According to Paul Kukla, fans in Dallas and Philadelphia need to face the facts: the Penguins and Red Wings are a lock to be playing for the Stanley Cup in a couple of weeks. (CP Images)
Never have I done something like this — as a matter of fact, I despise the prediction side of this business. But this time, I feel it in my bones, in my head and in my heart.
Pens/Wings will meet in the Stanley Cup Final.
I don't want to read the word "homer" in the comments. I don't want to read "you love Crosby" in the comments and I don't want to read about any NHL conspiracy theory either. I know I am opening myself up to the threatening emails from the Flyers fans, The 'Vengeance Now' theme will be prevalent, but I would recommend the 'Serenity Now' theme. It will help you get over the pending loss to the Penguins.
I am ready for your crude emails; my spam and anit-virus filters are on high alert and will probably be working OT. My defenses are up, I am ready to fight back.
It is time to believe the Penguins are the better team and will prevail in a series that will be hyped-up with the beat-down talk from the Flyers' faithful. The Philly caveman mentality is about to end. Get the razor out, shave off the facial hair because this series is all about the Penguins, always cool, even when the heat is at the boiling point.
If you are a Philadelphia fan, you are probably seeing red right about now. Well, you will be seeing a lot more red in the coming days, especially if you focus on the lamp behind the Flyers' goal. Don't say I didn't warn you. Pittsburgh in six.
Detroit Winging It To Cup Final
This morning I heard the Detroit Red Wings will fail against the Dallas Stars due to the fact Wings goaltender Chris Osgood has not been tested. The Stars will force more shots at Osgood and as always, a few bad ones will sneak by him.
One question- have you seen Marty Turco against the Wings? He has yet to win a game against the Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Now that is something to be concerned about. Turco becomes known as "What Happened Marty" when he faces the Wings. His game changes, bounces become bad, the long clearing passes off of his stick end up being intercepted and directed into his goal.
Expect more of the same in this series. The Stars will also have extreme issues trying to figure out how to shut down the Wings offensive lines. Until that happens, Detroit wins in five.
Note to Pittsburgh fans... To get to Detroit, get on the Ohio turnpike, head west to I-75, go north. When the smooth road gets bumpy - very bumpy - you know you are close to Detroit, where you can expect some major bumps in the road. Just warning you ahead of time!