Stanley Cup Predictions

2011 Edition
The Stanley Cup Finals
Boston vs. Vancouver

To-Date:  The Canucks and Bruins have both overcome adversity this postseason, with Vancouver triumphing in Game 7 of the first round versus my beloved Blackhawks, and Boston fighting off disaster and sending the Flyers packing in a grudge match.  Vancouver has had more rest; the Bruins seem to thrive on pressure.  Both teams are rested after a longer-than-usual breaks before the Final.

Result: Bruins in…more than 5.  There’s a very slim chance this will be one-sided, but weird things do happen in the Finals.  I think 6 is most likely, six close games.  Plus, the Cup tends to be won by overdue teams when they’re on the road.  7 is a very real scenario, but there’s no real predicting how we’d get there, given it’s these two teams.

Conn Smythe (playoff MVP): A goalie.  Thomas or Luongo, dead-heat even if they wind up on the losing side.  This is a battle of goaltenders who have sparkled this spring, period, and could easily be the brightest star in the sky, despite hailing from a runner-up galaxy.  So, one or the other, with a certainty of 90%.  There are, however, a plethora of damned excellent big-game skaters on both teams.  Most of them have been hotter than hell this postseason, and could parlay that into a dominant performance in the Finals.  Even the ones who haven’t been top-shelf (and this includes defensemen), could come up consistently huge and take the trophy.

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