STANLEY CUP FINALS
Pittsburgh Penguins (2nd in Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference) vs. San Jose Sharks (3rd in Pacific Division, Western Conference)
The San Jose Sharks surprised everyone by going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history this season. In their first ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance, they will face the Pittsburgh Penguins, who caught fire after Christmas following a slow regular season start. The Penguins have won three Stanley Cups, with the most recent being in 2009. As a good omen for Pittsburgh, that same year, the Penguins fired their coach after a slow start to the season, and then caught fire en route to winning the Stanley Cup. During the regular season, the Sharks and Penguins played each other twice, with the Sharks winning the first game and the Penguins winning the second.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in six games.