Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Here is my guess as to which teams will meet each other in the finals and who will ultimately win the Stanley Cup.

Washington Capitals vs. San Jose Sharks

Washington? Huh? It will be Boston and Washington in the Eastern Conference finals, but the Caps will ultimately win because their power forwards are a lot more dominant and have more experience than the young guys of Boston. And in case any of the past off-season/trade deadline moves didn't tip you off, experience is worth almost, if not as much as skill these days in an NHL locker room. San Jose's survival to the finals will ultimately depend on their first round against Anaheim. Obviously if the Ducks pull the upset, which they are very capable of doing, then the Sharks aren't going anywhere. But even if the Ducks extend it to a game 6 or 7, San Jose may be too worn out and beat up to make an impact in round two or three. If San Jose gets the quick win and takes full advantage of home ice early, which I predicted they would, then everything will work out for them. Detroit's goaltending is the big question mark as to who will win the West. If Osgood is suddenly revitalized and becomes the goaltender he was last year, then they should make it to the finals.

Stanley Cup Champions: San Jose Sharks
If they face off against the Capitals, it will be very very interesting to see the styles of play the Sharks come out with. Some nights, probably on the road games, San Jose may just try to match up with the Ovechkin line and come out high-flying and constantly shooting. Other nights, probably at home, they'll take a more defensive, playoff-oriented style and try to shutdown the Great. Whichever way they play, San Jose has the edge in the skill department, and there is no question that Nabokov is better than Theodore. It shouldn't go to a game 7, but it could very well end up in a game 6 (Sharks might just lose that one on purpose to win the Cup at home).

First off, I'm not just predicting the Sharks because I love them. Last year I had them losing to Detroit in the conference finals and the Wings ultimately winning the Cup (at least I got one right). Secondly, the ONLY reason why I predicted Caps and Bruins in the East finals is because I had Carolina upsetting New Jersey in the first round. Over the past couple of days, I have been seriously cringing in pain about that decision, and I'm pretty sure it will come back to bite me. What can I say? I was feeling adventerous and wanted to pick an upset, and believe me the Hurricanes are the top team primed to upset their first round opponent. But if New Jersey gets past Carolina, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Devils in the finals. And that would make things a whole lot tougher for the Sharks.