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It has been too long a wait to get this Stanley Cup finals series started.

But our Christmas presents will be opened starting tomorrow. Hard to believe it's been almost two months since the Senators opened the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It just shows you that the Stanley Cup is truly the most difficult championship to win in pro sports.

So let's compare the two teams:

Forwards: I'll give an edge to Ottawa here. Simple to figure out: Check out the scoring leaders, and Ottawa has 3 of the top 4 in Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley. Ottawa has a little more depth, but not by much. Where Anaheim makes up for lack of pure skill is their physicality. They have pounded every opponent they've faced, but I like Ottawa's overall resilience to new challenges. They have overcome youth, defence and speed in beating the Penguins, Devils and Sabres. Now it's strength, and I think the pizza line will continue to work their magic. I also think players like Mike Comrie and Antoine Vermette, who have been somewhat snakebitten lately, will get out of their funks and starting netting some goals.

Defence: As a 6-man unit, I like Ottawa, but the trio of Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Francois Beauchemin are probably the biggest strength of the Anaheim Ducks. They will be assigned the task of shutting down Ottawa's big guns, and coach Randy Carlyle is not afraid to give them big minutes, as they average 30 minutes or so per game. This might work in Ottawa's favour if they can also get their secondary scoring going, as they will primarily be on the ice when Ottawa's big three is playing.

Goaltending: J.S. Giguere is a former Conn Smythe winner and has more experience than Ray Emery, so based on past performance he probably gets the edge. However, Emery has answered his critics every time a challenge has been put towards him, out-duelling Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller. I think he can rise to the occasion one more time.

Special teams: This is where the Senators will have to capitalize on if they are going to win the series. Anaheim is known for giving up many powerplays as their physical style of play results in many penalties being called. Ottawa's powerplay has been clicking all playoffs and they should continue to do so in this round. Their penalty killing has also been top notch, as Buffalo could only score when they had 5-on-3 advantages.

Ottawa just seems like a team of destiny. They have been playing their best hockey of the season at the right time, playing with confidence and expecting to come out on top. With their dedication to playing smart & responsible hockey, putting the hard hats on every night, I really think the Ducks have the mentality they're about to face the best team in the NHL. Does this mean it will be easy? Of course not. But I really think this is Ottawa's time. So far these playoffs, I correctly guessed they winner of each series. Hopefully I can bat 1.000 with this prediction:

Sens in six.

GO SENS GO!