Kings vs. Devils: Martin Brodeur's Experience Gives New Jersey Advantage

When it comes to the Stanley Cup Final, experience is king. And that being the case, Martin Brodeur will rule the ice come Wednesday night for Game 1 of the New Jersey Devils-Los Angeles Kings series.

It's easy to sit here and say the Kings are the favorites in this series. They are certainly the hottest team in the NHL right now and are 12-2 up until this point, not having had much of a challenge in the process.

Jonathan Quick has been simply lights out the entire postseason and it's hard to believe anyone can get enough pucks past him to win a game against the Kings. He single-handedly has made Los Angeles the favorites throughout the playoffs and going into this series.

The Devils haven't had it so easy.

A tough seven-game series against the Florida Panthers started their improbable playoff run, but since then, they enjoyed a quick series against the Philadelphia Flyers and also won a six-game battle against the New York Rangers.

New Jersey has had ample time to rest but haven't been as impressive as their opponents.

However, without Quick's elite play, these two teams match up very well.

Both teams can get scoring from any line on the roster and have done so consistently during the second season.

Yes, Quick has been great, but Brodeur hasn't been much worse in his own right. One thing Brodeur does have over Quick is experience, and sometimes that can make all the difference.

Before this season, Quick had his fair share of playoff experience, but he's never made it past the second round. Granted he's passed the test in the later rounds this postseason, but the Kings goaltender still has one step left.

The Stanley Cup is like no other stage Quick has ever been on. He will be shown a new level of pressure the likes of which he's never seen, and there's no telling if the 26-year-old American can continue the same form we've become accustomed to on the road to Lord Stanley's Cup.

Quick's current cross-rink rival, Brodeur, has plenty of playoff experience under his belt and has succeeded on the biggest stage in hockey. In fact, he's succeeded three times and has three rings to show for it.

If pressure takes Quick out of the series in the least bit and pushes Brodeur ahead of him, the Kings won't have such an advantage anymore. The biggest calling card the Kings have had will be gone and that will instantly give the Devils the edge in this series.

It all comes down to experience, and if Brodeur's advantage in that department allows him to outplay his LA counterpart, the New Jersey Devils will easily become the 2012 Stanley Cup champions.