My prediction for the Stanley Cup Final is Toronto over Edmonton. Toronto is too good not to get there sometime. The same can be said for Oilers uber-star Connor McJesus.
But I don’t trust either team because I don’t trust either goaltender.
The race for the Cup seems wide open because there aren’t many goalies worth trusting.
Toronto has ex-Penguin Matt Murray, whose glove-hand weakness is at DEFCON 2. He allowed four goals over his glove in a 4-3 loss to Montreal on Wednesday. Watching highlights, it seemed like the tape got stuck on repeat. Edmonton has Jack Campbell, who left the Maple Leafs to make room for Murray.
Looking at Eastern Conference contenders, I don’t trust Frederik Andersen in Carolina. Or Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida. Or Jeremy Swayman in Boston. The New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin is quality. His team isn’t.
Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goaltender of his era. But the Lightning can’t make the Final four years in a row. The grind is too much.
The New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie last season. His presence makes the Rangers a solid bet. He’s a big advantage.
Then there’s the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry.
As previously noted in this space, Jarry is among the NHL’s top 10 goaltenders statistically. If he can rise to the next level and be a goalie who steals games a bit more than occasionally, that could elevate the Penguins. Jarry has the skills.
The Penguins also have the stars, aging though they may be.
It’s tough to win a Stanley Cup without a star, although St. Louis proved an exception in 2019.
Carolina is highly touted but doesn’t have a star. (Sebastian Aho is close.) Carolina added Brent Burns, 37, and Max Pacioretty, 33: Two cagey vets who specialize in not winning added to a team that’s never won. Hey, Joe Thornton is still unsigned.