I considered pouring over stats, and matchups, and historical records and the like. But then I realized that is entirely way too time-consuming, and I am nowhere near enough of an "expert" to breakdown anything. So what to preview?
I know that no matter how poor the Canucks have played, or appeared to play, they have been in just about every single game they have played, except maybe two games in the first round. They have also shown a propensity to explode on the offensive side of things.
Their goaltending was a little shakey, but oddly enough (and by oddly I mean not-at-all) Luongo seemed to play a lot better after they eliminated Chicago. Its almost like he confronted his biggest fear and beat it, so nothing can get to him as badly as Chicago did.
Boston on the other hand has been up and down. They went to seven games with the Habs, swept the Flyers (killing some demons of their own), and went another seven games with an underrated Lightning side. They have played a lot of hockey, and have come through everything they have faced thus far.
They play solid defense, and Tim Thomas has been absolutely crucial for them. Nathan Horton has stepped up, as well as David Krecji, offensively. My big fear is Milan Lucic, the native son. He gets dirty, and cheap, and thats a scarey thing. He has no qualms running a goalie, or boarding, or charging, or even using his elbows. Pretty damn hypocritical for someone who is a teammate of Marc Savard.
I think this series will rest on the goalies. Luongo and Thomas will be tested time and time again. I hate to say this, but the officiating will also determine how this series plays out. As much as that pains me to say, this league is becoming more and more like the NBA in terms of officials deciding games and even series. We'll see how things play-out, but one thing is for sure, I haven't been this excited for the Finals in a long time.
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