Canes Country’s 2018 Playoff Pick ‘Em Challenge: Stanley Cup Final

Hands up if you had the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights meeting in the Stanley Cup Final before the playoffs started.

Now put your hand down. You’re lying.

Oddly enough, this postseason has had the impression of being completely unpredictable, when in fact it’s been very much a top-seeds-advance bracket. This is the first time since 2011 that two division champions have met in the Final, and while the teams involved were certainly not on the short list of expected finalists two months ago, their records back up the fact that this matchup is no fluke.

Before we get to the pick ‘em, here’s the schedule of games for the Final. All games are at 8:00 p.m. ET:

• Game 1: Monday, May 28, Capitals at Golden Knights, NBC
• Game 2: Wednesday, May 30, Capitals at Golden Knights, NBCSN
• Game 3: Saturday, June 2, Golden Knights at Capitals, NBCSN
• Game 4: Monday, June 4, Golden Knights at Capitals, NBC
• Game 5*: Thursday, June 7, Capitals at Golden Knights, NBC
• Game 6*: Sunday, June 10, Golden Knights at Capitals, NBC
• Game 7*: Wednesday, June 13, Capitals at Golden Knights, NBC

And now onto the pick ‘em, which is quickly becoming the Matt Krombach Show. Here is how everyone stacks up after the third round:

The rules are just a bit different in the final, but largely the same as before:

• Select who will win the Stanley Cup, and in how many games. Also, for a tiebreaker, please indicate the total number of goals scored in the entire series by both teams with your entry.
• In the fourth round, you’ll get eight points for picking the correct winner. If you pick both the correct team and the correct series length, you’ll also get five bonus points.
• You will have until the start of Game 1 to pick the Cup winner. Comments will close on Monday, May 28, at 8:00 p.m.

Below are the staff picks for the Stanley Cup Final. Good luck!