NHL Playoffs '09 Round 3

So we're onto the conference finals. Though I now have only two teams to pick, the difficulty is much harder with the best of the best now going head to head.

Chicago Vs. Detroit
To start off lets go with the Western Conference. We have an original six matchup that needs very little hype to show its importance. It comes down to youth vs experience and once has to ask themselves what they think will prevail. Personally I might lean towards that youth. Chicago is a fast, offensively skilled team. Not unlike the Red Wings, they have deep offensive talent. Their back end is young and very mobile able to chip in on the offence and shut down the other team's players. The Red Wings will have to face a proven goaltender now in Nikolai Khabibulin, soemthing they didn't have to do in the last two rounds. That's not to say the previous two goalies were bad, it's just to say that experience does count for something. There is much to be said about experience, you can draw on it, know that you've been there and done it. But the Wings are coming off a victory in the previous year, the question is how hungry are they? Now I doubt you can really argue they don't care but you would have to think that a team that hasn't won it recently might be a bit hungrier for that Cup than the other. Detroit is also facing a more offensively skilled team in Chicago. Anaheim had it's share of offensive talent but a lot must be said about this Hawks team who managed to come be down in nearly every game they've played this post season and still come out on top.
Prediction: Chicago

Pittsburgh Vs. Carolina
Hard to bet against Crosby and Malkin. Here's a team who's got offensive talent and a solid back end. Marc-Andre Fleury is turning out to be a solid goaltender and the Penguins are once again vying for the cup. They're offensively deeper than the Hurricanes with more scoring talent on the forward lines and a very skilled defensive core. Carolina is going to have to be solid defensively and Cam Ward equally solid. These are two teams who have made it to the Cup Final in recent years. karma is on the Hurricane's side with the last time they've been this far they won the cup. With both teams holding goalies who've been stellar in overtime this post season, It'll be a battle to the end. If Cam Ward continues to stand on his head, I expect a long series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh

Round 2 Debrief

So another round done and a better result. I went 3-1 with the shocker coming in Boston. Now who would have guessed that the Hurricanes would topple the Bruins. It was certainly surprising to see how a deep team like Boston could fail to go the distance but you look at the spectacular play of Cam Ward and you can surely understand how it happened. Carolina has done it before and they still have some players who were from their previous Stanley Cup Victory. Whether or not Cam Ward can carry the 'Canes further is a good question. That being said, there have been a good number of players stepping up to lead the Hurricanes in Jussi Jokinen and Sergei Samsonov. Samsonov, an eternal enigma as a player, has shown he can be an offensive power. Will he continue that pace, who knows but it got his team through to the conference finals.