The NHL Playoffs begin tomorrow night and I could not be more excited. What makes this year's edition better than those in years past is the fact that there is no clear cut favorite to win it all. Anything can and will happen.
1. San Jose Sharks
8. Colorado Avalanche
This math up pits the expected versus the unexpected. The San Jose Sharks were the unanimous pick to win the Western Conference at the beginning of the season and the Avalanche were picked by everyone to finish in the cellar of the West. Surprise surprise, the Avs are in the playoffs. And I am as surprised as anyone.
The Sharks won the Western Conference last season and then were eliminated in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. But I do not expect history to repeat itself this year. The key difference between last year's Anaheim Ducks and this year's Colorado Avalanche is Swiss sensation Jonas Hiller. Craig Anderson, the Avs goalie, is no Jonas Hiller. While the Sharks have shown a capacity for choking in the playoffs, do not expect them to do so in this round.
WINNER: Sharks in 5.
4. Phoenix Coyotes
5. Detroit Red Wings
A very smart friend of mine told me the other day that if there is no clear cut team in the West, just pick the Red Wings. And that's what I am going to do, at least for this round. The Red Wings got hot at the end of the season, winning 15 of their last 20. Chris Osgood is healthy again and the Wings still have Niklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. They have all of the playoff experience to carry this team through.
The Phoenix Coyotes have had an incredible season. To say they have exceeded expectations is a massive understatement. Ilya Bryzgalov has played other-worldy and the Coyotes defense has held opposing teams to a third best goals per game average (2.39). That being said, they lack that go to player for scoring that becomes necessary in the playoffs. If the Red Wings can equal their defensive efforts, the Wings have a major advantage in scoring. I think this series will go the full seven, with the Red Wings coming out on top.
WINNER: Red Wings in seven.
3. Vancouver Canucks
6. Los Angeles Kings
This series preview is particularly difficult for me to write considering that I have been a Canucks fan for almost a decade. That being said, I still get a sinking feeling every time I remember that they have to play the Kings in the first round. I think it will be a tricky series for the Canucks. The last time these two teams played the Kings stomped the Canucks 8-3. Was not even close. The Kings have the scoring (Anze Kopitar), the grit (Dustin Brown), the flair (Drew Doughty), and the goaltending (Jonathan Quick) necessary to make some noise in the playoffs.
But the Canucks just do it better. They have this year's Art Ross winner in Henrik Sedin and one of the league's best lines, if not the best line, with the Sedin Twins and Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks have six players with 20 or more goals (Burrows, Samuelsson, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler, and Mason Raymond) and have great depth across their top three lines. While their defense is still missing Willie Mitchell, Sami Salo, Shane O'Brien (out for disciplinary reasons), and Aaron Rome. The Canucks still have the hulking figure of Roberto Luongo between the pipes, and I fully expect him to make up for the missing defensemen in this series. He has a career goals against average versus the Kings of 2.40 and a 2.20 goals against average at GM Place this season.
WINNER: Canucks in 6.
2. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Nashville Predators
The Chicago Blackhawks can really score. The Nashville Predators really cannot. The Blackhawks will win this series with relative ease for that reason. Players like Patrick Kane (88 points), Duncan Keith (69 points), Jonathan Toews (68 points), Patrick Sharp (66), and Marion Hossa (51 points) make such a declaration that simple. The Predators top scorers this season (Steve Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist) have the same as Chicago's fifth best scorer. Simply put, the Predators do not have the offensive capabilities to take advantage of the Blackhawks goalie problem.
Neither Cristobal Huet nor Antti Niemi have laid a strong claim on the number one spot this season. Both of their seasons have been marred with inconsistency. But I think a solid rotation of the pair will put Chicago in the next round.
Some mention of course has to be made of the Predators defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Both were standout players at the Olympics for Team Canada and Team USA respectively. Their defense this season is the reason the Predators made the playoffs. Can they shut down Kane, Toews, and Sharp? That will be one of the more interesting battles in these playoffs. And Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne has had himself a decent season with a 2.53 goals against average. But I do not think it will be enough in this series.
WINNER: Blackhawks in 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment