2017 Stanley Cup Final Prediction

Here is my prediction for the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.

(W-WC1) Nashville Predators vs (M2) Pittsburgh Penguins: This should be a very fun Stanley Cup final between two very good teams that both are dealing with some injuries though. Nashville is coming off a six game series win over the Anaheim Ducks, although they did lose Ryan Johansen for the rest of the playoffs with a thigh injury. Pittsburgh is coming off a seven game series win over the Ottawa Senators in which it took a Chris Kunitz goal in double overtime to advance. Pekka Rinne has been outstanding for the Preds in these playoffs and is probably the favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy right now. Matt Murray is back in net for the Pens after Marc-Andre Fleury was benched after game 3 of the Senators series and Murray has done a great job so far. The Preds have an outstanding defense led by PK Subban, Roman Josi, and Ryan Ellis. The Pens defense is solid too even without the injured Kris Letang with Justin Schultz and Olli Maata leading the way. Both teams have very good offenses with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel leading the way for the Pens and Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson leading the way for the Preds. A sneaky storyline of this final is that the Preds' James Neal and the Pens' Patric Hornqvist were traded for each other three years ago so both of them will have chips on their shoulders in this series going up against their respective former teams. That said, I would have picked the Preds had Johansen not gotten hurt, but I believe that injury will hurt them as the Pens will repeat as Stanley Cup champions being the first team to do so since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Prediction: Penguins in six games.

Conn Smythe Trophy Pick: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins