Ok…

I returned to my computer this evening and found this message from my buddy Steve. “Mighty Ducks, Oilers, Hurricanes, Sabres………..ok.” The first Stanley Cup Playoffs since the lockout has certainly turned heads. Well, it’s turned the heads of those who actually have OLN. Speaking of, is there anyone with OLN that will take me in this month?
Well, who is going to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup this year? I’m sure the common belief is that Ilya Bryzgalov and Ryan Miller, two hot goalies will cary the Ducks and Sabres to the finals. I say au contraire! Typically, a hot goalie can get you only so far. Just ask Jean Sebastian Giguere. In the finals, it comes down to the skill players, the forwards. So who has the top forwards out there? Who will it be? Let’s take a look.
Carolina – Chalk full of good talent, young and old. They have young guys, like Eric Staal, Erik Cole, and Justin Williams. Then there are good veterans, like big defensive forward Corey Stillman and proven clutch vets Rod Brind’Amour, Doug Weight and Ray Whitney. This is a seriously potent team, offensively, and Ryan Miller better prepare himself.
Buffalo – They rely on a roster full of Buffalo lifers, meaning few of them have even sniffed the Cup before. Chris Drury is really the only postseason veteran on the roster. Maxim Afinogenov, J.P. Dumont and Jason Pominville are the most capable scorers on the team, whileTim Connelly and Ales Kotalik figure to see some action as well.
Anaheim – The Ducks offensive roster does not look promising. There is a reason they were a low seed in the playoffs, and it could come back to haunt them against Edmonton. They only have two good viable scorers in Teemu Selanne, who is growing old but is still quick, and Andy McDonald. They’re next leading scorer, Jeff Lupul has 30 fewer points. Anaheim needs Bryzgalov to stay hot.
Edmonton – The Oilers are a great example of what was supposed to happen with the restructured finances in the NHL, signing Chris Pronger, a strong, skilled defender, and acquiring Sergei Samsonov at the trade deadline. They already have playmaker Ales Hemsky up and coming and leading the team in points, and youngster Jarret Stoll, Shawn Horcoff and captain Ryan Smyth buoy this team.
In case you couldn’t tell from my assessment, I like the Hurricanes and the Oilers to advance, with Carolina taking the cup back to Raleigh, as strange as that sounds. But clearly, I have no idea what’s going on in the NHL this season, if my previous posts are any indication. – Ryan