[Alex_DeLarge]

Originally Posted by 6sidedlie

Detroit in 6.

I'm liking the matchuping, but I think defensively I like Detroit by a large margin and Pittsburgh has slightly the better scoring offense but like Detroits 3rd and 4th lines better. I'd take Osgood as the goalie as MA Fleury and is unproven and I can't get the image of him choking in the gold medal game for the world junior a few years back.

Gonna be a good end, but I just can't wait for next season to get going.

You also picked Biron over MAF, that worked out well for you. Unproven? Win or lose I think MAF has definitely proven that he's one of the elite in the game right now, especially during this postseason. .938 save percentage, 12 wins with 3 shut-outs. Dude is 25-4-1 in his last 30 games, one of those losses coming to a tank job against Phili in the last game of the regular season.

Detroit may look better by a large margin on paper, but the Pens D is playing equally as impressive if not better then Detroits and that's something no one can argue.

Not to mention, well, you had Danny Briere winning the Conn Smythe and pretty much saying he played with subpar players. And apparently the Flyers advancing to the SC finals. I'm pretty sure your input doesn't seem trustworthy anymore.

[6sidedlie]

I called the Wings smashing the Stars, so I was 1-1.

Briere was looking unreal until he met the Penguins. Playing with the subpar boys didn't help him either.

Everyone can keep loving the Penguins, but I've said from the get go a team from the West would take it and here we go.

[burton_o6]

Lol @ Briere winning Conn Smythe...The guy was a ghost practically the entire series. He had a whole 2 points....Anyways, should be an interesting/exciting/stressful championship.

[6sidedlie]

How choked are you going to be when Malkin gets shut down by Maltby and Draper and Henrik and Pavel skate circles around slow n' steady Hal Gill? I know I'll be raising my beer wooing like no other.

[burton_o6]

Originally Posted by 6sidedlie

How choked are you going to be when Malkin gets shut down by Maltby and Draper and Henrik and Pavel skate circles around slow n' steady Hal Gill? I know I'll be raising my beer wooing like no other.

Is that what you did for the last series?

[6sidedlie]

Yeah, I was rooting for the Pens' because I was looking forward to them getting creamed by a bigger and better team.

[burton_o6]

Pens in 6

[Negative1]

Originally Posted by 6sidedlie

Yeah, I was rooting for the Pens' because I was looking forward to them getting creamed by a bigger and better team.

Bigger and badder team? Let's break that down shall we.

- Detroit had the best record in the regular season with noone near insight, that is impressive. Give credit where credit is due...but

- they also do that every year but don't win the Stanley Cup every year.

- they got beat by the Edmonton Oilers.

- for such a powerful team, Detroit had the most embarassing losing streak in the league this year. (when comparing the players to teams like St Louis and LA)

Fast forward to the post-season;

- Detroit lost twice (in a row) to the Predators, not such a bad thing after all I guess...but

- Pittsburgh went 3-0 against all their opponents before moving on and haven't lost 2 in a row

- After sweeping the Avalanche, Detorit went on to win another 3 games against the Stars. Then they lost 2 in a row....again. Pittsburgh lost once against the Flyers when they led by 3 games.

- After having such a solid 2 periods against Dallas in game 6, which only let about 13-15 shots on Osgood during those periods, were outshot in the end 28-25. They still won but something went wrong.

MAF is a proven goalie and you know it.

but, we shall continue this conversation when the game goes down on Saturday. What'd ya say?

[All_In]

I don't understand the love for the Red Wings 3rd and 4th lines over the Pens'.

Maltby, Draper, Drake, and Helm over JORDAN STAAL, Ruutu, Talbot, and Roberts/Hall? I just don't see it...

Funny thing is lines 1-3 of the Pens can match up against Datsyuk and Zetterbeg. However, Detroit is in a world of hurt if they fail to match up well against Pens' top 2 lines. I don't think this will be a scenerio of Zetterberg skating circles around Gill. With the way the Penguins forwards backcheck, there won't be that space in the neutral zone for Zetterberg to pick up that speed. When/if he manages to get around the stepping D, he'll surely have Hossa, Crosby, Dupuis, Malkin, or Staal pestering him throughout his entire route.

Fleury has stepped it up to the point where I can't really see the logic in people doubting him anymore. The Wings' offense will be the best he has faced so far, but he hasn't backed down in any way so far this year.

Detroit has some stud defensemen and obviously Zetterberg and Datsyuk are superstars, but I don't see the rest of the team stacking up well against the Peguins' firepower.

Notes of worry:
-This is the first time Pittsburgh has not had home ice advantage and will not open the series at home.
-Lidsrom, Rafalski, and Kronwall
-Zetterberg/Datsyuk
-Holmstrom/Franzen

[wafb]

Nice!! The Redwings finally put away the Stars. This'll be a fun Finals.