NHL Conference Finals

The Stanley Cup playoffs are officially half way over and we are left with three teams that no one picked to make it this far.

The Kings and Coyotes are the more unlikely pairing with the traditional powers like Vancouver, Detroit, San Jose and Chicago all knocked out early. What it gives us though are two high paced exciting teams to watch. Both full of young stars in the making, this series should be a fun up and down the ice battle. Goaltenders are always the talk of the playoffs as they should be and Quick and Smith continue this tradition. Both have been consistently reliable and even carrying their teams at times.

What I have really enjoyed however is the pace each team plays at. Guys like Kopitar, Brown and Richards for the Kings force the issue and put opposing defensemen on their heals constantly. They are relentless pursuing the puck, and consequently put the puck in the net often. The Kings blue liners, while doing a fine job in their own end, play with the same mentality always looking to add a third or fourth attacker every time they create a turnover. Coming into this series my pick was Kings in six games, and after game one I would even lean towards five games.

The Rangers and Devils seem a little more traditional even though most picked either the Flyers or Penguins to be here rather than the Devils. Goaltending must be discussed since you have this season's likely Vezina Trophy winner at one end in Lundqvist, and arguably the best goalie of all time at the other end in Brodeur. They have played a major role in getting their respective teams to this point. How Brodeur still makes saves stacking the pads is amazing to me. The position has become so technical in the last 10 years and any one playing the position is expected to play in that way, and yet he continues to shine and be a consistent difference maker night in and night out. Lundqvist, playing in that technical way, has played phenomenally well in the playoffs and continues to cement his status as the best goalie in the game today.

The depth of each team has been constantly overlooked because of the stellar goaltending. Both teams play with true desperation each night shown by players throwing their bodies in front of shots, making key plays to clear the zone defensively, and driving the net hard putting opposing goalies in a tough way. When you play either team your goalie will not be seeing most pucks that come on goal. Neither the Devils nor the Rangers put a lot of pucks in the net, but they are timely and take advantage of opportunities. Just ask the Capitals about their high sticking double minor that led to two Rangers goals in 4 minutes to put the Rangers in the drivers seat of that series. Parise and Callahan are both tremendous leaders that refuse to stop working and driving their teams towards the Cup. This has been a difficult series to pick, but I am going with the Rangers in seven.

Kings in 6
Rangers in 7

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