Red Wings' captain Nicklas Lidstrom is looking to lead the Wings to another Cup.

Series Overview

Number One versus Number Two.  Who would have thought?  Despite the high seedings of the Ducks and Red Wings, it was a matchup almost no one predicted when the playoffs began.  Now that it’s happening, how will the two stack up against each other?

Why Detroit Should Win The Series

This year’s Red Wings might have been the most underrated #1 seed in NHL history, judging by the pundits’ predictions.  The Wings have played well despite much criticism through the season and despite pressing questions entering the playoffs.  Too slow, they said.  Too old.  Play in a weak division.  Not enough forward depth.  Not enough defensive depth.  Injury-prone.  Not tough enough.  Not enough character players.  The list goes on.  The one thing no one has claimed is that the Wings don’t have enough experience.  Because when it comes to the playoffs, the Red Wings are proving once again that Detroit really is Hockeytown.  Among starters, Detroit boasts 20 Stanley Cup rings, and that number could easily bump to 40 if things keep rolling along the way they’ve been for the Wings in these playoffs.  After beating the Flames in Round One to throw the playoff monkey off their backs, Detroit dispatched San Jose in six games in Round Two to beat the monkey to a pulp. 

No one, and I mean no one, picked the top-seeded Wings to escape their second round date with the Sharks.  San Jose was the younger, faster, bigger and hungrier team, and they played like it through the first 3.95 games.  Robert Lang’s tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation in Game Four was the indisputable turning point in the series, as Detroit cruised to an overtime victory and then never looked back, winning Games Five and Six in impressive fashion.  Tomas Holmstrom’s return in Game Four helped spark the Wings’ offence, and the Holmstrom-Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg line once again became a dominant force.  Role players Dan Cleary and Johan Franzen continued their strong contributions into the second round, along with seasoned playoff veterans Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, who were effective in shutting down San Jose’s offence, particularly big guns Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. 

Despite defencemen dropping like flies (Niklas Kronwall, Mathieu Schneider, Brett Lebda) to injury, Detroit has still played well in front of goaltender Dominik Hasek, who never faced more than 30 shots in a game against the Sharks.  Despite the publicity of Anaheim’s towering duo on defence, Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom has once again made his presence felt, and he leads all defencemen in scoring in this year’s playoffs in what should be his fifth Norris Trophy-winning campaign.  Lidstrom preserved a valuable 1-0 lead early in Game Six with a diving stick save to bail out a wandering Hasek, and the Red Wings will certainly count on him against Anaheim, especially with the loss of Schneider to a broken wrist.

Why Detroit Should Be Afraid

Although Detroit played well without him in Game Six, it remains to be seen

Chris Chelios celebrates the Wings win over San Jose

what effect Schneider’s absence will have in the next round.  Lebda’s return should help a little, but he won’t replace Schneider’s offensive output.  Chances are Lidstrom will be given more responsibility (if that’s possible), and veterans Chris Chelios and Andreas Lilja will be counted on to keep up their solid physical play in the defensive zone.  On the powerplay, Game Six hero Mikael Samuelsson on the point will most likely join Lidstrom for the number one unit. 

Deadline acquisition Todd Bertuzzi showed signs of picking up his physical play in the second round, but his offensive output was limited to just one assist.  During Holmstrom’s absence, Bertuzzi found himself parked in front of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov on the powerplay, but he must show more of a willingness to drive to the net to create scoring chances, especially on odd-man rushes.  Another late-season pickup, Kyle Calder, failed to find the scoresheet against San Jose and found his ice time dramatically reduced in favor of rookie Valterri Filppula.  Both Bertuzzi and Calder must return to form for Detroit. 

Although Hasek has been solid in these playoffs, the defence in front of him has kept most of the scoring chances he’s seen to a minimum.  Although Anaheim’s offence is not overpowering, it does have some punch and Hasek should see more of a test.

Why Anaheim Should Win The Series

The Ducks have shown almost no holes yet in the playoffs, and are quite possibly the best team no one’s been talking about.  Anaheim quickly dispatched the Minnesota Wild in the first round in five games, and then did the same in another short series against the Vancouver Canucks and the league’s hottest goaltender, Roberto Luongo.  Anaheim boasts its own contending force in net with 2003 Conn Smythe winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere leading all playoff goalies with a spectacular 1.28 GAA and .952 SV% thus far.  However, like his counterpart in Detroit, Giguere hasn’t had to face many shots (with the exception of a 47-save performance in a double-overtime Game Two) with his teammates severely limiting the opposition’s chances.  Coach Randy Carlyle makes sure he has either Chris Pronger or Scott Neidermayer (the league’s other two Norris candidates) on the ice at all times, and Francois Beauchemin doesn’t make for a shabby third defenceman either.  Sean O’Donnell, Pronger’s regular defence partner, has had a very underrated season playing in the shadow of his more popular teammates.  O’Donnell has good size and toughness and is an integral part of Anaheim’s defensive solidarity.

