Western Conference:
Sharks [1] vs [8] Avalanche
If I asked at the end of last season, who would have thought that come April, the Avalanche would be playing their 83rd game of the season? Pretty much no one. But believe it or not, they are. The young, fast Avalanche team has surprised everyone this season, and have proved they can compete with the best. 2-2-0 versus the Sharks this year, they’ve proven they can beat the top seeded team in the West. And we all know how well the Sharks do come April… But maybe this is San Jose’s year to turn things around: Marleau is having a career year, the addition of Heatley has made them a very scary team to play because they can light the lamp, and they have tons of depth… They could easily win the Cup. Colorado has 15 players who have never played a post-season game, and this isn’t the same Sharks team as in the past. However, being an Avalanche fan, I say not to discard them from contention. They are a surprising team who ran out of gas near the end of the year; the playoffs could bring a boost to their game. Craig Anderson got nearly a week off and is ready to go. And like he has been all year, he could be the difference maker for Colorado.
My Prediciton: Avalanche in 6.
Blackhawks [2] vs [7] Predators
Nashville is 2-4-0 against Chicago this year, and I have a feeling their playoff series will be on the same page. While the Blackhawks won’t have the greatest goaltending, they make up for it easily in the amount of skill they have on both offence and defence. Nashville is outmatched, and it would take nothing short of a miracle to derail the Hawks.
My Prediction: Blackhawks in 5.
Canucks [3] vs [6] Kings
3-1-0 against the Kings this season, Vancouver gains the upper hand in this series. Henrik Sedin is coming off of an Art Ross winning season, and obviously Daniel Sedin is just as skilled, and Roberto Luongo is undoubtedly one of the best goalies in the NHL. Los Angeles is another young team, and if last year’s playoffs are any indication of what the Canucks can do to a young team (St. Louis Blues, 4-0 sweep), I don’t think the Kings can pull off a win. However, it will be a hard fought series, and should be interesting to watch.
My Prediction: Canucks in 6.
Coyotes [4] vs [5] Red Wings
And perhaps a bigger surprise than the Colorado Avalanche, enter the Phoenix Coyotes. A team doomed at the start of the year by bankruptcy, they managed to turn things around nicely (a little too nicely for an NHL-owned team if you ask me…). They have an amazing goaltender, some nice scoring up front from a couple of deadline acquisitions, and some experience on the backend. One of the more balanced teams in the Playoffs, they have what it takes to go on a serious run. However, they face one gigantic obstacle: the red-hot Red Wings. While the teams split their season series, the Red Wings are one of the better teams in the NHL. Starting a better portion of the season off on the wrong foot, Detroit turned things around 180 degrees when their stars got healthy. They finished off the season with 102 points, and could have easily won the Conference (and the President’s Trophy) under the right circumstances. No matter which way it goes, this is going to be one hell of a series to watch.
My Predicition: Red Wings in 7.



