All right, intelligent predictions of the SCF?

Question

I want to know your predictions. Now, I don't want any of the puck bunnies, homers, or bandwagoners to contribute if you have nothing better to say other than "Crosby and Malkin are the best" or "Zetterberg and Datsyuk will cream everyone". I want to know why and how you feel the way you feel. Please, if you've watched both teams, then you probably know a little more than someone who's watched only the Wings or Pens. I, personally, feel that Detroit will win it in no less than six. Previously, I have said that the Pens will win the cup. However, the experience, and the way the Wings are playing right now, it looks like they may be too much to handle for the Pens. I say this as non-homer as possible, but I think the only way the Pens will win this is if Fleury comes out on a mission. Then again, in the ATL/DET game this year, Hossa had his way with the Wings, scoring a trick leading his team to a 5-1(?) victory. Your thoughts? Non-annoying homer, please?

Answer 1

I'll admit that living in Detroit, I'm more of a Red Wings fan, but I'm a hockey fan in general too (definitely not a bandwagoner or a puck bunny).  I'm going with the Wings in 6 to win, although I would prefer they get it in 5 so they can win at home.   I'll admit that the Pens are a younger and faster team, but you can't take out the experience factor that Detroit has over them.   I don't think that Zetterberg & Datsyuk will "cream everyone" as you mentioned, but they are a pretty unstoppable force on the Wings and have worked well together all season.  Add that to the fact that Franzen is supposed to be coming back from his injury, Lidstrom is amazing on defense (his 5 Norris Trophies are proof of that), and Osgood has been great in goal, stepping in for Hasek.

Answer 2

O.K. no more Stanley Cup Final questions! There are a million and everyone knows that Detroit will win.

Answer 3

Pens in 6.

The difference is goaltending.  Osaverage just hasn't faced a team with the kind of weapons the Pens can deploy (except maybe in practice).  The Wings' D is good, but won't be able to stop all of the shots, so Ozzy wil be facing 30+ a game.  And Pitt has some real snipers.

Fleury is battle-tested.  The Flyers had 7 different 20+ goal scorers (Ozzy didn't face any team that had that); the blueshirts had Jagr, Dubinsky, Straka and the master-sniper Shanahan.  Fleury has 3 shutouts in the playoffs.  3 shutouts in 14 games.  He's playing out of his mind right now.

The Pens' D is WAY under-rated, and they thrive on the transition game.  The Pens' forwards are extremely creative and I don't think the Wings' D can keep up with the speed they can generate.

I just think the Pens are going to overwhelm Osaverage and he won't be able to stand up to it.  Meanwhile Fleury has faced some major tests this postseason and stood tall.  His "inexperience" won't be an issue.

Answer 4

Not a fan of either team (but pulling for the Original Six team), my heart is pulling for Detroit, but my head says Pittsburgh in a long series (6 or 7 games).  

Your point about Fleury is spot-on; I'll freely admit I didn't rate him at all going into the playoffs, but he's looked outstanding; granted their defence is playing well, but right now, Fleury is on my shortlist for the Conn Smythe.  I also thought Hossa was overrated, but he's looked really good.  

If Osgood plays like he did in Games 1-3 of the West Final, I think Detroit wins.  The days off will likely help Detroit, but frankly, to this point nothing seems to be throwing Pittsburgh off their game.

Answer 5

Detroit start at home, so IF they lose even one match, Pittsburgh could prove difficult. And, that is what needs to happen to beat the Wings too.

I am a Wings fan too, btw. but, Pittsburgh have Malkin and Crosby, potential to score.

Detroit have an old team, experience will prove as an edge for us. But, it only takes one flair-moment from Crosby to score, lift the team morale for the Pens.

Sure, the Wings have got Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Franzen and Rafalski. Darren Helm has stepped up, scored once I think for replacing Franzen.

McCarty is back for us too.

Frankly, I can either see the Pens slug it out, try and hang on every game with Crosby and Malkin scoring...

OR... the more possible / realistic situation, that Detroit will win the first 2 games at home... Then just need one away win to be one more step closer to the 11th Cup Championship.

Too much experience for the Red Wings in the end.

And my POV is that the Wings will win in 6 games. No need for another HockeyTown decider.

Answer 6

My intelligent prediction is Detroit in 6, I don't need to go into great detail because almost all of you already have.

Answer 7

Detroit just like there D-men better...both teams can obviously can score but nick lindstrom says it all.

Answer 8

In my opinion these two great teams are mirror images of each other. Obviously each team has two World Class players leading the charge up front in Crosby/Mal kin and Datsyuk and Zettererberg. Lidstrom is one of  the best D-Man i have ever seen. Gonchar is definitely in the top 5 of D-Man currently playing. He should have been a finalist for the Norris Trophy but that topic is for another day. Franzen and Hossa have both been on fire.Letang may be the next Rafalski.Each team has a premier power forward. Holmstrom and Malone may be the 2 best around right now.

