Stanley Cup Playoff Betting: The Battle For Pennsylvania

[I Heart Gambling Online]

If the National Hockey League was searching for the most marketable Eastern Conference final possible, Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia is as close as it gets.

Sure, maybe Gary Bettman et al. would've liked the Big Apple presence of the New York Rangers or the Montreal mystique of les Canadiens. But as far as star power and storylines go, it doesn't get much better than Flyers versus Penguins.

This upcoming series will mark the first time that league poster boy Sidney Crosby has advanced to a conference final. Same goes for his running mate Evgeni Malkin, who last week was named as a finalist for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's most valuable player.

Philly, meanwhile, brings rabid fan support and a legion of talented young stars to the dance. The roster boasts a remarkable nine first-round picks since 2000, including three of the top-25 picks from 2003 - defenseman Braydon Coburn and forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

There's also a distinct smell of hatred in the air between these two clubs. Having faced off eight times this season (Philly won the season series 5-3), animosity was bred thanks in no small part to two major blowouts - an 8-2 Philly win in December and a 7-1 Pittsburgh win in March. Malkin less-than-fondly recalls the December loss, a fight-filled affair that ended with popcorn being dumped on the Pens' bench by rowdy Flyers fans.

"That's [Philadelphia] one of the teams that it's really not a pleasure to play against," Malkin told the Associated Press. "I really don't like playing against them. I don't like that team."

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