It's that time of year when we all wait for another Stanley Cup run by the
Detroit Red Wings. For the Red Wings this year looks like they have the
number 2 seed wrapped up which is huge to avoid playing the Avalanche until
the conference finals. Right now the Wings would be playing the Vancouver
Canucks which is the ideal matchup for the Wings. Vancouver has little
goaltending with Dan Cloutier in net. The Wings are 3-0-1 against Vancouver
this year and the Canucks scare no one right now. They have scoring in the
Sedin twins and there coach Marc Crawford knows how to coach but they are to
young and have little playoff experience. Another factor is that Markus
Naslund who is the Canucks captain is out for the year. I would look for the
Wings to sweep Vancouver if they were to play in the playoffs. The team the
Wings were trying to avoid by finishing 2nd are the San Jose Sharks but, the
Sharks have slipped and it's a real possibility that the Wings may face them.
Even though they have slipped they are a threat and can beat the Wings. They
have scoring in Teemu Selanne and Owen Nolan. Goaltending, they have it but
its not playoff tested Evgeni Nabokov is the goalie but no playoff experience
erases what you did in the regular season. The playoffs matter the most. I
see the Wings beating the sharks in 6 games. The team that can upset anyone
is the Edmonton Oilers no team wants to face them. They are very fast, young
and have great goaltending in Tommy Salo. Scoring in Ryan Smyth, Anson
Carter, and Doug Weight. The Blues are scared because the Oilers goaltending
situation is way better than the Blues, and right now the Blues would face
the Oilers. The Oilers can beat the Blues in 6, Give the Avalanche a hard
fought 7 game series and can upset the Wings in 7. If they do upset their
first round opponent you want to face the Oilers in round 2 because they
would use so much energy to pull off the upset they would have no gas left to
pull off an upset a second time. The Dallas Stars are the team all Wings fans
want to play the Avs the Stars would wear out the Avs and leave the Wings to
finish them off the Wings can beat the Stars in 6 games. A Phoenix Coyotes
1st round matchup would the easiest for the Wings and the Wings would most
likely sweep Phoenix but the Coyotes getting the 7th spot is not their goal
but, there goal is keeping the LA Kings in the 9th spot but Wings fans want
the LA Kings to finish 8th as they can upset the AVS,give them a hard fought
7 game series,and were down Colorado. They want to prove they didn't need Rob
Blake to make it to the playoffs. The Wings only consider the Avalanche a
real threat and the team that is well rested should these teams meet in the
conference finals will win the series that's why you want the Wings to play
Vancouver in the first round.