NHL Playoffs 2012: 4 Things to Watch for in the Stanley Cup Final

Tell someone you predicted the Los Angeles Kings would play the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final at the start of the playoffs and they'd say two words: "You're lying."

And they'd be right.

Nobody predicted the sixth-seeded Devils to take on the eighth-seeded Kings. L.A. finished with a 12-2 playoff record, going undefeated (8-0) on the road, while New Jersey went 12-6.

While both took completely different paths, they're both in the Cup.

Both teams have their strengths, which have been displayed throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Both teams have their weaknesses, which could doom them in the Cup.

Here are four things to watch for in the Stanley Cup Final.

Goaltending Battle

One goalie is old, and the other is young. But both are great, and one will be hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.

Jonathan Quick is a steady, consistent goalie with a very high save percentage. During the playoffs, he's stopped 94.6 percent of shots. He's given up an average of 1.54 goals per game, and with the Kings fabulous offense, they haven't had problems scoring.

Just like Quick, Martin Brodeur's performance has been better in the postseason than it was in the regular season. He's given up just 2.04 goals per game (on average) and he's stopped 92.3 percent of shots. Brodeur has been very consistent throughout the playoffs.

However, the Kings have been scoring a lot during the playoffs, and they should give Brodeur problems. Dustin Brown, Dwight King, Dustin Penner, Anze Kopitar and the Kings have powered L.A.'s high-flying offense, and they've found many ways to score.

Quick will have problems against Zach Parise, Adam Henrique, Ilya Kovalchuk and the Devils. New Jersey has been an above-average goal-scoring team in the playoffs, and just like the Kings, they're good at scoring off rebounds.

To me, Quick seems to be the better goalie. I think L.A.'s offense will create good opportunities from the point, on breakaways and off rebounds. Because of L.A.'s offense, I think Brodeur will have a tougher time with the Kings than Quick will with the Devils. Plus, Quick has allowed three or less goals in his last 15 games.

Advantage: Kings 

1st-Period Play

The reason New Jersey is in the Stanley Cup instead of New York is that they played much better in the first period.

New York came out rusty and the Devils took advantage, outscoring the Rangers 5-0 in the first period in Games 5 and 6. Rebounds and power plays were the source of the Game 6 goals, and rebounds and breakaways provided the goals in Game 5.

Even though New Jersey was outshot by 11 and seven in the final two games, they were able to win by taking advantage of the stellar opportunities they got. However, against the Kings, they're going to need to take more shots.

Los Angeles has also built early leads in the first period. They outshot Phoenix in all five games and scored in the first period of three games. While the Devils have looked stronger early in the game, L.A. has played their best hockey in the final two periods.

New Jersey has converted early on and shown no signs of rust in the first period. Quick will need to be ready to go right away, or else he'll give up early goals. Even though I don't think the Kings will be too rusty, I have to give this one to the Devils.

Advantage: Devils

Shots on Goal

I touched upon this category in the previous slide, and it should be pretty obvious who I think has the edge.

While the Devils have done a great job converting on the opportunities they get, the Kings have definitely created more scoring chances. In Game 5 against the Coyotes, the Kings took a whopping 51 shots on goal (four went in).

New Jersey knows how to get shots past the goalie, especially on rebounds. However, Quick will try to cover up the puck whenever he gets a chance, and as long as Drew Doughty and the Kings defensemen do their job, this shouldn't be a huge problem.

Martin Brodeur is very consistent, and he doesn't shut teams out very often. Expect him to be a little overwhelmed by the avalanche of shots from the Kings, and expect guys like Brown, Penner, Kopitar, Jeff Carter and King to come through.

Even though New Jersey has found a way to win with limited shots on goal, they'll need to take more good shots if they want to beat the Kings.

Advantage: Kings

Final Result

This one has to be the hardest to pick.

While both teams were inconsistent during the regular season and both took different routes to the Cup, the Devils and Kings are the two teams in line to hoist the Cup. Both have great players and both have players capable of greatness.

There are a lot of burning questions for this series. Will New Jersey be able to play well for three periods? Will Jonathan Quick continue his success? Will Dwight King keep scoring? Will New Jersey get enough shots on goal?

I think the Kings will keep fighting throughout the series, even if they fall behind, and I think New Jersey's defense will have trouble stopping the flurry of shots by the Kings. Both teams will make mistakes, so breakaways will be a key statistic.

Overall, from what I've seen during the playoffs, I just can't go against the Kings. Dustin Brown has done a great job getting under opponents' skin, and as a result, he's gotten some goals and frustrated opponents. L.A. has taken advantage of opportunities and scored enough goals for Jonathan Quick.

As long as Quick continues his great, consistent performance, I see the Kings winning. L.A. should have no problem winning a game in New Jersey, and I think L.A. will play well at home. L.A. will outshoot the Devils and score just enough goals to win the series in six.

Advantage: Kings