Penguins vs. Red Wings Game 1 Pick - Stanley Cup Finals

While the NBA waits for a possible dream matchup between Kobe and LeBron, which doesn’t look like it will pan out, the NHL has a perfect Stanley Cup Final set to start this Saturday night. The elements in the equation are all there as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the top playoff point getters, will face off against a slue of star talent highlighted by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.

What makes this series even juicier is that this will be a rematch of a fantastic Cup final from last year which saw the Red Wings take it with a steady mix of veteran leadership and offensive prowess. What is different about the two teams this year, except for some new faces in the role playing positions, is that Sid the Kid and Malkin both have that much more experience and that is so huge when it comes to the Stanley Cup.

Last year it was a bit of a mismatch and the Wings exploited the Penguins youth and used that inexperience as a way to get the young Pittsburgh team flustered and off their game. This year is going to be a different story and there are a few reasons why.

First, Detroit heads into Game 1 with some of their star guys really beat up and will be playing through injuries. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom announced he will play in Game 1 as did Pavel Datsyuk, but there is no doubt they are limping into the Cup. Kris Draper is also not at 100% and he makes up a big part of that leadership core that is only one of four Red Wings who've been on all four Cup winning teams since 1997. He missed Games Four and Five of the Western Conference Finals and won’t be very effective in game one if he decides to play. On the other bench, the Penguins come in relatively healthy, which is obviously a huge advantage both physically and mentally.

The second reason that Penguins’ backers should have confidence is the man behind their bench. Dan Bylsma righted a ship that was headed for the depths of the NHL standings and turned it into a championship caliber team again.

A new philosophy was brought in which got away from the slower style of playing that Therrien has implemented, which did not play to the strengths of the Pens. Rather than slowing it down, Bylsma instilled an aggressive forecheck that is built on speed, something that Pittsburgh has plenty of.

Game 1 Lines

Analysis:

With the much older Wings nursing all kinds of injuries, and the healthy Penguins boasting Crosby and Malkin, who are running away with the scoring lead in the playoffs, take a shot at the underdog in game 1.

The Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins +140