Stanley Cup Final: Battle of Goaltenders Will Make This an Epic Series

If you said the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings would be the last two teams standing with the Stanley Cup on the line, you're probably lying.

At this point, it doesn't matter if you got that prediction right or not. All that matters now is that we're three days away from witnessing one of the most amazing Stanley Cup Finals we've seen in recent memory.

There will be so many storylines for this series. Obviously for the Kings, they're looking to become the first No. 8 seed in the modern era to win a Stanley Cup, and they've looked the part of being the team that accomplishes that feat. L.A. has gone 12-2 and is still undefeated in the postseason at 8-0, just in case you didn't know by now.

As for the Devils, they've had to endure a rather tough trip to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals to say the least. After a grueling seven-game series with the Florida Panthers, they made quick work of the Philadelphia Flyers before finishing off the thrilling six-game series with the New York Rangers.

This series will be a true battle between the wings and defensemen, without question. The Kings have put up four or more goals seven times this postseason, led by Dustin Brown's 16 points in 14 games. They can attack you from all angles from each line as well, with guys like Mike Richards and Dustin Penner having fantastic offensive postseasons.

New Jersey isn't known for being a high-scoring team, but the Devils have averaged close to three goals a game this postseason and have allowed only two a game. It also helps a great deal when Ilya Kovalchuk is finally playing up to the level of his insane contract.

But the deciding factor of this series will not be the battle from either blue line, but the battle between the pipes.

One can only wonder if this is the passing of the torch between goalies, and one has to wonder if this will be the last time we see Martin Brodeur in a Stanley Cup Final, or even a playoff series.

Brodeur has been nothing short of spectacular this postseason, especially in the games where it counts the most. In each close-out game of the playoffs, Brodeur has only given up an average of more than one goal in those three games.

And when the Devils have trailed in each of their series, Brodeur has come out in must-win situations and has performed like the future Hall of Famer he is, giving up less than a goal a game—4-0 shutout win in Game 4 against Florida, 4-1 win against Philadelphia in Game 2 and a 4-1 win in Game 4 against the Rangers.

Brodeur's opponent on the opposite side has become an NHL sensation throughout these playoffs—Jonathan Quick.

When you talk about being a star in the big moment, Quick has lived up to that claim for the No. 8-seeded Kings. He's tallied a GAA of only 1.54, the lowest in the playoffs, and has racked up an absurd save percentage of almost 95 percent.

The reason the Kings have gone undefeated on the road has been because of the stellar play of Quick. In the eight road wins for Los Angeles, the 26-year-old has given up only 1.6 goals per game, while his teammates have been able to provide an outstanding offensive attack at almost four goals per game.

This series is too close to call a winner. It appears neither team has the advantage, and when you have two goalies playing the way they have so far, it's unfair to say one team will run away with the Stanley Cup.

All signs point this going seven games, especially if the Kings can continue their road dominance. And both teams will have to come out with fantastic game plans in how they're going to attack the opposing goalie.

But one thing's for sure—this battle of the goalies might be one of the best we've seen in years.