Stanley Cup Final predictions for Lightning vs. Stars

The Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Stanley Cup, according to 11 of the 16 NHL.com staff writers and editors who made their predictions for the final round.

Of the 11 who picked the Lightning, eight predicted defenseman Victor Hedman will win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy also got a vote for Conn Smythe.
Of the five writers and editors who predicted the Stars to win the Cup, three predicted goalie Anton Khudobin will win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and two went with defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
One of the five to predict the Stars will win the Cup is staff writer David Satriano, the only one to go 2-0 in the conference finals. He was also one of two to pick the Stars to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
Here are their picks:
Amalie Benjamin, staff writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record:13-9
PICK: Lightning in 6
WHY: Though the Lightning rolled through the regular season in 2018-19, that wasn't a championship team. This is. Tampa Bay made the right additions at the right time, including forward Pat Maroon and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk before the season and forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow during the season, and built a team that has all the pieces to claim the Stanley Cup it deserves. The Lightning have a killer offense, impressive goaltending in Vasilevskiy and an all-world defenseman in Hedman. And now, they should have a ring, too.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Nikita Kucherov, Lightning
Tim Campbell, staff writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record:9-13
PICK: Stars in 6
WHY: The Stars can play defense, they have a hot goalie in Khudobin and they are far more dangerous than the Islanders. So, though I thought this was Tampa Bay's time less than a week ago, the lack of pace to its game at times in the conference final has convinced me that Dallas' momentum and battle-hardened road to the Final will be the deciding factor.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Anton Khudobin, Stars
Brian Compton, deputy managing editorConference finals record:1-1
Overall record:15-7
PICK:Lightning in 6
WHY:They haven't lost consecutive games all postseason. Hedman is the best defenseman in the world right now, and the forward line of Point, Kucherov and Ondrej Palat was flying in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Islanders, who are normally stalwarts defensively but had no answers for them. And when the Lightning have the occasional breakdown in their own end, Vasilevskiy has been there to make the save. Tampa Bay completes its turnaround after being swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets last season.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Victor Hedman, Lightning
Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnistConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 10-12
PICK:Lightning in 5
WHY: It's time for Tampa Bay. The Lightning had one of the best regular-season teams in NHL history in 2018-19 and were swept in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Blue Jackets. It was shocking, but the Lightning didn't panic. They kept their core together and added playoff-type pieces, and here they are, ready to meet their destiny. The Stars are a great underdog story and can defend. But the Lightning have shown they can deal with defensive teams in these playoffs, defeating the Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and Islanders.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Victor Hedman, Lightning
William Douglas, staff writerConference finals record: 0-2
Overall record: 9-13
PICK:Stars in 7
WHY: The Stars have team of destiny written all over them, overcoming an abrupt coaching change during the regular season and goalie Ben Bishop being deemed unfit to play for much of the playoffs to prosper in the postseason. Heiskanen leads them with 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) while forwards Jamie Benn (eight goals, 10 assists) and Denis Gurianov (nine goals, eight assists) have provided scoring up front. If Tyler Seguin (two goals, six assists) can get on track offensively and Khudobin continues his superb play, Dallas will win its first Stanley Cup since 1999.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Anton Khudobin, Stars
Tom Gulitti, staff writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 12-10
PICK: Lightning in 6
WHY: Tampa Bay has been on a mission after being swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round last season and is 12-4 over the first three rounds of the playoffs, after going 2-1-0 in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The Lightning's depth has been tested without center Steven Stamkos, who has been unfit to play in the postseason, and Point missing two games in the conference final against the Islanders, and they've been undeterred.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Victor Hedman, Lightning
Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editorConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 11-11
PICK: Lightning in 6
WHY:This was my Stanley Cup Final prediction in October, and I'm sticking with my winner from back then. The Lightning have elite talent at each position (Point, Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevskiy), can adapt to any style and have won in nearly every fashion. The Stars, led by big surprises in Khudobin and forward Joel Kiviranta, are on a memorable run too, but negative goal and shot differentials will catch up to them.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Victor Hedman, Lightning
Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editorConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 8-14
PICK:Lightning in 6
WHY:Star forwards Point and Kucherov get most of the attention, but the Lightning's biggest advantage is their depth. Forward Yanni Gourde has two game-winning goals, Anthony Cirelli scored the overtime winner to clinch the conference final and Coleman and Goodrow have been big contributors. The Stars can't match that depth up front, which is why the Lightning will win the Cup.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Victor Hedman, Lightning
Tracey Myers, staff writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record:12-10
PICK: Stars in 7
WHY:I'm now buying into the Stars mojo. Khudobin has been outstanding with Bishop unfit to play, Benn has been the playoff performer he was always expected to be and the Stars are getting something from everyone. Heiskanen is playing like a veteran defenseman and Kiviranta is one of the great feel-good stories of the playoffs. I'm in on the Stars.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Miro Heiskanen, Stars
Mike G. Morreale, staff writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 11-11
PICK: Stars in 6
WHY:The Stars have averaged 3.40 goals-per game since a 5-4 overtime win against the Calgary Flames in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round. Khudobin is 11-3 with a 2.66 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts) since that win, coach Rick Bowness has pushed the right buttons, Benn looks rejuvenated and Heiskanen leads all defensemen in postseason scoring with 22 points (five goals, 17 assists).
