Interesting survey in this week’s Sports Illustrated based on a survey of 324 NHL players about who they felt was going to win the Stanley Cup. Despite everything accomplished in the regular season, the Boston Bruins are placed fourth in the line of likeliness to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup over their collective heads.

I’m assuming this survey was taken before No Show Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks went down 0-2 to the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in their opening round series. Perhaps this is why players play and prognosticators prognosticate. The New Jersey Devils clearly have the playoff experience edge and the bigger reputation goaltender in Martin Brodeur, but I’m not sure I see them as the clear favorite over the Bruins in a seven-game playoff series after they fell apart in the final weeks of the regular season.