Stanley Cup Finals 2012: 5 Players to Watch in Game 1

Christmas morning, Thanksgiving dinner and the start of the NHL Playoffs. What do these three events have in common? Well in my book, they are my three favorite holidays.

No matter what ends up happening in this years NHL Finals, one thing is for sure. The Stanley Cup will be won by the lowest seed ever, and that is the beautiful thing about the game of hockey. Anyone can bring home perhaps the most coveted prize in all of sports.

The No. 8 seed Los Angeles Kings have been dominant on the road throughout these playoffs, and on their way to the finals they knocked off the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 seeds to give themselves a chance at their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

The No. 6 seed New Jersey Devils have been backed by veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur and are looking to capture their fourth Stanley Cup in the last 17 years.

Here are five guys to watch closely during Game 1.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils

When the Devils signed Kovalchuk to a record-breaking 15 year, $100 million contract, they were expecting him to be the guy to lead them back to the finals, and that is exactly what he has done this year.

He leads the NHL playoffs with 18 points, 11 assists and five power play goals. He has also been huge on both ends of the ice. If the Devils want to take home the cup, there is no doubt that Kovalchuk will have to be the best player on the ice every time he takes a shift.

It'll be interesting to see which defensive pairing that the Kings decide to throw at Kovalchuk, but my guess is that he will be seeing a lot of Drew Doughty in this series.

2. Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings

Captain clutch has been the Kings bread and butter so far in this years playoffs with three game winning goals and a plus-13 rating. He has been the Kings best player in both the offensive and defensive zones, and has shown that he is one of the best leaders in the game today.

This is Dustin Brown's first shot at a Stanley Cup title and his work ethic will really stand out in Game 1. He is a rare breed of finesse and toughness that is rarely seen in the game today. Like Kovalchuk, if the Kings want to have a chance at bringing home the glory, Brown will have to lead by example and never take a shift off.

3. Martin Brodeur / Jonathan Quick: The Goaltenders

Old versus Young. American versus Canadian. East Coast versus West Coast.

No matter how you look at it, this is going to be one of the more intriguing goaltending match-ups in finals history.

Jonathan Quick has been by far the best netminder in the playoffs thus far, and his statistics are off the charts. He has a 12-2 record, 1.54 goals against average and a .946 save percentage.

However, the 40-year-old Brodeur has been no slouch either this year, showing that he is still perfectly capable of being an elite goalie. Perhaps the most amazing thing about his playoffs is that he has four assists as well.

Goaltending often decides who takes home the cup, and I think this year will be no different. It will be interesting to see how Brodeur's experience matches up to Quick's lack of experience in Game 1.

4. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

Doughty has arguably been the best defenseman in this year's playoffs as he has shut down many of the leagues best forwards. He has also been a staple on special teams and will more than likely be the guy in charge of shutting down Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Doughty's plus-10 ranking leads all defensemen in the playoffs, and he is going to have to play physically all series long to wear down the Devils offensive power. He is averaging 25 minutes per game and he is going to have to be as solid as they come in the defensive zone for the Kings to win it all.

5. Ryan Carter, New Jersey Devils

Ryan Carter is definitely not one of the well-known players on the Devils roster, but that doesn't mean that he is not going to be crucial for the Devils in the finals. The one statistic that stands out is the fact that he has won 70.6 percent of his faceoffs, and gaining possession nearly three out of every four times the puck drops can be a huge difference.

He has two game-winning goals and six points thus far in the playoffs, and that is only while averaging just more than eight minutes a game. Between both fourth lines, Carter has arguably been the best player between the two teams, and when the fourth line begins to produce, it can be a huge momentum swing.

Prediction

I think that the Kings are going to take home Game 1. They have been unstoppable on the road and seem to be the team of destiny this year. They have the hotter goaltender and the leadership that it takes to win not just Game 1, but the series as a whole.

Final Prediction: Kings 2, Devils 1