Another couple weeks have passed and we almost have our final four teams set. While the Rangers and Hurricanes have a Game 7 pending tomorrow night, the other three series have wrapped up and we were treated to a little bit of everything this round. We had some surprise as the Lightning completely rolled over the Panthers in a four-game sweep. The Avs and Blues battled a pretty tightly-contested series that saw Colorado finally break through and get back to the conference finals. And then there was the Battle of Alberta. Pure chaos and excitement from start to finish. Let's take a closer look at each series.

Tampa Bay vs Florida

As a Leafs fan, I watched a whole lot of Tampa Bay over the last few weeks. I couldn't help but feel they were looking dangerous and could pose a major threat moving forward.  At the same time though, their attempt at a three-peat wouldn't be without its challenges. Brayden Point had sustained an injury in the Toronto series. And although he was still playing, Nikita Kucherov definitely seemed to be playing through some sort of ailment as well. On top of their own obstacles, they would be clashing with the Panthers, a team many considered to be the biggest threat coming out of the Eastern Conference.

So while I thought Tampa Bay had looked good, I was most certainly surprised when they were breaking out the brooms at the end of Game 4. The Lightning completely neutralized the offense of the Florida Panthers, an offense that had been among the league's best all regular season. Tampa held Florida to just three goals in four games. On top of playing shut-down defense, the Lightning's depth players really showed up this series. Ross Colton and Corey Perry were especially good, both coming up with clutch goals multiple times in the series.

Thanks to their convincing sweep, they've earned themselves some extended rest and recuperation time. Their last game was on Monday, and with Carolina and New York to play their Game 7 tomorrow, the Lightning secured at least a seven-day break. Sometimes these extended breaks can be a double-edged sword though. The Lightning definitely seemed to ride the momentum of their big Game 7 win over Toronto into the Florida series. I'll be interested to see how they come out in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. That being said though, as I mentioned before, the Bolts looked pretty banged up. I'm sure they are fine with some extra rest time.

Colorado vs St. Louis

This series had a ton of intrigue to me going into it. Many people would consider the Avalanche the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season. They looked great in the opening round, but drawing the Blues in the second round would surely serve as a true test for the club. St. Louis plays that gritty, defensive, playoff style of hockey. A part of me wouldn't have been surprised if the Blues neutralized the Avalanche's offense much how the Lightning did to the Panthers. 

Colorado had been stymied in the second round of the playoffs for three straight seasons, but they finally were able to break through this time. It truly took a full team effort, with different players having big games throughout the series. Nazem Kadri, Nathan MacKinnon and JT Compher all had big games in the series, but even guys like Josh Manson and Darren Helm came up clutch with some big goals as well. It's also worth noting that Darcy Kuemper looked sharp in this series as well. 

The Avs are now off to the Western Conference final to take on the Edmonton Oilers. After going through a series like the one they just had with the Blues, I feel like Avs could come out guns a blazing. If the Oilers defense plays the same way they did versus Calgary (more on that in a second), I think the Avs will make quick work of them. Colorado isn't a team you want to run-and-gun with. Colorado seems poised to make their long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup final, a place they haven't been since winning the Cup in 2001. 

Edmonton vs Calgary

While Flames fans may not agree in hindsight, this series was a ton of fun. You knew it was going to be a spectacle after Game 1, where 15 goals were scored. Both team's offenses had some big series, but just like how I said you don't want to run-and-gun with the Avs, the same most definitely can be said with the Edmonton Oilers. While the one-two punch of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is always a constant threat, the Oilers got some huge performances this series from both Zach Hyman and Evander Kane. 

While the series was won in just five games by the Oilers, Flames fans will be bitter for a while over that brutal video review call that took away a late go-ahead goal for Blake Coleman in Game 5. Instead, the goal was called back and the game went to overtime, and from there Connor McDavid wasted little time in burying the dagger. It's too bad the series ended in five games, as it was some really entertaining hockey.  

As I previously mentioned, the Oilers will need to tighten things up defensively if they want any shot at getting past the Avalanche. Goaltender Mike Smith has looked vulnerable at times during the playoffs, so his team will need to put forth a better effort in front of him. If the Oilers could knock off Colorado, it would be their first trip back to a Stanley Cup final since 2006, when they came up short against Carolina. More importantly though, this is the first time during the McDavid era that Edmonton has reached the final four. The Avalanche/Oilers series surely will be a good one.

–

Well, that's it for this week. Tomorrow is Game 7 for Carolina and New York. For the Rangers, it's back-to-back Game 7s to start the playoffs. Even if they manage to overcome the Hurricanes, they certainly aren't taking the easy road. But then again, there is no easy road to the Stanley Cup trophy, that's why they say it's the hardest trophy to win in sports! I will check back in after the end of the conference finals. Enjoy the hockey everyone!