Each week sports reporters Matthew Lambert and Eric Schroeder will face off on a hot topic in sports. The world of sports is changing quickly and constantly, but we want to slow it down and take a better look at the juiciest gossip, scandal, rumor or issue that is making headlines this week. Lambert and Schroeder will take different sides and battle it out, telling you why you they are right.
This week’s topic: Who will win the Stanley Cup?
Lambert and Schroeder will give their predictions of who will win the Stanley Cup — a competition that has not had a consistent winner in the past. With nine different Stanley Cup winners in the past 14 seasons, this leaves room for speculation on who shall raise Lord Stanley in a few months. Let’s talk about it…
(Recap by Matthew Lambert and Eric Schroeder)
FROM ERIC SCHROEDER
For the third time in six years, the Chicago Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup.
It is somewhat sacrilegious for me to be living and going to school in Wild country and cheering for the Blackhawks, but I will always be a Chicagoan. As another season descends upon us, there are great reasons as to why the Blackhawks will reach the pinnacle of hockey again
The first reason is Patrick Kane and Jonathon Towes. They are the best duo in hockey, and their late game heroics in big games are unmatched. Couple this with some of the best supporting cast in the league (Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and others) and you have a dynasty.
In addition, Corey Crawford has established himself as one of the top goalies in the league. No one has made as many fantastic saves and kept a team in the game like Crawford. He has a career 2.34 goals against average and a save percentage of 91.4. Even when he does have a bad game, the offense is potent enough to make up for it, which is why the Blackhawks are such a well-rounded team.
As far as other competition goes, there will always be a rivalry with the Wild. After the Hawks have knocked them out of the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, there will be a deep desire for vengeance.
Another budding rivalry comes from south of Chicago down in St. Louis. The Blues and Hawks went at it last year, and there is certainly going to be a number of serious matchups through out the regular season.
One matchup that will not be as important until the playoffs is between the Hawks and Kings. These two teams are quite possibly the only two dynasties in modern hockey, and every single year they put together a quality hockey series.
As we gear up for a long nine months, get ready for another exciting run to lift the Cup.
FROM MATTHEW LAMBERT
The Boston Bruins have been a dominant force in hockey since their installment in 1924, winning six Stanley Cups, including one in 2011.
What are the reasons this team will win the Stanley Cup this season over a league that has strong teams such as the Kings, Blackhawks and Wild?
Reason one: the goaltender.
After winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, the Bruins made the difficult decision of letting Tim Thomas go to make way for Tuukka Rask who has not disappointed Bruins fans. Rask has won 21 of his 35 playoff games and had a .930 save percentage last season. He is a perennial Norris Trophy nominee and is looking to improve on his gaudy save percentage this season.
Reason two: coaching.
Claude Julien has been an outstanding coach for the Bruins. Julien has 395 wins to 236 losses in his career between his three stints as a head coach. Also, Julien won the Jack Adams award in his third year as the Bruins head coach. Julien has improved as a head coach since then and will benefit with having a healthy squad this year.
Lastly: the captain.
Not only does Zdeno Chara have a great name, he is also an incredible defender and captain for the Bruins. Last season, Chara had 17 goals and 23 assists as a defensive player. Chara may be turning 38 years old this season, but father time is nowhere to be found.
So if the Bruins have all of this talent, what’s to stop them from making another run at the Stanley Cup and redeeming themselves from last year’s playoff blunder?
Only themselves.
