The NHL record-setting Boston Bruins and the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche are hosting Game 7s on Sunday, and the momentum of their series couldn’t be more different.
The Avalanche are riding high after winning Game 6 in Seattle against the second-year Kraken. But the Bruins have lost two in a row against the Florida Panthers and looked sloppy in doing so.
Both teams have questions. Can Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark, who gave up 10 goals over the last two games, find the form that made him a Vezina Trophy favorite? Can the Avalanche overcome injuries, including a fractured neck for Andrew Cogliano?
NHL PLAYOFFS: Maple Leafs end drought, Lightning’s run with Game 6 win
Who will win Sunday’s games? USA TODAY Sports NHL experts weigh in:
Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins
Time, TV: 6:30 p.m., TNT
Bruins 4, Panthers 3. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk will be hard to shut down, but the Bruins will benefit from David Pastrnak regaining his form after getting two goals in Game 6. If the Bruins can limit their turnovers, they should be able to win against a team that finished 43 points below them in the standings. — Mike Brehm
Bruins 4, Panthers 2. The Stanley Cup playoffs are almost always a random enterprise, but still – posting the best regular season of all time should mean something. The Bruins only lost seven games in Boston all year. Are the Panthers really going to beat them three times at TD Garden in one series? Never say never … but I would be really surprised if it happens. — Jace Evans
Time, TV: 9:30 p.m., TNT
Avalanche 4, Kraken 2. The Avalanche might be missing some key players from last season’s run, but the core knows what it takes to win a big game. Cale Makar returned from a one-game suspension in Game 6 and played a big role in that Avalanche victory. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Makar will give the Avalanche enough offense to win. — Brehm
Avalanche 3, Kraken 1. Credit the Kraken: I never expected this series to reach this point but they’ve been extremely game, and at this point I won’t be shocked if they win. But with their backs against the wall Friday, the defending champs pumped Seattle, outshooting the Kraken 39-23 on the way to a 4-1 road victory. With their championship experience leading the way I think the Avs dig deep and win on home ice. — Evans
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL Game 7 predictions: Who’ll win Panthers-Bruins, Kraken-Avalanche?
