Western Quarterfinals Breakdown
Yesterday I broke down the Eastern playoffs, so today is time for the West. This is the more competitive division, so look for more upsets here.
1) Red Wings vs 8) Flames
Season Series: Tied 2-2
Detroit is the top seed in the west and has won the Central division … so what else is new?
Can they capitalize on this to move on to the second round? They might be in trouble because Calgary is one of the better teams out there. With Jarome Iginla running their offense, they might be able to take anything that the Wings can dish out. But at the end of the day, the Wings will move on.
My pick: Red Wings in 6
2) Ducks vs 7) Wild
Season Series: Tied 2-2 (1 Shootout)
The Wild are good, there’s no question about it. But this is the Ducks’ series to win. At the end of the day, their lines are put together better than just about any other team. Forget that the season series was tied, this one ends in 5.
My pick: Ducks in 5
3) Canucks vs 6) Stars
Season Series: Tied 2-2 (1 Shootout)
Are you seeing a trend with these season series? You should.
Here’s an interesting side note for this one. The final score for all 4 games was 2-1, and the home team won them all. That’s where the Canucks will get their advantage. But I don’t think it will be enough. Dallas will win one in Vancouver and take the series.
My pick: Dallas in 7
4) Predators vs 5) Sharks
Season Series: Nashville 3-1 (1 Shootout)
This was the only season series that wasn’t tied. But the two teams have almost identical records (Nashville 51-23-8, San Jose 51-26-5) In my mind, this series comes down to a battle of two players: Paul Kariya and Joe Thornton. Kariya will win it.
My pick: Nashville in 6
As an aside, I watched the first two episodes of “Thank God You’re Here” the other day. Episode 1 — David Allen Grier is very gray
Episode 2 — His hair is black
I understand wanting him to look younger, but they could have spaced it a bit better.
Technorati Tags: NHL, Hockey, Playoffs, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames

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