With the NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs already previewed by Bob Long (http://boblongsports.com/2011/04/12/nhl-eastern-conference-playoff-preview/), I have broken down the match-ups in the Western Conference. There are many familiar teams in the playoff picture and all are ready to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Many questions will be answered in the coming weeks, but as the playoffs begin, here are some keys to the first round games:
WEST
1) Vancouver Canucks vs. 8] Chicago Blackhawks
Will the Canucks be able to defeat the team that has eliminated them from the playoffs in the past two seasons? If the answer to this question is yes, then it is simply a matter of the Canucks playing as well as they have all season. The team will rely on the solid goaltending of Roberto Luongo, who has posted a 38-15 record with 2.11 GAA in the regular season. Luongo will be looking to play better than he did in last year’s playoffs, where he posted a 6-6 record with a 3.22 GAA. Henrik and Daniel Sedin were among the league leaders in points this season and will need to continue to lead the offense for the Canucks to win the series. Finally, the defense in front of Luongo will have to be strong from Kevin Bieska down to Sami Salo in order to shut down the offensive weapons of the Blackhawks.
For the Blackhawks to make the first move to hosting the Stanley Cup for the second straight year, the biggest key is the play of the defensemen in front goalie Corey Crawford. Corey Crawford has played well at times this year, but will have a lot of pressure on him as a starter for the first time in the NHL playoffs. Therefore, defensemen Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell will have to elevate their game to take the pressure off the inexperienced goaltender. The Blackhawks lost a lot in the offseason and will need certain players to step up on the second and third lines. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp will have to be as strong as they were last year for Chicago to put a few pucks past Luongo.
My Pick: The experienced Blackhawks will make it tough for the Canucks at times, but the Sedin brothers will have a better showing in the playoffs. Vancouver defeats Chicago in 5 games.
2) San Jose Sharks vs. 7) Los Angeles Kings
The fans in San Jose are getting tired of the Sharks falling short in the playoffs after finishing near the top of the Western Conference standings each year. The Sharks have the offensive depth and will need to use their second-ranked power play to score on the Kings. The biggest concern may be the goaltending of Antti Niemi. While Niemi did win the Stanley Cup last year, his fundamentals have been poor at times and the Blackhawks did not feel he was a good enough goaltender to re-sign in Chicago. Therefore, the defense will have to play well in front of Niemi for him to make saves.
The Kings have relied on the goaltending of Jonathan Quick, who was 35-22 with a 2.24 GAA in the regular season, and will need him to stand on his head against the offensive players of the Sharks. Their strong penalty killing unit will have its hands full with the San Jose power play as well. Therefore, defenseman Jack Johnson will have to play better then he did during the regular season. Finally, the Kings may want to slow the game down and hope Dustin Brown can take advantage of his limited opportunities to score.
My Pick: The Sharks have learned from their experience in years past and have more offensive weapons than the Kings. San Jose defeats Los Angeles in 6 games.
3) Detroit Red Wings vs. 6) Phoenix Coyotes
The Red Wings are no stranger to the first round of the NHL Playoffs. They have the talent, experience, and leadership to play well every night they step onto the ice. Unfortunately, they will have to play the first game of the playoffs without Henrik Zetterberg, who could return as early as the second game. We will see if Nicklas Lidstrom, who has been one of the best defensemen in the league over the past twenty years, can play a long series at age 40. A key player will be Pavel Datsyuk, who is one of best two-way forwards in the league. The team will rely on the youthful Jimmy Howard in net, who was 37-17 with a 2.79 GAA in the regular season and will have to be consistent in the playoffs with a banged up Chris Osgood on injured reserve.
The Coyotes took the Red Wings to a game seven last year in mainly because of the play of goaltender Illya Bryzgalov. While Bryzgalov struggled at the beginning of the year, he has played strong down the stretch and finished with a 36-20 record to complement his 7 shutouts. Simply put, there is nothing flashy about this team. The team leader is Captain Shane Doan with only 20 goals and 60 points. The Coyotes will look to keep the games low scoring and find any way to score on the stingy Red Wings. Finally, the team has gotten healthy at the right time with the return of defenseman Ed Jovanovski and forward Martin Hanzal.
My Pick: The Red Wings and Coyotes will play some tough, low-scoring games in a long series. Phoenix defeats Detroit in 7 games.
4) Anaheim Ducks vs. 5) Nashville Predators
The Ducks made a jump in the last few days from the 7th seed to the 4th seed, which provides them with home ice advantage in the first round. Offensively, the Ducks will rely on the scoring of right winger Corey Perry, who was the only player in the league to reach 50 goals this year. However, goaltending has become a major concern in the last few weeks. While Jonas Hiller had a phenomenal first half of the season and Ray Emery played well in the past month, injuries will most likely keep them both out of the first game of the series. Therefore, Dan Ellis, who is 8-3 with the Ducks, will be facing his old team. If Ellis does start, the question is whether he will remain the starter for the whole series.
Despite making the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, Nashville has failed to advance past the first round. This year they will have to ride the stellar goaltending of Pekka Rinne, who boasted a 33-22 record with a 2.12 GAA in the regular season. Nashville has also played very well during the final part of its schedule, going 11-3 with a shootout loss, to place them in the middle of the playoff picture. Defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter will have to be physical with the Ducks, particularly the dangerous scorer Corey Perry. Offensively, young forwards Patric Hornqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn will have to play well.
My Pick: The series will be tight as both teams have been hot down the stretch, but the inability of Nashville to win the playoffs will show again. Anaheim defeats Nashville in 6 games.
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Again, remember to check out the Eastern Conference Playoff Preview as well. http://boblongsports.com/2011/04/12/nhl-eastern-conference-playoff-preview/