Red Wings vs. Bruins: Thanksgiving Showdown Will Provide Stanley Cup Preview

In what promises to be a marquee matchup, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins will host the Detroit Red Wings on Black Friday afternoon in the NHL's Thanksgiving Showdown. Not only should this particular game be excellent, but it may be a preview of things to come.

The Red Wings have always been in the running for the Stanley Cup since the mid-1990s, and that has continued to be true since the NHL Lockout in 2004-05. The Bruins have been up and down for quite some time, but have developed into one of the league's elite teams.

While neither team is atop their respective conference at the moment, this game has Stanley Cup preview written all over it. The Bruins came out of the gates quite sluggishly to start the season, but that was probably the result of a "Stanley Cup hangover."

They are now the hottest team in the league after winning 10 consecutive games, and will look to keep that going against Detroit. The Red Wings currently trail the Chicago Blackhawks by two points in the Western Conference's Central Division, but they also have two games in hand.

Perhaps the most telling stat in hockey is goal differential, and if that is the case, then Boston and Detroit are in great shape. The Bruins lead the league in that regard, with a plus-27, while the Red Wings are second in the West to the San Jose Sharks, with a plus-12.

One of the more interesting parts of this particular matchup is the contrast in styles between the two teams. Boston is by far the most physical and intimidating team in the league, as they sport bruisers like Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. They back that physicality up with skill players like Tyler Seguin and David Krejci, however, as well as one of the world's best goaltenders in Tim Thomas.

The Red Wings are far from a physically imposing squad, but they are just as intimidating to opponents, thanks to their puck-possession style. It is safe to say that no team is more complete in terms of playing both ends of the ice like Detroit does.

A big part of that is the steady play of ageless defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, as well as forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, both of whom are always in the running for the Selke Trophy, signifying the league's best defensive forward.

No team has won back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Red Wings in 1996 and 1997, but the Bruins stand as good of a chance as anybody has in recent years. The Red Wings will certainly have something to say about it, though, thanks to their sound play and experience.

While regular-season games between teams in separate conferences aren't usually overly intense, this game promises to be, due to the national stage it is being played upon. This game will showcase everything that is right with the NHL, including skill, speed, toughness and superb goaltending.

With the NBA still embroiled in a lockout, the NHL has a great opportunity to take center stage. The Thanksgiving Showdown will pit two of the league's best teams against one another, and the viewing audience should expect to see the Red Wings and Bruins face off again in June.