Open Mic: Mike Babcock, Michel Therrien, and the East vs. West Déjà Vu

This year's East vs. West Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Redwings is bearing a very similar resemblance to last year's final between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks, which begs the question: is there something larger at play? Why is the West dominating the East?

Well, let’s start by examining some of the statistics of the playoffs over the last two seasons.

Starting with last season's playoffs, the Senators went 12-3 in the playoffs prior to the Stanley Cup Final and didn't lose more then a game in each series. Three of Ottawa's players (Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley), were tied for first in points with 22 apiece even after losing the cup to the Ducks 4-1. Meanwhile, the Ducks went 12-4 prior to the Stanley Cup Final, losing two games in the first two series and two games to Detroit.

The Senators looked like a juggernaut outscoring their opponents 48 - 31 up until the Stanley Cup Finals. The Ducks outscored their opponents 42 - 34 up until the finals.

The 2007 Stanley Cup finals on paper looked like a sure-fire seven game barn burner. What ensued in the 2007 finals was rather surprising: the Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks 4-1, managing to win only Game 3 while being out scored 16-11 and never looking like the team they did prior to the finals. Oh well, the West was the stronger division last season. Big deal right?

Now let’s look at this season.

Pittsburgh, up until the finals have gone 12-2, outscoring their east opponents 51-23. The Penguins also have three players tied for second in points: Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin. The Red Wings on the other hand went 12-4 up until the finals and have outscored their west opponents 55-31.

Again Pittsburgh vs. Detroit looked on paper to be a hell of a Stanley Cup Final. Where are we at now? Detroit is up 2-0, outscoring the free-falling Pens 7-0. What look to be great Stanley Cup Finals are turning into duds.

How come?

Well, the style of play is the major differentiating factor. The Eastern Conference has been dominated by teams boasting a few fast skaters with excellent hands and the ability to make points at will. Look at the big name players in the East: Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Vincent Lecavalier, Daniel Briere, Martin St. Louis, Sidney Crosby...the list goes on. When you hear their names you think highlight reel goals, guys who skate around and pull moves that make a spectator go cross-eyed.

On the other hand, when you think of the Western Conference, you think of teams with players that grit their teeth and fight in the corners to gain possession and work for each and every goal they get, guys like Jarome Iginla.

Don't get me wrong, the West is full of talented goalscorers that are known to cross a few eyes themselves. That being said, the bigger picture is this: the West uses strength and grit to make their goals and the East is known for those incredible one man efforts based on crisp passing along with some nifty stick handling and fancy skating. Why does the West's formula seem more effective?

Defence.

Remember the saying "offence wins games and defence wins championships." The West teams are filled with players that know how to get in the way and disrupt the ever-so-important flow that East teams have grown to rely on so much. In order for the East teams to be successful, they rely on their passing and open space created by their speed and finesse to get chances. 

Close down that space a little, re-direct a few passes and there goes the flow of the Eastern teams' game and along with that their scoring production. What helps the Western conference teams disrupt the flow of the Eastern teams is the fact that they get defence from the forwards in addition to their defenceman, something many of the eastern conference teams sorely lack.

While on the point of defence, lets' talk goal-tending.

Like last season with Ray Emery, until the Stanley Cup Finals, Marc Andre Fleury has looked remarkably solid in nets especially in comparison to how he was doing near the beginning of the season. However, also like Emery,  Fleury has slipped in the finals allowing Detroit to put up seven goals.

This is not to say it is completely his fault and there were maybe some empty-netters in there too. That being said, the fact of the matter is Osgood is outplaying Fleury, much like Giguere outplayed Emery last season. Let’s face it: if your goal-tending isn't equal or better then your opponent, the chances of coming away with Lord Stanley's cup are next to nothing.  

To sum it up, the Eastern conference should do some homework and maybe try looking at offensive and defensive schemes that resemble those of some of the top Western Conference teams. The East teams need to start using their top forwards to battle for the puck in the corners and press the other team in their defensive zone as oppose to having designated lower-tier players or "bad boys" like Georges Laraque and Gary Roberts to do the dirty work.

That being said, I hope Pittsburgh can find a way to make this a series, but I am predicting a 4-1 or 4-2 Stanley Cup victory for the Detroit Redwings for 2008.