"Series G:" Washington or Pittsburgh?

[lmanchur.]

Who will win the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals between the Washington Capitals (3) and Pittsburgh Penguins (6)?

The Penguins have the best offensive game in the NHL (actuallly, it is second to New Jersey, but keep in mind that the Pens didn't have Lemieux for the whole season), but defensively, and that includes the goaltender, they STINK.

Washington has a nice all-around game, including Olaf "Godzilla" Kolzig.

Washington all the way in this series!!!


(Check Sports Central (http://sports-central.org) on April 10 for my NHL Playoff Preview article, featuring my "offical" picks, and analysis of each Quarter Final series. Also featured on Sports Central during the playoffs will be a printable playoff tree, as well as live, up-to-the minute scores.)

[Wedge231]

I'll go with Washington. I don't feel the Penguin's offense can alone carry them through the series.

[budman2]

i hate lemeaux!! always have , think hes a big wimp!! but he is a hell of a hockey player, i would like the caps to win but i believe the offensive is to strong for the caps to handle, kolzig is a good goalie , jagr is a better deeker,;)

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by budman2
...i believe the offensive is to strong for the caps to handle, kolzig is a good goalie , jagr is a better deeker,;) ha ha!... maybe... but overall, I still think the Caps will win. They have an all-around better team game than the Pens... however, more importantly, they have a better defensive unit. Goaltending and defense is very weak for the Pens, and it's hard to go anywhere with EITHER of them... let alone BOTH of them!

[Wedge231]

Capitals defense will keep them in it. With Kolzig, they might not score much.

[budman2]

this series as well as the oilers and stars series are going to be my favourites to watch ( i think toronto will be to painfull to bear). :(:(

[PeterDewar]

Washington for sure. They have a great all around game as Lee said and I see them as the only challenge to the Devils in the Eastern Conference.

[NickHammy]

I'm gonna go against y'all and go w/ the pens in a close one...just to be a rebel.

[icas]

I wouldn't be so sure about the Pens goaltending... Johan Hedberg, formerly of Manitoba in the IHL and sharks(talk about the sharks having, or in this case had, talented goaltenders) has been awesome...7-1-1 for the Pens... The Pens also have the GREATEST player to ever play the sport of hockey... and budman i hope you hate Gretzky too because he was a wimp too :)

Although Kolzig is a great goaltender he's also been known to falter and i don't think Billington is that great of a back-up....

My vote goes to the Pens and their Offense

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by icas
My vote goes to the Pens and their Offense "Offense wins games... Defense wins championships."

I absoultely love the Penguin's offense, but they have no defense and a great goalie that has yet to prove himself in the playoffs.

On a side note, there are at least FOUR goalies playing for the first time in the playoffs this year: Hedberg (PIT), Patrick Lalime (OTT), Roman Chechmanek (PHI), and Evgenie Nabokov (SJS)!!!... wow!... it will be interesting to see how all of them react (did I miss anyone else?)

[icas]

Cloutier of Vancouver doesn't have any playoff experience and i have a feeling he'll play and also Brent Johnson waiting in the wings if Turek falters

[budman2]

icas, the difference between wimp or non wimp in this case is "humility" lemeaux never had any and wayne was noted for it. lemeaux has blamed every set back in his career ( not that there was many) on every thing from the league to officiating to other players,wah , wah, wah! He has also been known to turtle a time or too,it made me laugh in his com back speach when he said, and i quote " i'm 6 foot four and 240 lbs , i can take care of myself" wayne never claimed to be a tough guy.If he needed toughness he called on dave semenko, now that was a tough guy. He let his play and class propel him into the record books and the hearts of all canadians( except qubecers, they hate all english hockey players )He still does to this day.;)

[lmanchur.]

Well, like I said, the Penguins do have a great offense, but when you cancel that out with a great defense (e.g.: Washington), the defense is, ultamitely, going to win when that team has a mediocore offense against a TERRIBLE defense! :)

1-0 WAS in the opener.

[NickHammy]

If Washington plays that well on defense throughout the playoffs, they'll be hard to beat...