NHL: Stanley Cup Preview & Prediction
After a long regular season in which hockey fans saw many forms of changing of the guard, the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not disappoint (unless your team was eliminated). A powerhouse was swept, the Presidents Trophy winners were taken out in the Second Round, and new heroes were on full display for everyone in the world to see. With 28 teams packing their luggage for a long and disappointing trip home, we are left with two teams … and they couldn't be more different.
HOW DID NASHVILLE GET HERE?
The story of the Nashville Predators is a humbling and inspirational one, with their origins tracing “all the way back” to 1998 as an expansion franchise and now appearing in their first ever Stanley Cup Final. Lets see how this team lovingly referred to as “Smashville” made it to the position they now find themselves in.
Since their inception into the National Hockey League they have had only one general manager, David Poile, and are on their second head coach in franchise history in Peter Laviolette, they both have the same mindset on how their team should be playing: A fast pace, up-tempo offense, with a quick and physical defense. With this working relationship in place there was a reason for optimism in Nashville. With a strong core of Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Pekka Rinne, and Ryan Johansen heading into the upcoming season the Predators had every intention of causing some chaos in the Western Conference in 2017.
Then before the season started general manager Poile did what he does best ... keep adding to the puzzle, but nobody saw what was coming. The Nashville Predators traded away franchise cornerstone, defenseman, and captain Shea Webber to the Montreal Canadiens for the young, exciting and brash defenseman P.K. Subban.
This trade not only shocked the hockey world but made waves in the sports community, and since we're in a time in sports where stations like ESPN only care about three to four individual players in all of sports to give their air time to, it made Nashville a popular team among fans who didn't even know what “NHL” stood for.
The regular season kicked off and as what has become accustom over the last few seasons, the Predators stayed competitive in a tough Western Conference as they were on their way to another 90-plus point season and a red knuckle battle in the playoffs, but something was different this year, the Predators had the “Eye of the Tiger” from the start of Game 1.
In the First Round, they got a “tuff luck” matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the very few “modern-day dynasties” in sports today, many experts had the Blackhawks going through, but good thing nobody told Smashville because all they would do is go on and sweep the Blackhawks with a convincing 4-1 victory, once again they were the talk of hockey.
Next test would be the St. Louis Blues, if there was a team that played a style as close as the Predators then it would be the Blues, but once again the youth and up-tempo offense proved to be just better than St. Louis as Nashville went on to win the series in six games. Now in uncharted territory the Predators had to show what they were made of when they had to go up against long time Western Conference powerhouse the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks have proven veterans up and down their lineup that have played under the bright lights and taught Nashville what it takes to win playoff games, with the series going back-and-forth between the two teams Nashville turned on the “kill switch” and won Game 5 and 6 to advance to the franchise's first ever Stanley Cup Final. While there was celebration and rightfully so, there was still the matter of who they would face in the final, and that leads us to our second team.
HOW DID PITTSBURGH GET HERE?
The Pittsburg Penguins are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and are filled with All-Stars up and down their lineup, after beating San Jose last season for the Cup, the Penguins headed into the next season as one of the favorites to go back to the Cup and win it and they have not disappointed. Built for the present, the Penguins, led by general manager Jim Rutherford and head coach Mike Sullivan are in the enviable place trying to repeat as Stanley Cup champions for the first time since the 1997-1998 Detroit Red Wings. Playing with a precision controlled offense where everyone on the ice is involved in the play and a interchangeable defensive core the Penguins resemble those Red Wings teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Led by captain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang and the goaltending duo of Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury the Penguins ran through the regular season racking up an impressive 111 points (second only to the Washington Capitals), there was no doubt the Penguins team was on mission to make history. Heading into the playoffs expectations were through the roof for the Penguins, drawing the Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 1.
Hockey fans were hoping for a competitive series between the two teams, with Pittsburgh being the reigning champions and Columbus being the young up-and-coming team led by colorful head coach John Tortorella this had the making of an instant classic, but Pittsburgh’s elite offense shined through the entire series as they dispatched the Jackets in five games.
The next series was a matchup worthy of trophy being on the line as the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals was the next hurdle in the way of the Penguins chance at making history. Crosby vs. Ovechkin. The Kid vs. The Great 8. The battle between probably the two best hockey players in the world for the last 10 years. The first two games being in Washington were suppose to give the Capitals the early advantage, that's when Pittsburgh flipped the script on them and won both games. Heading back home up 2-0 the Penguins were halfway to an upset win over the best team in the regular season. It would be the only time all year the Penguins would be considered the underdogs. Pittsburgh would go on to lose three of the next four to force a Game 7 in Washington. Pittsburgh in Washington in a Game 7 situation ... things look grim, but that's when big time players show up, the Penguins would go on to win the game 2-0 and move onto the Eastern Conference Final against Ottawa.
A series that nobody saw coming, Ottawa gave Pittsburgh a run for their money forcing them a second straight Game 7 series where Ottawa would just not die, whenever Pittsburgh scored it felt like the Senators would automatically respond with their own goal, with the exception of two games in the series all the games were decided by one goal, but with a Kunitz slap shot in overtime of Game 7, the Ottawa Senators fairytale season was ended and the Penguins were marching back to their second straight Stanley Cup Final.
WHO WINS THE STANLEY CUP FINAL?
It all comes down to this, the 2017 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators. With one team running through the regular season and the other imposing their will in the playoffs this could be one of the most unpredictable finals fans have had the pleasure of seeing in years.
Defenseman: Advantage Nashville.
Forwards: Advantage Pittsburgh.
Goaltending: Advantage Nashville.
Accounting in all the facets of the game and from what I've seen in these playoffs this series will be an offensive showcase game between two of the more innovative teams in the league, it's as simple as this, whatever team can shutdown the other teams lead playmakers will win this series, and with Nashville's improved defense and goaltending, I say they win the Stanley Cup. Nashville Predators win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2.
Photo Credit: Forbes.
