2007 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Schedule: All games are scheduled to start at 8:00 EDT Games 1 & 2 in Anaheim May 28 and 30. Games 3 & 4 in Ottawa June 2 and 4. Game 5 (if necessary) in Anaheim June 6. Game 6 (if necessary) in Ottawa June 9. Game 7 (if necessary) in Anaheim June 11

Both teams had strong regular season records. They are both in the finals because they are physical fore-checking teams who have strong defensive oriented systems. Anaheim at times has looked lazy and tired as they were outplayed by Detroit and Vancouver at times. Ottawa has looked like the better team in all 3 previous rounds of the playoffs. But Ottawa has not faced a physically punishing team like Anaheim. Neither team has won a Stanley Cup before. The following will summarize who the characters in the game are.

Forwards

Anaheim likes to roll three lines. The fourth line (Brady May, Ryan Carter, and Joe Motzko) sees very little time on the ice. Here are their nine forwards: Teemu Selanne, Andy McDonald, Todd Marchant ,Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Dustin Penner, Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer. Selanne, Getzlaf and McDonald see the most powerplay action. Pahlsson, Marchant, R. Niedermayer, Moen, and Getzlaf kill penalties. Anaheim has balanced scoring with nobody scoring more than five goals while Ottawa depends mainly on their top three of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. Their 2^nd and 3^rd line players are Mike Comrie, Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Peter Schaefer and Antoine Vermette. Heatley is the NHL playoff scoring leader 21 points). Spezza is 2^nd (20 ponts). Daniel Alfreddson leads the NHL playoffs with ten goals. Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley are the main forwards on the power play. Alfredsson, Vermette, Fisher, Kelly, Schaeffer and Dean McAmmond work the penalty kill.

Defense