NHL Finals: Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks Chase the Stanley Cup

Finally, the hunt for the Stanley Cup has been pared to two teams.

With the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks set to go at each other next Monday, there's only one question about the NHL Finals that still needs answering:

Who's going to come out on top?

Ottawa Senators

The Senators finished the regular season fourth in the NHL Eastern Conference. They've only lost three times in three playoff rounds, winning each of their series in five games.

Ottawa has an explosive first offensive line composed of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and team captain Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson has been playing very well and looks like a frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best postseason player.

The Ottawa defense has also been superb... so superb that goaltender Ray Emery hasn't been seriously tested yet. Additionally, the Sens have received solid contributions from support players like Mike Fisher, Dean McAmmond, Chris Kelly, Mike Comrie, and Antoine Vermette, and are nothing if not a well-balanced squad.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim finished in second place in the Western Conference during the regular season, then dispatched two quality opponents in the Vancouver Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings during the playoffs.

The Ducks' offense is not their primary asset. Defensemen Chris Pronger leads the team in scoring with 14 points. The rest of the offensive arsenal consists of Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, Samuel Pahlsson, Corey Perry, and Travis Moen.

The team's main weapon is goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, whose play will be crucial in containing Ottawa's firepower. If the Ducks pull this one off, Giguere will deserve the Conn Smythe, an honor he received after Anaheim's heartbreaking loss to the New Jersey Devils in the 2003 NHL Finals.

My Prediction: Ottawa in six games. Alfredsson as the Conn Smythe winner.