Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
Florida Panthers by 2Let's dive right in, folks––whoops, didn't mean to call you 'folks'. Ol' habit, I guess. We've got a juicy matchup today – the Los Angeles Kings locking horns with the Florida Panthers. Recent scores show these three-time Stanley Cup winners have been a bit wishy-washy, while the Panthers are showing some of their pearly claws.
On the Kings’ side of things, we’ve got goalkeepers Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich. Kuemper’s shown a decent run with a save percentage of 93.2 last month, but it seems our boy Rittich has been sipping more Gatorade than stopping pucks with an 84.5 save percentage.
Their key players display a similar narrative with Adrian Kempe leading the pack with 8 goals last month and veteran Kopitar following up with 2 goals and 4 assists. Young Quentin Byfield also seems to be coming into his form, slotting home 5 goals and adding 3 assists to his name. But for a team to really rumble, they need everyone on song, not just the soloists.
Switching sides to the Panthers, goalkeepers Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight have been on their toes––surely doing their part to keep the scores cute. Bobrovsky saved 226 last month with a 90.4 save percentage, slightly outdone by Knight, who boasts a 93.1 save percentage.
Shining for the Panthers, Anton Lundell seems to be making merry out on the field, slapping home 4 goals and serving up 6 assists last month. Jesper Boqvist goes one up, ticking the scoreboard 7 times, while Sam Reinhart doesn't seem to care much for assisting, preferring to go for the kill with his 7 goals.
Considering past match-ups, it's generally been a case of tit for tat, but the Kings have a slight edge with more victories to boast. But don’t forget, statistics can only say so much––what matters is who turns up on the day.
And now for the moment of truth. With the Panthers favored and considering their overall form, the Kings will need a lot more than wearing their lucky underwear to pull a surprise. So, it's likely going to be the Panthers coming out on top...unless they decide to forget how to play hockey on the day.
Albert's Prediction: Florida Panthers by 2