Penguins-Red Wings: Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Well, as the Conference finals wrapped up last night with Detroit advancing to face the Penguins, we now have the showdown of the century. I can't believe that really only hockey news predicted this showdown in the finals from the beginning of the regular season.  As for my predictions, I was 2-for-2 on both counts of who advances and the amount of games.

Stanley Cup Finals:

1) Detroit Red Wings: West

2) Pittsburgh Penguins: East

Red Wings in 7...hopefully in OT

I've been waiting for the Red Wings to reach the finals since they won it back in 2002. Last year, they were so close but were outmuscled by the Ducks and had injuries to key defensemen. The first year out of the lockout I thought for sure they'd go all the way with a determined Steve Yzerman, who came back to his old self during the Stretch; the president's trophy; and the best goaltender in the regular season. Somehow they lost to the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers, who fell ass-backwards into the playoffs, in only six games.

The Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals isn't much of a surprise. They have two of the best centers in the world and countless first-round draft picks on their roster. I guess years of losing and spending time on the bottom is the best rebuilding process.

Results: Ryan Whitney (fifth overall in 2002), Marc-Andre Fleury (first overall in 2003), Evgeni Malkin (second overall pick in 2004), Sidney Crosby (first overall pick in 2005), and Jordan Staal (second overall in 2006). That's five players drafted five years straight in the top five.

Both teams have been pretty much unstoppable on their way to the finals. Detroit went 12-4 and Pittsburgh went 12-2. This is without a doubt the most intense and anticipated Stanley Cup finals in years, most likely decades. I don't remember the last time I was so excited for a Stanley Cup finals.

I want to see close games, hard hitting, fast paced, nail biting, edge of your seat games.

I want to see games lost by one goal, or games tied with seconds left to go in regulation.

I want to see overtime games go past one period.

I want to see Game 7 go into multiple overtimes.

I don't want to see a blowout like last year's finals, which only went to five games.

I don't want to see a sweep.

I want to see an intense, anything-can-happen series.

I want to see Darren McCarty fight someone (hopefully Sid the Kid).

This series is probably the closest of these playoffs. These teams are evenly matched, with an edge of experience going to Detroit. Pooled together, there are 23 Stanley Cup rings in the Red Wings' locker room, five of whom have been with Detroit for all their 1997, 1998, and 2002 Stanley Cup victories. Both goaltenders have won cups with Detroit.

More Stanley Cup experience goes to the Wings, but youth and eagerness definitely go to the young Penguins squad. They've been the most dominant team this year in the playoffs.

Detroit needs to have Franzen come back and for Osgood to be the best he's ever played. Datsyuk and Zetterberg need to keep up their dominance. Detroit needs its second line to pick it up and get a collective support from the rest of the team. Kronwall needs to set the pace up for a major open ice hit to one of Pittsburgh top players in Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa. If Detroit rocks Pittsburgh and grinds them down, they will come out on top.

They have to make them afraid to touch the puck in fear of an open ice hit or a crunching check into the boards. Detroit, oddly enough, haven't won their cups on the basis of their talented offense they've displayed for nearly two decades, they've won them on grit and defense. Detroit holds a lead better than anyone in the league. They display the best composure of any team.

They still use the system drilled into their team by Scotty Bowman; that's been a key to their success since he took the reins in 1993. Detroit bolsters an excellent defensive corps with five-time Norris Trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom leading the way, supported by a very overlooked Rafalski, and a elder in Chelios, with new up-and-comer Kronwell and travel man Stuart. Their goaltending has been solid and if Osgood struggles, Hasek has been dying to get back in the crease to show 43 is the new 23. Which oddly enough, is how old Fleury is.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the deepest and most talented offenses since the cap has been instilled into the NHL, probably since the 2002 Detroit team that featured a Hall of Fame roster.

Crosby and Malkin lead the way, supported by Hossa, who has proven he isn't a playoff choker. He has 19 points in 14 games, the best he's ever produced in the playoffs. They're followed by Malone, Sykora, and Staal. They have the offensively talented Gonchar on their blueline who has also improved his own zone skills.

Pittsburgh has a  shut down defenseman in Hal Gill; a young, talented d-man in Whitney; and the hard hitting Orpik.

Fleury has been amazing, proving he is a number one overall draft choice, who is mature enough to be a starter. He became a completely different player after coming back from his injury. He grew up. The best thing to ever happen to his career was his injury and to see Conklin making his way for his starting job. He has been a Vezina Trophy worthy goaltender. None of the Vezina finalists are even in the playoffs anymore or for that matter made it past the second round.

Pittsburgh should make the most of this situation and win the cup. They won't be able to have this dominant of a roster for the long haul. After next season, they probably won't have both Crosby and Malkin on the same team. Hossa will probably go into the market this summer. They're probably can expect to pay Malone around $3.5-4 million if they choose to re-sign him this summer or let him go into the Free Market.

Fleury will be looking for a long-term, big-dollar contract as well. They better lock Fleury up before he becomes a restricted free agent and Kevin Lowe throws him a 15-year contract paying him over $10 million annually and decide to match it or end up not having a goaltender.

Unfortunately under the new CBA, there will never be another dynasty in the NHL. This team would become the next Edmonton Oilers of the '80s if there weren't a cap and Pittsburgh financially could afford it. Crosby and Malkin resemble a Gretzky-Messier punch or to lesser degrees, a Sakic-Forsberg or Yzerman-Fedorov combo. Most likely, they resemble their Pittsburgh predecessors, Lemieux and Jagr.

This series has everything a hockey fan wants in a Stanley Cup final. We will be talking about this series for years to come.