2nd Round Preview: Sharks vs. Stars

How they got here:

The Sharks took out the Flames in 7 hard fought games. They prevailed because their secondary scoring was able to capitalize on Flames mistakes. Patrick Marleau is playing great hockey and Joe Thornton did just enough to win.

The Stars laid a dirty whoopin' on the defending champion Ducks, who looked either woefully unprepared or disinterested. They certainly lacked discipline, and the Stars made them pay for it. Apparently had no answer for Stephane Robidas, but then, who does?

The two teams split the season series with 4 wins apiece, though San Jose needed OT and a shootout for two of their wins. The games were relatively low scoring, with San Jose scoring 21 goals and the Stars scoring 24.

Just like last time, I will break down the teams in a number of different categories to see who will prevail.

Forwards:

Patrick Marleau, Ryan Clowe and the ghost of Jeremy Roenick circa NHL '94 led the Sharks in the first round. Joe Thornton's game improved as the series went on and is showing flashes of his regular season self. Jonathan Cheechoo had three goals in the first round, and Joe Pavelski had a strong series. The Sharks are still a deep, talent laden team with many scoring options. If Thornton, Marleau and Cheechoo can get established in front of Turco, they may be able to put up big numbers.

The Stars do not boast the same depth as San Jose, but do pack some offensive punch. Brad Richards has re-emerged in the playoffs, tallying 5 points in the first round. Mike Ribeiro looked very good, putting up 8 points in the first round while Louie Erickson chipped in with 3 goals. Mike Modano still has something in the tank and the Stars put up 10 power play goals in the first round. Niklas Hagman will have to step up if the Stars hope to match the Sharks firepower. Brendan Morrow will be counted on to play a physical game and contribute some offense.

Edge: Sharks. I really like their depth and I think their forwards will thrive in this series, which shouldn't be as physical as the first round match-up with the Flames.

Defence:

Brian Campbell did not bring as much to the table as he did in the regular season. The Sharks still have a formidable defensive core, but will be tested much more in this series, as Dallas has more offensive options to throw at them. They have some talented puck movers who will be counted on to provide some offense this series. Craig Rivet was solid, if unspectacular in the first round.

The Dallas Stars were without Sergei Zubov in the first round and Phillippe Boucher dressed for only 3 games. The defensive core didn't seem to skip a beat as youngsters Matt Niskanen, Trevor Daley and Mark Fistric all filled in admirably. Stephane Robidas out Niedermayered Scott Niedermayer on his way to a 6 point series. They are a confident bunch right now, and Zubov and Boucher will likely both play in the 2nd round. If Zubov is healthy and can contribute, the Stars will see a major boost.

Edge: Stars because they are playing with a lot of confidence and are about to get their best two defenders back into the fold.

Goaltending:

Norris Candidate Evgeni Nabokov kept the Flames at bay long enough for the Sharks to come out with the series victory. He gave up a little over 2 goals a game, which should be more than enough for San Jose's high-powered offense. That being said, Nabokov will have to deal with a better offensive team and a power play that is clicking.

Marty Turco appears to have shaken the playoff monkey off his back. He was solid in the first round and effectively stymied the Ducks. He will have to deal with the Sharks shooters and will likely see a lot more traffic in his crease. If his defensemen can't clear the crease, he may have some trouble.

Edge: Tie. Both goalies are playing well right now and are each capable of stealing a game for their team. I can't pick a clear cut winner.

Coaching:

Ron Wilson out dueled Mike Keenan in the first round but will be up against another guy coaching for his job. With both bench bosses staring at the Sword of Damacles, Wilson will have to uncross those arms and come up with some solid tactics to beat the confident Stars.

Dave Tippett has also shed some demons with his first round victory. He beat an excellent coach in Randy Carlyle, and will now have to deal with a different type of team. He should get some help when Zubov comes back, as he should make a good powerplay better. How he deals with the Sharks' size at forward may decide this series.

Edge: Stars. I am still not sold on Ron Wilson, and I have heard good things about Tippett from an inside source. He apparently has his team very focused and motivated.

