NHL Playoffs: Size Matters In This Stanley Cup Final

The New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings underwhelmed the hockey world during the regular season, but they’ve both exceeded expectations in the playoffs. Now they meet for one of the most prestigious prizes in winter sports: Lord Stanley’s mug.

Both teams came together at the right time. They made effective decisions at head coach: New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello hired Peter DeBoer before the start of the season, while L.A. GM Dean Lombardi brought in Darryl Sutter to replace Terry Murray almost midway through.

Both teams benefited from useful roster moves: the Devils got Travis Zajac back into the lineup and played himself back into mix, while the club added Marek Zidlicky and Steve Bernier; Jeff Carter has found new life with his old Philadelphia linemate Mike Richards after the Kings traded defenseman Jack Johnson to Columbus to get him. Dwight King and Jordan Nolan were called up from Manchester of the AHL and have provided grit and (in King’s case) timely scoring.

Now all the money’s on the table and the cards are in the air. Who takes this best-of-seven? Looks like it has to be the Kings, right? After all, they’ve gone through the first three rounds like a hot knife through butter. They’ve won eight in a row on the road. They’re bigger, stronger, younger and have a more experienced coach. Their skill forwards (Kopitar, Richards, Carter) match up well with the Devils (Kovalchuk, Parise, Elias).

Behind the blueline, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty have shut the door on the top three seeds in the Western Conference, something no team has ever done before. On the other side, Martin Brodeur is playing as well as a 40-year-old as he did when he was 20; he needs to, because the Devils don’t really have a defender with Doughty’s two-way skill set. Andy Greene and Bryce Salvador are never mentioned in the same breath as Doughty.

Sutter has shown he has the ability to counter whatever matchups are thrown at the Kings. DeBoer’s players have bought into his program as well. However, it boils down to this: the Kings have younger, harder-hitting forwards and defensemen who can grind down their opponents, while retaining the same depth and skill level.

What could undo their scintillating run? The Kings seem to have had too easy of a time getting to this point, so now the question of battle readiness is being raised. New Jersey is sure to test the Western upstarts’ resolve with their own deep reserves. In the end, though, the Kings have more than enough to get the job done, and should be holding the Cup in their hands in six games or so.