Hockey at the start of the Stanley Cup did not disappoint: five out of eight series at once dragged on for seven matches, the battle for the next ticket was desperate. Conference semi-finals promise to be no less bright, and the results even more unexpected. It seems that the main favorite will fly out very soon.

Tampa Bay – Florida

Forecast Sportbox.ru: 4-3

Andrey Vasilevsky / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.com

Experience is the main component of hockey, which should not be underestimated in the playoffs. It was on experience and a bit of luck that Tampa passed the strongest Toronto in the last ten years in the first round. The next round will not be easier, but the same experience is what will help the Lightning again.

Florida is doing much worse than that. The victory over Washington at the start of the Stanley Cup was the first for the Panthers in 26 years. In addition, according to the results of the first round, Florida is inferior to the future opponent in the implementation of the majority (not a single goal) and the game in the minority. One hope is for individual offensive prowess in Carter Verhege, who scored 12 points in the series against the Capitals, and season-leading scorer Jonathan Huberdeau. And also – on the reliable game of Sergei Bobrovsky at the gate. But the Lightning have their own answer to this in the person of the best goalkeeper of recent years, Andrey Vasilevsky.

Tampa’s chances of reaching the West Finals look better: the tale of Florida not spoiled by long playoffs should end in the coming days.

Colorado – St. Louis

Forecast Sportbox.ru: 3-4

Vladimir Tarasenko / Photo: © Scott Rovak / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.com

The main surprise of the round will be presented by St. Louis, which is capable of knocking out the main contender for the Stanley Cup this season, Colorado. The Avalanches confirmed their title bid with the shortest first-round streak against Nashville and a week off. This fact can seriously relax the Colorado and make them believe in themselves too much.

If this happens, St. Louis will immediately punish the upstart. The Blues have a long bench, vast experience in the playoffs and even victories in the 2018/2019 season, and bright individual masters, for example, Vladimir Tarasenko, who is having the best season in his career. The series will definitely last at least six matches, and the most experienced cup fighter who can endure will win.

Edmonton – Calgary

Forecast Sportbox.ru: 2-4

Nikita Zadorov / Photo: © REUTERS / Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Of the two remaining Canadian teams, only one will go further: and that, for sure, will be Calgary. Yes, the Flames had to suffer against Dallas in the first round, although most experts predicted that they would have a trouble-free exit to the next stage. However, this does not change the fact of victory. In the second round, Calgary is waiting for Edmonton, which, frankly, is not much stronger than the Texas Stars.

The Oilers’ trump card is NHL superstar Connor McDavid, who scored 14 points in the starting playoff series. But the Flames have their own attacking star in Johnny Gaudreau, who, like McDavid, crossed the elite 100-point mark in the regular season. Another plus for Calgary is brilliant goaltender Jakub Markström, who leads the league in terms of reliability. Well, in general, the Flames have a much more stable and strong team in every line. If they keep McDavid, and the powerful Nikita Zadorov will probably be responsible for this, Calgary will have no problems.

Carolina – Rangers

Forecast Sportbox.ru: 4-2

Photo: © Karl DeBlaker / Contributeur / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

In this pair, the class will beat the order, which means that the Carolinas trained by coach Rod Brindamore will hold back the Rangers stars and squeeze the New York team squeezed out by the Penguins. That’s exactly what happened to the Hurricanes in the first round, when they were confronted by a full of big names “Boston”. According to the same plan, Andrey Svechnikov and Co. will build a game for the confrontation with the Rangers, who will have to bite into the ice in order to create scoring chances.

Despite the large number of performers like Chris Kreider, Artemy Panarin and Miki Zibanejad, the team from New York still loses in depth to their rivals. The only thing she’s better at is her goalie line: Antti Raant’s backup goaltender is currently playing for the Carolinas instead of the injured number one Frederik Andersen, which adds a little stress to the team. The Rangers have no such problem: even despite a brief first-round failure, the team’s faith in Shesterkin is boundless.