Thanks For Coming Out, 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins

A top team in the Eastern Conference with all the fire power, leadership, and depth in the world. A hiccup in goal the first series didn't really deter them through the first two rounds, but no one thought they would only get two (TWO) goals in the four-game Eastern Conference Finals. For the Pittsburgh Penguins, you can bet that there may be a new look overall when the puck drops in the 2013-14 season.

Granted, many people believe that coach Dan Bylsma is on the hot seat and I don't think that's necessarily true. While he wasn't able to adjust his team to the defense of the Bruins, the fact they couldn't really hit the net in the Eastern Finals is not really something he can overly teach or re-teach, that's on the player. The Pens brass have a lot to thank Disco Dan for, which is why his job probably isn't as in jeopardy as many others would have you think.

However, Bylsma could have a different look team when it comes to next season. Seven total UFAs on the roster and many thinking that Evgeni Malkin is on the trading block could make the Penguins have a drastic change. Though Malkin will probably get an extension in the summer; the thought that the Pens will have a total overhaul is a bit overblown. Sure, the trade deadline pick-ups they got will probably not come back, as with Matt Cooke, but it's not as if they can't get a suitable replacement for them.

One big point of contention is what to do in net. This playoffs was a flop for Marc-Andre Fleury, who got yanked in the first round in favor of Tomas Vokoun, thus almost completing Fleury's free-fall from grace. While they probably won't use their amnesty buy-out on him this year, should he not be able to get his confidence back, it's a definite option in the summer of 2014. But, you have to imagine the Pens have to rely on Fleury, as Vokoun has one year left and may not be up to the task of being a starter anymore.

The Pens always have a knack for finding the next solid guy to plug into their line-up and still be successful. The system is a good one thanks to Bylsma and it should continue so long as he's there. While there may be a little change here and there, a complete blow-up of the team would be short-sighted and a sign of panic on GM Ray Shero's part. The Pens will be fine later on, but licking their wounds this summer after being swept will be on the top of their priority list.

Pointless Playoff Prognostication: Conference Finals

Perfect in the West, squa-douche in the East. So, here we go-- we're looking at the Final Four, who-- oddly enough-- are the last four Cup winners. How about that.

CONFERENCE FINALS
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) Boston Bruins
Prediction: Bruins in 6
Reason: The Bruins have a lot of life after that first round and the Penguins still look like a vulnerable team-- so the nod goes to the inspired Bruins over the Pens.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings
Prediction: Blackhawks in 7
Reason: While Jonathan Quick looks like the goalie who stole games for last year's Kings, the offense of the Blackhawks could prove to be too much for the Kings defense-- especially if the Kings get a little listless offensively.

Thanks For Coming Out, New York Rangers

Another top-seed is done and while many Rangers fans were looking to repeat 1994, Martin Brodeur was too much almost two decades after the fact. With the block party the Rangers brought, John Tortorella got the team deep into the playoffs and even with all the hurdles they had-- European trip, road-trip while MSG was bring renovated, HBO 24/7-- the Rangers did what they could and almost made it there.

They did get a lot out of Marian Gaborik in the regular season, potting his third 40-goal season in the past five; while Brad Richards didn't shoot out the lights in his Broadway debut season, but he did enough when he was needed to help keep the Rangers in it during the playoffs. The supporting cast chipped in when needed, but would mostly be known for their grit, board play, and shot blocking than anything else. Of course another bright spot is how well Carl Hagelin will develop. He has the speed and hands, but will he be able to flourish as much as he is capable of in the Rangers' system of play??

Defensively, Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto were the offensive leaders, but Del Zotto's defensive play makes Rangers fans cringe and angry at him. Luckily, the return of Marc Staal and solid play of Anton Stralman were able to make-up for Del Zotto's short-comings.

However, we all know the crown jewel for the Rangers is Henrik Lundqvist and his 1.85 playoff GAA, .931 save percentage, and three shutouts are spectacular. It mirrors his regular season numbers nicely, as well (1.97, .930, 8 SO); but the fact he has come so close again with a great team in front of him and not be able to muster out a conference title makes you wonder how long he can deal with these shortcomings in the playoffs.

While it's much too early for harsh criticism to be brought in, the fact that he has come up short again-- despite how much press he gets for being an amazing goalie-- makes me wonder if Lundqvist will be the Dan Marino of the NHL where he's able to do so well in the regular season, but come up short of the ultimate prize at the end of the day. There's a long way to go, but you had to think that this was one of the best chances he could have gotten with this team.

They will be back to the drawing board in New York and they will have to hope that John Tortorella's motivation will be able to continue going and that his game plan continues to ring in the Rangers locker room.

Eastern Conference Finals: (1) New York Rangers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Yes, 1994, we get it. That's the last time these two have met in such an event like the Conference Finals. Oddly enough, Martin Brodeur is still in the league and still with the Devils. Even with that as a backdrop and with the whole ideal of this being a closely proximate event; defensive hockey will rue the day of it all.

The Devils got the highest compliment from Ilya Bryzgalov after the last round, saying the Devils didn't let anyone else play. The puck possession game, along with the long defensive roots the Devils have should stymy any offense that the Rangers could try to muster up, which isn't much considering they are 11th of the 16 playoff teams in goals per game (2.07). Though Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards have been able to come though in the clutch, you have to wonder how well they'll deal with the Devils defense. The Devils on the other hand will have to deal with Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers block party; who have let up the second least goals-against-per-game, only behind the Los Angeles Kings (1.86). Ilya Kovalchuk will have to be at the top of his game against the Rangers and in pressure situations.

And while the Devils have the defensive stigma, the Rangers have been able to stop and block everything-- with the Devils going scoring the most goals 5-on-5 so far with 24 goals, you have to think that they work better with more havoc on the ice. Though the Devils really haven't faced the most defensive teams, which should help the Rangers in the end. The Rangers haven't scored too much, but also have a lot of even-strength goals; but with the traffic the Devils will have and clamping down on the neutral zone and allowing very little shots-per-game; the Rangers will need to find a way to break through it all.

Yet, much like all the playoffs-- it'll come down to the goalies. The new hotness of Henrik Lundqvist or the old and busted of Martin Brodeur. Lundqvist could be the guy who, if he can't get past this round, maybe labeled like the Dan Marino of the NHL, being really good, but never getting a championship. Sure, he's been around a few years-- but you never know how long a goalie can last nowadays. On the flip side, the long-tenured Marty Brodeur is ready to go and maybe have one last shot. The system has helped Brodeur in the past and doing it again this year. If he can stop the shots he sees, there's really no stopping him because he will have an easy task.

PREDICTION: While it may seem daft, the New York Rangers will win in six games over New Jersey. It won't be the most glorious of roads to the Cups-- the Rangers beating the 8th, 7th, and then 6th seed to the Cup Finals-- but to get there is all that matters. Lundqvist will be (and has to be) the deciding factor to it all.

What's Next 2011: Tampa Bay Lightning

While it wasn't the Cinderella story we all thought it would be, the first year of the "new" look Lightning set the bar pretty high for next season. However, with the GM and coach tandem they have, this playoff was probably a warning for the rest of the East to look out for the revitalized Bolts.

The biggest question heading into the off-season is the goaltending. Dwayne Roloson is probably not going to be back, mostly due to his age and possible price tag after the playoffs he had. Yet, Mike Smith is also a UFA, which will be interesting to see how that negotiation goes with how he played in the Conference Finals. With two young goalies like Dustin Tokarski and Jaroslav Janus signed and ready to go, but are they ready to back-up Smith?? You can bet GM Steve Yzerman will shop the market for a decent back-up for Smith if they retain him.

Obviously, the big thing for Yzerman before that is locking up Steven Stamkos, who is a restricted free-agent and probably will get a nice long-term deal to stay around with Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier for the future. Granted, while Simon Gagne won't be back-- other role players like Sean Bergenheim and Teddy Purcell will be top priority for Yzerman over Gagne. The offense was very solid and they have plenty of firepower up and down the line-up; which should take pressure off the top-three guys. Plus, you have to look for James Wright and Carter Ashton to make a big push to get into the everyday line-up and even bump some of the role players.

On the blue-line, the core seems to be there with Victor Hedman, Mattias Ohlund, and Pavel Kubina will be back-- but what could be something to look at is whether or not Eric Brewer will be back with the team. Brewer won't light the score sheet on fire, but could be an invaluable defensive resource. There's not much on the horizon, so the free agent market should be solid for the Bolts to replenish what they may lose.