Intangibles:

San Jose may have finally realized that they are a good team. After a couple years of playoff futility, they beat a good team in a Game 7 and look poised to go on a run. Their powerplay needs to improve its numbers and Brian Campbell needs to help drive the offense. Jeremy Roenick and Ryan Clowe, if they can continue their hot play, may be the difference. Plus Roenick has better hair than Modano.


The Stars powerplay was the straw that stirred the drink in the first round. They likely won't get as many chances as San Jose plays a more disciplined style than did Anaheim. The return of Sergei Zubov could be what the Stars need to take this series. Modano can't match Roenick's hair, but does have a hot wife.

Edge: Stars because they are due to get their best two defensemen back. Zubov skated in full equipment yesterday and I would bet he plays sooner rather than later. He will make the difference in this series.

The Stars will take this one in 7 games because they won the coin flip at my office. Expect a lot of overtime games. In the end the Stars will out work the Sharks AND be able to provide the timely goaltending that Calgary could not.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Playoff Preview: Capitals vs Flyers

Head to head regular season record: 2-2

Capitals:

Superstar Alex Ovechkin has lead the Capitals to their first postseason birth since 2003. Arguably the most exciting player in the NHL lead the league in points (112) and goals (65). The Caps arrive in the playoffs scorching hot winning their last seven and were 11-1 in the final 12 games. The hiring of Coach Bruce Boudreau along with midseason acquisitions of starting goaltender Chris Huet (1.63 GAA in 13 games), Matt Cooke and Sergei Fedorov have moved this team from the basement to the playoffs. Ovechkin loves the spotlight and should shine in the postseason. Ovie combined with Semin, Kozlov ,and Backstrom will provide the offensive firepower. If the Caps can carry their end of season hot streak into the playoffs, they should be a force to be reckoned with.

Flyers:

After suffering their worst season last year, the Flyers have had the quickest rebuilding phase in recent history. Suffering through Antero Nittymaki, Roman Chekmanek, and Robert Esche in goal, they have finally found their #1 in Marty Biron, who is going through his first taste in the playoffs as a starter. He posted a 2.59 GAA this season along with 5 shutouts. Additions of Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timmonen, Scott Hartnell, along with the emergence of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul and RJ Umberger the Flyers should have no problems putting some points on the board.

As always, special teams will be a factor in this series,

Power play
Flyers 21.8% (2^nd in league)
Capitals 19.0% (7^th in league)

Penalty Kill
Flyers 83.2% (10^th in league)
Capitals 80.5% (25^th in league)

Philadelphia has averaged 17.9 penalty minutes this season making them the number one penalized team in the conference. Washington is the second least penalized team with 11.9 per game.

Washington in six: Last fall Colorado Rockies of the MLB showed us what a hot streak can do, I expect the Capitals to continue that hot streak into the playoffs. They have the best player in Alex Ovechkin and have received superior goaltending. In the end, I feel the Capitals speed and creativity will cause too much havoc for an average Philadelphia defense, and that will be the difference for Ovechkin and friends.

Prediction: Capitals in Six

For Illegal Curve, I'm Michael Remis

Playoff Preview: Red Wings vs. Predators

The Detroit Red Wings finished the season with 115 points earning them the President’s Trophy. They will take on the 8th place Predators when the series starts on Thursday in Detroit.

The Wings will be looking to continue their success against the Predators this season as they won 5 out of the 8 meetings this year.

Forwards:

The Red Wings boast the 3rd best offence in the game led by the dynamic one-two punch of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Zetterberg finished the season with 43 goals, while Datsyuk was the NHL’s 4th leading scorer with 97 points. The top line will give the Predators’ defence nightmares on even-strength and power-play. The Wings also have great depth at the forward position. Holmstrom, when healthy, is a big-game player and he has consistently stepped up his game in the playoffs. Franzen, Hudler and Cleary will also contribute to the offense while Draper and Maltby will be relied on to shutdown Nashville’s top line. Draper does remain a question mark, however, as he has not been fully healthy as of late.

The Predators were led in scoring this year by J.P. Dumont. Together with Arnott and Hlavac, the Preds top line has provided consistent scoring all year. However, the Preds will be without David Legwand and Steve Sullivan will not be available after missing the entire season with an injury. The only way the Preds stand a chance is if their second line of Radulov, Bonk and Erat can step up and take the pressure off the top line. If they can find a way to score, the series could be a lot closer than people expect.

