I Love Hockey

Before this series started, I speculated that it could possibly be the greatest, most entertaining Cup Finals since I've been alive. So far...it hasn't disappointed. The series, so far, has featured a little bit of everything. Three one goal games, some great D, some great O, and a ton of skill and physical play. Chicago owns the 2-1 series lead, but this series has been about as even as they come.

After Game 1, it looked as though both goaltenders got shaky knees when exposed to the games biggest stage. Michael Leighton couldn't stop a beach ball and Antti Niemi couldn't recover from some bad bounces. Since then, the goaltending, while unspectacular, has been very solid. Game 2 was Niemi's best. He made big save after big save to thwart a Flyers comeback and led his team to a 2-0 series lead. On the other end, Leighton has returned to the crease with two solid outings after being replaced by Brian Boucher in the first tilt. But, as any hockey fan knows, it's not the goaltending that will make this series a classic.

So far, the top defensive units (Keith/Seabrook and Pronger with whoever else is on the ice) have succeeded in shutting down the other teams' top scoring line. You'd have to think it would be tough for Chicago to win while not getting production from the Toews/Kane/Byfuglien line, but Marian Hossa playing like a madman helps regain the amount of lost offense. The common theme for both teams, thanks to the struggles of their top lines, is the abundance of secondary scoring. Guys like Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, Tomas Kopecky, and Troy Brouwer are the ones filling the net!

Chicago has the 2-1 series lead thus far, and if Philly wants to have any chance of taking this series, then they're going to need a better performance out of Peter Laviolette. While Chicago's bonehead overtime change ultimately lost them Game 3, it has been the Flyers' coach who seems unable to adapt and unable to make the necessary adjustments. As mentioned above, his top line of Richards, Carter, and Gagne has been easily neutralized by Duncan Keith's speed and Brent Seabrook's physical play. The most baffling part of it...two of them are centers! And he has a wing (Claude Giroux) centering his second line! If he wants to equalize the effects of Keith and Seabrook, the plan should be simple. Move Carter down to center the second line, and replace him on the first line with either Dan Carcillo or Scott Hartnell. The physicality of those two guys would make it tougher in the corners for Chicago's top D-pairing. Not only that, but moving Carter down a line (and thus matching him up against Chicago's second pairing) makes things that much harder for Chicago! How has Laviolette not even tried this?

Prior to the series, I had predicted Philly in 6. While that outcome is still possible, it certainly doesn't seem to be likely. Given how close the series has been so far, I think it goes to a Game 7. Chris Pronger's head-games, coupled with the amount of physicality and talent in this series will make this the best Stanley Cup Final in recent memory. I look for the home team to win every game of this series.

Revised pick: Chicago in 7