779 votes were counted, and here are the results:
32.9 percent picked the Los Angeles Kings, 23.5 percent picked the New York Rangers, 22.6 percent picked the Philadelphia Flyers.
Note: these figures are vastly different from the predictions made before the NHL playoffs began.
Many believed the Pittsburgh Penguins, led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury had the best chance to win. However, the Penguins fell out of the playoffs after trailing 0-3 in the first round against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Since the Los Angeles Kings are the No. 1 favourites now, I will analyze what they have done to get to this stage of the playoffs.
Goaltending
Goaltending is always a key element for playoff success. It proved to be vital for all four teams in the Western Conference, and it was somewhat the same in the East.
Jonathan Quick played lights-out hockey against the Vancouver Canucks. He was a little lucky to face only one Sedin twin for three of the five games they played. Quick outplayed Roberto Luongo in Game 1 and 2 and returned to L.A. with a command on the series.
Did he play better than Cory Schneider remains a question. More will be discussed on this issue later on.
In the second round, Jonathan Quick continued to play well and outplayed struggling St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott by quite a wide margin. Elliott seemed to have lost his composure and the Blues are trailing 0-3.
Defense
Willie Mitchell is the unsung hero so far in the playoffs. He is not often visible on the ice for big eye-popping plays, but he neutralizes the opposing offense.
With his long stick and impeccable positioning, Mitchell has a long history of shu...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
