Well the NHL pre-season begins today, so it seems fitting for me to make my Stanley Cup prediction. The Boston Bruins are the defending Stanley Cup Champions and can certainly be considered a favorite, but do they have what it takes to repeat? I say no, but I believe we will see another Eastern Conference team hoist the Stanley Cup when all is said and done. I am going to predict that the Pittsburgh Penguins will return to the top and win the 2011/2012 Stanley Cup.
Pittsburgh is loaded with talent and youth. However, their youth have already won a Stanley Cup and have proved to be winners. I think the biggest factor is going to be the health of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin; the two superstars missed most of last season due to injuries. Having said that, if the two return healthy, I think they are going to be hungry and determined to lead the Pens to the top. Aside from missing Crosby and Malkin for much of the season, the Penguins were still able to finish 4th in the East last season. With a healthy lineup, I see the Penguins as the team to beat.
Up front the Penguins have some serious talent and should score plenty of goals. Crosby is the best player in the NHL and Malkin isn’t far behind. Add Jordan Staal, Steve Sullivan, James Neal, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis to the mix and the Penguins will have very good line combinations. I am also looking for young Eric Tangradi to make some noise this season with some increased minutes.
Defensively the Penguins are again as good as anybody in the NHL. Kris Letang is one of my favorite d-men to watch as he has tremendous skill and plays a very exciting, offensive style game. Brooks Orpik, Zbynek Michalek, Paul Martin and Matt Niskanen are all exceptional defenders and will keep pucks out of their own net.
Marc-Andre Fleury is one of the best goalies in the NHL and has proven at a young age that he can handle the pressure of playoffs and deliver. Fleury led the Pens to the Stanley Cup in 08-09. Fleury will lead them there again this season, especially with the offensive and defensive support he will receive from the rest of the team.
That is my Stanley Cup Champion prediction, what is yours??
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09/19/2011
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Wow. I've been reading your stuff for about a year now and this is basically the only sh*t I dont agree with. Give atleast a little credit where credit is due. Kobe got his ass kicked by this so called fluke. So what? Chill out. No one said the Rockets were the best team.
Posted by: bieber supra shoes | 10/07/2011 at 12:33 PM