Quick Glance:
Paris is flying to Northern Ireland in two planes: one for the players and coaches and one for the medical team. Steven Stamkos and Derek Ryan are out and John Tavares, Andre Burakovsky and Gurkan Cetinkaya are all questionable as the series starts. Belfast, meanwhile, is ready to explode out of the gate riding Nathan Mackinnon, Mitch Marner and David Pastrnak. They also have Ryan Murray, who is in the running for the Best Defenseman trophy. Both teams have decisions to make in goal because all four net-minders can get the job done.
Goalies:
- Paris – Chris Driedger, 2.78 GAA, .900 save pct.
- Belfast – Braden Holtby, 2.84 GAA, .898 save pct.
Top Plus/Minus players:
- Paris – Thomas Powell, Kevin Fiala and Taylor Hall +14
- Belfast – Ryan Murray +38
Expert Panel Predictions:
- Commissioner Chuck: Paris in an upset, 6 games. If you look at the stats these teams compiled during the season, you have to wonder why the Giants finished 8 points higher than Paris. It had to be the injuries. The stats were all close, but Paris held a slight edge in shots against, penalty killing and goalie stats. Those point to a better defensive team. Plus they won the season series between the two teams.
- Rose: Belfast in 5 games. What was in your coffee, Chuck? Paris will be weighed down by all their bandages and braces and even healthy they can’t keep up with the Giants. Belfast led the league in penalty minutes, so they will probably take out a few more fragile Rouge Eiffels in each game. Paris will simply run out of players, I predict.
