Stanley Cup final preview and pick

[Raji]

Ottawa Senators vs. Anaheim Ducks
Series price: Anaheim -130
Game 1 odds: Anaheim -140, 5

It may not be the Stanley Cup showdown the NHL was hoping for, but there’s little doubt the two best teams are left to battle for the mug.

In the Eastern final, the Senators were able to use their size to work the puck along the boards against the smaller Buffalo Sabres, pinning them in their own end for long stretches at a time. That tired Buffalo to begin with and then Ottawa would drop back to clog the neutral zone, forcing the Sabres to dump the puck in when they wanted to wheel.

From there the Sens limited neutral zone turnovers and cleaned up in front of their net. They got pucks to the net and crashed the crease. They basically played a simple, tactical game and didn’t make many mistakes.

But Anaheim is a different beast all together. The Ducks are a tough bunch that does the dirty work along the boards and in front of the net. They frustrated Detroit (maybe the most calm and composed team in the league) for long stretches in their six-game battle and sent the Wings home searching for answers.

Detroit’s speedy and gifted forwards weren’t enough to establish much in the way of a sustained attack, usually settling for a long-range effort or a weak scoring chance before Anaheim’s defense grabbed the puck and regrouped. The Ducks wore the Wings down with their physical play as the series went on while keeping from being completely roasted when they were a man down against a very good power play.

When they needed big goals, they got big goals; when they needed big saves, they got big saves. But the scariest thing is that they still haven’t played their best full game – yet.

Anaheim matches up very well with Ottawa’s lineup. With veteran speedsters Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald anchoring the top line and budding stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry manning a second unit that drove the Wings absolutely crazy, the Ducks are in good shape to line up head-to-head against Ottawa’s firepower.

Then again, Carlyle may also give Samuel Pahlsson’s super shut-down line the assignment of stopping Jason Spezza's group and still feel pretty comfortable with Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, or Francois Beauchamin covering up any miscues in front of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The only really troubling thing about the Ducks is that one of their most dominating attributes – their physical play – can also be a major weakness. Anaheim needs to hammer its opposition, but has to stay in control (just ask Pronger) and avoid penalties.

That, in turn, coincides with Ottawa’s major strength – its skill. Spezza, Dany Heatley, and especially captain Daniel Alfredsson are really clicking and will make Anaheim pay on the power play. The Sens are great at finding passing lanes and backdoor tap-ins and will need to draw Giguere out of his net and then hit the open man if they plan on putting more than one or two by him.

These teams haven’t played each other in more than a year and the week-long layoff before the series starts is always tough to gauge, so it’s hard to know how things will play out. But in the end, expect Anaheim’s toughness and defense to trump Ottawa’s skill.

Anaheim in six games.

Raji