NHL: Stanley Cup Finals

Posted: May 29th, 2007 | Author: Buffo 95 | Filed under: Hockey, NHL, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Last year it was Rod Brind’Amour…this year?

by: Mike Barker, hockey “honk”, and apparently the only one who can write on this site anymore.

It’s time to play for the oldest trophy in sports, let’s look at the teams up to the challenge.

I know that Zim is busy drinking too much to post ANYTHING right now, so I’ll put up something that no one seems to care about.

The Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks are contesting for the Stanley Cup…you know, the championship trophy for that fringe sport known as hockey….let’s get a little insight.

In the East, the Ottawa Senators…

Ottawa comes into the Finals as Canada’s hope…although don’t say that to Montreal, or Toronto fans. They have won the Eastern Conference beating some very strong teams in the league, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Buffalo…each in five games. Their strength is offense, especially in (what I have come to call) THE LINE. Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley have combined to score what seems to be 90% of the goals for the Sens in these playoffs.

In the West, the Anaheim Ducks…

Anaheim is a team that I have been behind all year. This team has it all. Speed & grit, the two most required skills in the game. Teemu Selanne, the oldest player in the finals, has finally got to the promised land for the first time (remember, when the Ducks lost to Jersey in ’03, Selanne was playing in Denver). They have the stongest Defense since the early ’90s teams of New Jersey…which amazingly enough, had a certain Neidermayer which has a chance at a Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the NHL playoffs) on it’s team.

If anyone watched the first game of the series, then you got to see the basic gameplan of the Ducks for the series. Keep THE LINE off the scoresheet, and use defense to stifle shots on goal. Remember folks, the Ducks don’t mind shots on goal per se…J.S. Giguere has a Conn Smythe Trophy without winning the Cup (that’s a major feat).

However, for a prediction, I’ll take the above mentioned Ducks, but I have a feeling that it may come down to home ice. Those hosers up in Canada will keep the Sens winning at home.

Prediction: Ducks in seven…although, I’ll cover my bet and say that if the Sens win the Cup, Daniel Alfredsson wins the Conn Smyth.

That’s it for this article…but I guess since this is a hockey article I should mention that Mr. Basille…the guy who was going to buy the Pittsbugh Penguins, has now bought the Nashville Predators. Wow, didn’t see this one coming…no seriously…the Preds are one of the hottest teams when it comes to the regular season, but no playoff punch. And by the way, they haven’t averaged 14,000+ in attendance per game in about four seasons. My only head-scratching moment about this move is that when the league lost a season, it was reported that the Preds were one of only four teams that were making money before the lock-out…so why are they being sold? Der Furher (and Zim’s friend) Gary Bettman is saying that the Predators will be staying in Nashville, but I think that’s only because he hates being wrong in thinking that hockey will work in Country Music City….although, the facts state that the Preds are locked into Nashville for at least one more season. I guess I’ll keep an eye on this one and report later if anyone cares.

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