Scores as of 4/17                    

Jason Bedard

 

Western Conference

 

            As the second week of the NHL playoffs come to an end, it is obvious who is staying and who is going home and some teams are right in the middle.

            All series in the Western Conference are close 3-2, 2-2, 2-2 and 2-1 no team is safe yet.   I will start with the incredibly odd Detroit vs. Nashville series.  I am disappointed in my Detroit Red Wings with the fact that they have the best record and team in the NHL but they can’t beat the eight seeded Nashville Predators.  They began the series like everyone expected Detroit took a quick lead in the series 2-0.  Then the Preds shocked the hockey world and have battled back to tie the series 2-2.  Detroit have made a very wise goaltending change replacing the legend Dominik Hasek who seems fatigued with too many games with the young and fresh Chris Osgood.  The Wings need to get there act together and realize they are tied with the Nashville Predators and shut them down.  Another tied series in the Western Conference is the San Jose Sharks vs. Calgary Flames.  The Sharks have had a surprising year with a second place finish, but need to keep up that intensity in order to advance.  Calgary has the advantage because the Sharks have all the pressured being the second seeded team, the Flames need to use that in their favor and capitalize on their careless mistakes.  The Avalanche vs. Wild is another exciting series in the Western Conference.  The Avalanche has a big advantage in my opinion because they have been in the playoffs many times before and are used to this.  The Wild doesn’t have the experience like the Avs but they certainly have the skill to beat the Avs, but Colorado does have the lead and I don’t know if they can come back.  Another great series to watch is Dallas vs. Anaheim.  The Stars currently lead the series 2-1, but it is any team’s series.  The Stars came out with a commanding 2-0 lead in the series but the Ducks have battled back into it with a victory of their own.  For the Ducks to stay in this series they need to tighten up their defense.  The Stars found a way to put the puck in the net in games one and two and will find it again if Anaheim doesn’t keep it up on defense.       

            At the end of the second week of the NHL playoffs my predictions have slightly changed.  In the Detroit vs. Nashville series my decision becomes harder with the tied series, but I still choose the Wings to advance. The Wings will clean up there act and win the next two games and try to recover for the semifinals.  Next match-up is the San Jose Sharks vs. Calgary Flames.  San Jose comes out on top by the end of this series.  The Sharks know what they have to do and watching the last game I think the Flames have nothing left in the tank.  My beloved Colorado Avalanche vs. the annoying Minnesota Wild.  The Avs aren’t out of the woods yet, they need to win the next game or else they are in big trouble going into game 7 after a loss.  Obviously to win this series and move on in the playoffs the Wild must win their next two games.  The last series of the Western Conference is the Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars.  The result of this series is Anaheim moves on to the next round, which would be an upset.  The Stars are done, and Anaheim has to recognize that and finish them off.  The second week is over and the 2008 playoffs are just getting started.