I'll take Penguins vs. Stars in the Finals
Getting the Penguins vs. the Red Wings would be a dream Stanley Cup Final for the NHL, but something tells me it's not going to happen. The Dallas Stars have looked like a team of destiny so far. I guess you could say the same thing about the Philadelphia Flyers, but I can't see both underdogs making it to the Finals, so I'll pick the Stars.
I think we're going to see a pretty nasty series between the Penguins and the Flyers. I think we'll see a lot of goals, too.
Both Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury and Philadelphia's Martin Biron have played far better than I expected before the playoffs, but I can see both bubbles bursting in this series and it becoming a high-scoring series with a lot of physical play from both sides. There is some pretty good size on both teams. I imagine Derian Hatcher will try his best to plaster Sidney Crosby -- if he can catch him.
Anyway, I'll take Pittsburgh's offense over Philadelphia's in a six-game battle.
In the West, Dallas' Marty Turco is finally putting together a strong playoff run after years of flopping in the postseason. I think he gives the Stars the edge in this series over Chris Osgood, who has been great so far since taking over for Dominik Hasek, but I'm not sure he can play this well for four rounds.
Then, it will be a matchup of Detroit's skill vs. Dallas' grit. The Red Wings had it pretty easy against the injury-riddled/old Avalanche. The goals aren't going to come as easy in this round. Stars in seven.
Then again, I had Anaheim beating the Rangers in the Finals before the playoffs began.
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