Two For All The Marbles

We'll have to wait until Saturday to start the fun, but the final two teams in the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are ready to decide which team will hoist the Cup for the first time in franchise history. The series starts in Las Vegas where the Vegas Golden Knights will host the Florida Panthers as both teams roll into their second Stanley Cup Final appearance. Vegas, of course, lost in 2018 to the Washington Capitals while Florida lost to Colorado way back in 1996. One of these two teams will add their franchise name and the names of their players to the Stanley Cup as early as June 10, but no later than June 19 depending on how long the series goes.

In saying that, it also means the Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest is nearing an end as just two entrants remain. Let's see who is still alive on Survivor: NHL Playoffs island and in the running for jerseys!

Mike, who was worried that he may be eliminated in the opening round by the Winnipeg Jets, will be cheering for the Golden Knights to allow him the opportunity to choose between the two jerseys available to the winner. Wayne, who is a Boston Bruins fan, cursed his luck when he got the Florida Panthers who played the record-setting Bruins, but he's been all smiles since as the Cats continue to take out opponents ranked significantly higher than them.

The winner of the Survivor: NHL Playoffs contest will get to select one of the two jerseys to the right - a Kraken home jersey or the discontinued Jets Aviator jersey - while the runner-up will get the other jersey remaining. If the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win, the prizes need to reflect that by being pretty awesome. We'll also include some smaller prizes with the jersey selected by the winner because, as you know, the victor gets the spoils. In two weeks' time, one of Mike or Wayne will claim one of the jerseys!

If you were looking for fun, the NHL.com writers picked their winners, but I'm not sure that I'd be putting a lot of faith in some of those selections based on their playoff prediction records so far. There are a few 10-4 records, but most are around .500 - no better than a coin flip. Either way, it just goes to show that nothing is guaranteed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I don't own a Vegas Golden Knights jersey, but I do have three Florida Panthers jerseys. Personally, I'd like to see the Panthers win just continue their reign of chaos this spring, but there are a pile of Manitoba-born and Manitoba-trained players on the Golden Knights I'd like to see win. It's a tough call for me, but I'm all about the chaos that Florida is bringing, so put me in the Panthers' camp for the final.

We'll find out who came prepared to win on Saturday night at 8pm ET when the Panthers invade Las Vegas for a battle with the Golden Knights. Game One goes in Sin City, and it should be a fun final to determine which franchise adds their name to the Stanley Cup for the first time!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!