The Stanley Cup finals are here, and unlike most people, I can't honestly say I'm surprised by the matchup I see. However, I can honestly say that I'm thrilled.
Very few (okay, nobody) would have predicted that the Philadelphia Flyers would represent the East in the Stanley Cup before the playoffs started. The book on them was very simple: they had a fine group of skaters, not elite but nowhere near a liability, and mediocre, inconsistent goaltending. This is the classic profile of a team that does not make noise in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Over the past decades, it has been clear that teams need consistently above average goaltending to make noise in the playoffs. We saw this from Pittsburgh last year with Marc-Andre Fleury, from Anaheim three years ago with J.S. Giguere, and with both Carolina and Edmonton in 2006 with Cam Ward and Dwayne Roloson. Most starkly, we saw this in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when elite and Hall of Fame level goalies led Colorado (Patrick Roy), Dallas (Ed Belfour), New Jersey (Martin Brodeur) and Detroit (Dominik Hasek) to Cups. 1999 was the zenith of playoff goaltending: Belfour and Hasek met in the Cup finals, and they both were nearly impenetrable. Belfour had a 1.26 goals against average in the finals, and Hasek had a mark of 1.68. In the final game (Game 6), Belfour made 53 saves and Hasek made 50.
This year, though? It seems like playoff goaltending really has lost its luster. Don't get me wrong--this isn't a bad thing by any stretch--but no longer is having a grizzled, stone cold, iron balls-equipped goaltender a necessity for a team to win the Cup.
For the rest of the article, go to http://isportsweb.com/2010/05/30/stanley-cup-finals-preview-only-one-day-late/
Comments (10) Add A Comment
YODA
San Diego, CA
Total Comments (23882)
good article, up until your prediction : )
Hawks in 5!!!!
CubanMissile:Rose=MV…
Chicagoland, IL
Total Comments (3178)
Actually I did predict the Flyers would make the finals, it was a joke, but I still predicted it haha.
Armada
Any Ski Hill, AB
Total Comments (3252)
Oh and an interesting little fun fact-
First year Pronger played with the:
Oilers, loss in the Stanley Cup finals
Ducks, win Stanley Cup
Flyers, Stanley Cup finals
Next year I want Colorado to trade for Pronger.
Armada
Any Ski Hill, AB
Total Comments (3252)
Is Ed Belfour going to be a HoFer? I wasn't under the impression that he was going to be a HoFer.
But back to the main point of your blog, I agree with everything else except for two things:
1. I'm not at all excited about this matchup. I think both these teams have some great players but I just hate the fact that I either have to see Philly celebrate another champion, or watch the bandwagon Hawks fans celebrate.
2. Hawks in 5
OM: WS Champs
San Jose, CA
Total Comments (7446)
By the way, good blog, well written.
OM: WS Champs
San Jose, CA
Total Comments (7446)
Flyers in 6 because of the CURSE OF HOSSA
TUNABALL_KING
Moose Factory, EH
Total Comments (833)
No, the Winter Classic Curse will continue
CubanMissile:Rose=MV…
Chicagoland, IL
Total Comments (3178)
Either way, a curse will live on.
OM: WS Champs
San Jose, CA
Total Comments (7446)
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/658525
That's my shameless plug. Yours was a good read.
fvkasm2x
Vancouver, BC
Total Comments (1940)
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