NHL Playoffs 2012: Vancouver Canucks vs. LA Kings Series Preview

The first-place (and Presidents-Trophy winning) Vancouver Canucks (51-22-9) will be battling the eighth-place LA Kings (40-27-15) in the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs. 

On the surface, a No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup and a 16-point difference might seem to greatly favour the Canucks, but these two teams are actually pretty evenly matched.  

The Kings underperformed all year, and had to squeak into the playoffs. But they boast a roster of players ready to explode with the offence that was missing during the regular season, and they have the sublime goaltending of Jonathan Quick. 

The Canucks on the other hand were blessed with a weak division (so were the Kings, they just didn't take advantage of it), and coasted through large stretches of the regular season, just waiting for the real games to start in April.

Offence

Goals For

Canucks: 241 goals (2.94/game)

Kings: 188 goals (2.29/game)

Power Play

Canucks: 19.8% (57 goals in 288 power play opportunities)

Kings: 17% (49 goals in 289 power play opportunities)

The leading scorer for the Canucks is Henrik Sedin with 81 points. Only being a point-per-game player is definitely subpar for Henrik Sedin, but on the other hand he was still the highest scoring player in the Western Conference.

Anze Kopitar leads the Kings with 72 points.

Advantage: Canucks

Defence

Goals Against

Canucks 191 (2.33/game)

Kings 170 (2.07/game)

Penalty Kill

Canucks 86.0% (allowed 40 goals in 286 short handed situations)

Kings 87% (allowed 38 goals in 293 short handed situations)

Starting Goalies

Canucks: Roberto Luongo (31 wins, 2.41 GAA, 0.919 save percentage)

Kings: Jonathan Quick (35 wins, 1.95 GAA, 0.929 save percentage) 

Jonathan Quick is one of the only Kings that can hold his head high and say that he played above expectations this year.

He should be in the discussion when it comes time for the Hart and Vezina trophies to be awarded, which is never something you want to hear about an opposing goaltender.

Advantage: Kings

Toughness

Hits

Canucks: 1,826

Kings: 2,274 

Blocks

Canucks: 1,019

Kings: 969

Fights

Canucks: 38 fighting majors

Kings: 33 fighting majors

The leading hitter for the Kings is captain Dustin Brown, who has 293 hits. The leading hitter for the Canucks is Maxim Lapierre, with 244 hits.

On paper, it looks like the Kings are the more physical team.

But I'm assuming the Canucks will ramp up the intensity once the puck drops in a few days.

Last year they surprised the Blackhawks (and the rest of the NHL) by undergoing a personality change once the playoffs started, throwing substantially more hits per game than anyone else in the playoffs.

I'm confident that when the games actually matter, the Canucks will stop going through the motions and start playing the body on every shift again. 

Advantage: Draw

Regular-Season Series

The Canucks won the season series with a 2-1-1 record.

Nov 10 Canucks 3, Kings 2

Dec 31 Canucks 1, Kings 4

Jan 17 Canucks 2, Kings 3 (Shootout)

Mar 26, Canucks 1, Kings 0

The Canucks scored seven goals, all by different skaters. Their leading scorer was Daniel Sedin with one goal and three assists.

The Kings scored eight goals. Their leading scorer was Anze Kopitar with one goal and three assists.

Roberto Loungo and Jonathon Quick started (and finished) all four games.

Luongo stopped 134 of 142 shots, for a 0.944 save percentage.

Quick stopped 110 of 117 shots, for a 0.940 save percentage.

During the regular-season series, the Canucks went 3-18 on the power play, good for 16.7 percent, slightly below their season average. The Kings went 3-16 on the power play, good for 18.8 percent.

Advantage: Canucks 

Injuries

The Canucks don't have any significant injuries. 

Daniel Sedin, of course, was sidelined by a concussion after Duncan Keith's cheap shot, but has spent the last few days skating and working out symptom free, and is expected to dress for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Zack Kassian has an upper body injury, believed to be a rib strain, and has sat out the last two regular-season games. He is expected to be able to play if needed.

Keith Ballard has been skating and practicing with the team after missing two months with a concussion, and should be available for Game 1, although it is doubtful he would draw into the starting lineup.

The Kings are missing a pair of top-six forwards due to injury.

Simon Gagne has been out with a concussion for most of the season, and isn't expected to dress in the playoffs.

Jeff Carter has an ankle injury that kept him out of the season-ending home-and-home series between the Kings and Sharks. He is listed as day-to-day and is expected to dress for Game 1, but it is questionable how his ankle will hold up.

Advantage: Canucks

Prediction

This is more evenly matched than a typical first versus eighth matchup, but the Canucks are a deeper and more experienced team from the one that won the Western Conference last year, and should defeat the Kings just like they did the last time the Kings appeared in the postseason.

The Canucks also have the ability to ramp up their game, as they showed at the start of last year's playoffs when they surprised the NHL with their physicality, and therefore their regular-season stats should be taken with a grain of salt, as they coasted for large stretches.

The Kings on the other hand were spinning their wheels when the games actually mattered, and almost missed the playoffs.

The Kings went 5-2-3 down the stretch with their season and the Pacific Division title on the line.

The Canucks went 8-1-1 while resting veterans and without Daniel Sedin in the lineup.

Prediction: Canucks in six