THW Daily - Edmonton Oilers & Florida Panthers Set to Battle for the Stanley Cup
Also, a look at the Rangers' season ending in disappointment & more
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Rangers’ Season Ends in Disappointment: Who’s to Blame?
June 2, 2024 by Sam Henes
The New York Rangers’ season concluded last night with a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to the Florida Panthers. Despite clinching the Presidents’ Trophy, they fell six games short of their ultimate goal. In the coming weeks, the blame will likely be directed at key players such as Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Peter Laviolette, all of whom deserve it. However, four players should be exempt from this blame: Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Igor Shesterkin, and Barclay Goodrow. They delivered outstanding performances throughout the playoffs and should hold their heads high, questioning why their teammates failed to rise to the occasion. Ultimately, the most significant share of the blame should be placed on Rangers’ captain Jacob Trouba and general manager Chris Drury.
Skinner, McDavid Dominate as Oilers Clinch Trip to Stanley Cup Final
June 2, 2024 by Harrison Smajovits
The Edmonton Oilers outlasted the Dallas Stars to win Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, 2-1, and punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. You can’t necessarily say the Oilers’ offense dominated when they were outshot 35-10 in the game. But you can say they fully capitalized on their opportunities—they rode the power play and strong defense and goaltending all the way to victory.
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PWHL Minnesota Shows Dreams Can Come True
June 2, 2024 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
“It’s been a whirlwind” accurately describes PWHL Minnesota’s last month. It entailed barely squeaking into the postseason and then being the first PWHL team ever to have a reverse sweep, and they did so over the number one team, PWHL Toronto. Next, they took on PWHL Boston and had the interesting predicament of winning the Championship not once but twice when they had the game-winning goal waved off in Game 4, only to win it all on the road in Game 5.
Bruins Should Prioritize Draft Pick Acquisition in Trades
June 2, 2024 by Brandon Share-Cohen
The Boston Bruins are in an interesting spot this offseason. One season removed from the most historic regular season in NHL history, the Bruins would put together another strong season despite some major roster subtractions. Despite this, it was clear early on that this Bruins team was missing some key pieces to compete for a Stanley Cup. Any deep playoff run would have been closer to a Cinderella Story than an expected outcome. As the Bruins look to fill these holes and build the roster for the future without a lull in between, cap space will surprisingly be their friend. Draft capital, on the other hand, will prove to be a different story altogether.
Check Out THW Premium Substack Content:
St. Louis Blues: How Should the Blues Approach This Summer? by Ethan Carter
NHL News & Rumours: 3 Early Trade Rumors Gaining the Most Attention by Jim Parsons
Toronto Maple Leafs: Leafs Taking Action After Eight Seasons of Failure by Anthony Testaguzza
3 Takeaways From Panthers’ Series-Clinching Win vs. Rangers
June 2, 2024 by Alex Chauvancy
How about that, Florida Panthers fans? The Panthers are Stanley Cup Final-bound for the second consecutive year after defeating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6. They followed a similar template to their previous two wins, smothering the Rangers and not allowing them to play their game. Here are three takeaways from their series-clinching victory.
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Cowan, Robertson, Bertuzzi & Domi
June 2, 2024 by The Old Prof
In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll focus on the possibility that the team could work to build a roster for the upcoming season by infusing young talent into their lineup that could be a game-changer. The financial flexibility gained by not signing high-priced free agents could be redirected towards bolstering other areas of need while giving promising youngsters the chance to prove themselves.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
New York Islanders - Islanders Trading for Jesperi Kotkaniemi Is a Risk Worth Taking
New York Rangers - Was the Rangers’ 2023-24 Season a Success?
Buffalo Sabres - Current Buffalo Sabres’ Essential Rookie Cards
NHL News & Rumors - Rangers, Avalanche, Canucks, Oilers, Stars
From TSN - Cowan, Firkus highlights CHL First All-Star team
From Sportsnet - What would a Jesperi Kotkaniemi buyout look like?
From ESPN - New York Rangers' 'special' season comes to unexpected end
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