NHL playoff predictions: Stanley Cup Final

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Somehow, Tim and Sarah are both tied at 9-5 after their first three rounds of predictions. It all comes down to this.

Here's who CSNPhilly.com's hockey writers believe will carry Lord Stanley's Cup through the streets of their city.

No. 4 Boston Bruins vs. No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks

Panotch: Well, the Bruins made a believer out of me. Gotta hand to them. They shut down the paper-champion Penguins with two shutouts in a four-game Eastern Conference sweep. No way I could foresee Tuukka Rask holding the Penguins to zero power play goals and only two total goals in 136 shots on net. No way. Pittsburgh was the most gifted offensive club in the league too. The Bruins' defense was impenetrable throughout. I felt at the start of the playoffs the Cup would come back to the East and that Pittsburgh would beat out Boston and play Chicago. Midway in, I sensed the L.A. Kings would go on a run and I was wrong about them getting past the Blackhawks. What we have here is an Original Six Cup Final with two teams that have won a Cup this decade. The last Original Six Cup Final came in 1979 when Scotty Bowman’s Canadiens defeated Freddy Shero’s Rangers. As much as I like the resiliency of the Hawks, I don’t see goalie Corey Crawford being as dominant in this series as Rask, even though their numbers are virtually identical. Guess Boston really didn’t miss Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas after all. PICK: Bruins in six

Baicker: Tim's going with the Boston, and since we're tied, I have to go with the Hawks. This is actually a tough matchup, for me, to name a decisive favorite. I agree with Tim that the Bruins hold the edge in goaltending considering the way things played out against the Penguins, but not by much -- Crawford's 1.74 goals-against average and .935 save percentage are hard to argue with, especially considering Rask's save percentage is superior by only .001. But what I really like about the Blackhawks is how they seem to be a team full of guys who will -- to use a phrase CSNPhilly.com managing editor Andy Schwartz hates -- step up when needed. Case in point, obviously, is Patrick Kane. He did it against the Flyers in 2010, and he did it again against the Kings last week. If Chicago's goal-scorers continue on their current pace, if Crawford can play as he has throughout the playoffs and the Hawks' defense can avoid collapsing the way the Penguins did against the Bruins, they have a very good shot here. Of course, it won't be easy. PICK: Blackhawks in six

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