Edge: Red Wings. The Wings top line, coupled with their depth, experience and balanced attack will give the Wings forwards a very strong edge.

Defence:

The Red Wings have the best defenceman in the game in Nicklas Lidstrom. The favourite to win the Norris Trophy finished the season with 60 assists and 2nd in the league in +/- (behind Datsyuk). He has consistently demonstrated his ability to shutdown the opposition’s forwards and quarterback a power play More importantly, Lidstrom has won the Stanley Cup 3 times already. The Wings’ offseason free agent signing, Brian Rafalski, had a career year. He gives the Wings another offensive weapon on the power-play and brings Stanley-cup experience. The ageless Chelios, Stuart and Kronwall round out the Wing’s solid defensive corp.

The Preds’ defence is young one of the youngest in the league. Weber and Suter have been played well this year but they do not have much playoff experience. Veterans, Zidlicky and de Vries, will have to play at the top of their games to stand a chance against the Wings’ powerful offense.

Edge: Red Wings. Nicklas Lidstrom – enough said.

Goaltending:

Babcock has stated all year that Hasek is the team’s starter. However, Hasek has suffered through injuries all year and when he has played recently, his age has shown. If Hasek falters or is unable to go, Osgood will fill in quite admirably as he has done all year.

With his strong play down the stretch and league leading save percentage, Ellis will be the Preds’ starting goaltender. While he has clearly demonstrated his worth during the season, he has no previous playoff experience and with the Red Wings’ experienced and talented forwards peppering him with shots, the Preds’ goaltending remains a big question mark.

Edge: Red Wings. Both Hasek and Osgood have Stanley Cup Rings and are proven performers when it counts most.

It seems that every year the Red Wings are favoured to win the Cup and this year is no exception. They were the NHL’s best team during the regular season and they are poised to continue their success in the post season. With a solid mix of both young and veteran players who can dominate at both ends of the ice, look for the Wings to overmatch the Preds in all facets of the game.

Prediction: Red Wings in 5.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

Playoff Preview: Sharks vs Flames

San Jose, by virtue of their 2nd place finish (49-23-10) in the West, have drawn a first round playoff matchup with the Calgary Flames. The Flames, who sputtered into 7th place (42-30-10), are expecting a physical series. Coach Mike Keenan believes the winner will be decided in the Thornton-Iginla, Campbell-Phaneuf and Nabokov-Kiprusoff head to head battles.

The Sharks are hot right now, coming into the playoffs riding a strong finish. The Flames, not so much, though they did win the series 3 to 1. It is important to note that two of those games went to OT and another was a one goal game.

In order to better dissect this series, lets look at who has the advantage in a number of categories.

Forwards:

The Sharks are led up front by Joe Thornton and the reinvigorated Patrick Marleau. They have balanced secondary scoring from Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek and Joe Pavelski and excellent defensive forwards, led by Curtis Brown and Mike Grier. A potential wild card here is Jeremy Roenick, who kept his massive ego in check all year to be a valuable contributor for the Sharks. Ten of his 14 goals were game winners. The biggest variable will be whether or not Joe Thornton can shake the playoff monkey off his back.

The Flames have assembled a rough and tumble collection of forwards built for the playoffs. Led by Jarome Iginla, the Flames can boast one of the top 3 forwards in the game today. They have decent, but inconsistent, secondary scoring in Daymond Langkow, Kristian Huselius and Alex Tanguay. Tanguay, who failed to hit 20 goals for the 1st time since 2001-02, and recent healthy scratch Huselius are question marks going into the series. The Flames have fast, hard hitting 2-way players in their bottom 6, and they might make the difference. San Jose has a history of folding up tents when the going gets rough (see Torres, Raffi).

Edge: Flames because of their playoff style physical play and experience and because of Thornton's annual playoff Houdini act.

Defence:

The Sharks deadline day acquisition of Brian Campbell has paid huge dividends. The 2nd leading scorer on the Sharks' team, Campbell is the straw that stirs the drink for San Jose. Craig Rivet has been the team's top shut down defender and is logging big minutes while also chipping in 35 points. The Sharks boast decent depth, with Christian Erhoff, Kyle McLaren, Marc-Eduard Vlasic, Doug Murray and Matt (Hot) Carle rounding out the defence. All (with the possible exception of McLaren) are mobile guys who can move the puck. McLaren was the team's leading hitter and plays a physical game, which will be key in countering the Flames aggressive fore-check.