Regardless of what happens and whatever parts are actually in the line-up; Guy Boucher will be able to mold those guys into his kind of players and will be able to keep this solid run alive and build off of that. So long as the players buy-into it, they'll be fine. If they don't, then they may have a long-bumpy road to get to this spot again.

Chronic Prognosticator: Conference Finals

It's finally time for the Conference Finals and the Final Four teams couldn't be more.....I guess evenly matched could be a good word for it, but these should be some solid series; though it'll take a lot to match the San Jose/Detroit series or Vancouver/Chicago side.

Well.....let's do it.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

This will be a chess-match. The fact that both these teams are leading the way in the East proves that defense wins championships. The big issue will be not only trying to figure out each of these goalies-- but also which team can transition better off their defensive strong-point.

When it comes down to it, I think Tampa has a better edge and have shown a little bit more depth in their line-up. Not to say the Bruins don't have that, but who would have thought that Sean Bergenheim would have seven goals and Steve Downie have 10 assists?? Those are two guys who are really helping out beyond the top guys of Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, and Steven Stamkos.

However, the Bruins definitely have a defensive edge with Zdeno Chara and Andrew Ference on the back-end. The fact Timmy Thomas is up for a Vezina should tell you that he's got the credentials to get a team through the worst, but he does have his own bouts of meltdowns.

PREDICTION: Tampa Bay Lightning in Seven Games
WHY??: It'll be a struggle in this series with these two, but I think the Bolts have really shown their gumption with Guy Boucher behind the bench and the long layoff will serve them well in resting a guy like Dwayne Roloson, who is up there and may not have been able to taken the grind of one series after another.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (2) San Jose Sharks

While we had hoped these two would be in their Conference finals-- not many people thought they could actually get to it and face each other. A lot of people on the Twitter even said this could be the first series where both teams would lose-- which I would like to see, actually.

When it comes to the Canucks, it was great for them to get Ryan Kesler back into the fold, but now it's about getting the Sedins into it. This series could be a wide-open event, which could bring in the Sedins nicely-- but if they can't get it going from Game One; it could be another series of commentators questioning them night-after-night.

The Sharks should be happy not to choke a 3-0 lead in the second round, but at the same time-- it's a warning for them. The fact we'll see a Joe Thornton and Kesler match-up in the face-off dot is exciting. The big deal is Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture carrying the Sharks in the scoring, which needs to be a wake-up call for Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley-- who have been virtuall invisible.

PREDICTION: San Jose Sharks in Six Games
WHY??: While the goaltending and defensive breakdown hurt the Sharks psyche a bit-- the fact remains they are getting a lot from their depth guys and can put distance on themselves when needed. Both teams are going to be urged to get their offense going quickly because the minute they rattle the oppositions goalie-- the better the chances to making it a quick series.

What's Next: Montreal Canadiens 2010

The last placed team in the NHL when it came to playoff teams; knocking off the top-two Eastern Conference favorites, which had the NHL's top-two marketed players, making a folk hero out of the winner of their goalie dilemma and all from a team who many didn't think had enough to make the playoffs. The Canadiens have a lot to be proud of, even if they didn't get to where they wanted to be.

The defense was the main story of success for the Habs, who had one of the best shot-blockers in the league in Hal Gill in their line-up, who leads the playoffs with 68 blocked shots throughout the playoffs thus far. He is followed by Josh Gorges, who played well enough to have a regular spot and prominent role in next season. With PK Subban emerging, the offensive weight should be off the oft-injured Andrei Markov and relieve Marc-Andre Bergeron of his duties. Roman Hamrlik was less than stellar and could be a candidate to be bought out for Ryan O'Byrne to get more time next season. Moving forward, you'll probably see the like of Yannick Weber and Mathieu Carle get call ups and more time, but it'll usher in the new phase of Habs defense.

The goaltending debate is over, with Jaroslav Halak taking over the top spot from Carey Price. Halak will probably get a nice hefty offer from the Habs. They would be dumb not to offer him a nice contract after what he did for them in the playoffs and regular season; and should do it before offer sheets come rolling in. The bigger issues is what to do with Carey Pirce. Do they try to make him an offer knowing he'll be the back-up or try to get something back from trading his rights. I've mentioned before about what would have happened with Price in a different market, which could happen come this summer-- though I bet the Habs will try to ration with him; though it could fall on deaf ears.