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Anton Khudobin, Stars
Bill Price, Editor-in-ChiefConference finals record:1-1
Overall record:11-11
PICK:Lightning in 6
WHY: I was one of the few to pick the Stars to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, but their run ends here. The Lightning won't struggle to score against the Stars like the Golden Knights did, and the Stars just won't score enough to keep up. This is Tampa Bay's year.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Brayden Point, Lightning
Shawn Roarke, Senior Director of EditorialConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 7-15
PICK: Lightning in 7
WHY:The Lightning are the best team in the postseason and they have proven they can be disciplined and patient to beat a defense-first team like the Stars, who are cut from the same cloth as the Blue Jackets, whom Tampa Bay defeated in five games in the first round, and the Islanders, whom they defeated in six games in the conference final. The Lightning are comfortable in one-goal games, winning eight of 10 since the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and five of six overtime games. But they can also open it up with devastating effect, as evidenced by the 8-2 win in Game 1 against the Islanders. Oh yeah, they also have the most accomplished player left at each position in Vasilevskiy, Hedman and Kucherov.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Victor Hedman, Lightning
Dan Rosen, senior writerConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 15-7
PICK:Lightning in 6
WHY: The Lightning can control games with their skill, their speed and their intelligence. They have plenty of experience and they have more pure finishers than the Stars. It will be challenging for the Stars to play their bend-but-don't-break game that got them this far against a team that has such quick-strike ability like the Lightning. Even better, the Lightning have proven in the playoffs that they're just as comfortable in low-scoring games as they are in high-scoring games. They're 8-3 through three rounds in games that feature five goals or fewer. They're 8-2 in one-goal games, including 5-1 in overtime games.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER:Victor Hedman, Lightning
David Satriano, staff writerConference finals record: 2-0
Overall record: 13-9
PICK: Stars in 6
WHY:Having picked the Stars to defeat the Lightning in the preseason, I stuck with that matchup for the playoffs and here we are. The Lightning have hardly been tested, winning two of their series in five games. The Stars have been through it all and no matter what the score is, find ways to win. Expect that to continue as Dallas wins the Cup for the first time in 21 years.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Miro Heiskanen, Stars
Dave Stubbs, columnistConference finals record: 1-1
Overall record: 13-9
PICK: Lightning in 6
WHY: I picked Tampa Bay as my Stanley Cup champion before the puck dropped on this surreal 2019-20 season and that's not changing now. Even if it's without Stamkos, coach Jon Cooper's team is going all the way, anchored by Vasilevskiy in goal, brilliant workhorse/sniper Hedman on defense and the 1-2-3 punch up front of Point, Palat and Kucherov. The Stars are a great story; the Lightning are an even better one.
CONN SMYTHE WINNER: Victor Hedman, Lightning
Mike Zeisberger, staff writerConference finals record:1-1
Overall record: 10-12
PICK:Lightning in 6
WHY:The additions of Maroon, Coleman and Goodrow this season allow the Lightning to play with hustle and muscle, providing pushback against the Stars sandpaper. Depth has allowed the Lightning to win despite Point missing two games in the conference final and Stamkos not yet playing this postseason. And as good as Khudobin has been, I still think Vasilevskiy will be the difference. Tampa Bay was my preseason Stanley Cup pick and I'm sticking with it.
CONN SMYTHE:Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning