Now that the playoffs are in full swing, there's always a team that shines themselves above all the rest, en route to winning Lord Stanley's Cup.

In this year's field of sixteen, eight from each conference, there are a couple of teams seeming to be destined for hoisting the Cup as champions.

In the East, one of the dominant teams, and quite honestly, one of the most star-laden teams, is the Pittsburgh Penguins. With 'Sid the Kid' Crosby back and healthy, and the transformation of the game of Evgeni Malkin in Crosby's absence, this team is certainly one that could see the Stanley Cup Finals.

Another team that has, for most of the year, gone unnoticed is the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens went unnoticed, partly because of the pending freefall of their playoff-countrymen the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens, in virtual silence, took the Eastern Conference home-ice advantage away from the Penguins on the last day of the regular season. Marked not by flash, but by systematic wearing down of their opponents, including my beloved Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens have obtained a recipe that will exact a deep playoff run, coupled with their quarterfinal matchup with Boston, who the Canadiens completely dominated this year.

A possible sleeper might be Washington, and its superstar Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin scored more goals than any other player this season, and has routinely had "highlight goals" which have propelled the Capitals to winning the Southeast Division - overtaking Carolina in the final weekend.

Well... as they say in old western movies, "Westward ho!"

The clearly dominant team in the Western Conference is the Detroit Red Wings. But I'll come back to them in just a minute.

A solid team that could make a run, based upon their size, their speed, and their special teams (power play and penalty kill), is the San Jose Sharks. They blend a style where opponents have matchup problems against some of their players, and with the addition of the all-star defensemen Brian Campbell at the trading deadline, they've been able to muster a strong argument to contend for the Stanley Cup.

I said I'd come back to Detroit. The Red Wings' sheer domination of their conference schedule is made possible by the system in place in Detroit that blends the old - Chris Chelios is 46, Dominik Hasek is 43, with the new style in the NHL and the likes of oncoming stars Henrik Zetterberg. While age of the ageless veterans is always pinpointed at the beginning of the season as being a detriment, the immense experience of the players proves, time and time again, that the Detroit Red Wings know how to win the Stanley Cup.

I believe the Detroit Red Wings will emerge victorious as 2008's Stanley Cup Champions.

Learn more about this author, Kenneth Boser Ii.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about What NHL team is favored to win the 2008 Stanley Cup??
We want to hear your view. Write now!