I'm not sure if it's the East Coast bias, Crosby & Malkin's playoff performance so far, or the Lidstrom/Datsyuk injuries, but for some reason everyone and their dog seems to think that this is the year the will Pens go all the way and win the Stanley Cup.
I just have one question...why?
There's no question that Pittsburgh are playing at a higher level then last year, but have you seen Detroit this spring? They demolished an upstart Columbus squad in a tough building, outlasted an experienced Anaheim team that nobody wanted to play, then completely shut down the confident Blackhawks with ease. As a Canucks fan I can only say that I'm happy we didn't have to succomb to the red and white.
I'm well aware of the bad Hossa karma and comparisons to the early-80's Oilers team that beat the Islanders in the Cup final rematch, but there's just no way that Pittsburgh can beat the Wings. Detroit are too skilled, too deep, too experienced and too disciplined to not repeat as champs.
I think it will be a competitive series that goes 5 or 6 games, but the West has been the superior conference all year and the Wings are the cream of the crop. Although the series futures are intriguing, I really like Detroit to come hard out of the gates and take control from Game 1 on, so go with the Wings PL on Saturday (currently +170 at
Sports Interaction).
"If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense"
The Mayor