One series ends, and that nagging light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter.
Game 6: Montreal vs. NY Rangers.
I guess the best thing about this game was how obvious its "three stars" were/are.
It was a 1-0 win for the Rangers, so obviously, the goal scorer and both goaltenders were going to be celebrated.
I'm not questioning this tack at all. Dominic Moore, Henrik Lundqvist, and Dustin Tokarski were quite obviously the best players on the ice. I'm sure some will argue for Ryan McDonagh, as he's on a tear and had an assist leading to the only goal, or Brian Boyle, who also had an assist.
Surely there are others as well.
While the main thrust of the conversation will center on the Rangers' chances against either team coming out of the West, I'd just like to point one thing out: Tokarski looks like the real deal. And just like John Gibson in Anaheim, his time is probably sooner rather than later.
The two situations are a lot different. Carey Price is the starter in Montreal, I'd wager, as soon as he's healthy. In Anaheim, on the other hand, Jonas Hiller looks to be on his way out and Frederik Andersen was shaky before he got injured. So I guess if I was doing "Oddsmakers" a la PTI, I'd give Gibson a higher chance of starting in goal for Anaheim in October. Still, it'd only be about 40% or so.
Given the results, Tokarski was great. His worst game (in terms of goals allowed) was Game 5, and they won that one. There's probably some refinement that needs to take place, but for a guy who was literally tossed into the fire, he came out looking quite good.
The Rangers move on to face either Los Angeles or Chicago. They'll have the dubious advantage of rest, but home-ice is still to be determined. Lundqvist may not be "standing on his head", per se, but he's head-and-shoulders above the other goaltenders in this year's playoffs. Even still, it might not matter much as the Kings and Blackhawks just look better overall. Watching from the beginning of the season as I did, I just got the impression that the West is the stronger conference and that whoever won, while having to fight off a bunch of tough teams, would be holding the Stanley Cup over their heads at the end of it.
NY Rangers win the series 4-2. They move on to the Stanley Cup Final.
Later today, Game 6 in Los Angeles. With a win, the Kings move on to the Stanley Cup Final.
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