And then there were two. Fourteen teams have been eliminated, and only the Perds and Pens are still standing. Here, at the end of all things, Peter and Ian and Keith, a Coin, offer their final predictions.
Before we begin, here’s where we stand.
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ian | 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| Keith, a coin | 3 | 0 | 1 |
It’s a late comeback from ya boy Peter, but will it be enough? (It will not.)
Keith is a coin. His name is Keith, a Coin.
Nashville Predators vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Peter: These are two good teams, but only one of them is not a shambling mess of yinzers duct-taping their limbs together before each pregame skate. The loss of Ryan Johansen will hurt the Perds (he’s just under a point per game in these ‘loffs), but that’s nothing compared to the Penguin’s casualty list: Letang, Hornqvist, Kuhnhackl, Ruhwedel, Dupuis, and Crosby are all in various stages of injury and recovery. Unless Forsberg, Rinne, and Subban pull a rare triple-Holtby and all suddenly start sucking this series, I think the Cup is headed to Nashville. Good for them. Preds in 6.
Ian: The Pittsburgh Penguins really have no business being in the Final. They’ve been dominated in possession and have seen half their team go down to injuries. Yet here we are. After squeaking out seven-game series wins against both Washington and Ottawa, Pittsburgh should have earned my respect. Instead I feel like this may finally be the round everything catches up to them. Nashville is a special team. They have a good coach, they have a world class goal scorer, and one of the most popular and talented defensemen in the sport. Even without Ryan Johansen, the Predators will get it done somehow in short fashion. And here’s my upset special of the final: Reba’s totally going to sing the anthem during Game Three. Preds in 5.
P.S. – This is going to be sooooooooooo painful to watch as a Caps fan.
Keith, a coin: Penguins. (Jesus. Really, Keith? You are the worst.)
Your turn. [Team] in [number of games]. Hit me.