NHL Stanley Cup Final: A Fearless Forecast

Saturday, May 28, 2011
Posted: 5:26 p.m.

By Tim Panaccio and Sarah Baicker
CSNPhilly.com

Here it is, our last attempt at forecasting the winners in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tim Panaccio was 0-2 in the conference finals. He is 8-6 in the playoffs. Sarah Baicker was 2-0 in the conference finals. She is 12-2 in the playoffs.

No. 3 Boston vs. No. 1 Vancouver

Tim: Its not so much the Sedin twins against Zdeno Chara as its the twins, Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieska, who was as much of an impact player on defense for the Canucks as Chara was for the Bruins. Vancouver would have gotten a more mirror image of itself in the Lightning than the Bruins. Boston is good, but becoming the first club since the Canadiens of the 1970s to make a Final with just five power-play goals the entire playoffs doesnt bode well for the Bruins. The Canucks will destroy the Bruins on the power play. Tim Thomas is better than Roberto Luongo in net but Thomas will get overwhelmed by the wave of Canucks offense. Canucks in seven.

Sarah: As tempted as I am to go with the Bruins - if only because my 12-2 record indicates I've done so well picking teams Tim hasn't ... I just can't do it. The Canucks just have too much fire power even for Zdeno Chara to contain. Vancouver has been my pick to win the Cup all along, and there's no reason to veer away from that just because the Bs managed to fight their way past the Tampa Bay trap. So, sorry Mark Recchi - it's just not in the cards for you. Canucks in six.

E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net or Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com