NHL Playoffs 2012: Picking Winners for Each Western Conference Series

When you take a look at the Western Conference bracket in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, it's almost frightening how deep it is.

There's really no telling what's going to happen in the Western Conference, as there is no obvious favorite and all four first-round matchups could conceivably end in upsets. No team is safe.

For what they're worth, here are my picks for which teams will be advancing to the second round.

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings

What we have here in this series is a very well-balanced Canucks team going up against a highly unpredictable Kings team.

The Canucks would seem to have the edge because of the Kings' struggles to score goals this season, but that's not necessarily true. The Kings ended up ranking among the worst teams in the league in terms of scoring, but they finished the season by scoring 54 goals in their final 18 games. Their offensive woes from the early portion of the season basically disappeared.

Because of that, the Kings are just as well-balanced as the Canucks, if not more so. In addition to an improved offensive attack, the Kings will also prevent a lot of pucks from going into the net, as not a lot gets past Jonathan Quick.

The Canucks won't even have an advantage on the power play, as their fourth-ranked power play will be going up against the league's fourth-best penalty-killing team.

Moreover, the injury status of Daniel Sedin is hardly ideal as far as the Canucks are concerned. The Vancouver Sun has reported that Sedin's status for Game 1 is still up in the air as he attempts to return from a concussion. 

Even if Sedin does play, he could easily be forced off the ice against the Kings and their physical style of play. 

This just isn't a good matchup for the Canucks.

Kings in 7

No. 2 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 San Jose Sharks

There's one big question hanging over this series:

Will the Sharks be able to generate enough offense against St. Louis' goalies to come away with the upset?

Good question. The Blues have two of the best goalies in the league in Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, and coach Ken Hitchcock really can't go wrong with either player in net. Though right now, his decision is a little easier seeing as how Elliott came down with an injury on Tuesday. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com has the details.

If there's one team that can challenge the Blues, however, it's the Sharks. They were inconsistent in the regular season, but we're still talking about a team that is loaded with talent and playoff experience. Their core group of Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Logan Couture, Ryane Clowe, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski is one that will give any netminder nightmares.

If the Sharks do score against the Blues, the Blues are going to be in trouble. They're not used to playing in high-scoring games, so they'll be completely out of their element if they're forced to match the Sharks goal for goal.

Just like the Canucks vs. Kings series, the Blues vs. Sharks series has the makings of a seven-game classic.

I'll take the Sharks to win it.

Sharks in 7

No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks

This is a matchup that seems like a mismatch, but it's really not. The Coyotes are an imperfect team, but they managed to take three of four regular season tilts against the Blackhawks.

At heart, this is a classic offense vs. defense matchup. The Blackhawks are an explosive offensive team with an array of playmakers, and the Coyotes are an above-average defensive team with a very good goalie in Mike Smith. 

One would feel better about Chicago's chances if Jonathan Toews were healthy, but it suffices to say his status is up in the air. According to NHL.com, Toews is targeting a return in Game 1, but he's still feeling the effects of a concussion that kept him out of action in the final 22 games of the season.

Even still, there's no denying that the Blackhawks have more weapons at their disposal than the Coyotes. They may be a mystery when it comes to the power play, but the Blackhawks are going to send a lot of shots Smith's way, and he's not going to succeed in blocking all of them.

If the Blackhawks are clicking offensively, I don't think the Coyotes are going to be able to keep up. The Blackhawks are too talented and too deep.

Blackhawks in 6

No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings

This is a matchup between two of the most balanced squads in the league. The Predators finished eighth in goals per game and eighth in goals against per game. The Red Wings finished seventh in those same categories.

Where you worry about the Red Wings is their ability to contain the Predators on the power play. Nashville led the league with a 21.6 power play percentage, and the Red Wings finished 18th in penalty kill percentage.

Moreover, you have to worry about how the Red Wings will fare in this series without home-ice advantage. The Red Wings look like the best teams in the league at home. But on the road, they tend to look like one of the worst teams in the league.

Detroit's collective experience helps level the playing field, but it will take something special for the Red Wings to upset the Predators in this series.

The matchup favors the Predators, and on balance, they're the better team.

Predators in 6