Stanley Cup Final series Preview - Pens vs. Red Wings

I, like most of you that will be reading this post, have been reading what the experts have to say about this series all week. I've come to the conclusion that all of these people get together in one room before each series and agree what they are going to write. I say this because it seems as if they are all using the same talking points and all agree on the strengths and weaknesses of both Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Many of these same, so called, experts have even put in print the fact that Pittsburgh has a great team but they are too young or "have not paid their dues yet" and therefore, cannot win without doing so. On this point I vehemently disagree. They have paid their dues. They have been through tough times since they last made a deep run in the playoffs in 2001. They have been at the bottom of the league for several years. They have nearly moved from the city of Pittsburgh in order to survive and secure a new arena to play in. They were emphatically pounded into submission in the first round of the playoffs last season - by a team that ultimately advanced to the Cup Finals. They have struggled as a team throughout the past season, being under .500 as late as Thanksgiving day. Injuries have decimated the line-up putting Crosby, Fleury, Talbot, Roberts and Eaton away for extended periods of time. Many hockey pundits thought that the trade deadline deals would hurt the chemistry of the team more than help. Through all of this they have endured. The Pens got healthy at the right time. They were able to learn from adversity and translate that knowledge into success on the ice. They were able to win, even when they were told they shouldn't be winning.

Does that sound like a Stanley Cup Champion to anyone? It sure does to me. That is the very definition of a Stanley Cup Champion. Now there is only the matter of putting everything they have learned together on the ice and getting the job done.

Yes, the Red Wings are a powerhouse of a team. And, yes again, the Pens have not been matched up with a team in the playoffs yet of this caliber. But neither has Detroit.

On paper these two teams are very evenly matched. They both have explosive offenses, defense that can shut down opposing teams at will and hot goaltenders. They both have coaching staffs that are at the top of their games at the right time. Special teams are among the league playoff leaders for both teams.

So what do the Pens have that Detroit doesn't? A no quit attitude - the Red Wings have not dislayed that. Youth and fresh legs. Old vs new. It may even be true that they are not yet wise enough to know the intense pressure that is on them right now. But those things can only help. They will not be a hindrance. The Pens will endure. The Pens will win. In 6.