More Trash Talk - Updated Stats

In the wake of Ed Snider's lackluster comment earlier today, Marty Biron has decided to jump on the public speaking bandwagon as well.

"You look at Washington, you look at Montreal, it took a game and a half to get the emotions involved into the games," Biron said. "I think against Pittsburgh, it will be a half minute and things will get going. They might not want to say that. They might not feel the same way, but that's how things will go."

A year and a half ago Biron hardly saw any playing time.  For him to say something like this is pretty hilarious.  

So I guess I'll ask it here - what do you think attributes the most to Philly's success?  

Is it luck?  Luck that Lupul managed to squeak a game-winner past an otherwise stone-walled Huet in the first round?  Is it luck that they passed by Montreal, winners of the East?

Is it Biron, a career backup up until the second half of last season into this season?  Even still, Biron has had his ups and downs towards the end of the season and Philly wasn't afraid to pull him in favor of Nittymaki.  

Is it R.J. Umberger, the Pittsburgh native who ignited in Round 2 to power Philly past the Habs?

Who do you put the weigh to the team on?  Surely not Briere - any more weight on his shoulders and he'll shrink another few inches.

In a similar sense, Pittsburgh is met with the same questions.  Crosby has the 'C', Malone has the 'A' and Malkin has the points.  But the one thing none of these guys have, next to the First Round loss of 2007 and the current status in 2008, is playoff experience.  That is where guys like Gary Roberts and Daryl Sydor come into play.  However, both have been healthy or unhealthy scratches for a majority of the playoffs.  

In retrospect, neither team really has any playoff leadership.  This is exactly what makes the game so run-and-gun, so off the hinge.  Every 'kid' out there, and I do mean it in the literal sense of the word, wants to take this series to the next level.  They're hungry and they won't settle for anything less.

I've seen a majority of hockey sites make their predictions.  I guess the most common one I've seen is Pittsburgh in 6.  But one thing seemed like a commonality between every site - this is not going to be a short series.

Let's also remember 3 out of 4 ESPN 'experts' took the Rangers over Pitt.  This thing can go either way.

Updated Stats