After one day without playoff hockey, the chase for the Stanley Cup resumes Tuesday with the start of the conference finals. The star power still in contention is off the charts.
Leon Draisaitl is the betting favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after he and Connor McDavid got defending Western Conference champion Edmonton through two series against tough opponents.
Mikko Rantanen leads all scorers in the postseason with 19 points in 13 games to get Dallas into a West final rematch against the Oilers that they hope goes the other way this time.
McDavid & Draisaitl
Edmonton's antidote to Rantanen and the Finns -- Mikael Granlund, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell and healthy Miro Heiskanen -- is the combination of McDavid and Draisaitl. They have 17 and 16 points, respectively, and will be the Stars' focal point in the series beginning Wednesday night in Dallas.
People are also reading... One & Only restaurant on Madison's Near West Side closing after 2 years Update: 1 still missing, 3 safe after sailboat overturned on windy Lake Monona Friday night More questions than answers after 'emergency situation' at UW-Platteville See inside the Madison Public Market before it opens Dodge County tornado causes significant damage, but only minor injuries Photos: Baseball-size hail breaks windows in Wisconsin city A Madison man found Neil Armstrong's watch, and sold it for $2.1 million Cajun restaurant on East Side closing once remaining food, equipment sells Former Reedsburg woman has no regrets about fleeing family 63 years ago Sun Prairie East senior, state's leading basketball scorer finds new Division I home Severe storms could bring tornadoes, large hail, high winds to Wisconsin Thursday Baffled residents of Eau Claire assess hail damage Their funding yanked, dozens of UW-Madison research projects face uncertain future Man who caused death of former Watertown music teacher sentenced to community service Competitor sues Epic Systems alleging unfair competitive practices
"They're a different team this year," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. "They're a deeper team this year than they were last year. You see they're getting scoring from a lot of places other than McDavid and Draisaitl, and they still have that element, obviously, every night."
Yes, 16 different skaters have scored a goal for the Oilers, but they will likely go only as far as Nos. 97 and 29 take them. McDavid was playoff MVP a year ago when they forced Game 7 at Florida and fell just short of the championship, and he may put his team on his back to return to the final.
'Dangerous' Florida
It took the Panthers seven games to get through Toronto in the second round, but they have the look of a champion going into the East final against Carolina.
"Nothing fazes them: They don't care where they play, who they play," retired defenseman and three-time Cup champion Ken Daneyko said. "That's a dangerous animal. That's a confident bunch and rightfully so."
Trade deadline pickups Brad Marchand and Seth Jones played a big role in routing the Maple Leafs in Game 7 on Sunday. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky also looks dialed in a year after backstopping the Panthers to their first title.
Otter vs. Skinner
The goalie matchup in the West could determine the series. Jake Oettinger was not at his best for the Stars in the conference final a year ago, and he was actually outplayed by Stuart Skinner, who lost his job as the Oilers' starter earlier this playoffs.
An injury to backup Calvin Pickard thrust Skinner back into the net last round against Vegas. All he has done since is stop 67 of the 71 shots he faced, with back-to-back shutouts to close out the series.
Oettinger allowed 12 goals on 170 shots over six games in the second round against Winnipeg, including just two in the third period all series.
Svechnikov showcase
The biggest reason to believe the Hurricanes can beat the Panthers this time after getting swept by them two years ago is Carolina's top line of Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
Svechnikov has eight goals, one shy of Rantanen for the most in the playoffs, including the series clincher in Game 5 of the second round against Washington. Coach Rod Brind'Amour said they've been waiting for this version of Svechnikov, who has come into his own at age 25.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.