Speaking of Enjoying the Game

The Western Conference Finals begin tonight, with two unlikely finalists- Edmonton and Anaheim. Both of these teams are very similar- fast, young, with enough skill to get by. Anaheim swept Colorado in the last round, so they have been resting for 8 days. Edmonton just won 4 straighjt against San Jose, and played just back on Wednesday. So who has the advantage?

Anaheim is rested, rolls all four lines, and has just a little more skill up front. Edmonton has grit, courage, determination, and is on a roll. Anaheim has Scott Niedermayer, Edmonton has Chris Pronger. It's close, very close. Anaheim- particularly Teemu Selanne, at 35 in his first conference finals- has become the feel good story in this playoff year. They have steadier goaltending, with the proven playoff success of J.S. Giguere now backing up rookie Ilya Bryzgalov. They have a great mix of young and old, of speed and hustle, often on the same line. They also get a trip to the Conference Finals, winning in seven. This series should be a great one to watch, with bodies flying, colliding, and pretty plays still being made.