Red Wings vs. Penguins.
Again.
Kind of not interested, but at least it isn't Tampa Bay vs. Anaheim or something anti-hockey like that. Both these teams boast good history, and good performances lately. Think about Pittsburgh, they've won 6 of their last 7 playoff series.
That being said, Detroit has won their last 7 straight playoff series, and 9 of their last 10.
One wild card is the injury situation. Potential MVP Pavel Datsyuk missed the end of Detroit's victory over Chicago. He'll miss at least Game 1. Detroit's greatest strength is their depth at forward, but Datsyuk is the tip of the arrowhead. Remove him, and that depth doesn't mean so much.
The TV situation favors Pittsburgh due to Detroit's injuries. Game 1 is tonight, Game 2 is tomorrow night. NBC didn't want a potential overtime game to interrupt Conan O'Brien's debut on the Tonight Show this week. But hey, at least the games aren't on Versus. Until Games 3 and 4, of course.
Neither goalie impresses me, but Chris Osgood is much more solid than Marc-Andre Fleury. Neither goalie will steal a game, but Fleury might give one away. He overcommitts to the side of the crease, and Detroit's unparalleled passing game will exploit this weakness.
Sidney Crosby is getting all the publicity for Pittsburgh, but Evgeni Malkin has fueled Pittsburgh's playoff run. If the Penguins win the series, Malkin will (or should) win the Conn Smythe.
Despite the injuries, I think Detroit wins this one in 6. Cup #12 for the Wings.
Game schedule:
Game 1: PIT @ DET - Sat 5/30 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 2: PIT @ DET - Sun 5/31 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 3: DET @ PIT - Tue 6/2 - 8:00 PM - Vs
Game 4: DET @ PIT - Thu 6/4 - 8:00 PM - Vs
Game 5: PIT @ DET - Sat 6/6 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 6: DET @ PIT - Tue 6/9 - 8:00 PM - NBC
Game 7: PIT @ DET - Fri 6/12 - 8:oo PM - NBC
-The Commodore
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