rbenares11

Wow no love for Gonchar? The man needs a little bit more respect than that. He is the point person on the PP and we can agree the Pens PP hasnt been too shabby. And his 53 points was among the top in the league...I think Lidstrom had 70 or 71.

As far as the game goes. Who really knows? We can all speculate about the what ifs, but game one will show us what each team brings and then its a matter of both team trying to adjust to ward of the opposing teams strengths.

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R1ch

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Mav 40

The thing I think the wings brig to the table that the Pens don't is Stanley Cup Expereince. Look how many times they've been there (95,97,98,2002 winning 3 out of 4) and how many players have won cups. Draper, Maltby, McCarty, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Chelios, Osgood, Hasek and so on. They won't be rattled or in awe of being in the finals. Also they've had to deal with some adversity enroute to the finals, something every team has to overcome in thier quest. The Pens haven't had one single problem. How will they react in the finals If they drop the first two games on the road in Detroit? I say the wings in 6. Both are good teams but in Detroit you have the experience factor.

prucha_for_mvp

I may get flamed for this but in my opinion Detroit has this in the bag. I personally do not think the Penguins can beat them. The Wings are faster, stronger and more experienced then this Penguins team.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg in my opinion will be much more effective then Crosby and Malkin in this series. Dats and Zetterberg don't seem to get frustrated when there down. Crosby and Malkin however seem to take out there frustation by taking stupid penalties and pulling unclassy moves.

Also, can Fleury handle Holmstrom constantly bothering him? I can't see Gill taking out Holmstrom without taking some sort of penalty. In my opinion this Penguins defence can't handle the likes of a lethal top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holstrom , Franzen (if he comes back).

On the back end Detroit has an edge by a mile. They have Lidstrom who is arguably the best defenseman of his era along with the likes of Rafalski, Chelios and Stuart (who is very underrated I might add). They also have not one but two proven veteran goaltenders. Hasek and Osgood. In my opinion either one of those guys can outplay Fleury.

Shutdown line of Maltby and Draper has got a rough handle with Malkin and Crosby but I think Draper can handle it.


In my opinion this is Detroits series to lose. Detroit in 6 from me.

Badat

I disagree with you on two points, the Pens are as fast if not faster and the Pens have more size and strenght. The wings are alot older, but the Pens have a few of there own exp players.

J0e Th0rnton

I say Wings in 7, but I am rooting for the Pens

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Mav 40

I don't see how anyone can call the pens faster. The wings are a very fast team every where. You have Lebda, Maltby, Draper, Rafalski, Lidstrom, Hudler, Fillpula and then Datsuyk and Zetterberg all of whom can just fly. I know Crosby and Malkin are big fellas but so is Kronwall, Stewart, Holstrom, Lillia, and Franzen. The first game no make that the first period is going to answer alot of these questions. Is philly a paticularly fast team?

canadiancreed

Good I'm not crazy for thinking of that possibility.

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Chris_1968

The Penguins haven't lost a home game since feb 13th. And the way the Penguins manhandled the Flyers who beat the heavily favored habs in round 2 went on to make the Flyers look like a team of AHL players in the eastern confrence finals. It was a complete joke. What other proof is needed?

I just see the Penguins are ready and more on a mission then the wings.

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Dgill

These teams are so close and this series will be so tight that it will not go seven games.

With two evenly matched teams the team who gets the lucky breaks will be hoisting grail come the end of this series. Im feeling six games for sure.

Detroit has amazing depth up front. They have been producing some of the best two-way forwards then they are given credit for. The only thing is that Detroit is going to need all their firepower back, which means Franzen better not turn a lemon when he returns. Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the ice in all key situations is going to suck big time for the Pens. There both not as squirmish as Malkin is but they will eventually wear down.

Pittsburgh up front has absolutely been man-handling opponents. You start out with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (who I find hasn't been as dominant since Richards had him marked all last series, definetly not an impressive showing). Ryan Malone is coming up huge, along with Marian Hossa and Petyr Sykora. Ooo yeah, Jordan Staal is continuing a strong second-half showing from his sophomore performance.

Without Franzen, the Pens will get a slight nod on the offensive.

Detroit has probably the best defensive core in the league. Anyone who is part of a core and Nik Lidstrom is involved expect to be carried far. Niklas Kronwal has been playing some solid hockey, definetly one of the more underrated players in the league. Oh yeah, Brian Rafalski, playing great hockey. Brad Stuart has been looking impressive at times as well.

Probably one of the more underrated defense corps in the league, but still wont match up to Nik Lidstrom and company respectively. Although led by Gonchar who also has been playing defense (what?), strong play out of rookie Letang, Hal Gill stepping up and Brooks Orpik playing great. Then you also have Scuderi and Whitney who have been playing their best, it's always hard to beat a team when they are playing some of their best hockey.

Detroit will get the nod though on defense.

The goaltenders are going to be a dead out tie. Dominik Hasek played like ****, in comes Osgood who stood on his head already for them this season and is doing it again. I was always puzzled with why they kept on going back to Hasek. He's old, he doesn't want it as bad, hockey has become more laid back to him over the years. Osgood saved their asses in the Nashville series and Detroit would have been out long before.

Marc-Andre Fleury has been the circle of attention all season...on whether he was going to live up to his hype. Well, after getting back from his ankle injury, Fleury has stood on his head. Game saving saves even when they are already up 5-0. He's here to play and win and the Pens owe a lot to him this post-season.

I'll give it a tie in goal.

Beginning Saturday life is going to get pretty interesting. We get to watch to quality hockey teams in this years Cup final who are actually very similar in many waus. I don't expect any blowouts, and I do expect some physical play. Either or, the lucky bounce will give that team the edge and the Cup.

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Amoos

The two teams I hate the most right now (I always hate detriot) facing off...no one to cheer for, so sad. lol But from a hockey fan's perspective this looks to be one heck of an entertaining series. I'll most likely be tuning in.

From what i've observed I don't think the Penguins have everything it takes to knock off the Wings at this point. Let's be honest they have not been seriously tested up to this point, and their lack of experience alone would be cause for concern if I was a Pens fan. Actually it kinda seems like the first time the upstart Oilers met the Islanders in the finals...for the Isles it was just another trip to the finals, they'd been there before and had plenty of experience...The Oilers, oozing young talent, did not yet have that intangible element needed to unthrone a dynasty. Wings are the closest thing we have to a "dynasty" in this day and age...and tho it's true that players like Zetterberg and Datsyuk have never been this far...the majority of the Wings have. Save Gary Roberts and maybe Gonchar, the closest the Pens have come to a Stanley Cup finals is sitting in front of a TV watching it in their PJ's before bedtime.
The two teams match up pretty evenly I think, each with certain strenghts that have already been discussed at lenght here...I think it will be the Wing's "familiarity" that tips the scales.

(If the two do meet again next year, let's hope not...Go Canucks Go... ... I predict that the Oilers of the twenty first century will take it.