It will take more than this ref to separate Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby from meeting in the postseason for years to come.
By Stanley
The Pittsburgh Penguins were able to claim the 2009 Stanley Cup tonight by knocking off the mighty Detroit Red Wings. Pittsburgh defeated the tough Philadelphia Flyers, the explosive Washington Capitals, and the talented Carolina Hurricanes before finally beating the Wings in their playoff run. The Penguins will almost definitely be the favorite to win it all again in 2009-2010. But who will their top challengers be? (This is only a preliminary list; a second list will be generated after offseason moves).
Top Five Challengers in the East
1. Washington Capitals: Yes, I do believe that the Capitals pose more of a challenge to the Pens than the Red Wings. Why? First of all, the Caps were able to take the Penguins to a seven game series, in which three games went to overtime. Of those three games, the Pens won two. If the puck had bounced differently even once, the Caps may have advanced. Alexander Ovechkin is unquestionably the best player in the league, and he is surrounded offensively by several other very good young players. His supporting cast does not quite match that of Sidney Crosby's, but the Capitals have a lot of talent. Their defense and goaltender are definitely their two weak points. Washington has the best offensive defenseman in the league in Mike Green. If they can add a solid defenseman or two in the offseason, they could be in prime position to take down Pittsburgh. Goaltender is another question. Simeon Varlamov played pretty well in the postseason, even though he made several rookie mistakes. It will be interesting to see whether the Capitals stick with Varlamov or try to acquire another goalie. Additionally, if Marian Hossa does not re-sign with the Red Wings, Washington would make for an interesting destination for the former Penguin. The Caps are probably the closest team to a cup other than the Pens and Wings. If Hossa ends up in the nation's capital, this team's offense would be lethal. The Capitals' explosive offense is definitely good enough alone to give the Penguins a run. If Washington can get solid goaltending against Pittsburgh, the Capitals should be able to advance past the champions next season. Washington and Pittsburgh will be atop the Eastern Conference for years to come. Both of these teams are primed and loaded for Stanley Cup runs year in and year out.
2. Philadelphia Flyers: The Broad Street Bullies have seen their season end two years in a row to their cross-state rival. This year, Philly was extremely close to sending their first round bout with the Pens to a Game 7 when Sidney Crosby took over the game. The Flyers are a very solid and young squad. Danny Briere, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter are three very good players that can put the puck in the net and challenge the Pittsburgh defensemen. Philly will be hovering around the postseason, like Washington and Pittsburgh, for many years down the road. They are built very well, with a great offense and stellar defense. Although Philadelphia lacks the explosion of Pittsburgh or Washington, the Flyers are a solid team that can bring a lot to the table. If they can get consistent goaltending in a playoff series against Pittsburgh, the Flyers could give them a run. Whether Philadelphia would be able to sustain that sort of energy against Pittsburgh and Washington back to back is questionable. But the Flyers should be a constant challenger to Ovechkin's squad and Crosby's team in the east.
3. Boston Bruins: The Penguins sort of dodged a bullet this year when Carolina knocked out the top seeded Boston Bruins in the semi-final. Pittsburgh was able to sweep away the Hurricanes, but the Bruins may have been a bit tougher. Boston is solid all around. Even though they lack the superstar power of Washington or Pittsburgh, they can spread the puck around and make it very difficult for the opposition's defense to focus in on the puck. Zdeno Chara, a defenseman for Boston, is an absolute monster. The tallest player in the NHL, Chara's slapshot is unlike anything Pittsburgh has faced this postseason. Although the Penguins were able to largely eliminate the offensive threat of Mike Green this postseason, Chara's shot brings something totally different to the table. The Bruins had the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2009, and they should be back for another run next season. Their depth may give the Penguins a bit of trouble, although Pittsburgh was able to handle the even better depth of Detroit this year.
4. Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes were able to knock off the veteran New Jersey Devils and the talented Boston Bruins in the 2009 posteason before being swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina is only three years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup. Cam Ward has been a fixture in the net for the Canes, who are young, deep, and talented. Eric Staal, the best of the Staal brothers, is one of the best players in the NHL today. Staal was actually selected number two in the draft in 2003, behind only Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The center already is the franchise leader for the Carolina Hurricanes in postseason points, and he should continue to rack up the goals and assists. Staal is surrounded by players like Erik Cole, Rod Brind'Amour, Tuomo Ruutu, and Ray Whitney, which make up a pretty solid nucleus of players. Obviously, Carolina was completely overmatched by Pittsburgh in 2009. However, if they can add a couple of pieces, they may be able to make a run in the East next year. As long as Cam Ward holds up in goal, the Hurricanes can beat anybody.
5. New York Rangers: The Rangers are actually one of the younger teams in the NHL, and they should be back next year as well. New York took the Washington Capitals to 7 games in the first round. The Rangers were up 2-0 and then 3-1 in the series before the Caps came back; the early victories were mostly due to the awesome play of goalie Henrik Lundqvist. If Lundqvist can get hot against Pittsburgh or during the postseason, the Rangers could definitely make a run. Players like Scott Gomez, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky need to step up in order for New York to make a run. The Rangers are a bit of a dark horse, but New York has been pretty solid for the past couple seasons, and a playoff run is not out of the question by any means.
Honorable Mentions: New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens
Top 5 Challengers from the West:
1. Detroit Red Wings: Don't quite expect the Red Wings to go anywhere yet. Although many will proclaim this Stanley Cup loss to be the end of the Detroit dynasty, the Red Wings will be back and just as good as ever next season. Although the Wings are older than the Penguins, their nucleus hovers around the age of 30. Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and Pavel Datsyuk are all in this category. Darren Helm is a young, extremely fast player that the Detroit organization seems to like a lot. The Wings reload every year and have been one of if not the most consistent team on the ice for the past 15 years. Goalie continues to be a weak spot for Detroit, but Chris Osgood is always stellar in the postseason. Detroit will most likely be right back in the playoffs next season, and will probably make another deep run. If we see another Pittsburgh-Detroit rematch, it could once again go either way. The Red Wings and Penguins are extremely close in terms of talent, and most hockey fans would enjoy another matchup between these two great teams. I don't think anyone would really be surprised if the Red Wings beat the Penguins in another series.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks are the youngest team in the NHL, and are just about ready to challenge the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference. This year, they made a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they were beaten soundly by the Wings. Led by young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Chicago is explosive and will be a solid team out west next season. Kane and Toews are surrounded by other very good players like Martin Havlat, Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, and Brent Seabrook, who compose a really talented, deep Blackhawks team. Chicago will be a team to reckon with in the West for years to come, and if they can get to the Cup, they could challenge for the title.3. Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks had a very successful 2009 postseason, defeating the top overall seed San Jose Sharks before losing to the Red Wings in 7 games in the second round. The Ducks play physical hockey, and are one of the physically biggest teams in the league. Young players like Ryan Getzlaf coupled with seasoned veteran stars like Chris Pronger make Anaheim a very difficult team to match up with. Jonas Hiller, a goaltender, also had a remarkable run in the 2009 postseason. The Ducks won the championship in 2007, and could easily make another run next season. You have to like their chances to perform well again in the postseason. If only they could go back to those old uniforms.
4. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have consistently been one of the top teams in the league for years now. They just can't seem to find their game come postseason. San Jose was knocked out in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks are loaded with veteran talent, and on paper should have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals at least once by now. Time and time again, however, they continue to fail in the postseason. If the Sharks can somehow pull it together and win a couple of series, then this team will be very difficult to beat in the Finals. But I'm just not sure if I see that happening unfortunately.
5. Calgary Flames: The Flames are a very solid team overall. Calgary has several scorers, led by Jarome Iginla, and also plays good defense. Hopefully Dion Phaneuf can get back to 2008 form for Calgary. Their defense and goaltending must be more than stellar for them to make a run in 2009-2010. However, Calgary controls the puck well, and could have made a deeper run this season if not for a bad first round matchup with Chicago. During the Blackhawks series, the Blachawks seemingly scored goals at will at certain points. The Flames may have to get lucky in terms of playoff matchups, however, if they want to have any chance. Adding a piece or two in the offseason would greatly increase their chances of making a run.
Honorable Mentions: Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers
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