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Stanley Cup Final: A David vs. Goliath matchup that's not as lopsided as it may appear
The Pittsburgh Penguins look to defend their Stanley Cup in the Final vs. the Nashville Predators. Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

Stanley Cup Final: A David vs. Goliath matchup that's not as lopsided as it may appear

This is the part where George Costanza sighs and says, "And then, there were two."

Two teams. Four guaranteed games. The competition is at its toughest, and the end is near.

The 2017 rendition of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been anything but boring. Anyone who tells you he or she foresaw the postseason winding down this way is probably lying to you. (And by "probably," I mean "more than definitely.") But here we are, down to the final two contenders. From the East, we have the reigning Stanley Cup champion. Representing the West is the second wild card that has become Cinderella. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators split their regular-season series, winning a game apiece, making it even harder to determine who might come out on top. Then again, that has been an ongoing theme in this postseason.

Here is a first look at the teams competing in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Just a year after hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in San Jose, the Pens are at it once again. On the heels of defeating the Ottawa Senators in a double-overtime thriller, Sidney Crosby and Co. look to be the first team to win back-to-back Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98.

X-factor: Jake Guentzel. The rookie has had to fill big shoes as Pittsburgh bashed through the competition in these playoffs. He has done so by being the team's leading goal scorer, depositing nine on the postseason.

The difference maker for the Penguins: It's hard to pick just one player for this category given that the Pens are such a deep team, but I'm going to have to go with Evgeni Malkin. A year removed from playing the playoffs post-injury, the skilled forward is playing hockey at a whole other level.

Player you might not be watching, but should be: Bryan Rust. He has become synonymous with heroics in elimination games and should be on everyone's radar as the final stretch of the playoffs gets underway.

Goalie performance so far in the playoffs: It has been an up-and-down playoffs for the Penguins' goaltending arsenal. Marc-Andre Fleury held down the fort for the early duration before getting embarrassed by the Senators in the Eastern Conference Final. Matt Murray has taken over well, although he doesn't appear to be the stone wall he was last year. Who gets tapped to start and how said player handles the workload are both a bit of a mystery.

Edge over the Predators: Pittsburgh doesn't just have experience — it has confidence. It is what has driven the Pens through the entire postseason, even when they were expected to lose. They already have it in their heads that they are going to win.

Nashville Predators


The Nashville Predators won the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history, taking on the defending champion Penguins in their Stanley Cup Final. Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

The whirlwind run continues for the boys from Music City. Neither injury nor steep competition has slowed down Nashville, who have become a favorite in the process of punching its first ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

X-factor: The offensive-minded blue line. P.K. Subban and Co. have been a steady force in front of netminder Pekka Rinne while also putting the puck in the back of the opposition's net — something that bearded wonder Ryan Ellis in particular has become very good at doing.

The difference maker for the Predators: The entire team stepping up when Ryan Johansen went down, from Pontus Aberg's impressive first game to Colton Sissons' hat trick. Nashville's playoffs got off to a hot start when Johansen's line with Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg was on fire, and the fact that other players took no time stepping in to contribute has been astounding.

Player you might not be watching, but should be: Pontus Aberg. The Swede has made it clear that he is more than just a "one-game hero" following his heroics in the Western Conference Final. Expect to see his sweater getting a lot of camera time on your TV screen.

Goalie performance so far in the playoffs: After a gnarly roller-coaster of a season, Rinne has been a driving force behind Nashville's Cinderella-like playoff run. Game 7 against Anaheim was a still shot of that collective effort, as Nashville nabbed an early lead despite being heavily outshot by the Ducks. Whatever switch got flipped on for Rinne in the postseason needs to stay on for at least four more games.

Edge over the Penguins: Even going up against the reigning champs, the Preds have multiple upsides in their favor. Both of these teams have very deep lineups, but Nashville's has played just a bit better. The Preds haven't suffered any of the lopsided losses that their opponent has and they have an extra couple of days' rest under their belts as they ready for the home stretch. Don't count these guys out because of a lack of experience — the Predators are making magical things happen out on the ice.

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