Up front, the Habs will focus on getting Tomas Plekanec re-signed, especially since he was the top guy for the Habs in the regular season. Plekanec should command an affordable price tag, but with 10 forward locked up to over $25M, the Havs may not be able to rationalize a siging to break the bank. Luckily for Bob Gainey, the big three that he got in the summer and underperformed in the regular season stepped it up in the playoffs to save whatever legacy as GM that he had. With four prominent RFAs out there, the odds are they'll have to make a choice quickly on what to do. The Kostitsyns may be on their way out of the country, which would save a bit of money for the Habs since Andrei is under contract for another year, with Sergei a RFA this year. There's going to have to be a lot of shuffling and penny-pinching in order to fill-out the rest of the forwards.

While they overachieved, they made a city come alive. They were able to revitalize a great hockey city and showed that the underdog can still learn new tricks. Jacques Martin did have a lot of detractors, but he did enough to motivate his team to the Conference finals. Yet, at the same time-- how much was that because of his coaching or his players trying to cover for him?? That may never be revealed, but the Habs did a lot for their city and franchise in how they were able to come from the lowest point to almost the pinnacle. The real question is can they do it all again next year....

Pointless Playoff Prognostication: Conference Finals

My trip to Maryland and the things happening around it has been something that has kept me from this post until now. However, with no games to go final, I think I should be good to keep doing this. Again-- went a perfect 2-for-2 in the West and took the collar at 0-for-2 in the East. Maybe I'll pick the East better now that I'm back there. But, we start with the first game of Sunday.

(1) SAN JOSE SHARKS vs. (2) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

We're finally at the point where the choke label is off the Sharks. They made it to their first conference Final since 2004 and most importantly, got past the second round. It was a little dicey, but with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley realizing it's the playoffs and actually contributing; the Sharks look a lot better. Sure, it's a bit of an issue with Patrick Marleau still not getting onto the scoring sheet as often as he would like, but at the same time-- Joe Pavelski keeps stepping in up with Marleau slacking. Which Evgeni Nabokov shows up will be a story, too. Can he be clutch in a spot that he hasn't been in for six years?? He has done enough to get them to this point, but can he keep it up against a rested, strong offensive team like Chicago.

The Hawks are back for a second year in a row and should be able to feed off of last year's falter to move onto this year. Jonathan Toews has been leading by example in the scoring department, while Patrick Sharp has played well in a secondary role. The playoff curse is effecting Marian Hossa again, as he hasn't been able to step up as much as the Hawks were hoping, with only two goals and 10 points in the 12 games. Luckily, the shutdown defense of Brent Seabrook and Brent Sopel have helped out in the own end, but the minus on Duncan Keith's stats are a bit concerning, but should shut down in the finals. The shakiness of Antti Niemi continues to be something that could hold the Hawks back, but if he gets support from up front; he should be fine.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks in Six. While the Sharks have made it far, the Hawks look like the team to beat. The road record at 5-1 should help them, as they don't have home ice advantage. With the Hawks knowing what it takes, it should help them not lose focus, like the Sharks could.

(7) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs. (8) MONTREAL CANADIENS

How much is left in the tank, that's going to be the real question. Coming back from three games down, then coming back from three goals down in Game Seven can take a lot out of a team and could be a factor if this series becomes a long one. The one good point is Michael Leighton is back, healthy, and most importantly-- fresh. He will be the X-factor for the Flyers as he has got them to this point from the regular season, but wants to finish what he started. Danny Briere is finally earning his money this playoffs, which should be a great confidence boost to him moving forward. The Flyers have had a lot of issues, but this should somehow validate their bi-polar season.

The Montreal Canadiens may face trouble in the fact that the Flyers aren't a juggernaut like the Capitals and Penguins are. Even so, the Habs have been world builder, taking out the two faces of the NHL in Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, making them very invisible throughout their respective series. Most of that has to do with the amazing play of Jaroslav Halak, who will command a healthy raise in the off-season; but plenty should be given to the likes of Hal Gill, who blocks everything coming at him. With PK Subban being called up, it has given the Habs another dynamic, especially with Andrei Markov out for this series, as well. You also can't say enough about the off-season acquisitions of Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, and Brian Gionta, who have been the top dogs for the Habs and really brought them to this point with their scoring.

