After an exciting first two rounds of the 2022 NHL Playoffs, there are four teams left. Here are the 2022 NHL Conference Finals Playoff Predictions.
New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning
| New York Rangers | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
| 3-0-0 | Head-to-Head | 0-2-1 |
| .671 | Points % | .671 |
| 3.05 | Goals for per game | 3.48 |
| 2.49 | Goals against per game | 2.78 |
| 25.2% | Power play | 23.9% |
| 82.3% | Penalty Kill | 80.6% |
Igor Shesterkin vs Andrei Vasilevskiy. Two of the best goaltenders go head to head in a prime matchup. The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to advance to their third straight Stanley Cup Finals and the only barrier blocking their goal is the young, relentless New York Rangers.
The Lightning and Rangers took polar opposite paths to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Lightning had to get past the stacked Toronto Maple Leafs and the President Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Rangers faced the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes, who both had their starting goaltenders injured, giving the Rangers a significant on-ice advantage.
With Vasilevskiy in net, this series will prove if the Rangers are legitimate Cup contenders. Comparing their rosters, the Lightning and Rangers are ironically built in a similar manner. Both clubs have a loaded top six. The Lightning have Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point while the Rangers have Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Both of their defenses are led by superstar defensemen. The Lightning are guided by Victor Hedman and the Rangers led by Adam Fox. Each team’s biggest strength is in net, the Rangers having the consensus Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin while the Lightning have former Vezina and Conn Smythe winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Rangers do have the advantage in the team statistics but the large gap in experience is too evident to ignore. Tampa Bay has been in this position before and has what it takes to win big games. The Lightning should be able to take care of the Rangers to advance to their third straight Stanley Cup Finals.
Prediction: Lightning in 6
Colorado Avalanche vs Edmonton Oilers
| Colorado Avalanche | Edmonton Oilers | |
| 2-1-0 | Head-to-Head | 1-0-2 |
| .726 | Points % | .634 |
| 3.76 | Goals for per game | 3.48 |
| 2.83 | Goals against per game | 3.06 |
| 24.0% | Power play | 26.0% |
| 79.7% | Penalty Kill | 79.4% |
What’s better than the two best goaltenders playing against each other? That’s right, arguably two of the best players in the NHL are going head to head in a highly anticipated showdown: Connor McDavid versus Nathan MacKinnon. Both McDavid and MacKinnon have a mountain of pressure on their shoulders heading into the Western Conference Finals as neither of them has brought their respective team this far into the playoffs.
With two teams hungry for a Stanley Cup appearance and only one ticket left, it will be a scrappy battle to advance to the finals. The Edmonton Oilers are looking to stay hot off of their statement series victory over their provincial rivals Calgary Flames while the Colorado Avalanche are attempting to outmatch their opponents once again to finally reach their long-awaited destiny, the Stanley Cup Finals.
The key to victory in this series is plain and simple: goaltending. We know that both teams can score and will score at ease, putting pressure on either goaltender to stay strong in net and steal wins for their clubs. Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper was the better goaltender in the regular season but with underlying injuries, he has struggled a bit in the playoffs. On the other hand, Oilers goaltender Mike Smith has performed wildly inconsistently in net. Now comparing the rest of the roster, the Avalanche have a better offense and defense compared to the Oilers, however, you can never count out McDavid and Draisaitl. In the end though, on paper, the Avalanche are just too dominant and will leave McDavid and Draisaitl in the dust as they advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in twenty years.
Prediction: Avalanche in 6
