Sizing Up the Red Wings' First Round Opponent, Whoever It May Be

Any way you slice it, the Wings will have a tough first round opponent.

After an overtime victory last night against St. Louis, the Nashville Predators moved into the eighth seed in the West, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.

With only two games remaining for Calgary, Nashville, and Vancouver, the Wings should know soon enough who their opening round dance partner will be.

Each team brings a different dynamic to the rink, but all present a challenge that will either push Detroit to new heights or send them home with devastating disappointment.

Calgary Flames 

Calgary features a physical attack with strong goaltending. Their defense isn’t as stifling as it was during the ’04 Cup run, but their offense has picked up the slack.

Led by captain Jarome Iginla and hard hitting defenseman Dion Phaneuf, the Flames will scrap, hit, and bully their way to victory. Detroit will use the same blueprint they employed in last year's first round contest.

Since both teams' rosters haven’t changed a great deal from last season, I would suspect the Wings have the advantage. This is the playoffs, however, where one bounce can mean winning the Cup in June or shooting for the tin in April.

Vancouver Canucks 

Despite struggling lately and going 4-6 in their last ten games, the Vancouver Canucks could be a major spoiler in the Western Conference. Featuring Roberto Luongo, who is arguably the best goalie in the league, the squad from B.C. could very well steal a round or two with their All-Star goaltender and their sleep-inducing defense.

The Wings are on the verge of winning the William Jennings trophy for least amount of goals allowed over the course of the season, so their defense isn’t exactly porous.

However, they have a history of deflating when facing a goaltender who stonewalls their best chances.

This could become an issue if Luongo is able to duplicate his performance of last spring against Dallas. Perhaps this is the best scenario for the boys in red and white, as many teams that have gone on to win the Cup faced their toughest challenge in the first round.

If the Wings and Canucks face each other to start the playoffs, I believe Detroit will prevail though the games themselves have potential to be frighteningly boring. Not a great combination for fans on the East Coast staying up for those late-night Pacific Time games.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators, at first glance, appear to be the most favorable of the three clubs to start the playoffs.

This judgment is not intended as an insult to the Predators. Barry Trotz has once again done a great job with this club.

Losing Kimmo Timmonen, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya, Scott Hartnell, and Tomas Vokoun would have most coaches throwing in the towel. Not Trotz. He’s rallied his troops and led them to a possible fourth consecutive berth into the postseason.

What Nashville doesn’t have that the Canucks and Calgary do is consistent goaltending.

Despite putting together some impressive outings of late, the tandem of Dan Ellis and Chris Mason has also been pulled or forced from the bench three times out of the last seven games. In a battle of Central Division rivals, I see Detroit winning an entertaining and hard fought five-game series.

No matter which Western Conference team you root for, this year’s playoffs should prove to be very entertaining. The only thing missing is the potential for a dramatic first round upset. From the first place team to the ninth place team, any club has the potential to win it all.

I believe that there is no other professional league, in terms of excitement and intensity, that can match the first round of Stanley Cup playoffs.

Enjoy, and let the games begin.