Tonight we finally drop the puck on hockey's ultimate contest, the Stanley Cup Finals pitting Vancouver against Boston. Will the Canucks earn their 1st-ever Cup, or will the Bruins bring back the days of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito in the early 70's?
Follow after the jump for our staff predictions, as well as what a couple other bloggers around Nashville are saying...
Dirk: I can see this battle playing out quite similarly to the Preds/Canucks series, with the Bruins slowing the game down, but ultimately Vancouver just has too many weapons available. Canucks in 6.
Chris: On the surface, this series seems like nothing but an inevitable bloodbath. The Canucks have the three best forwards, better depth in all areas but goaltender, and statistically dominated special teams during the regular season. The Bruins' power play has been firing blanks, while Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg can't stop two lines by themselves. Tim Thomas has the ability to make it slightly more interesting than it otherwise would be, so I'll go with Canucks in 5, but a sweep is definitely a possibility if Manny Malhotra is able to make a major contribution.
Sam: The Bruins are very similar to the Predators, with more skill in their top 6. Chara will probably push the Sedin twins around, but I think they'll have the same problem matching up with Kesler. The possibility of adding Malholtra for faceoffs also bodes well for Vancouvers ability to dominate the possession-game. If Nashville's series against the Canucks proved anything, it's that a great goalie can win you a game or two, but not the series. Vancouver in 6.
Marc: The only thing Boston really has going for them in this series match-up-wise is Tim Thomas. This series has blowout written all over it with the way Vancouver dismantled the Sharks, but Thomas will keep the series going for a few extra games. Vancouver in 6.
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