The NHL 2020 season finally got to its Conference Finals, on Sunday. After a thrilling and intense Second Round of the playoffs, with three out of four meetings ending in seven games, we know the final four teams competing for the Stanley Cup.
The four teams who made it in the Conference Finals are the New York Islanders, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars.
You can bet on the NHL odds for all the four teams, with odds from Unibet. The Golden Knights are narrow favorites of winning the Stanley Cup (+145), followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning (+180), New York Islanders (+500), and Dallas Stars (+650).
Here are the matches to decide the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals:
New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights made it through the Second Round after finishing third in the Western Conference, and then defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. As other two teams at this stage, the Knights gave up a 3-1 series lead over the Vancouver Canucks.
Goalie Robin Lehner helped a lot the team with his saves in the first and third game, while Max Pacioretty scored twice and also assisted one in the fourth game to make it 3-1.
But then Thatcher Demko came up with 90 saves over the next two games, and the Canucks tied to 3.
The Golden Knights finally won the match with a seventh game win with 3-0. They will face the Dallas Stars in the Finals, starting Sunday.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the Eastern Conference, and then won 4-1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, in the First Round.
They managed to win the Second Round with the same score, against the Eastern Conference champions and last season’s runners-up, Boston Bruins, despite losing the first game, 2-3.
The Lightning won the second game in the overtime, then clearly winning the following two (7-1 and 3-1). In game five, Victor Hedman scored in the second overtime, and Tampa Bay won the game 3-2, going to the Conference Final.
New York Islanders
Tampa Bay will face the New York Islanders for a place in the Stanley Cup Finals. Although finishing 6th in the conference, the Islanders made it to the final four defeating the Florida Panthers (3-1) and the Washington Capitals (4-1) in the playoffs.
Then, in the Second Round, the team upset the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games, although having a 3-1 lead. All the wins from the Flyers came in overtime, and one even in the second overtime – the game which made it 3-3.
The Islanders won however the seventh game 4-0, with goalie Thomas Greiss saving all 16 shots, and made it to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 27 years.
Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars were almost to the Conference Finals after the fourth game against the Colorado Avalanche, but two defeats (3-6 and 1-4) took the team to the seventh game.
And what a game that was, with the two teams scoring each four goals throughout the three periods. The young Finnish Joel Kiviranta was the hero for Dallas, scoring three goals, the last of which in the overtime. The score was 5-4, and the Stars reached the Western Conference Final.
These Conference Finals will be the without the final four teams from 2019 season, including the defending champions and current Western Conference winners, St. Louis Blues, who lost in the First Round to Vancouver Canucks, 2-4.
The 2020 Stanley Cup Finals will be played entirely at Rogers Place, in Edmonton, beginning on September 22. The possible seventh match will take place there on October 4th.
This is the first time the Stanley Cup Finals will be played in a single location, since 1928.
Main image credit:
Embed from Getty Images
