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No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings
Story line: Vancouver looks to redeem itself after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at home last year. The Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy by staying consistently sharp. They are playing a team that didn't qualify for the playoffs until the closing days of the season.
Season series: Each team won twice.
Goaltenders: Vancouver's Roberto Luongo vs. Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick. Luongo faces pressure because understudy Cory Schneider seems ready for a starring role. Quick (35-21-13, 1.95, .929) led the league in shutouts, and he lost six 1-0 games this season.
X factor: Vancouver wing Daniel Sedin. Will he play? He has been out with a concussion since March 21, and the expectation was he'd be ready for the playoffs. He didn't practice Tuesday but skated with the non-regulars afterward.
Why the Canucks should be favored
1. No team in the West is more talented. Their scoring is first-rate. Their defense is skilled and hard to play against. Their special teams are special.
2. In Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, they own the combination of finesse center and physical, defensive center that works best in the postseason.
3. They are an irritating bunch that seems to get into the heads of every opponent. They aren't well liked, and that's been a good weapon for them.
What the Kings need to do to upset the Canucks
Continue playing the playoff-style hockey they did just to reach the postseason. This team is very comfortable playing low-scoring games and also has the edge in net.
Prediction: Play the long shot. Remember that the No. 8 Edmonton Oilers almost won the Cup in 2006, and then take the Kings to win this series in six games.
No. 2 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 San Jose Sharks
Story line:Ken Hitchcock deserves strong consideration for coach of the year for the job he did in transforming the Blues into a contender. They are facing an old Stanley Cup contender that has yet to complete its championship quest.
Season series: The Blues swept the Sharks, shutting them out twice.
Goalie matchup: St. Louis' Jaroslav Halak (26-12-7, 1.97, .926) or Brian Elliott (23-10-4, 1.56, .940) vs. San Jose's Antti Niemi (34-22-9, 2.42, .915). The Blues are comfortable with a goalie rotation, but Elliott is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Halak had an impressive playoff run with the Montreal Canadiens in 2010. Niemi helped Chicago win a Stanley Cup that year.
X factor: St. Louis defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk combined for 380 shots on goal. They are major contributors to the team's offense.
Why the Blues should be favored
1. They are relentless, especially at home, where they are 30-6-5.
2. The Blues' two top scorers had 54 points, and yet they get scoring up and down their lineup.
3. David Backes is a bull and a strong defensive forward. You always feel his presence.
What the Sharks need to do to upset the Blues
Coax the Blues into penalties and hope to beat them on the power play. The Blues are a big, physical team, and they will wear you down. But the Sharks' Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle, etc., have done a few laps in the postseason. They should be savvy enough to play their game despite the lack of room on the ice.
Prediction: The Blues will get their first playoff series win in a decade when they down the Sharks in six.
No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes (42-27-13) vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks (45-26-11)
Story line: After winning the first division title in franchise history, the Coyotes are trying to earn the franchise's first playoff series win since 1987. The team was located in Winnipeg the last time it won a postseason series.
Season series: The Coyotes won three of the four games.
Goaltenders: Phoenix's Mike Smith (38-18-10, 2.21, .930) vs. Chicago's Corey Crawford (30-17-7, 2.72, .903). Smith has played well enough to earn Vezina Trophy consideration. Crawford's season has been a mixed bag.
X factor: Chicago center Jonathan Toews (concussion) won't decide until Thursday morning whether he is ready to play in the series. He had 57 points in 59 games before he went down.
Why the Coyotes should be favored
1. Coach Dave Tippett's defensive emphasis is perfect for playoff hockey, always keeping his team in the game.
2. With the quick development of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle's continuing improvement, the Coyotes have two defensemen who contribute significantly on offense.
3. Ray Whitney (77 points) and Radim Vrbata (35 goals) had their best offensive seasons.
What the Blackhawks need to do to upset the Coyotes
Remember how they played two years ago when they won the Stanley Cup? They need a big series out of Patrick Kane. Crawford has to take his performance to its highest level. The Blackhawks have to be better on special teams; they certainly can't be much worse than their bottom five showing.
Prediction: The drought will be over in the desert. The Coyotes devour the Blackhawks in six games.
No. 4 Nashville Predators (48-26-8) vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings (48-28-6)
Story line: This is a changing of the guard series, with the Predators seemingly poised to finally move past the team they have been chasing since they entered the league in 1998-99. You have learned well, grasshopper.
Season series: Nashville and Detroit each won three games.
Goaltenders: Nashville's Pekka Rinne (43-18-8, 2.39, .923) vs. Detroit's Jimmy Howard (35-17-4, 2.13, .920). Although Rinne is more highly touted, this is basically an even matchup.
X factor: Nashville winger Alexander Radulov has arrived from Russia, eager to prove he's among the NHL's most dangerous scorers. He looks like he can be the offensive force the Predators have been lacking.
Why the Predators should be favored
1. They're much better offensively than they were expected to be. Ten players had 14 or more goals, led by Patric Hornqvist with 27.
2. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are still the league's best defensive pairing, but the acquisition of Hal Gill has been a stabilizing force for the defensive corps.
3. Ever since the Predators launched as a franchise, they have been competitive, mostly because coach Barry Trotz plays an aggressive defensive style. It seems as if opponents never have time and space when they play the Predators.
What the Red Wings need to do to upset the Predators
Be the Red Wings team they have been for the last two decades.
Prediction: Can you imagine the parade in Music City if the Predators win the Stanley Cup? One step at a time. Take the Predators to vanquish the Red Wings in six games.
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