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Saturday, May 12, 2007
10:13:00 AM EDT
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10:13:00 AM EDT
Red Wings - Ducks Preview
http://fyisportsfans.com/redwingsduckspreview.htm
For the Ducks, this is nothing new to them. 2003, first-round, overtime. That three-overtime game eventually led to a first-round upset over the defending champion Red Wings, and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. They're there again, but now it's slightly different.
This year, the Anaheim Ducks take on the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. Although the Wings are the number-one seed, the Ducks are favored by most people to win this series.
Also different is the coaching. In 2003, Mike Babcock led that Ducks, well Mighty Ducks then, team to victory over Detroit. Now, he is coaching the Red Wings.
This series should be a fantastic one. You could call it the Battle of the Defenses, as opposed to the Battle of the Goaltenders over in the Ottawa-Buffalo series, but the goaltenders may decide the outcome of this series.
The Red Wings have a superb goalie in Dominik Hasek. The 42-year-old has been stellar when the Wings have needed him to be. For Anaheim, they are led by Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere has also been awesome, and has played a big part in the Ducks 8-2 record this postseason.
--- --- ---
Whatever way you look at it, the defense in this series will be great. Perhaps the three best defenseman in the past decade are on these teams. The Ducks have Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. The Wings have Nicklas Lidstrom. Also on the Wings is ageless wonder Chris Chelios. Pronger and Niedermayer (along with fellow Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin) have logged the most minutes out of the remaining D men, with Pronger racking up 31:13 a night, and Niedermayer logging 29:45.
Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle uses this strategy when playing the dynamic duo: Pronger "is a totally different player from Scotty Niedermayer from the standpoint that he uses his size and range and his stick very effectively, where Scotty is a guy that he uses his skating ability," Carlyle said. "And what we try to do … is try to at least have those players on for at least 50-55 minutes a night combined ice times; that means only five or six minutes that has to be shared with one of them not on the ice."
Lidstrom and Chelios just keep on chugging. Even without Mathieu Schneider, who broke his wrist in Game 5 against the Sharks, Lidstrom is playing an incredible amount of time (29:15). Along with Chelios, they are playing great defense for the Wings. I still think Lidstrom's sprawling goal-saving save on San Jose's Mike Grier in Game 6 has been the best defensive play of the playoffs. Brett Lebda is back after a concussion, which should help take the load off of the captain and Chris, but expect Chelios and Lidstrom to put up an incredible amount of TOI.
The one problem Anaheim has is penalties. The Ducks have been short-handed a total 53 times in their 10 playoff games. Although their penalty-kill is No. 1 in the postseason, they still don't want to have to kill penalties against Detroit's power play, which is a patient, take-their-time power play unit.
The Red Wings need to take advantage of those power play opportunities in order to be successful. I believe they will do that. It all starts with Tomas Holmstrom, the league's best get-under-your-skin player. Although the Wings will be missing Schneider's rocket shot from the point. Well, it looks like Chris Chelios will have to contribute on the power play again! (If you don't know, Chris has been begging Babcock to let him play on the man advantage).
If the Ducks want to win, they need to take advantage of the absence of Detroit's defensive players. And J.S. Giguere has to be playing like he has been.
If the Wings want to win, they need to attack Pronger and Niedermayer relentlessly, and hold their own defensively.
Ultimately, I think this series will come down to goaltending, where I think Detroit has the edge. Detroit in seven.
This year, the Anaheim Ducks take on the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. Although the Wings are the number-one seed, the Ducks are favored by most people to win this series.
Also different is the coaching. In 2003, Mike Babcock led that Ducks, well Mighty Ducks then, team to victory over Detroit. Now, he is coaching the Red Wings.
This series should be a fantastic one. You could call it the Battle of the Defenses, as opposed to the Battle of the Goaltenders over in the Ottawa-Buffalo series, but the goaltenders may decide the outcome of this series.
The Red Wings have a superb goalie in Dominik Hasek. The 42-year-old has been stellar when the Wings have needed him to be. For Anaheim, they are led by Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere has also been awesome, and has played a big part in the Ducks 8-2 record this postseason.
--- --- ---
Whatever way you look at it, the defense in this series will be great. Perhaps the three best defenseman in the past decade are on these teams. The Ducks have Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. The Wings have Nicklas Lidstrom. Also on the Wings is ageless wonder Chris Chelios. Pronger and Niedermayer (along with fellow Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin) have logged the most minutes out of the remaining D men, with Pronger racking up 31:13 a night, and Niedermayer logging 29:45.
Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle uses this strategy when playing the dynamic duo: Pronger "is a totally different player from Scotty Niedermayer from the standpoint that he uses his size and range and his stick very effectively, where Scotty is a guy that he uses his skating ability," Carlyle said. "And what we try to do … is try to at least have those players on for at least 50-55 minutes a night combined ice times; that means only five or six minutes that has to be shared with one of them not on the ice."
Lidstrom and Chelios just keep on chugging. Even without Mathieu Schneider, who broke his wrist in Game 5 against the Sharks, Lidstrom is playing an incredible amount of time (29:15). Along with Chelios, they are playing great defense for the Wings. I still think Lidstrom's sprawling goal-saving save on San Jose's Mike Grier in Game 6 has been the best defensive play of the playoffs. Brett Lebda is back after a concussion, which should help take the load off of the captain and Chris, but expect Chelios and Lidstrom to put up an incredible amount of TOI.
The one problem Anaheim has is penalties. The Ducks have been short-handed a total 53 times in their 10 playoff games. Although their penalty-kill is No. 1 in the postseason, they still don't want to have to kill penalties against Detroit's power play, which is a patient, take-their-time power play unit.
The Red Wings need to take advantage of those power play opportunities in order to be successful. I believe they will do that. It all starts with Tomas Holmstrom, the league's best get-under-your-skin player. Although the Wings will be missing Schneider's rocket shot from the point. Well, it looks like Chris Chelios will have to contribute on the power play again! (If you don't know, Chris has been begging Babcock to let him play on the man advantage).
If the Ducks want to win, they need to take advantage of the absence of Detroit's defensive players. And J.S. Giguere has to be playing like he has been.
If the Wings want to win, they need to attack Pronger and Niedermayer relentlessly, and hold their own defensively.
Ultimately, I think this series will come down to goaltending, where I think Detroit has the edge. Detroit in seven.
Written by redwingsnut93 Blog about this entry |
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6/18/07 3:16 PM
long time no talk. sorry about being so long but i've been really busy with my knee surgeries and everything. i have a new AIM, it's deeregirl326
hope to talk to you guys soon. hope everythings going good.
vanessa