Stanley Cup final preview: Advantage Lightning over Stars, even with Point and Stamkos hurting

There’s light at the end of the bubble. It’s a silver light, gleaming off the Stanley Cup.

The NHL playoffs are down to two teams: the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars.

The Stanley Cup final starts Saturday night, and if it goes the limit of seven games it will end Sept. 30, more than a calendar year after training camps opened for the 2019-20 season.

The Lightning are the run-and-gun team that added grit and size when skill and speed wasn’t enough. They’re like the Colorado Avalanche (and just as banged up), but maybe more experienced and a bit hungrier as their window to win narrows with age.

Dallas is the place where offensive stars learn to play defence first, grinding the game to their pace and capitalizing on their chances. They’re the New York Islanders, a bit older but with more skill.

“You need a lot of good players to get to this point, and resiliency,” Tampa GM Julien BriseBois said Friday. “Once you get to the playoffs, the difference in talent between the teams is minimal.

“Once you have a good enough team to get into the playoffs, it’s: Who’s going to find a way? At this point, you have two teams who found a way to the final, and one of us is going to find a way to lift the big trophy.”

There is no shortages of storylines: Tampa coach Jon Cooper once employed much older Dallas coach Rick Bowness as an assistant. The two goalies — Andrei Vasilevskiy and Anton Khudobin — are Russian. The leading Conn Smythe candidates are European defencemen: Victor Hedman (Sweden) and Miro Heiskanen (Finland).

Fun facts: It will be the second Stanley Cup for one of these franchises. Dallas won in 1999, Tampa in 2004 … The Cup will be awarded in Edmonton for the fifth time — also 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988 … Edmonton is the northernmost city in which the trophy has been handed out (53.6 degrees North latitude).

Here’s a closer look at both contenders, with a prediction.

Tampa Bay Lightning

How they got here: Beat Columbus in five games, Boston in five and the Islanders in six. They’ve played a combined 185:17 in overtime this post-season — an NHL record.

Up front: The Lightning would be an easier pick if they were healthy. Steven Stamkos has yet to play a game in the playoffs, while Brayden Point is playing through an injury, likely a groin. Their depth has shone with the Triplets (Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn) reunited at times and showing some of the magic from their 2015 Cup final appearance. Nikita Kucherov (six goals, 20 assists) is a game-breaker. Trade-deadline pickups Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow have been big contributors.

On defence: Hedman is the Lightning favourite for Conn Smythe, seemingly willing the team past the Islanders. He has nine goals, taking it upon himself to shoot more and tied for third among all defencemen in a playoffs. Cooper typically plays seven defencemen and has found roles for all of them. It’s hard not to root for Luke Schenn, who has eked out an important role just when it looked the like the game was passing him by.

In net: Vasilevskiy (14-5, .931 save mark, 1.82 goals-against average) has played every minute of the playoff run and shows no signs of getting tired. He’s a force to be reckoned with.

Fun fact: The Lightning clinched all three series so far with overtime wins.

Dallas Stars

How they got here: Beat Calgary in six games, Colorado in seven and Vegas in five.

Up front: Jamie Benn came to life offensively against Vegas, so to speak: the only player in the tight series to score more than once. Tyler Seguin is showing a defensive side few thought he had. The Stars can generate offence when they need to as well from the likes of Alexander Radulov, a gifted scorer we’ve all heard about, and relative unknown (till now) Joel Kiviranta.

On defence: Heiskanen (five goals, 17 assists) has established himself as a bona-fide star and if he doesn’t win the Conn Smythe this year, there will be plenty of other awards in his future. He’s a Norris candidate for years now. Esa Lindell is shot-blocking wonder. Jamie Oleksiak lays out some big hits.

In net: Who had Khudobin (12-6-0, .929, 2.62) as the feel-good story of the playoffs? The longtime backup has performed well since Ben Bishop got hurt — twice — in these elongated playoffs. Khudobin appears to be channelling Tim Thomas circa 2011. He’s been a rock. Makes him a rock Star.

Fun fact: This is the first time a coach has faced his former assistant in the Stanley Cup final, according to the NHL Coaches’ Association. Bowness worked under Cooper for five seasons in Tampa (2013-18).

Prediction