Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
Tuesday marks the beginning of the conference finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the remaining four teams playing in two best-of-seven series and the first game on the schedule is between the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers out west.
To get here, the Avalanche swept the Nashville Predators and beat St. Louis Blues in five, while the Oilers needed seven to beat the Los Angeles Kings and five to advance past the Calgary Flames.
Game one will be played on Colorado’s home ice in Denver, so they’ll have the home crowd behind them as these teams meet for the third time in the postseason.
This is the first time Edmonton is playing in the conference finals since 2006, when it went on to lose the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Avalanche haven’t made it this far since 2002, when it lost in seven to the Detroit Red Wings.
Edmonton at Colorado Game 1 Info
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Live Stream: TNTdrama.com and TNT app
Game Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Money Line: Colorado (-175; bet $175 to win $100); St. Louis (+150; bet $100 to win $150)
Over/Under: 7
Puck Line: Edmonton (+1.5; -155), Colorado (-1.5; +135)
Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid Matchup Headlines Series
In the matchup between Colorado and Edmonton, most NHL analysts have the former advancing, but when it comes to marquee players, both teams have one of the league’s best suiting up for their side.
For this year’s playoffs, Connor McDavid sits alone at the top of the skaters leaderboard for points with 26.
In 12 playoff games, he’s had seven goals and 19 assists.
Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t been quite as explosive as far as numbers on the board, but in 10 games, he’s posted 13 points, including four points in Game 5 against the Blues.
For his part, McDavid isn’t focused on individual matchups.
That being said, the 25-year old center knows what he’s up against.
“Hopefully, that [storyline] gets more viewers and lowers escrow [for players], but other than that I don’t care,” MacKinnon told ESPN’s Kristen Shilton. “I’m not really thinking about [McDavid] a whole lot, but obviously I see that stuff. I think he’s the best, I’ve said it. I think he’s been the best for a little bit now and it’s going to take a full team effort to stop him.”
MacKinnon sidestepped the chance to highlight the generational matchup when asked, but his teammate Cale Makar, who’ll have to see a fair share of McDavid on the ice, didn’t let the opportunity pass him by.
“There’s a lot of similarities between MacKinnon and McDavid,” Makar said. “But at the same time, they’re very different playing styles. McDavid’s very good off the rush and very fast and he’s got the quick steps right at the beginning. They’re both such electric players and McDavid’s been the driving force for them as well as their other their other top guys. He’ll be a good test, but we’re all excited.”
While all eyes will certainly be on McDavid and MacKinnon, this series will come down to which team is ready to shake off many years of playoff disappointment for the chance to play for another Stanley Cup.
Conn Smythe, Anyone?
For this series, it’s hard to move away from the matchup between Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid and it’s not just because of how they light it up.
This matchup is also a major talking point because the Conn Smythe Trophy is on the line.
Coming into the series, most analysts have McDavid in the lead for the annual award, which is given to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.
But McDavid’s case is inextricably tied to the Oilers’ playoff fate.
If Edmonton wins, then it’s a no-brainer for Ontario native to take home the hardware.
On the other side of the ice, MacKinnon is gaining momentum as a Conn Smythe favorite as the playoffs move forward.
He’s got some stiff competition on his own team in Makar, who’s having a stellar postseason in his own right, but MacKinnon is gaining and needs just to have a signature round of play against the Oilers to make his case.
No matter who actually wins the Conn Smythe, it’s the fans that win in the end.
They get to see two former first-overall draft picks go head-to-head in some of the most important games in either players’ career.
And with a Stanley Cup Final appearance on the line, fans can expect to see both men rise to the challenge.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
