 3-0 lead in Game Three at Edmonton. They had that 7-1 loss in Game Six. Will the Ducks find a better level of consistency against Nashville?
Speaking of consistency, Nashville has been the league's most consistent club through the postseason's first two rounds. Can the Preds maintain that? And will they continue to receive such prolific offensive production from their defense corps?
We'll get the answers to these questions in a couple of weeks!
