Stanley Cup Final 2008 Prediction
Detroit Will Dominate, Plain and Simple
Penguins coach Michel Therrien called it his team's worst performance of the playoffs. When it's all said and done, there will be three more devastating losses to go along with it, Pittsburgh's 4-0 game-one embarrassment to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Outclassing the Tuxedo-Clad Penguins
It's not that the Penguins stunk up Joe Louis Arena. It's just that the Red Wings were that good, are that good, and will continue to be that good until the end of the series. It's true that the Wings had the benefit of playing at home, but you don't effortlessly skate (okay, they just made it look that way) to the top of the league standings in the regular season for nothing.
Some pundits may point to the fact that the Presidents' Trophy-winning team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 2001-2002. Those very same so-called pundits, however, probably are unaware that that team was Detroit, as well. And, besides, trends are meant to be broken. Just look at the Penguins, having suffered through several years as one of the league's worst teams. Now they can do little wrong, except of course trying and failing to beat Detroit the next few games.
The West is Best
There was a theory that the Penguins' first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators last year was a rite of passage of sorts. Nearly one year and two months later, it has become clear how flawed that logic is. Everyone was forgetting the Western conference and how generally superior it is relative to the teams in the East. The Red Wings have been proof to that effect for the past decade.
For all the talk of how good the Penguins will be in the years to come, there's neglect, forgetting a little thing called the salary cap, which will undoubtedly cut their pre-supposed dynasty short. Looking at their roster, they've no less than six players destined for greatness (and the pay to match): Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Ryan Whitney, Kristopher Letang, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. And that's not even including Marian Hossa, who'll likely sign elsewhere in the off-season.
Management and Talent Over Just Talent
The Red Wings are that much more well-balanced. Sure, they've got their big guns in Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Brian Rafalski, but they're also getting secondary scoring from the now-injured Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, the always-reliable Tomas Holmstrom, and, as proven with two unassisted goals on Saturday, Mikael Samuelsson.
Even goalie Chris Osgood is cheap, considering his ressurection from out of the twilight of his career. A back-up for a good portion of his years in the National Hockey League, having played second fiddle to Mike Vernon, Garth Snow, Manny Legace, and Dominik Hasek, Osgood is making just $1.5 million for each of the next three years. Datsyuk is also a bargain at $6.7 million per year up until he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2014.
Sidney Crosby currently makes $8.7 million a year after he signed a contract extension last year, which will last until he becomes unrestricted at age 25, even before he's expected to hit his prime. Malkin will no doubt command a similar figure. It will all likely boil down to who the Penguins want to keep between the two superstars. When was the last time the Red Wings faced such a decision, being managed under the watchful eye of super general manager Ken Holland?
Detroit Over Pittsburgh
And that's just how the remainder of this series will play out. Steady vigilance over flash and dash. The composure of Detroit head coach Mike Babcock over the reputed emotional outbursts of Therrien. No one can deny Pittsburgh's depth, but Detroit just has more. More of everything, really. Prediction: Detroit in five games.
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