Yesterday I covered the four Eastern Conference match-ups. Today I will breakdown what to look for when watching the Western teams chase their Stanley Cup dreams! With four teams having already played game one, we can analyze the good and bad from last night.
Nashville Predators #4 vs. Detroit Red Wings #5
Nashville already won the first game of this series, but don't look for last night's game to be a 100% accurate predictor for the remainder of this match-up. The Predators took a series lead in a game plagued by penalties and controversy. The story that most are talking about today is Shea Weber's hit on Henrik Zetterberg as time ran out in the third. Anyone who saw the hit has to be asking what Weber was thinking. The hit that can be compared to a WWE wrestling move was met with a $2,500 fine by the league today. It will be interesting to see how Weber carries himself in game two. Overshadowed by the Weber incident was the stellar play of Pekka Rinne in net. The Wings will need to find a way shake up Rinne or he will be the difference maker in this series.
Detroit was on the wrong side of a 3-2 final last night. But all things considered, the Red Wings will not be hitting the panic button anytime soon. They were able to create chances on the road, and if not for the fantastic goaltending of Rinne, Detroit could easily be looking at a 1-0 lead in this series. Like the Predators, the Red Wings will be looking to cut down on the penalties and find ways to be more effective with the extra man. Questions still remain about the team's overall health and age, but don't count on the Red Wings to ever roll over in the playoffs.
Vancouver Canucks #1 vs. Los Angeles Kings #8
Vancouver dropped game one last night 4-2. Despite the urge to panic many Canucks fans are feeling, there were actually many positives from last night - starting with solid play between the pipes by Roberto Luongo. Even with the loss, nobody can place the blame on the man in net, and for Vancouver, that is a good sign in the playoffs. The Canucks found themselves down two men several times throughout the game. The Kings capitalized twice on the power play, and that was the difference. Vancouver is a team built to win. If they keep to what they do best, there is no reason Western Canada's hope can't even the series in game two.
Los Angeles came into game one with a plan and executed it to perfection. With Jonathan Quick in goal, the Kings were able to stun the number one seed. What to look for in game two? Goal scoring is a good place to focus. The Kings have a number of guys who can score goals, but have gone through periods this season where a post-season trip seemed out of reach because of lack of scoring. They will need to make sure the scoring does not dry up at any point if they hope to move on past Vancouver. Being effective on the power play is one way to assure that the goals keep coming. Los Angeles will look to build on their two extra-man goals from game one for the rest of this series.
St. Louis Blues #2 vs. San Jose Sharks #7
The Blues dominated San Jose in the regular season. They will hope that the trend continues when they drop the puck in St. Louis tonight. The focus will be in goal tonight; Jaroslav Halak will be called on as Brian Elliott is day-to-day with injury. St. Louis has enjoyed solid play from both netminders all season, so will be very comfortable with Halak in net. The bigger question will be if the Blues will be able to translate an impressive season into playoff success. Head coach Ken Hitchcock, who was hired mid-season, will need to prepare his team for the expectations that will be placed on them. The fans in St. Louis have waited several seasons to see their team in a position to make noise come post-season. Failure to move past the first round erases everything they have accomplished in the first 82 games.
For the Sharks, this post-season can be looked at as a last chance for the current roster of players. A team that has disappointed as a top seed year after year, they look to take advantage of less pressure heading into this year's playoffs. Matched up against a young St. Louis team with little playoff experience, San Jose will look to put the pressure on the top seed early. The questionable playoff leadership of Joe Thornton will be key to the series again. One has to wonder if this is finally the year the long-time captain breaks out and leads the Sharks to their first cup.
Phoenix Coyotes #3 vs. Chicago Blackhawks #6
Most can not remember the last time the Coyotes organization won a playoff series. The fans in Phoenix will also be happy to not see Detroit in the first round again. If the Coyotes look to finally move past round one, they will need to keep up their solid defense. Adrian Aucoin continues to clock massive minutes per game on the blue line. He will need to lead the Yotes throughout this series - as will goaltender Mike Smith. One of the better stories this season, Mike Smith has had a breakout year in net. He will need to be on form to keep the high-scoring Blackhawks off the scoreboard.
Chicago will benefit from the return of Jonathan Toews just in time for the playoffs. If the Hawks look to roll past Phoenix, Toews and company will need to score often. Defense and goaltending are also questionable in the windy city. Blackhawks' hockey has had a score-first-defend-later philosophy all season. On any given night, Chicago can win, but as we have seen with lengthy losing streaks, the Blackhawks struggle with consistency. Second-round hockey will depend on whether the Hawks are able to score and stay in games throughout the quarterfinals.
Predictions:
Phoenix Coyotes #3 vs. Chicago Blackhawks #6:
Chicago played in the better division all year, and at times looked like one of the best teams in hockey. Other times, however, they looked like they were going to crash out of a playoff spot. Phoenix struggled to win the Pacific Division and have been without owners for over a year. But in the playoffs, consistency is everything, and the Coyotes have it. Phoenix in 6.
St. Louis Blues #2 vs. San Jose Sharks #7:
The Sharks look to capitalize on their playoff experience to beat the Blues in round one. St. Louis will look to build on the season series that saw them dominate San Jose. Who comes out on top? Blues win in 5.
Nashville Predators #4 vs. Detroit Red Wings #5:
Nashville has a one-game lead to build on, but it was a close first game. Detroit will be tough to defeat at home, so game two is more important to the Preds. When it comes down to which team can outlast the other, injuries may be the key factor. For this reason: Nashville in 7.
Vancouver Canucks #1 vs. Los Angelo's Kings #8:
Like Nashville, the Kings carry a 1-0 series lead. Despite a solid game last night, Vancouver is still the favorite to win this series. As much as I like the Kings' abilities, I just can't seem them holding off the Canucks over seven games. Vancouver in 7.
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