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of weeks.
I think that both teams stand a good chance of winning this series. It all comes down to who will shut down the chances better in the defensive zone. Anaheim will win if they can find a way to break down the play of the big first unit Ottawa have. To do this Giguere will have to keep up his impressive GAA record of 1.87 goals per game and the big defenders will have to come out throwing the big hits and looking to intimidate. They have a great physical presence and if they use it they will stand a good chance. They will also need to spread the puck around, but I think their best chances of winning this series will lie in Teemu Selanne. That guy has been nothing short of a pest for opposing teams to handle, not just through the playoffs, but throughout the regular season as well.

Ottawa will win this series if the Heatley-Alfredsson-Spezza line continues to dominate the play in the offensive zone. They have been causing problems for every goalie in the Eastern Conference, including Martin Brodeur (who don't forget set a new record for most wins in a regular season, and possibly most shutouts in a regular season as well? I think it was something like 13). But now they are coming up against their biggest challenge of the year - the goaltending in the Western Conference has been consistent and strong throughout the whole year, and Anaheim thoroughly deserve to be where they are now. They will also have to put their faith in Ray Emery's goaltending, especially if Anaheim's offensive production remains as consistent as it has been for the last month or so. He will have to play tirelessly in net.
In closing, I think we're in for a treat here - I believe it's the first Stanley Cup championship at stake for both of these teams, so they will both come out with all guns blazing looking to bring the cup back home to their respective cities. Not only that, but we have an American team pitted against a Canadian team, so we have that old rivalry going again. A Canadian team has not won the Stanley cup since 1993, so look out for Ottawa - they're going to be out for blood throughout this series. My personal belief is that Anaheim will win this series, but purely because of the consistency and quality of the play they have shown throughout the regular season and the playoffs. But as I said earlier, it all comes down to how well they contain that huge first line for the Senators.

Learn more about this author, Ben Beer.
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