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Will the Cup Go East or West?
by Alanah McGinley on 04/10/08 at 02:49 PM ET
Comments (2)
Two articles at ESPN today.
First, David Amber for the East:
The Stanley Cup resides in Southern California until June. After that, chances are it will head to the Eastern Conference. Yes, the West had the best team during the regular season in Detroit and it has a number of solid Stanley Cup contenders. But here are five good reasons to believe the Cup will runneth over to the East this spring.
Next up, E.J. Hradek for the West:
If you believe defense wins championships, then you have to figure the eventual Stanley Cup winner will come from the Western Conference. After all, the league’s three best defensive teams all reside in the West, and that very stingy Western trio includes the defending Stanley Cup-champion Ducks.
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Tags: playoffs, stanley+cup,
Comments
While Montreal, the No. 1 seed in the East, struggled against the West
Meanwhile, the top three seeds in the West (Detroit, San Jose and Minnesota) were a very average 8-8-0 versus the East.
Pretty convenient to give the East’s worst team (Montreal 0-4-1 vs West playoff teams) a pass, yet include the West’s worst team (Minnesota 1-3-1 vs East playoff teams). Funny, since I’ve seen plenty of picks for the Habs to come out of the East, but damned if I can recall seeing a single one for the Wild.
If you want to be fair and include all of the playoff teams, the West has a very narrow edge (5 extra time wins vs 3 for the East, regulation wins were 18-18).
This whole line of argument is a joke anyhow, the sample size is too small. For example, the Sens are undefeated against the Red Wings this season. Any takers for Ottawa in a seven game series against Detroit? Don Brennan maybe?
I’d say it’s possible for the East to take the Cup if the Western finalist is comparatively banged up. Failing that, NFW.
Posted by shep from california on 04/10/08 at 06:16 PM ET
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I predict the Cup will stay in the West or travel to the East. Can everybody stop with the bloody predictions now?
I think everyone and their dog has weighed in with series predictions, now we’re onto the East-West debate. As the playoffs wear on the North American vs European captain debate will spark up. It’s all so predictable.
Yes, I’m in a grumpy mood today
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 04/10/08 at 05:27 PM ET