Ice-chips: Sharks, Caps have to dig deep.

Shark-bait
I think now would be an appropriate time for Capital and Shark fans to panic.

These are two teams that were heavily favored not just to win their opening round match-up, but also to make it to the Stanley Cup finals.

For the Capitals, losing to the New York Rangers in the first round would not be cause for major concern. There is a belief that the team is still a year or two away from being serious contenders, and right now the fan-base is content with just making the playoffs. The Sharks however must figure out a way to dig deep and beat the Ducks... or risk becoming irrelevant in California.

If Anaheim upsets San Jose heads will roll in the offseason. There is only one thing worse than not making the playoffs in the NHL... and that is being considered playoff chokers. Last year Ron Wilson lost his job because of their playoff ineptitude. This year you could see management blow the whole thing up and start from scratch.

Canucks impress in opening series
Is it just me, or do the Canucks all of the sudden look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender? Luongo really is the x-factor in the series, as Vancouver runs over St.Louis. I predicted the Blues would win the series but you may have to take out the brooms and give the series to Vancouver.

Theodore

This picture makes me happy that photoshop exists

Western Conference Playoff Preview (Round One)

Offense:
San Jose ranked top ten in goals for, and have the most consistent scoring team in the NHL. They are deep down the middle with guys like Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, and have a great supporting cast with the emergence of Setoguchi, Michalek and Clowe. They play fast hockey and are able to develop their offense off the rush. Anaheim ranked 14th in goals per game this year, and have their own list of impressive forwards. At the end of the day though San Jose's speed gives them the decided advantage.
Edge: San Jose

Defense:
The Sharks are not only a great scoring team, they have a terrific defense as well. They finished top three in the NHL in least goals given up (behind Boston and Minnesota) and have extremely talented defenseman who can move the puck around quickly. Not to be outdone the ducks have great size in their d-corp. However Anaheim's defensive studs (Pronger, Rob & Scott Niedermayer) are a combined -25. Not good enough.
Edge: San Jose

Special Teams:
Both teams rank top 5 on the powerplay, but vary greatly when it comes to penalty kill. Anaheim has been atrocious this year killing off just 79% of powerplays, while San Jose has been less charitable ranking top 5 in penalty kill %.
Edge: San Jose

Goaltending:
Giguere has battled personal problems this season and will not be in the pipes for the playoffs, giving Jonas Hiller the nod in goal. He has impressive numbers, but he has never been in a playoff series. Nabokov is ready to reclaim the brilliance he had in last years post season and make a run for the cup.
Edge: San Jose

Verdict:
All the pressure is on San Jose to win the cup this year. They have the most talented group of players in the league and can play in any style of game that comes their way. Will they wilt under the pressure to succeed as they have in the past? Only time will tell. But this series reminds me of the Oilers/Stars opening round match-up in 1999. It will be a grueling hard, hard hitting contest that will take its toll on whatever team advances.
San Jose wins in five games








Offense:
Detroit's offense flows like diarrhea compared to the constipated offensive numbers Columbus puts up. The Red Wing offense led by Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa put up almost 70 more goals than Columbus in 08-09 (good for #1 overall). This one is no contest.
Edge: Detroit

Defense:
Any Ken Hitchcock coached team is going to be good defensively, and this group is no different. If they can clog up the middle, and frustrate Detroit's militaristic offense they have a very good shot at winning the series. Detroit may have Lidstrom but they also were in the bottom 3rd in the leauge in goals allowed.
Edge: Columbus

Special Teams:
The best powerplay in the league (Detroit) will be on showcase against the worst (Columbus). Both Columbus and Detroit have unimpressive penalty kill numbers, but given how efficient the Red Wing powerplay is, you'd think Detroit has a huge advantage, especially in a league where special teams are so important.
Edge: Detroit

Goaltending:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Osgood is the most overrated goalie in hockey. He was mediocre again this year especially when you consider how good his opponent has been. Columbus's Steve Mason has been a revelation this season. The rookie netminder is the primary reason the Blue Jackets are making their first trip to the playoffs posting earth-shattering 10 shut-outs this season. He will HAVE to be a difference maker in the series.
Edge: Columbus

Verdict:
On paper, there is no way Columbus should win this series. They are a team that is making their first trip to the playoffs, trying to fend off the defending Stanley Cup champions. If Columbus has any designs on winning it will have to come down to two things. (1)- Hitchcock has to make the team believe they can win. (2) Mason HAS to be spectacular. There is little room for error for the young Blue Jackets, unfortunately Detroit is Detroit.
Detroit wins in six games








