It's kind of unfair at this point for me to predict the NHL champion since two games have already been played in the finals, but I'll do it anyway. Before the series started I honestly didn't have a good opinion on who'd win. But now that the series is underway I don't see how Edmonton can win. They've lost Roloson in goal and I don't see how Markkanan (Roloson's replacement) can play at a level high enough to compete in the finals. I don't know Markkanan that well though, so maybe he'll pull through, but he's been pretty much sitting on the bench since mid-March. I just don't see how Carolina can lose because of it.

Aside from goaltending, I think both teams are very even in talent. They both have single guys who can carry the weight of the team, and they both can play well as a team too (well, you have to in the post season).

One thing to note is that neither of these teams ever bought into the philosophy of trying to "buy" a championship - especially at the end of the lockout when so many free agents were available. Each club has established itself through solid drafting and the occasional compliment of a free agent (e.g. Edmonton's Peca or Carolina's Weight and Recchi). Teams like Philadelphia bulked up on free agents but didn't even get past the first round of the playoffs. Teams like Pittsburgh practically built an entirely new team of stars and they finished at the bottom of the league. More on this in another post...