The Los Angeles Kings removed the interim tag from head coach Jim Hiller to make him their full-time bench boss, the team announced Wednesday.

Additionally, the club signed Hiller to a three-year extension, reports ESPN's Kevin Weekes.

Hiller took over for the fired Todd McLellan midway through the 2023-24 campaign and guided the Kings to a 21-12-1 record. Los Angeles was then ousted by the Oilers in Round 1 for the third year in a row.

The Kings' defense and power play both improved under Hiller's watch.

This is Hiller's first stint as an NHL head coach. He previously served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs. The 55-year-old was also a head coach in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans and Chilliwack Bruins. He was named the WHL and CHL coach of the year in 2011-12 for leading the Americans to a 50-18-0-4 record.

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After Edmonton's thrilling Game 7 win Monday, the conference finals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set, and they should be doozies.

The Oilers will face the Dallas Stars in the West, while the New York Rangers will battle the Florida Panthers in the East. Unlike many other seasons, no Cinderella stories are taking place in 2024. This year's third round features three of four division winners and an Oilers squad that led the NHL in points after hiring Kris Knoblauch as head coach in mid-November.

We're also destined to end a lengthy Stanley Cup drought, as the Oilers (1990), Rangers (1994), Stars (1999), and Panthers (none since entering the league in 1993) have all paid their dues while waiting for a championship.

There's no shortage of eye-catching storylines for each team left, but we've already broken down each squad heading into the final four. We'll skip ahead and rank the best possible Stanley Cup Final matchups.

4. Panthers vs. Stars

The Stars and Panthers would likely offer fun-to-watch, fast-paced hockey if they met with a championship on the line, but this clash lacks the pizzazz of the other possibilities. We aren't knocking either squad, but unless you're a hardcore hockey fan, chances are you probably aren't well aware of what these teams have to offer.

Both Dallas and Florida are deep with quality players and play a sturdy defensive game. That could create a tight-checking brand of hockey that doesn't always bring fans out of their seats. There's some notable star power on both teams - Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Miro Heiskanen, among others - who could change that narrative and drive an offensive game. Still, the Stars and Panthers are the top two teams remaining in terms of goals against.

A second consecutive all-Sunbelt Stanley Cup Final (Florida lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023) may result in lower TV ratings and draw the ire of Cup-starved fans of bigger markets, but the NHL would likely be happy about continuing to grow the game down South.

3. Rangers vs. Stars

At first glance, this matchup feels like a solid weeknight feature in the regular season, but hockey fans can't ask for much more than the top seed in each conference competing for the title. The Rangers and Stars were the NHL's two best teams this season by points and project to match up fairly evenly. The X-factor for both squads comes between the pipes, as Igor Shesterkin and Jake Oettinger have been the two best goalies in the playoffs.

Both netminders are firmly in the Conn Smythe race, but not everyone loves a goalie duel - especially on the biggest stage. Beyond the stars in the crease, there's not an overflow of compelling storylines between clubs that lack a shared history. There are some veterans on each side - Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter for Dallas, Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider for New York - whose first championship would make for a feel-good story, but that's not enough for a top-two spot in our rankings.

2. Panthers vs. Oilers

With all due respect to the Stars, we picked the Oilers as the Western representative in each of our top two matchups. The sport benefits from showcasing the best players, and Connor McDavid competing for the Stanley Cup for the first time is easily the most captivating outcome the NHL has to offer.

Edmonton has been must-see TV this spring, pouring in nearly four goals per game and converting 37.5% of its power-play opportunities. The Oilers boast the top four scorers in these playoffs - Leon Draisaitl, McDavid, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - as well as leading goal-getter Zach Hyman. The club's core labeled this season "Stanley Cup or bust," and they've stayed true to their word so far as the team aims to snap Canada's championship drought at 31 years.

As fun as the Oilers are to watch, the Panthers would offer a significant test. Florida may have the antidote to Edmonton's attack in Barkov, who ran away with the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward this season. Watching the captains go toe to toe in a series-long chess match would produce remarkable theater for Xs and Os aficionados and casual fans alike.

Another fun aspect of this series would be Tkachuk renewing hostilities with the Oilers. The Panthers winger sparked some unforgettable drama in the Battle of Alberta during his years with the Calgary Flames, and you can guarantee he'd be in the thick of things again.

1. Rangers vs. Oilers

The Panthers might offer better storylines against the Oilers on the ice, but McDavid and Co. competing for the Cup against the league's biggest American market is a dream scenario for the NHL. The best player in the world aiming to cement his legacy as an all-time great in the World's Most Famous Arena is storybook stuff.

The Rangers don't have a matchup to slow down McDavid but can rely on all-world defenseman Adam Fox and Shesterkin as the last line of defense. New York's best bet might be trying to match Edmonton offensively with a top six as good as any in the league. The Oilers and Rangers engaging in a track meet would make for a breathtaking series, enhanced by two of the best crowds in the sport.

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The puck drops for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night. Let's look at a few of the best ways to attack the series opener.

Mika Zibanejad: Over 0.5 assists

Zibanejad's a very dangerous goal-scorer, particularly on the power play. But it's his playmaking that's causing opponents the most problems of late.

He's in the midst of an unbelievable assist streak having picked up at least one apple in 14 of his past 15 games dating back to the regular season.

With Chris Kreider scoring at will, Zibanejad, whose one-timer is understandably respected in power-play situations, has a lot of incentive to distribute the puck.

Furthermore, Zibanejad has tallied at least one assist in 60% of his home games this season, including his last meeting with these same Panthers.

Odds: -105 (playable to -130)

Matthew Tkachuk: Under 3.5 shots

Tkachuk has had a difficult time generating shots against the Rangers. He attempted six shots or fewer in the last eight head-to-head meetings.

His shot volume is also noticeably lower when playing on the road, as he averaged 3.8 shots on 6.9 attempts in Florida this season but just 3.4 shots on 5.7 attempts away from home.

The difference was even more drastic after the calendar flipped to 2024. Tkachuk averaged 7.1 attempts per game at home and just 5.2 on the road.

He sees tougher matchups away from home - Paul Maurice tends to use the Aleksander Barkov line against the opposing team's best units in Florida - and the Rangers should be able to keep Tkachuk's shot volume down in this game.

Odds: -130 (playable to -145)

Jacob Trouba: Over 3.5 blocked shots

Trouba is a shot-blocking machine. He recorded at least four blocks in eight of his last 10 games and all five playoff games in New York thus far.

He's showing a remarkably consistent floor and ceiling, which will continue against the Panthers.

They are an excellent volume-shooting team and averaged just under 68 attempts per 60 minutes in the regular season, slotting them only behind the Hurricanes.

Trouba spends a ton of time chasing play in the defensive zone - no player remaining in the playoffs has been on the ice for more shot attempts against per minute - and an elite shot-generating team like the Panthers should lead to an abundance of blocking opportunities.

Odds: -110 (playable to -150)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.

The puck drops for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night. Let's look at a few of the best ways to attack the series opener.

Mika Zibanejad: Over 0.5 assists

Zibanejad's a very dangerous goal-scorer, particularly on the power play. But it's his playmaking that's causing opponents the most problems of late.

He's in the midst of an unbelievable assist streak having picked up at least one apple in 14 of his past 15 games dating back to the regular season.

With Chris Kreider scoring at will, Zibanejad, whose one-timer is understandably respected in power-play situations, has a lot of incentive to distribute the puck.

Furthermore, Zibanejad has tallied at least one assist in 60% of his home games this season, including his last meeting with these same Panthers.

Odds: -105 (playable to -130)

Matthew Tkachuk: Under 3.5 shots

Tkachuk has had a difficult time generating shots against the Rangers. He attempted six shots or fewer in the last eight head-to-head meetings.

His shot volume is also noticeably lower when playing on the road, as he averaged 3.8 shots on 6.9 attempts in Florida this season but just 3.4 shots on 5.7 attempts away from home.

The difference was even more drastic after the calendar flipped to 2024. Tkachuk averaged 7.1 attempts per game at home and just 5.2 on the road.

He sees tougher matchups away from home - Paul Maurice tends to use the Aleksander Barkov line against the opposing team's best units in Florida - and the Rangers should be able to keep Tkachuk's shot volume down in this game.

Odds: -130 (playable to -145)

Jacob Trouba: Over 3.5 blocked shots

Trouba is a shot-blocking machine. He recorded at least four blocks in eight of his last 10 games and all five playoff games in New York thus far.

He's showing a remarkably consistent floor and ceiling, which will continue against the Panthers.

They are an excellent volume-shooting team and averaged just under 68 attempts per 60 minutes in the regular season, slotting them only behind the Hurricanes.

Trouba spends a ton of time chasing play in the defensive zone - no player remaining in the playoffs has been on the ice for more shot attempts against per minute - and an elite shot-generating team like the Panthers should lead to an abundance of blocking opportunities.

Odds: -110 (playable to -150)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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