Western Conference Playoff Picks

1. San Jose Sharks vs. 5. Detroit Red Wings

This may have been just the match-up that Mike Babcock and co. were looking for in Round 2. Detroit has had San Jose’s number for quite some time and looks to continue their dominance. Jimmy Howard was solid in Round 1, and now has one playoff series victory in his arsenal after a great seven game set with Phoenix. Howard, one of the top rookies in the game, was battle-tested but withstood and now carries Detroit into a new series, this one against a team that has been a regular-season monster over the past few seasons. Though, when it truly matters in the POST-season, Detroit is indeed a force.

Pavel Datsyuk, is one of the most unselfish players in the game, and did I also mention one of the very best. Datsyuk is so explosive, often times he alone can and will carry the team’s play, he has that type of ability on both offense and defense. Paired with Henrik Zetterberg, Datsyuk becomes even more of a force, together the “European Connection,” if you will, is fearsome. They are one of the league’s top scoring duos and lead one of the deepest teams in the league. Detroit will need them both healthy and in full force if they are going to defeat a likewise deep San Jose team. Not to mention that their Swedish Captain Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the greatest players to ever lace a pair of skates. Just to add that in there.

Big Joe, Little Joe, will not be a “Cup o’ Joe” for the Red Wings by any means. Though Big Joe Thornton often can be found at the bottom of any score sheet once spring time hits, when he wants, he can be a major threat for any team. Who knows, maybe he just simply does not want to in the playoffs? Fact is, Thornton has failed epically throughout his playoff career. Little Joe Pavelski, along with Ryan Clowe have undoubtedly been the unsung heroes of a Sharks squad that eked by a valiant effort from a tenacious Colorado Avalanche team. Patrick Marleu continues to amaze and be the cog in the Sharks’ tank. While this year he had a breakout year with 44 goals, we have seen in the past that his effects on this team go far beyond the score-sheet. He has been the most steady player that the organization has ever seen and continues to fuel them.

Goaltending will be the biggest factor in this series. Detroit’s 24-year-old stud Jimmy Howard appears ready to answer the call as the games increase in importance. Evegeni Nabokov is one of the best goalies around and with a wealth of talent in front of him, his job is made easier, except of course when Dan Boyle decides to lob one into his own net. But aside from that Nabokov has a better defensive support system around him than Howard and also has the experience factor. Whichever goalie is able to capitalize and make the most off of his team’s offense and in some cases, out-duel his counterpart will send his team to the Western Conference Finals. In the end, the rookie Jimmy Howard is surrounded by too much Detroit firepower to go down here, this resilient squad keeps on rolling. Red Wings in 6.

2. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 3. Vancouver Canucks

Guided by the likes of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Chicago was able to tiptoe around a nasty Nashville team in Round 1. These are guys that you build a franchise around, and in doing so, Chicago has improved steadily ever since. This is a very engaging series that should be very physical and can come down to a Game 7. Last season, when these teams met it was a series that kindled a rivalry, one that apparently will be continued when this series opens on Friday night in Chicago. It is pretty safe to say that these squads do not like each other one bit. This seems like the one series that everyone is anticipating most, hopefully it will fulfill the hype.

Vancouver’s Captain…Roberto Luongo? Yes you heard it right, Goaltender Roberto Luongo, the captain of the Canucks is the most valuable player in this series. In order for the Canucks to prevail, he must come up huge and will need to steal at least one game. He really did not look that good against the L.A. Kings with a GAA near 3.00. Some may argue that he was hurt in Game 5, but even so, Luongo is a much better goalie than he showed in that opening round. Luongo must be ready because chances are Chicago’s offense will come out to play in this round more so than against Nashville. The captain must prove that his Canucks are battle-ready in what should be yet another physical altercation with a nasty, intimidating Blackhawk bunch.

Annti Niemi must be solid once again to carry his team passed the more experienced Canucks. Much like Brian Boucher vs. Martin Broduer in Round 1, Niemi does not necessarily have to out-duel/outplay Luongo four times, (even though Boucher did) he just needs to make key stops and put his team in prime position for the victory. At least one luxury for Coach Joel Quennville is that in case of emergency, he always has Cristobal Huet, the primary starter during the regular season, on the bench in a baseball cap. That works to his advantage if need be. Chicago can be a very intimidating place for any visitor, so expect the crowd to play a role in this series, especially with the start coming in The Windy City.

The injury to Brian Campbell does hurt and it showed against Nashville as they sometimes were able to exploit the Chicago defense. But with their scoring depth (11 double-digit goal scorers) and physicality they can put themselves in a position to win just about any series. One thing is for certain, these ARE your grandfather’s Blackhawks! They play with excitement, scoring and physicality, much like the Blackhawks of old. If Chicago is able to keep The Brothers Sedin off the score-sheet consistently, this series will be shorter than expected, but that will be very difficult. Blackhawks in 7 epic games.