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NHL on TSN Quiz: Who is the Stanley Cup Favourite?

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TSN.ca Staff
11/26/2008 8:57:23 PM
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Each week, the NHL on TSN panel voices their opinions on the hot topics of the day in the Wednesday Night Hockey Quiz.

As a follow-up, TSN.ca offers you the opportunity to chime in on the big issue with our insiders. Read up the question and answers from TSN's hockey experts, and put in your own two cents on our popular Your Call feature.

Question Number 1: With a quarter of the season gone, who is the favourite to win the Stanley Cup?

Bob McKenzie: "I'll go with the Detroit Red Wings.  Stanley Cup hangover?  What Stanley Cup hangover?  We're seeing that at the quarter point of the season that the Wings are just as effective as they were during the Stanley Cup playoffs, so I pick them to win the Cup.  Why?  Because we know they've done it before, as recently as last spring."

John Tortorella: "I like the San Jose Sharks.  I said it at the beginning of the year, and I like the pick more after the first quarter.  The additions of Dan Boyle, Rob Blake and Christian Ehrhoff's emergence on the blueline helps as it all starts from the back end.  If Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau get it at playoff time and do the things they need to do, the Sharks will win the Stanley Cup."

Bob Clarke: "All Detroit.   Mike Babcock is a great coach.  They have experience from winning last season and have guys like Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk."

Question Number 2: What's the best strategy to reduce head-hunting?

John Tortorella: "No question, remove the instigator penalty.  It will bring the honesty back in the game.  The players will police themselves, which is what should happen."

Bob Clarke: "Change the culture.  Make the players go after the puck when they body check. Don't just forget about the puck and try to lay the other man out.  Colby Armstrong's hit on Jason Blake totally bothered me.  Armstrong could have gotten the puck and gone in with a scoring chance, but all he tried to do is hurt Blake."

Bob McKenzie: "A penalty for head checking. The Ontario Hockey League does it, and I realize it's junior hockey and not the NHL, but you know what?  The OHL games are still rough and tough with lots of physical play, but the players are a little more conscious before they go in with reckless abandon and worry a little bit more about the head contact.  That's how you change the culture.  You make the players think a bit more."

Who do you think is the favourite to win the Stanley Cup?  How would you stop hits to the head in the NHL?  Let the world know by using the Your Call feature.

Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson and Henrik Zetterb (Photo: The Canadian Press)

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(Photo: The Canadian Press)
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