Offense:
Vancouver not only has better numbers than St Louis in this category, but their players have much more experience in playoff hockey. The Sundin twins should skate circles around the scrappy Blues. The Canucks are just too deep and talented to be outdone here.
Edge: Vancouver

Defense:
It would appear as if both teams have been fairly good defensively as they each rank in the top half in goals against, but a closer look at the numbers shows a bit of a different story. Vancouver has five minus players on their roster, while St.Louis has 19! Now obviously the Blues have had injury problems all season long, but having 19 players with a minus rating does not bode well, especially going into the playoffs.
Edge: Vancouver

Special Teams:
St.Louis has better penalty kill and powerplay numbers than Vancouver.
Edge: St.Louis

Goaltending:
Luongo is the Canucks' x-factor. His big frame, and impressive skill allows him to make timely saves and make Vanouver a victor on most nights. Chris Mason is a young promising goaltender, but walking into a Canadian playoff building can mess with your mind. The pressure will be high on both backstops in this series.

Verdict:
To say that the Blues have been red hot lately would be an understatement. For much of the season they were in the Western conference basement only to shock everyone with a playoff berth. They had points in 9 of their last 10 games and look like a dangerous squad right now. However, since Sundin landed in Vancouver they have been a different team. They look hungry, and will be under a mountain of pressure from their fans. I'm predicting the first major upset of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.
St.Louis wins in 6 games








Offense:
Depth down the middle is Calgary's strength. Just look at these names and the numbers they have put up, Iginla (35 goals), Cammalleri (39 goals), Jokinen (29 goals),Langkow (21 goals). Not bad. The Blackhawks will be led by young Toews, Kane who will be making their first foray into the post season. I was compelled to not give anyone the edge here, but if you look at the season series between the two teams, the numbers are too hard to ignore. Chicago outscored Calgary 19-7 in the four games they played this year.
Edge: Chicago

Defense:
Calgary has a lot of injuries on the blue-line and they are facing the likes of Cambell, Keith and Barker. Additionally, Calgary will be leaning on Aucoin, Phaneuf and Leopold on the back end who are a combined -34. Chicago also managed to rank top 5 in goals against despite platooning goalies.
Edge: Chicago

Special Teams:
Lately, Calgary's powerplay has flamed out going 0 for their last 42 powerplay chances. Chicago boasts one of the best puck moving defenseman in Cambell, who will be able to quarter back their effort. However, Calgary also owns a top 5 penalty kill, so it will depend how many penalties Calgary takes.
Edge: Even

Goaltending:
Khabibulin has been very good this year platooning with Huet in net. Unfortunately Kiprusoff has been inconsistent at stretches this year. If he gets going though, he will be a force to deal with.
Edge: Chicago

Verdict:
Can the young, upstart Blackhawks making their first trip to the postseason in ages beat the experienced talented Flames? Can Kane.Toews carry the Hawks to the second round? Can Joel Quenneville and his "Q-Stache" outcoach the empirical Mike Keenan? Plenty if solid story lines to salivate over.
Chicago wins in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview (Round One)

(1) Boston Bruins VS (8) Montreal Canadiens

Offense:
Boston was an offensive juggernaut this year registering the second most goals in the entire NHL (behind Detroit) with 270 goals. Montreal had a statistically average offensive season scoring 242( good for 13th in the league). Additionally, Boston has nine players that have 15 goals or more with seven of those players having 20 or more. Although Montreal has 7 players with 15 or more goals, they are still not as deep as Boston.
Edge: Boston

Defense:
This is where the series will most likely be decided. No team allowed less goals this season than Boston (fueled largely by Tim Thomas), Montreal was 21st overall. Not good enough. Chara is a Norris trophy worthy defenseman, who often dominates games. If he gets going, it is game over for Montreal.
Edge: Boston

Special Teams:
Boston's powerplay scores 23% of the time, everytime... That's good for a top five power-play. Montreal finished with a powerplay around 19%, good for 13th. On the penaly kill, both teams were statistically even killing off 82% of the oppositions powerplays. However Montreal was shorthanded over 20 more times than Boston. That number breaks the special teams tie.
Edge: Boston

Goaltending:
One of the great stories of the NHL has been the rise of Tim Thomas. Statistically, there was not a better goalie than him this year. He posted a mind boggling .933 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.10. The question for Thomas will be whether he can translate that regular season success into playoff success. For Montreal, Price has been unimpressive and inconsistent. He ended 08-09 with a baneful .909 save percentage, and a GAA in the stratosphere (2.83 GAA). You can blame the inconsistency on his age, but he is still not good enough to win this seven game series.
Edge: Boston

