Well, keep writing balanced posts and we’ll get along just fine.

As far as Pittsburgh’s play – Fleury is confident because his team is confident. Pittsburgh is playing a very well-rounded game. Occasionally you’ll see some unnecessary fanciness from the forwards (particularly Crosby), but the Pens are content to grind it out with teams. And their attention to their own zone is impressive.

Detroit might be a tad better simply because of the playoff experience most of the roster has – especially Stanley Cup Finals experience. Pittsburgh has confidence and the Pens are a supremely skilled team, as skilled as Detroit.

How did this turn into a Detroit vs Pittsburgh debate?

It became more and more clear West >>> East.

I’m using Pittsburgh stats and Detroit stats for the most part, because they are the teams that look destined to put the West vs East comparison in an actual game that means something.

I enjoy the stat the Detroit is 30-7-3 against the West. However, if the 1 seed in the conference can’t put up similar numbers against their own division, does that mean Detroit is as good as people claim, or is the rest of the West just not as good as thought. Both conferences have good teams and bad teams, with the bad teams contributing to that bulk stat of conference records against the other conference. This is why I’m sticking to primarily Detroit and Pittsburgh. They’re still left. The Islanders and Blackhawks aren’t.

And for the record, I’ve not made one comment of East>West. I know how good the West is. I’ve been nervous about the possibility of playing Detroit since early in the season. I’m merely trying to show that the East is better than some people assume. I’ve seen several West>East, or West>>>>East comments backed up with nothing but hope and personal ideas. Its a good conference, but not as over the top as some people would like to think.

I keep giving stats, but everyone who says West>East is using opinion.

You keep giving Pittsburgh stats. And I have said Pittsburgh would be in the elite in either conference. It’s the other 14 teams in the East that suck compared to the West.

Here’s some stats. Against the West this season the East is 67-67-16. The West against the East is 83-53-14.

In a league where any slightly above crappy team can finish above .500 (seriously teams under .500 this season: Atl, Tampa, NYI, St. Louis, Columbus, LA Kings), 67-67-16 is pitiful.

That “Awful” Central you wanted to play against went 28-17-5 against the East. The West dominated the Eastern conference, with the noteable exception of Pittsburgh, this season

And Franzen, Holmstrom and Cleary (or Morrow, Hagman and Lehtonin) are salivating at those Juicy rebounds that both Biron and Fleury like to leave out there. Pittsburgh and Philly won’t be getting those from either Osgood or Turco.

What juicy rebounds from Fleury? Perhaps 2 years ago that would have been true.

There’s only one way this will be settled and that’s in the Finals, and it’s not a guarantee that the Penguins will get there. If and when that happens then I’m sure this will all resume.

30-7-3 against the rest of the West

What does this say about the rest of the West seeing as how Detroit was only 17-12-3 in their division? Barely above .500 against the Blues and Co., but awesome against, perhaps, a weaker than assumed West?

Now, I really gotta go. Be back in a few minutes, friends.