After the excitement that the NHL postseason has delivered so far, the Stanley Cup Final is going to have a lot to live up to. The Eastern Conference Champions, and defending Stanley Cup Champion, Pittsburgh Penguins took the hard road to the finals, although their being there is not a really big surprise. The same cannot be said for the Nashville Predators, a team that most thought would be out in the first round after being pitted against the Chicago Blackhawks. This is an intriguing final because it will feature teams with very contrasting styles of play.
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The Penguins are all about the offense with the likes of Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel all capable of changing a game with a big play. The Nashville Predators have made it to this stage of the postseason by being nothing short of brilliant on defense, particularly in net, where Pekka Rinne has been a rock. The first game of the Stanley Cup Final is set for Monday night in Pittsburgh, where both teams will be looking to get out to a fast start.A Closer Look At The Predators At Penguins NHL Game 1 Free Picks
When: Monday, May 29 at 8 PM EST Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh TV: NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS Live Stream: NHL.TV NHL Odds: Pittsburgh Penguins -1½ (+190)Why bet on the Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have been a very pleasant surprise in this postseason run, and while they don’t have what anyone would call a game changing player on offense, they play a team style where everyone does their part. They have very few weaknesses, but are going against the best offensive team in the NHL, which will put their defense to the test. They split the season series with the Penguins, and it was the home team who came up with the win in both games, so getting a split from the first 2 games of the Final is not going to be easy for this group. The Predators are well rested after disposing of the Ducks in 6 games, so they may be a little fresher than their opponents on Monday.
