Con21

This should be a good series...top D vs. top Offense. Chara vs. Sid the Kid. Plus the drama behind the Iginla trade. Both teams have alot of depth.

Thalasso

Hope it's good. Not a blowout by either team

MassRn

I'm going to enjoy this Bruin's victory right up until the puck drops in game 1 with the Penguins....I'll savor every moment until then.....cause the Neal-Malkin-Iginla-Crosby show is some very scarey stuff...............

dannyroche

I think the Bs will have their hands full and then some. Looks like the Pens are peaking at the right time. Bs are playing well and very well at times, but I'm concerned about the lapses in net, d and o. They can play with the best of them for 20-30 minutes a game, then drop off and sometimes looks horrible. "A" game required for 60 minutes for the Bs to win and I'm not sure they are up to it. I hope I'm wrong.....

MassRn

I do agree with Dale Arnold...probably the most knowledgeable hockey guy in the Northeast.............The Penguins WILL NOT win a Stanley Cup with Vocoun in net........in short...over the long haul....he sux......... go B's !!!

kevnhl25

only 14 games max left for the B`s or Pens, they only have to be 8 and 6 to win the cup. Going 8 and 6 in a 14 game stretch during the regular season is mediocre. If Rask can avoid the Butt Stumble and Chara doesn`t get to many assists for the Pens the Bruins have a chance. Go B`s!!!

hanson

I think they're built for a 7 games series with anyone ,I like their chances.

Ronn Burgandy

If the Bs skate every shift and finish every check, they'll win this series. When they are on their game, there isn't a more complete hockey team out there.

CMP

Bruins in 6. They will put bodies on them and with Bergeron all over Sid the Kid, it will be a long series. Pittsburgh is and should be favored, but I like the Bear...

CMP

Jersus

You lost any and all credability with that statement.

Pens sweep Bruins. Pens offense is too much for the B's to handle. Starting two rookie D men will expose the B's defensively. Top that with an over rated goalie who often fails to show up in big games and nothing is pointing the B's way.

Ronn Burgandy

You should keep up to date. Ference is expected to play. Looks like Bartkowski may sit.

Either way, the B's win this series if they hit. It's really as simple as that. Malkin and Crosby don't like contact. Iginla can only do so much, and he pretty much pissed off every Bruin already so he'll be taking shots from everyone. Hell, Seguin may even hit him.

Not sure anyone picking the Pens should be talking about goaltending....

CMP

Coaching-Push
Forwards scoring-Pens
Defensive forwards-B's
Defense-B's
Goaltender-B's
Special teams-Pens
Ability to play physically-B's

Bruins in 6...

CMP

Jersus

Forwards scoring-Pens
Defensive forwards-B's
Defense-Pens
Goaltender-Pens
Special teams-Pens
Ability to play physically-B's
Wildcard - Gary Bettman's love affair for Sydney Crosby will lead to phone call to refs negating above said reference to playing physical.

Pens in 4

Jersus

You need to keep up. Ference has been practicing but not as part of the 6 D men - he has been roating in and out.

Practice pairing has been

Seidenberg/Chara
Bartkowski/Boychuck
Krug/McQuad

Ronn Burgandy

This is my biggest fear really.

CMP

Goaltending and D pens? You have zero practical hockey knowlege, but a decent handle on bettman's suckass regime...

CMP

Jersus

Allow me to explain.

D

Bruins Seidenberg and Chara - probably best shut down pairing in NHL. However, there is a significant (very actually) drop off after that. Two rookies in the lineup means they can be exposed. Boychuck ofetn skates like he is on cinder blocks and looks lost at times in his own zone. McQuad I think is hurt and not saying. He has looked sluggish and lacking his normal physical play. His time on ice has dropped significantly too - which is odd with soem of the leads the B's have had.

The Pens. No great shut down d pairing, but they have three pairs of consistent D men. To me it becomes a question of do you take three above/slightly above average pairings or the B's pairings which drop off after Chara/Seidenberg. To me the answer is I take the 3 consistent pairings and pass on starting two rookies against the top O in the league.

Goaltending:

Full disclosure - I do not like Tuuka Rask. He is more Andrew Raycroft than he is Tim Thomas. Rask has been known to disappear in big games. Lets be honest, in the Toronto miracle game, Rask looked simply horrible. At no point this year has Rask "stolen" a game for the B's. He lets in too many softies and at horrible times. The B's gave up the most two goal or more leads this year in the league. A two goal lead should be turn the lights off. No lead is ever safe (either in a game or series - Philly anyone?) with Rask in goal. When he leaves the goal to play the puck - hold your breath folks it is gonna get good.

Pens - Andre Fleury - put him down as a draft bust - yes indeed. He has lost it. In steps Voukoon. He is old. He gives up too many rebounds. Both are probably true. However, he is 6-1 in the playoffs with a .94 save percentage. That folks is no accident. He has also done this against teams that are more potent offensively than the B's. The B's are probably good for two goals a game - and that is where Voukoon needs to be - hold them to 2 goals and let the Pens O take over.

Simply put, the risk with Rask collapsing is greater than with Voukoon. The Pens can recover from mediocore goaltending much better than the B's can. Ergo, I give the edge to the Pens.

Ronn Burgandy

Um...yesterday was his first skate since May 10th. Of course he wasn't going to be skating with the paired D. He's just testing and getting his wind.

Ronn Burgandy

The 'strength' of the Pens D is their offense. Somewhat neutralize that, and they become glaringly exposed, as does Voukoon's propensity to kick the puck straight out in front of him. The Pens have not faced a hard forechecking team yet. The B's, if they skate, will give them fits. If they activate their D, from a B's fan perspective, it will be fun.

Boychuck has been playing excellently this playoff. If by "lost" you mean "firing blue liners into the net" than I agree.

While I agree that the B's blueline youth can be exposed, it hasn't been yet. In fact, the D, with the kids included, has played very well and has been scoring. A lot. The B's young defense has the same chance of exposure as the Pens lackluster defense and below average goaltending.

Jersus

If 6-1 and .94 save percentage is below average, then what is Rask? Way below average?

So, lets say we give the D and goaltending a push. Which teams O is better to win a series then?