PREDICTION: Canadiens in Six. While the Flyers have a great story coming into it all, I don't think that they'll have enough left in the tank after their series against the Bruins. Especially considering how the Habs have had some time off and are on the high of shutting down most offenses; the only thing that can beat them is not scoring in the clutch-- which they seem to do just fine.

That's that-- enjoy the series and here's some decent action; even if it's a four-game sweep in each one.

What's Next: Carolina Hurricanes

They had a gritty effort through and through, but the Carolina Hurricanes ran out of steam when it was the most important, in the Eastern Finals. After two hard-fought seven game series prior, you can bet that they just ran out of steam and could keep pace with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

However, the season wasn't all that good until after the trade deadline. In their last 10 games, the Canes were 8-2 and one of the hottest in the league, mostly due to the play of Cam Ward. Ward seemed to pick it up towards the end of the season and showed the style that won him a Conn Smythe back in '06. However, it seems that he could get much help when it came to the Conference Finals, which ruined what could have been a successful season otherwise.

Speaking of the defense, the only solid players on the blue were Anton Babchuk and Joni Pitkanen, while the other regulars were somewhat subpar in their own end, but guys like Joe Corvo and Dennis Seidenberg made up for it offensively. Seidenberg is a UFA, while Babchuk has RFA status for the summer, but I suspect both should be re-signed because the budget will allow it to happen. If they are able to fix up defensively, it could help out a lot for a run next season.

However, it's going to be up to the offense to get a little more proactive. Of the 16 playoff teams, the Canes only had more goals than four teams. While the addition of Erik Cole helped a little, the brunt of the pressure was put on Eric Staal and Ray Whitney. Whitney had another solid season, while Staal seemed to have a downer year not living up to the expectations set. While Staal did step up in the playoffs, he'll need to show more during the regular season to help his team get a better position. The grand surprise was the offensive output of Jussi Jokinen and Chad LaRose in the playoffs, both are free agents, Jokinen being restricted. Both should command a healthy raise if they re-sign with the Canes.

Cole and Tuomo Ruutu are the other two forward who are free agents of substance, which means that the core can remain together for another year. There's some talent coming up through the ranks, but the Canes could be looking at the free agent market to bring in some more scoring to the team for the next season.

Odds are that if the Canes had a solid first half of the season, they could have put themselves in a better position for the playoffs. However, they got hot when they needed to be and went into the playoffs with a hot goalie, which usually is the thing to get you far in the playoffs. They were renamed the "Cardiac Canes" with their late game surges, grabbing victory out of the jaws of defeat. Even then, they ran into another hot goalie and couldn't overcome the deficit this time.

Conference Final Shabby Preview

Alright, I won't lie-- I'm on vacation right now visiting the family and friends from Maryland, so doing anything productive outside of playing hockey, catching up, and drinking isn't at the forefront, so this is a brief rundown of the Conference Finals.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES

The Penguins are coming off a grueling series with the Capitals and you wonder how much it took out of them. Albeit, the Pens looked pretty good in Game Seven winning handily and the rest could help them heal-- the fact remains that they are going to be in tough against a team like the Canes. This is the second straight year for the Pens to be in the Eastern Final and their experience in being here before should help them focus and not get too excited over it. If Evgeni Malkin can be the force he started to be at the end of the second round, then the Pens could be unstoppable. Add that to M-A Fleury's stellar play and it could be a perfect storm for the Pens.

Speaking of unstoppable, Eric Staal has been on quite the tear and been the life force for the Canes offense, while Cam Ward is looking like the goalie who won the Conn Smythe in the 2006 Playoffs. The Canes may not have the dynamic offensive force that the Penguins may have, but the Canes are getting scoring from all over with Jussi Jokinen and Chad LaRose being the unlikely contributers for Carolina. There are still some leftovers from the 2006 Cup team, so the experience could be good enough to focus those with inexperience of it all. However, you wonder how much the two seven-games series have taken out of the Canes, especially since they have been fighting for a spot into the playoffs for the last part of the season.

