Dallas-San Jose: The War in the Pacific Continues

The 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs are beginning to sound like times from World War II.

How?

Well for the second consecutive round, two NHL teams will engage in a "battle" in the "Pacific Theatre" of hockey.

With the Stars knocking off the Ducks in six games, the team was able to enjoy some much needed rest.  That's something most people feel can be a bad thing in the playoffs.

Hockey is different.

Hockey is a sport which involves a much greater strain and "injury factor" than those posed in most other sports.

In hockey, rest is a luxury that teams beg for.  And in the second "war" for Pacific supremacy, the Stars couldn't be better off.

The San Jose Sharks fought tooth-and-nail against a hungry Calgary Flames team to make it to this point.  They played seven grueling games that could have gone both ways at any point.

Coming into this series with Dallas, San Jose will have only had two days of rest in order to prepare for their second-round opponent.  Dallas is going to be skating into sunny San Jose on four days of rest and ample time to heal their wounds.  This factor alone could be the added assistance Dallas needs to win.

There are other statistics to take into account with this series.

In the regular season, both teams held a .500 record against one another.

During this playoff season, Dallas has scored one more goal than San Jose, and average just over one more per game.  San Jose has given up four more goals than the Stars, but sit pretty even with Dallas in GAA.

One huge factor is going to be special teams.  San Jose comes in playing a very disciplined style of hockey, and the Sharks have acquired the fewest penalty minutes thus far.  The Sharks also come in with the worst penalty kill in the playoffs.

If the Stars' special teams is on like it was against Anaheim, and we all know it was BRUTAL, San Jose could be in for a ride. 

But if they keep up the discipline they have had, as well as the ride the veteran leadership they have, the series will be another long and rough one.

As far as my opinion, I see this series going to at least six, most likely seven games.  I also see the strain of a seven-game series hurting San Jose in the long haul.  So, I think the Stars have this series as well.