Ann 22008 NHL Playoffs - Western Conference Finals: Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars Game 1 Preview
May 8th 2008 20:44
It's been only four days since Round 2 has ended and yet it feels like two weeks have gone by. Tonight, the Western Conference Finals will start, opposing two teams with very different paths.
The Detroit Red Wings were the first team in the league to qualify for the playoffs, finishing the season with 115 points. They won their conference (second-place San Jose Sharks had 108 points) and their division, leaving the competition in the dust. The first-round wasn't easy as the Nashville Predators gave them a fair amount of trouble, forcing coach Mike Babcock to go with the back-up goaltender Chris Osgood for the two final games instead of regular starter Dominik Hasek. Detroit won the series 4-2. The second round was a whole lot easier as the Wings swept the Colorado Avalanche 4-0. The Wings scored at least four goals in all four games including an 8-2 drubbing of the Avs at Colorado's Pepsi Center. Chris Osgood has become the Wings' starting goalie with a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.52 and save percentage of .937. Those numbers put him at the top of this year's playoffs' goaltenders in the GAA category.
The Dallas Stars are the surprise team of this year. They finished fifth in the Western Conference, third in their division, and no one gave them a chance of advancing past the first round as their opponents were the Stanley Cup defending champions, the Ducks of Anaheim. They won the first round 4-2, taking away Anaheim's home-ice advantage with two wins (one shutout) at the Honda Center. The second round was a little more difficult with five games finishing with a one-goal difference including four overtimes. Game 6 became the 8th longest match in NHL history after going to four overtime periods. They have a solid goaltender in Marty Turco who was impressive in the second round. Marty is second among goaltenders in the playoffs with a GAA of 1.73 and a save percentage of .929.
Both teams have a great offense with a slight edge going to the Wings. Johan Franzen, a 27-goal scorer in the regular season, has become a real force in the playoffs with 11 goals (playoffs leader) including 4 game-winning goals. The Wings are probably the only team in the West with a slightly Eastern-style of play. They rely heavily on puck possession and can keep it for long periods of time. This was clearly evident in a game against Montreal in which the Wings won 4-1. The Habs barely touched the puck during that night. They're great at handling the puck, not hesitating to play it back to the D to build a play. They're also big and strong, and not afraid to score garbage goals (especially Franzen). The Dallas also have great forwards such as Modano, Ribeiro and Brad Richards. But their weapon of choice is the powerplay. Indeed, they have the second-best powerplay in the playoffs with a 25% rate of success. That's 1 in 4. Amazing.
The Detroit Red Wings were the first team in the league to qualify for the playoffs, finishing the season with 115 points. They won their conference (second-place San Jose Sharks had 108 points) and their division, leaving the competition in the dust. The first-round wasn't easy as the Nashville Predators gave them a fair amount of trouble, forcing coach Mike Babcock to go with the back-up goaltender Chris Osgood for the two final games instead of regular starter Dominik Hasek. Detroit won the series 4-2. The second round was a whole lot easier as the Wings swept the Colorado Avalanche 4-0. The Wings scored at least four goals in all four games including an 8-2 drubbing of the Avs at Colorado's Pepsi Center. Chris Osgood has become the Wings' starting goalie with a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.52 and save percentage of .937. Those numbers put him at the top of this year's playoffs' goaltenders in the GAA category.
The Dallas Stars are the surprise team of this year. They finished fifth in the Western Conference, third in their division, and no one gave them a chance of advancing past the first round as their opponents were the Stanley Cup defending champions, the Ducks of Anaheim. They won the first round 4-2, taking away Anaheim's home-ice advantage with two wins (one shutout) at the Honda Center. The second round was a little more difficult with five games finishing with a one-goal difference including four overtimes. Game 6 became the 8th longest match in NHL history after going to four overtime periods. They have a solid goaltender in Marty Turco who was impressive in the second round. Marty is second among goaltenders in the playoffs with a GAA of 1.73 and a save percentage of .929.
Both teams have a great offense with a slight edge going to the Wings. Johan Franzen, a 27-goal scorer in the regular season, has become a real force in the playoffs with 11 goals (playoffs leader) including 4 game-winning goals. The Wings are probably the only team in the West with a slightly Eastern-style of play. They rely heavily on puck possession and can keep it for long periods of time. This was clearly evident in a game against Montreal in which the Wings won 4-1. The Habs barely touched the puck during that night. They're great at handling the puck, not hesitating to play it back to the D to build a play. They're also big and strong, and not afraid to score garbage goals (especially Franzen). The Dallas also have great forwards such as Modano, Ribeiro and Brad Richards. But their weapon of choice is the powerplay. Indeed, they have the second-best powerplay in the playoffs with a 25% rate of success. That's 1 in 4. Amazing.
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