Who wins the Stanley Cup?

by James Mirtle on May 29, 2009 1:36 PM CDT Comment 14 comments

Last year, I felt pretty confident picking the Red Wings in six games over a relatively inexperienced Penguins team. This time around, things aren't nearly so clear cut.

The consensus so far seems to be quite split, with some naming the defending champs the favourites and others picking the Penguins, and I think that's just about right. This should be a long series, and potentially one of the best finals we've seen in the past decade.

The consensus here? Let's find out.

Poll

What's your pick for the 2009 Stanley Cup?

Penguins in four

8 votes

Penguins in five

21 votes

Penguins in six

209 votes

Penguins in seven

114 votes

Red Wings in four

4 votes

Red Wings in five

42 votes

Red Wings in six

147 votes

Red Wings in seven

101 votes

646 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

The Hawks have finally let me down, so I’ll go with the team that beat them.

by Costa24 on May 29, 2009 2:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Come on james, you have to pick one.

by detroitnick on May 29, 2009 2:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Heh, this isn’t my prediction post. Still working on that one…

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on May 29, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Like any good prof, Dr. Mirtle likes to have the class wrestle with the problem first, and then provide us with the solution.

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on May 29, 2009 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mirtle picked the Pens to win the Cup in Rinkotology before the playoffs began (though I believe he had Vancouver coming out of the West).

It’ll be interesting to see if he goes all Hossa on us and switches up for the Red Wings too.

by Hooks Orpik on May 29, 2009 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I had the Wings flaming out in Round 2 because of Osgood, but that didn’t happen. New reality in effect… etc.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on May 29, 2009 2:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I predict Osgood gets rattled, loses one or two games for the Wings, and the difference gives the Pens the cup.

by FourFeetOfCurl on May 29, 2009 2:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I can’t see Osgood getting rattled. He’s been here before, he’s faced adversity before, he’s played poorly and come back before.

by David M. Getz on May 30, 2009 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Osgood may play poorly, but it won’t be because he’s rattled. If he had a more even keel he’d be a barge – nothing seems to get him upset (even reporters asking him how he feels about being seen as the weak link of the team for the 10,000th time).

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on May 31, 2009 5:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Wings are going to roll the Pens, injuries and all. This is Detroit we’re talking about, not some mid-pack Eastern conference team. If you need Cup winning history to support the pick, only one non-division winner (NJD) has hoisted the hardware since the league revised the playoff structure in 1994.
http://puckreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/playoff-seeding-and-stanley-cup-wins.html

The division winner defending champs will repeat in the rematch. Not the Kid’s turn yet. Wing’s in 6.
http://puckreport.blogspot.com/2009/05/nhl-consecutive-stanley-cup-rematches.html

by puckreport on May 29, 2009 3:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

History also shows that since 1994, only one team has ever repeated as Cup Champs, whereas two teams lost in the Finals after winning the previous year. You can use history to support any conclusion you want.

Whoever wins the Cup will be the better hockey team for the next 1-2 weeks. I don’t think the Penguins finishing 7 points behind Jersey for the regular season will be the reason.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on May 29, 2009 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed. I not relying on history for my pick, simply providing it to those who need it. While the rhyming of history is anecdotally interesting I suspect the series will be settled by team depth and experience, of which the Wings have both in spades.
http://puckreport.blogspot.com/2009/04/stanley-cup-rings-on-roster.html

by puckreport on May 29, 2009 4:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point...

…but you have to also consider that Pittsburgh has a lot more of said experience this season than they did last season. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that Sykora and Daryl Sydor(who was a healthy scratch for the entire series) were the only Pens last season with any Finals experience at all. Factor in all the returning Pens from last season’s roster who now have the experience at least of losing the Finals, and the addition of Fedotenko, Kunitz, Guerin, and Adams, who have all won the Cup. Indeed, not to be forgotten as well, is that one Mr. Daniel Bylsma also averaged 6+ minutes/game as a player with The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in their cup winning playoffs season.

It’s conjecture, of course, but perhaps being one year removed from losing a Cup Final(extremely rare in itself) is as good or better fodder than having won one at some point in the past. Who’s to say? /shrug

One more thing…NJ and Ana…#1 and #2, respectively, in Cup Rings entering the playoffs…and yet neither of them are in the finals. #2 was shocked by the ’Canes, who were steamrolled by the Pens, and the #1 Wings barely escaped #2 Anaheim. So really, how much water does this historical tangent hold?

-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.

by pascaldupweevil on May 29, 2009 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs