Welcome to The CRC Team Channel.
The Stanley Cup Final will be a rematch between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, where Florida won last year's match up that went the distance. Edmonton seemed to have better skill players, but the Panthers had the better team.
I think it will be hard not to see the Panthers as the better team once again and may be an even more formidable threat to the chances of the Oilers bringing a Stanley Cup back to Canada. The Oilers still have much of the same talent, but the Panthers now have Brad Marchand, acquired from the Boston Bruins.
The State of Florida is hockey central with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning three titles and the Panthers make their third consecutive trip to the Final, losing the first to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The nation that invented the game has not seen one of its teams raise a banner in quite some time.
In this matchup, I will take the Florida Panthers to win in five. I believe they are more focused that before and I still do not trust the Oilers, despite picking them last year.
The NBA Finals matchup will still need more time to be determined as the New York Knicks won game 5 over the Indianapolis Pacers in New York at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers will have to wait until they return to Indy for a chance to close the series out. They do not want to return to New York, which is typically the case for anyone leaving that state.
Awaiting them is the Oklahoma Thunder, who have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season and made quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach their 2nd NBA Finals, losing to Lebron James and the Miami Heat in 2012. The first of four titles Lebron won during his career.
In Philly, we have been trusting the process, but in OKC, their process has built a successful young team that has a chance to capture its first title and sustain its success for years to come. With a first time MVP in SGA and a core of young budding stars that will be the pillars of the team for years.
It may not matter who makes it from the East, the Pacers or the Knicks. Both may struggle to win a game given the way OKC plays. It would have been very interesting to see the Boston Celtics take on this team if both were at full health.