Finally, after a ridiculously long layoff after the end of the conference finals, the Stanley Cup final begins tonight. The tension has reached a boiling point (exhibit A: Jay's inaugural use of a post label to implore the dropping of the G-D puck) in both Ottawa (good anticipation) and Toronto (bad anticipation).
Tom and Greg at AOL's FanHouse have 5 reasons why the Ducks or senators will win the Cup. In my mind (and most people's as well), the series comes down to this: there are only about 10 minutes in any given game when either Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer are not on the ice. That is the senators window of opportunity. If they can exploit that through either getting the Pizza Line out there or having one of the other 3 lines produce points then they will probably win the cup and ruin hockey for at least one major metropolitan area.
As well as the senators have played the top line has yet to face a defence like the Ducks. Sure the bottom 3 are not exactly world-beaters but the top end talent is the first group good enough to shut down the top line. Don't even try arguing that Buffalo's defence was anywhere near as good as this D. The Sabres decided to go with 6 # 3/4 defencemen and it didn't work out. The Ducks have 3 # 1s patrolling the blueline and the difference in the series will come down to whether the top line can produce and what the other lines can pick up. As good as the top line has been I don't see them racking up the points against Pronger. I hope he takes the Cup back to Edmonton.
Update: The End Is Nigh!
Leafs vs. Sens - Commentary from both sides of the aisle.
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