Calgary is led by Dion Phaneuf, who is counted on by Mike Keenan to log huge minutes. He will be a fixture on special teams and will be looked to heavily to provide some offence from the blue line. With Phaneuf expected to crawl up Thornton's ass and stay there, the rest of Calgary's D will be hard pressed to provide any offensive spark from the back end. Adrian Aucion, Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich round out the defensive corps. While all are physical blueliners and have playoff experience, they cannot match the Sharks in mobility or puck handling skills. Anders Eriksson, Jim Vandermeer and Rhett Warrener provide the depth.

Edge: Sharks because they can provide more offense. This will be key in a low scoring series.

Goaltending:

The Sharks have ridden Evgeni Nabokov to elite status in the West. He played 77 games all year and led the NHL with 46 wins. 25 of his wins were in one goal games, so the playoff pressure should not get to him. My concerns here are two-fold. First, Nabokov has been brutal against the Flames, boasting an .849 save percentage and 1 win in 4 tries. Secondly, he might just get tired. 77 games is a lot if you are not a coked up Grant Fuhr, and rescued from the scrap-heap backup Brian Boucher has played in a whopping 5 games. Supposing his muscles aren't atrophied, he likely isn't ready for prime time. The saving grace here might be team defense, which allowed only 193 goals all year. Not many shots get through to San Jose's goal.

The Flames are hoping that perennial standout Mikka Kiprusoff can rebound (no pun intended) from a sub-par season. Regular season stats don't mean much in the playoffs, and Kiprusoff typically brings his A-game in the spring. If he can improve upon his .906 save percentage, he might win a game all by himself. If not, the Flames won't be around long. The Flames do have a very capable backup in Curtis Joseph, though we can't say for sure if he has any playoff magic left.

Edge: Sharks. You can't argue with the season Nabokov has had, even if he didn't play well against the Flames.

Coaching:

Ron Wilson is likely on the hot-seat in San Jose despite his regular season success. Having seen his guy out coached by everyone from Craig MacTavish to the computer in NHL '94, GM Doug Wilson likely won't stand for another early exit. Its time for Ron to show that he can do more than just fold his arms, grimace and complain at press conferences.

Iron Mike Keenan hasn't coached in the playoffs since 1997 with the St. Louis Blues. While he seems to have mellowed a little bit, he still has a little fire left as evidenced by the recent scratching of Kristian Huselius. His attempt to turn the Flames into a hard hitting, defence first team has had mixed results. Going forward, its too early to say how he will fare in the 1st round. Hopefully he won't confuse the bench by frantically screaming for Noonan and Matteau to take the next shift.

Edge: Flames. I am not sold on Wilson's abilities, and Keenan at least has a track record.

Intangibles:

San Jose boasts impressive special teams numbers. Ranking 8th in the league on the PP and 1st on the PK, this may be the advantage that wins the series. They are also defensively sound, ranking near the top in shots and goals allowed. They have only one player, Sandis Ozolinsh, with a Stanley Cup ring, but their core guys have all been together for a couple of playoff rounds. Their top faceoff man is Joe Pavelski, who is hovering around 53%. The Sharks have 13 Canadians on the playoff roster and had only 22 wins at home. Only the Flames were worse in the Western Conference.

The Flames cannot match the Sharks in terms of special teams numbers, ranking 19th and 20th respectively. The Flames are pretty deep experience wise, with numerous players boasting Stanley Cup rings and a few greybeards too boot. Jarome Iginla is their top faceoff guy with a 55% success rate. He is also capable of putting the team on his back when he needs to, and most people would pick Iginla over Thornton to lead a team into the playoffs. The Flames have 17 Canadians on the roster and were not good at home this year.

Edge: Sharks because of their special teams proficiency.

The Sharks win the head to head comparison 3-2, and I think they win this series in 6 or 7. Did I miss anything? Think I am way off base? Just don't like me? Lets hear it in the comments.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior