I'd like to start this post off by noting that I called this match-up in my conference finals predictions including the Wings taking care of the Hawks in five games. I was pretty impressed by what I saw from Chicago over the course of the regular season and deep run into the playoffs. I could see them winning at least one Stanley cup in the next five years since the average age on the team is only 25 years old. With Jonathan "Captain Serious" Toews and Pat "Buffalo Boy" Kane they have a legit one-two punch that could rival Malkin-Crosby, Ovechkin-Semin and Datsyuk-Zetterberg in the next few years. In the case of Toews, I have heard a lot of comparisons long time Red Wing captain and First Ballot Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman. That's quite an honor for the young man but I feel he has the game and the leadership ability to back it up. Check out this funny clip of a Toews interview after winning the U-18 Championship.
In the East, I'm actually glad the Pens didn't give the Canes a sniff of the Finals by sweeping them in four games. Unfortunately for the NHL, the Canes somehow managed to knock out the top-seeded Bruins which would've made for a much more exciting match-up in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now for the prediction...
As tough as it is for me to compliment the Red Wings because of my jealousy of their success and hatred of their fans in general, it's tough for me not to show them the respect they deserve. They have become the franchise to emulate over the past two decades in the NHL and somehow they continue to acquire top-notch talent through the draft and free agency. The Pittsburgh Penguins on the other hand struggled through the middle part of the decade and used those poor seasons to snatch quality draft picks like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fluery. These young players have matured over the past few seasons and gained valuable playoff experience over the past three seasons and are now in their second straight Stanley Cup Finals.
If the Penguins are to dethrone the defending champs, they are going to have to control a few factors. First of all, they need to take advantage of their dynamic power play. Pittsburgh is going to have limited chances 5-on-5 due to the Detroit's stifling defense so any chance they get with the extra man, they must get traffic in front of Chris Osgood and get pucks on the net. The second factor is goaltending. Marc-Andre Fluery has to outplay Osgood every night for the Pens to stay in the game. Detroit always seems to score timely goals which can be take the wind out of their opponents sails very quickly. If Fluery can stand on his head and win the Pens at least two games, they have a shot to win. Injuries are also going to be a huge factor. Nick Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk both missed games in the Blackhawks series but it didn't seem to rattle the playoff-tested Red Wings who found guys like Johnathan Ericsson and Darren Helm to step in to roles. My golden rule is that the team that is playing the best at this time will ultimately take the crown and I think Pittburgh is playing well enough and has gained enough experience over the past few seasons to take the Red Wings down. I know I should never bet against the Red Wings but I just have this feeling.
Pens in 7
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