If you go round by round you look at Scott Stevens against Carolina, Alexander Mogilny and Scott Gomez against Toronto, Holik and Brian Rafalski against Pittsburgh and Sykora and Elias against Colorado. If Colorado comes back to win, look for Roy or Sakic to win the trophy, depending on their impacts in Games 6 and 7. Foote because of his physical nature and Bourque because he moves the puck so well. Colorado is not particularly fast at the back end, but I would still go with my best pairing, unless Hartley wants to switch Blake with Bourque as he did against St. Louis. Colorado has to capitalize on one or two first-period power plays.
Referees always call more penalties in the first period when they re setting the tone.
Although scoring first hasn't helped teams in four of the first five games. He has said on a number of occasions that he would take less money to stay in New Jersey, but I feel he still might be looking for more than Lou Lamoriello is willing to pay. Possibly, after a 43-goal season, there will be another team willing to pay that kind of money and Mogilny might be attracted. The series will likely end on Thursday night. Through four games this was a series filled with random hockey.