Verdict:
The battle between two original six teams should provide for some provocative story lines, but nothing else. Montreal can win if they get a herculean effort out of Price or Halak, and if they can manage to keep the powerful Boston offense at bay. That's not likely to happen given the instability in Montreal (remember when Gainey fired his coach?) This is no contest, especially when you look at the season series between these two teams... Boston took 5 of 6.
Boston wins in four games

(2) Washington Capitals VS (7) New York Rangers

Offense:
When it comes to who has the edge offensively it's not even close. Washington scored almost 70 more goals in the regular season than New York. The Rangers are the only playoff team that ranks in the bottom 8 offensively. That has to be a huge disappointment considering some of the big names in the city that never sleeps.
Edge: Washington

Defense:
This is where there is a glimmer of hope for New York. They might not score many goals, but they don't give many up either. They ranked top ten in least goals allowed, as opposed to the Capitals who officially #11 for most goals allowed. Washington might have their stud Greene, but New York has pretty good defense.
Edge: New York

Special Teams:
It's a tale of two cities when it comes to power-play production for these two teams. Only Detroit has a better powerplay than Washington, and only Columbus has a worse powerplay than New York. so atleast on the powerplay, Washington has the decided edge. However, New York has the best penalty kill where as the Capitals rank in the bottom half in that category.
Edge: Even

Goaltending:
Despite playing for a good team,Capitals goalie Jose Theodore has been unimpressive this season posting a less than stellar 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage. His counterpart Henrik Lundqvist has been much better than him boasting a .919 save percentage and 2.43 GAA. Barring a miracle from Theodore, Lundqvist outplays him severely.
Edge: New York

Verdict:
A 2 versus 7 matchup should be no contest, Washington should win. That being said the two most important components to winning a playoff series are special teams and goaltending. No one really has the edge on special teams, and New York has a much better goalie than Washington. So in the end, the fate of the Capitals rests on the shoulders on superstar Alex Ovechkin. If he can carry his team, then they will win, but New York will give them fits.
Washington wins in seven games.

(3) New Jersey Devils VS (6) Carolina Hurricanes

Offense:
These two teams are close when it comes to offense. How close? New Jersey only scored two more goals in the regular season than Carolina. Both teams are fairly even when it comes to talent down the middle.
Edge: Even

Defense:
Again, it's very close. Both teams are top ten in least goals allowed, despite having defensemen that aren't well known.
Edge: Even

Special teams:
Stop me if you have heard this before... It's very close. Both teams rank somewhere around midpack when it comes to powerplay and penalty kill, with no one really having a huge edge.
Edge: Even

Goaltending.
If you ask any GM in the NHL who they would pick to be in goal for their team for a playoff series I guarantee you they would pick Brodeur. He is like Pizza Hut, he delivers. He alone has the ability to completelly steal a series, that is something you cannot say about any other goalie besides maybe Lundqvist. This season he has again been very good, and he will be well rested, which is a scary thought. Statistically these two goalies are dead even. Both Brodeur and Ward have a .916 save percentage and the goals against average only varies by .03. But Brodeur is Brodeur, and he's healthy and well rested.
Edge: New Jersey (Barely)

Verdict:
Picking who is going to win this series is more difficult than trying to open a CD (am I right or what?) I can envision every game going to 2 or 3 overtimes. In the season series, Carolina had the edge winning three of four, but looking at the goal differential it looks like they barely won those three. Carolina has been hot lately winning 8 of their last 10, but I think home ice, and having Brodeur is the tie breaker.
New Jersey wins in seven games.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins VS (5)Philadelphia Flyers

Offense:
This looks to be another close series like the Devils Canes duel. Both teams have scored about the same amount of goals, and have talented forwards. However you cannot ignore the fact that Pittsburgh has been scoring at a torrid pace lately. Since mid March Pittsburgh has scored six goals in a single game five times! The Flyers have not been bad either, but a hot scoring touch + Malkin and Crosby give Pittsburgh a slight edge.
Edge: Pittsburgh

Defense:
Just one goal seperates these two teams in the goals against column, so it is very close. The Penguins outsize the Flyers on the back end though.
Edge: Pittsburgh

Special Teams:
The Flyers have a better powerplay and penalty kill than the Penguins, and quicker defense to move the puck around. Philadelphia has to make sure they don't let Malkin and Crosby run them over on the powerplay.
Edge: Philadelphia

Goaltending:
Neither of these goalies have been spectacular this season. Biron and Fleury have been pedestrian at best, but Fleury did make it to the cup finals last year.
Edge: Even

Verdict:
This should be the best of any of the playoff series. Two hated in-state rivals duking it out to advance to the next round. Keep Crosby and Malkin in check, and Philly wins... but if not the march of the Penguins will move to the second round of the playoffs.
Pittsburgh wins in seven games.