PREDICTION: Penguins in 6. While the Canes could be a nice story of the underdog, the seven games serieses they had to endure will have taken a lot out of them physically and really not make them outlast a much fresher Pens team.

WESTERN CONFERENCE DETROIT
RED WINGS vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
(Note, Game One is already over with as I write this)

The Red Wings keep on going, though their series against the Ducks went much longer than they want, but it looks like the Jekyll/Hyde act of Chris Osgood is in full effect. There's times he was on, times he was off-- but luckily the team in front of him were able to adjust to fit which persona was in net. Johan Franzen looks like he's back in full playoff form, leading the Wings again in points thus far. However, the non-productive nature from Pavel Datsyuk should be something that is alarming to the Wings. While it's good they can produce without him, yet to get him going would be the best for the team in general.

The cardiac Hawks are still in this and show that they could be showing that being young with no fear is going well for them. While Martin Havlat is leading in points, the youth movement has gotten much of the press. Patrick Kane, Kris Versteeg, and Jonathan Toews have been decent contributors in their first playoffs, though their even-strength play will have to get better in order for them to be successful in this round. The story though has been the stellar play of Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabby has been able to come up huge at times when his team has needed it and has showed the form that gave him the starters job in the first place. He'll need to really be on in order for him to help lead the Hawks over the Wings.

PREDICITION: Wings in 6. As great of a story as the Hawks have been, they will probably be no match for the depth and experience of the Wings. This far into the playoffs, experience will be crucial and the Wings have just that, which should lead them into another Cup Final.

Eastern Conference Breakdown

One thing is for sure in this Eastern Conference Final, the winner will come from Pennsylvania. That's right, it's every Capitals' fan worst nightmare, the Penguins against the Flyers for the right to play in the Stanley Cup finals. So, let's break it down bit by bit, shall we??

OFFENSE: Let's be honest, the Penguins have a bevy of firepower in their line-up and are a threat to be reckoned with. With Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, and Sidney Crosby, the Penguins could have the best offense in the NHL Playoffs right now. With role players like Georges Laraque, Ryan Malone, and Gary Roberts, they Penguins do have some depth should the top trio get shut down. Though, I'm sure Petr Sykora and Jordan Staal still have much to prove in these playoffs.

Philadelphia has been led by Daniel Briere, which should be no surprise, but RJ Umberger has been a pleasant surprise for the Flyers these playoffs. Umberger's nine goals helped the Flyers get past the Habs in the second round. Vaclav Prospal quietly has racked up 12 points, while Mike Richards has contributed silently on the scoresheet, but loudly along the board. The Flyers depth could help them get an upset victory in the Conference finals.

DEFENSE: The Flyers should have the advantage in this section, but it's something of an enigma for both squads. The Flyers have the shutdown player in Kimmo Timonen doing his job perfectly, while Jason Smith and Braydon Coburn have been an excellent compliment on the blue line. Derian Hatcher could be the Achilles heel should he get overly aggressive and give too many power-plays to the Pens.

I personally though the Penguins defense would be their downfall, but they have played very respectable in the post-season. Hal Gill of all people has been playing very well, while Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney have been playing well, with Rob Scuderi being the best rated defenseman at +7.

GOALTENDING: Marc-Andre Fleury has played huge for the Penguins, but has faced the least amount of shots of any goalies who have played at least eight games. He is second in GAA and first in save percentage while proving that he has what it takes to be a #1 goalie in the NHL. We'll just have to see how much this streak for Fleury can go.

Martin Biron, in his first playoff appearance in his career, has played solidly for the Flyers and has kept them in many games not only in the post-season, but also during the season. Biron is battle tested too, mostly due to him facing the most shots this playoffs.

This is a case of two surprising, hot goaltenders on a collision course for the right to play for the biggest prize in all sports. It should come down to a goaltender's duel this series.

Now, if the regular season is any indication (which...let's face it-- it isn't), the Flyers beat the Penguins five times out of the eight and were very physical against the Pens. When the Rangers instilled physicality into their game, you could see the Penguins get a little flustered. We'll see if the Flyers will be able to get better results from the same game plan.

It should be an interesting series and may be one of the better ones, but with depth, shutdown ability, and physicality-- I'll take the Philadelphia Flyers in six games for this series.