In addition to a strong blueline, the Ducks also have one of the best shut-down

Pahlsson received pressure from Sedin

checking lines in the league with Selke Trophy candidate Samuel Pahlsson leading the way along with Rob Neidermayer and Travis Moen, something that San Jose lacked against Detroit’s top scorers in Round Two.  Pahlsson & Co. will likely stick to the Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Zetterberg line like white on rice, as will Pronger and/or Neidermayer.  Although Detroit has gotten secondary scoring from unlikely places so far, the Ducks’ ability to neutralize the Red Wings’ top guns will be huge in this series, as it was against Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra in the first round, and Henrik and Daniel Sedin in the second round.  

Despite all the attention paid to the Ducks’ defence, this team can also score.  Anaheim is primarily a three-line team, with a checking line and two high-octane scoring lines with Teemu Selanne, Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz on the first unit and young guns Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Dustin Penner lighting up the second unit.  Selanne, at 37, is enjoying his best season in a decade, and the “PPG” line has shown an immense amount of maturity in this year’s playoff, registering four of the team’s eight game-winning goals so far in the postseason.  Detroit’s tight-checking, defensive style of play is nothing new for Anaheim, who stormed through two of the league’s most defensive teams en route to their second straight Conference Final.

Why Anaheim Should Be Afraid

Although the Ducks have the ability and firepower to score a lot of goals, they have not shown it yet.  Selanne is being outscored by Pahlsson, and Anaheim has scored more than three goals in a game just twice in these playoffs (one included two empty-net goals).  Although Detroit’s offence hasn’t been much better, it showed signs of life late in the San Jose series and will be carrying momentum into the Conference Final after two sound victories in Games Five and Six. 

The Ducks also will have had more than a week off once the puck is dropped for Game One on Friday, a lengthy delay during the playoffs.  Carlyle and his Ducks must make sure they are fresh and shake off any rust early to avoid an early deficit.  Detroit, on the other hand, will open Game One at Joe Louis Arena having had an appropriate three days’ rest.  The Red Wings’ ability to roll four successful lines versus Anaheim’s three may also balance out the age difference between the two teams in terms of fresh legs, especially if players like Bertuzzi and Calder get going offensively and Cleary and Franzen can continue to provide timely goals. 

After exorcising past demons by advancing past the second round for the first time since 2002, and beating their 2004 dispatchers in the Calgary Flames along the way, the Wings will have the revenge factor on their side as well, with several key players remaining from their 2003 sweep at the hands of the then “Mighty” Ducks.  Detroit head coach Mike Babcock was also behind the bench for Anaheim in that series, and may have a better idea on how to rattle the confidence of Giguere, who has been shaky at times in the past, especially against puck-possession teams when forced to move laterally.  Detroit will aim to spread out the powerplay more against Anaheim and get Giguere closely acquainted with Holmstrom’s backside.

Useless Random But Interesting Playoff Fact

Much to the delight of the gray haired spectator, Pronger and Linden square off

There will be a total of 10 combined Norris Trophies in the Detroit-Anaheim series, the most ever for a playoff round. For Detroit, Lidstrom has four and Chelios has three, while Anaheim’s Pronger and Neidermayer each have one, along with one for Anaheim’s head coach Carlyle, who won the award back in 1980-81 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The only other time it would have been done was in 1978-79 during the quarterfinal matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Islanders.  The Islanders’ Denis Potvin had won two of his three Norris Trophies, and Chicago had Bobby Orr, owner of eight of his own, under contract.  Unfortunately, knee injuries forced Orr to retire after just six games with the Blackhawks that year, and he subsequently did not play in the series.

My Pick

Possibly the toughest series to call in these playoffs to this point, the difference will inevitably come down to defence.  The way it’s gone so far, Anaheim’s has shown fewer holes (and injuries) than Detroit’s, and on that basis we will once again pick against the top seeded Red Wings.  Ducks in seven.

Eastern Conference Finals

Have a question or comment for Mike? Send it to mikestechschulte@sportsgrumblings.com.