Who Will Win the Cup Next – Washington or Pittsburgh?

The powerhouses in the Eastern Conference drastically underperformed in the playoffs last year, as the top three seeds (Capitals, Devils and Sabres) were all bounced in the first round, while the Penguins only managed to defeat the Senators before losing a seven-game series to Montreal. Both the Penguins and Capitals had their own troubles during the playoffs, but which team will win the Cup first?

The Capitals had a dominant regular season – winning the President’s Trophy for the NHL’s best record, the Caps outgunned their opponents with their offensive attack. Washington notched a league best 313 goals for, while Alex Ovechkin finished with 109 of those points, placing him third overall in the NHL. The Capitals, although offensively potent, were unable to gain any stability in net during the playoffs, switching between veteran goaltender Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov. Offensive-defenseman Mike Green was non-existent during the postseason, recording only three assists over the seven games against the Canadians. While the Capitals posses a wealth of goal scoring threats, question marks still surround their goaltending and blueline, and if Ted Leonsis wants to start planning a Cup parade in DC, they’ll have to start filling the gaps soon. Yes, the Capitals can score, but special teams and goaltending win championships.

The Penguins, on the other hand, have had a great deal of success in the playoffs. Winning the East in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the Penguins core (Malkin, Crosby, Staal, Orpik, Fleury) are hardened playoff veterans, playing in 56 total postseason games over the last three years. In their second-round loss to the surging Montreal Canadians last year, the Penguins looked a bit tired and weary, and those back-to-back runs to the Final seemed to take their toll. Much like the Blackhawks, the front office in Pittsburgh was determined to keep their key players locked down to long contracts, and the heart of this team seems to be staying put.

I think the Capitals could get to the promised land before the Penguins can add another banner to their rafters if the add some depth on defense and a solid and consistent #1 goaltender in net, but to me, the Penguins have the edge in this debate. Not only do they have the high scoring threats in Crosby and Malkin, as well as a legitimate starting goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury, but their cornerstone players are still young, and signed to longer contracts.

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