Both teams have those special role players that every team needs but every team doesn't have a Draper,Fillppula,Kronwall Talbot,Ruutu,Staaal,Orpik etc...

Now on to the Goalies. Osgood has been there before and won so he definitely gets the upper hand there.Fleury is emerging into one of the best young Goalies in the league.He's not 12-2 in these Playoffs by accident. Sure his D is playing very well in front of him but he stole at least 1 game in each series all by himself. I give Pittsburgh the edge in Goal because if you can get to Osgood (if is the key)he is very vulnerable.Detroit has a great D one of the best but so did the Rangers.

I give the Wings the edge in faceoffs and team D but I give e the Pens the edge in total overall skill and team speed.

Now on to my prediction. I pick Pittsburgh in six and heres why. The Penguins really only have to focus on shutting down the BIG 3 in  Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom. Im not saying thats going to be wasy because its definitely not. Being that they all play on the same line though doesn't nearly give them the depth that Pittsburgh has. They have 2 world class lines to worry about and each man on that line is very capable of taking over a game. Then when you get to their 3rd line and have arguably the best young (3rd)  Center in the league in Jordan Staal he will give any top player fits because he is a shutdown Center. I believe Detroit has the advantage in team experience but they are older and slower than the Pens. This is coming from a Die Hard Pens fan. I know this is going to be a great series as neither team has lost at home or the first game of any series but obviously at least one of those is going to change.

LETS GO PENS

Answer 9

straight out im a wings fan but im fair. i think its going down to goal tending,  osgood is a wall always a good goalie, fluery is good but i dont think fluery could go 7 games with 45-60 shots a game and be as good as he is. defense if the pens turn it over like colorado or dallas it could be ugly, same can be said if lilja makes stupid passes. im saying wings in 6 but pens fight hard. momentum is in both teams i lead towards experience

Answer 10

I'm going to say red wings in 7. They've shown all year that they are the best team in the NHL. I really think that the Pens are going to have a heck of a time trying to stop Zetterberg and Datsyuk. And never forget that Lidstrom is a master of the game--an absolute wizard. The Pens don't have a defensemen like that. The Wings are just deeper and have more experience.

I don't think Crosby and Malkin will be able to crack Detroit too many times. I do think that they will make it a series though; they will maintain some of their magic. This one will not come easy. I also think home ice has huge importance in this series. Detroit will win though

Answer 11

alright well to let you know first off i hate the wings and i hate the pens. im not sure who i hate more to be honest. the problem is i do think it will be an amazing scf. pens have some serious young talent from everywhere from the goal to the offensive side. the wings on the other hand have so many amazing vets to the league. honestly im having a hard time calling this because both teams won their last series with ease. if i had to cal it man i think id go with the pens. the young fresh blood throughout the time you know. the wings have amazing goaltending, but very very old at the same time, i cant stand crosby, but i do think he will make a big difference in this series. id say the pens, but then the other side of my brain says the wings. like i said i cant stand either team, but i do think its going to be amazing to watch. they def are the 2 most dominant teams in the nhl.

Answer 12

Ok, To be honest, I'm a Pens fan, but I can be fair.  Detroit has an amazing team with lots of depth and veteran leadership, the Pens are a young team with lots of talent.  Both teams like to play a puck possession style game.  I think this series is so evenly matched it will come down to the intangibles.  The Pens are not great on faceoffs, only winning about 40% of the time, However they also have speed and skill, and come after you in waves, forcing you to make stupid turnovers and mistakes.  The Wings have great depth as well and the experiance to boot.  Whichever team makes the fewest mistakes will probably win, may be the inner fan in me, but I like the younger/fresher legs of the Pens in 6.

Answer 13

These are my two favorite teams - grew up in downriver area (south of Detroit) and lived in the Pittsburgh for 10 years, not that it matters but I do follow both teams throughout the seasons. We have the NHL package so my wife and I watch a lot of hockey. (now we're in the worst hockey city of all NHL cities - Phoenix)

This will be great series.

The Wings have the experience and some really good players.

The Pens are a younger team but with a lot of heart and some really good players.

Both teams are fast and have pretty awesome puck control. Detroit is much better on the faceoff, but Pittsburgh is a bigger team and I think better along the boards, both can cycle the puck very well. Both have hot goalies although without looking at stats I do believe that Fleury has faced more shots.

Detroit has been a consistent team all season, better record than Pittsburgh and all that but there is something about Pittsburgh, they have that something special you see in cup winning teams. They look like they close team and win for each other and have never given up during the 2 losses of this years playoffs. Detroit looks a little more robotic, they know they are good and almost seem to expect to win.

Inexperience in the finals in my opinion is the Pens biggest flaw right now.