Could you imagine playing the brutal sport of hockey with a concussion, or with 40 stitches in your face or with a broken ankle or jaw? If you are a player in the NHL chasing after the Stanley Cup, that's exactly what you would be doing, especially in the finals.
In one corner you have New Jersey, a team that has nine players remaining from its 1995 championship squad.
With eight games left in the regular season, and the Devils in the midst of a tailspin, outgoing owner John McMullen and company wisely fired the coach and hired Larry Robinson.In the previous series, with Robinson's leadership, the Devils ended Philadelphia's bizarre odyssey by overcoming a 3-1 deficit, holding the Flyers to three goals in the final three games and knocking out star Eric Lindros by giving him his third concussion in three months.
In the other corner, you have defending champion Dallas, a team that has proven that the most talented club doesn't always win in hockey. The Stars have been outshot numerous times in the playoffs, but they've shown an uncanny ability to dig down deep and put forth more team effort when needed.
Dallas' previous series against Colorado was as intense and nerve-wracking as any sporting event I've ever experienced, and Stars goalie Ed Belfour was the difference.
Both teams are extremely physical, play great defense and possess excellent goaltenders. In Game 1, New Jersey showed an advantage in quickness, but perhaps that could be attributed to the fact that Dallas' series with Colorado finished a day later than the Devils', and the Stars were forced to travel because New Jersey owns the home ice advantage.
Also, when Belfour is not on his game (he claims his cold medication affected his play in Game 1), Dallas often looks bad. An inadvertent whistle on the Stars' 2-2 game-tying goal didn't help either. But Dallas' unfamiliarity with New Jersey in my opinion, was the biggest reason.
Many factors contribute to me sticking with my preseason choice of Dallas to win it all. Dallas has a better power play and the best power play defense in the history of the game. Dallas has 18 different players that have scored playoff goals this season, and Belfour is 8-0 after playoff game losses. History is also on the Stars' side, as the last four Cup winners have come from the Western Conference, and the last four returning defending champions have repeated.
Predictions: I like the Stars in six, and I'm taking Overs in New Jersey and leaning towards the Under in Dallas as of Wednesday evening.
But when all is said and done, after battering each other for as many games as they play, both teams will line up and shake hands after the final game in the greatest tradition in all of professional team sports. I'll be sorry to see hockey go, but next season starts soon enough - October.
NBA Finals prediction, Los Angeles over Indiana.
Joe Ellison is the Nevada Appeal betting columnist.