Pump-Up video that I put together for the Stanley Cup Finals 2012 between the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils

Here's a preview and match-up from "The Guardian."

Without much doubt, this is one of the most unlikely Stanley Cup finals match-ups in some time. Neither the New Jersey Devils nor the LA Kings were particularly notable in the regular season and neither was expected, once they did make the playoffs, to wow anyone much.

For the Devils, that's still sort of the case -- the wowing, anyway. Their wins so far have come by way of methodical execution: nothing fancy, but simple hockey, producing just the right amount of goals and defensive maintenance necessary to do away with whoever they've faced. There's no reason to think that won't continue to be the plan, but whether it works out is another story.

In goal, the Devils have -- as usual -- relied on the stalwart: Martin Brodeur, who at age 40 has ignored again all the speculation that this year he might have really lost his edge, and that, yep, retirement is just around the next dogleg on the golf course. Retirement still waits, but Brodeur looked as young as ever as he exorcised some personal demons as he out-shone the King across the Hudson, Henrik Lundqvist,in supporting his team to the finals.

Across the ice now will be the heir apparent to Brodeur's goaltending throne, Jonathan Quick, the stellar LA Kings goalie, who has backstopped his way into the elite of the league. For at least two years now, Quick has been on the rise, but like everything else this spring in LA, he seems to have stepped it up to a new level.

But Quick hasn't necessarily had to be the most amazing player on the ice when LA has taken on anyone. The Kings have mastered the art of scoring goals early, and then shutting down a game and defending a lead. Everyone is clicking. Jeff Carter, that multi-million dollar gamble from Columbus, has found his scoring touch at the right time. Anze Kopitar cuts a massive figure down the ice, but the feather hands are floating pucks in at a constant pace. Even guys like Dwight King -- a virtual unknown before the playoffs -- is there, providing secondary scoring when it's really needed. And then there's Pancakes, who is thriving under Sutter.

This is the challenge for the Devils come Wednesday. How to keep the hulking, flying, Kings in check while at the same time finding a way to beat Quick. It's been everyone's problem so far. And to this point, nobody's been able to figure out the formula to solve it. Or, for that matter, how to keep one's cool when Dustin Brown is on the ice.

The Devils have just come off a series where they out-skated a tired Rangers team and took advantage. That's not to say that the win came only because the Rangers weren't up to it. After going the distance against a plucky Panthers team in Round 1, the Devils have made their game work, making a meal out of the Flyers, before doing away with the best team in the East. So, credit where it's due. But even more than usual, the Devils will have to get A-Game bests from leaders like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. They have to deliver. And it would help if someone like Patrick Elias would come back to form. The Devils will also have to (perhaps) gamble a bit at times and push their defencemen to play a bit more offense to match the same from Drew Doughty. Whether they can handle the pressure from LA -- both physical and mental -- will be a major factor.

Expect the Kings will come at them strong, with a few extra days' rest behind them. There's motivation in LA to kill off the curses of 1993 and bring the Cup back to Southern California -- where it has yet to go. Ever. There are only three teams from the first expansion era that haven't been able to grab a Cup. LA is one of them.

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