Maggie the Monkey - Stanley Cup prediction

[Flames9_RN 358]

Maggie the Macaque knows a lot about climbing trees, cleaning fur, and successfully predicting who will reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The tiny resident of Ontario's Bowmanville Zoo did better than most so-called professional hockey analysts, when she indicated the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes would compete for the trophy.

On Sunday, nine-year-old Maggie predicted the winner: Edmonton.

Unlike most analysts, she didn't rely on vast reams of statistics. She just spun her trusty carnival wheel.

"Spin it Maggie! Spin it! Spin it! Good girl!" said a handler.

Despite critics who dismiss her choices as random, Maggie has a solid success rate.

This season Maggie is 9-5 for her picks -- better than her fellow TSN analysts. Bob McKenzie is 7-7, while Pierre McGuire lags behind at 6-8.

"If you bet and you bet on Maggie's picks, you would have made some money," said TSN host Gino Reda.

Both McKenzie and McGuire, perhaps in deference to Maggie's near-psychic ability, have also picked the Oilers to win.

After all, the macaque managed to predict the Anaheim Might Ducks would make it to the Stanley Cup final in 2003.

"The monkey knows things that we don't know and see things that we don't see," TSN commentator James Duthie said at the time.

And Maggie's accuracy comes as no surprise to those who know her best.

"She was born in Canada and has watched hockey since an early age," zoo owner Michael Hackenberger told the Toronto Star.

Her reputation is growing as a gifted prognosticator, which is good news for Edmonton, a team that struggled to make the playoffs before catching fire.

Not since 1990, the tail end of the great Oilers dynasty of the 1980s that saw them win five championships in seven years, has the team played in the Stanley Cup final.

If Maggie is right, the Oilers will be the first Canadian team to hoist the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens.

[Fuzzness 2]

Maggie has a better record than her human colleagues

[Flames9_RN 358]

Too bad the monkey didnt predict Rolosson getting hurt and now out for the season!! Looking better for Carolina now!! Oilers had huge goaltending problems all yr prior to Roli coming over. I want the Oilers to win, but I'm ok with carolina winning as well, since they have some older players that have not won the cup!!