Western Conference Preview

Hello my friends, tis I, the Beard(less) Fellow. I am indeed clean shaven, but that's because it's time to shave and grow a new beard for the playoffs. It's been far too long since I've posted, but those are details not meant to be expanded upon in this post.

You know you all want to know my take on the playoffs, so let's do this, who's going to win it all? Who's going down in flames? And who will grow the fiercest beard?

Let's start in the West, because that's the conference that shall yield the Stanley Cup Champion: Yeah I said it, deal with it.

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver in 5
Vancouver has been the best team and most consistent team in the NHL all year long. The powerplay is the definition of damn near perfect. Chicago will not be able to stop the Canucks powerplay. They lost much of their core from last year, so this is a much different team, also factor in a rookie goalie, and you're looking at a quick and quiet exit from the defending champs.
Matchup to watch: Sedin twins vs Seabrook and Keith
During the Wings game this pairing was on the ice for almost every one of Datsyuk's shift. Expect the same treatment.

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angelas Kings: Sharks in 6
This was a tough series to call. I could easily see the Sharks dropping to the Kings. But I believe the Sharks take one in LA and win all three at home. Should be a good series though. The difference is Anze Kopitar, or lack there of. Without him, the Kings will fight, but ultimately not advance.
Key Matchup: Drew Doughty pairing or Jack Johnson pairing vs Thornton line
Doughty and Johnson are both talented young defensemen, which ever pairing goes against Jumbo Joe's line will be tested all series long. If they stop that line, they can stop the sharks. (Key is stop the LINE, not just Jumbo.)

Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators: Predators in 7
4-5 match-ups are always interesting. This series is one I will be watching closely. Both teams are tough, physical teams and are always tough outs for their playoff opponents. The Ducks have been red hot lately, and will come out hot in this series. I want to pick the Ducks, but when I looked at the teams, there's one big difference between them: Goaltending. Pekka Rinne is far superior to Jonas Hiller. Won't be shocked if the Ducks win, but I have to take the team with the better goalie.
Key Matchup: Pekka Rinne vs Jonas Hiller
Hiller has shown some signs of brilliance (Switzerland vs Canada) but is overal, inconsistent and an average goalie. Rinne is one of those guys that can stand on his head and steal a game or two, or even a series. This series will be decided by which goalie plays better.

And the only series you guys really care about...

Detroit Red Wings vs Phoenix Coyotes: Wings in 5
Last year these teams met in a thrilling 7 game series in which the Wings won. Now we have a rematch, and this time Detroit has home ice. All match-ups in today's NHL are relatively even, and that goes for this one too... However having said that, Detroit is the deepest team in the NHL, in my humble opinion... Sure they've struggled lately, but this is the time that we get things together. Hank being out hurts, but we can survive without Hank for a couple of games, but Kronwall is back which will help sure up the blue-line, which has been sloppy to end the season. Call me a homer if you must, but I do believe that Detroit is going to hit their stride and make a deep run. It starts with this series, and I believe Detroit is a better team in almost every key area than the Coyotes.
Key Matchup: Red Wings powerplay vs Ilya Bryzgalov
The Red Wings have this nasty habit of running into a hot goaltender in the playoffs. The key to this series will be Detroit's ability to get goals on the man advantage. If they don't have a successful powerplay against Phoenix and Bryzgalov starts making big saves, it could spark the Coyotes and propel them to a few wins.