When the Stanley Cup finals begin on Wednesday, the New York Rangers will be underdogs.
The Rangers rode a wave of emotion after the death of the mother of Martin St Louis, the veteran winger, all the way to the Eastern Conference title.
Their Western Conference counterpart was being decided Monday morning, with the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings playing Game 7 of their series. Regardless of whether the Hawks or Kings win, they will be favoured to take home the Stanley Cup. These are powerhouses that combine speed and size and have won three of the past four cups.
Read more: Barry Trotz is not final piece to Russian puzzle in Washington
But everybody loves an underdog, so let us try to make a case for the Rangers winning.
First, they need to win Game 1. The Rangers will have had five days off after eliminating Montreal in six games. The Rangers will be the road team, but Game 1 represents a clear chance to seize the initiative against an opponent that might experience a letdown after the western final, played at a breakneck pace.
The Rangers coach, Alain Vigneault, coached Vancouver in the 2011 Cup final. His teams’ hallmarks are depth, speed and puck movement.
The Rangers have enough speed to match, but not surpass, their western opponents, whoever they might be. So, no advantage there.
As for depth and puck movement, New York have a better chance of exploiting these strengths against Chicago than Los Angeles.
In the first six games of the Chicago-LA series, the Kings were consistent and unrelenting. Chicago had more ups and downs, and took dumb penalties. It is almost like, having won two cups, they need to be at death’s door before they feel a sense of urgency.
Part of the reason Chicago had their downs was a lack of depth. Johnny Oduya makes mistakes on defence. In Game 3 against Los Angeles, he wasn’t guarding Jeff Carter in front of the net – or anyone, for that matter – on the goalmouth score that made it 3-2 for LA, and he blocked Corey Crawford’s line of vision on the shot that made it 4-2.
Crawford, too, was inconsistent in the series. New York have a better goalie in Henrik Lundqvist, though LA have Lundqvist’s match in Jonathan Quick.
In the end, it is hard to picture the Rangers beating LA. The Kings play suffocating hockey and the Rangers do not have the skill to overcome that. The Rangers would have a better shot against Chicago.
Still, the west should win. Monday’s game between Chicago and LA? That was the Stanley Cup final.
rmckenzie@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
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Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
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On Women's Day
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On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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if you go
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Our coronavirus coverage
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ABU DHABI TRIATHLON
For more information, and to enter the race, please visit www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
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The specs
The specs
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
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The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”