Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


Chicago vs. Vancouver

The Blackhawks' last game against the Canucks featured a third-period brawl that had everything from WWE-style body slams to hair pulling. Clearly they won't have to wait for the hatred to build when their second-round playoff series starts Thursday night in Vancouver.

Physical play will be nothing new for the young Blackhawks, who saw plenty of intimidation attempts from the more experienced but injury-riddled Calgary in the first round. The Canucks will have to continue the intense, hard-nosed style that marked their four-game sweep of St. Louis in the first round to get by the youthful Hawks. They need to stop taking as many penalties as in the prior round, although Vancouver did killed off 23 of 24 of those.

Chicago's youth will come through to beat Vancouver in 7 games.

Detroit vs. Anaheim

The Ducks used the same formula they used in winning the 2007 Stanley Cup -- clutch goaltending, timely scoring and one of the deepest blue lines in flawless fashion to neutralize the top threats from the Sharks. With the Shark series in the rear view mirror, the Ducks must find a way to neutralize the defending Cup champion, a team that seems to be hitting its stride. The Wings dispatched a game Columbus Blue Jackets club in the first round with a champion-like display of overall team hockey and good goaltending from Chris Osgood, who had a pedestrian regular season.

Detriot has an assortment of perennial All-Stars and NHL award winners. Their coach has led the team to four straight 50-plus win seasons, they can play a speed game or exhibit some muscle in the trenches, and they are the defending Stanley Cup champion.

Even with the great defensive hockey that the Ducks play, Detroit will be too much to handle and will win the series in 5.


Washington vs. Pittsburgh

This is the matchup NHL fans has been waiting for all season. This series brings together the NHL's top three scorers during the regular season -- Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, plus two of the three Hart Trophy finalists in Malkin and Ovechkin. Now factor in some harsh words between Crosby and Ovechkin during the regular season and this series becomes must-see TV. What I think the real story of this series will become is goaltending.

After Jose Theodore allowed four goals in Game 1 against the Rangers, a 20-year-old rookie from Russia named Simeon Varlamov was called upon in Game 2. He wound up winning four games for the Caps, including two shutouts, and limited the Rangers to just seven goals in six games. He turned 21 Monday -- he looks it -- but he doesn't play like it.

Marc-Andre Fleury stole Game 4 with a 45-save effort and kept the Penguins in Game 6 once the team fell into a 3-0 hole. He wasn't spectacular, but he gives his teammates the confidence that he'll make all the important plays.

Varlamov's young skills won't be enough to stop the extremely deep offensive Pens after 6 games.


Boston vs Carolina series preview coming soon...