from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,

The beauty of the Stanley Cup playoffs lies in its democracy. Once invited, every team has a chance to win it all. That can be fun -- after all, everyone loves an underdog -- but it doesn't always mean we get the best hockey.

So maybe this time around, the Hockey Gods will ditch the whole Cinderella angle and give us the series we truly deserve.

St. Louis vs. Boston.

That might not be the matchup that fans of the Blackhawks or Sharks or Penguins are hoping for, but what a gift to the game that one would be.

Since returning from the Olympic break, the Blues and Bruins have rolled over all comers on an apparent collision course for the Cup final.

continued plus this week's power rankings...