Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: 5 Best Players of the Predators vs. Wings Series

Whether you want to call it a changing of the guard or a sign of the times, the Nashville Predators are moving on, having downed the once-mighty Detroit Red Wings in just five games.

It is a rather sobering result for Detroit, which once ruled the Central Division, and pretty much the West, with an iron fist.

But it has been a rather slow decline for the Wings since their Cup winning 2007-2008 season. After being ousted by the Sharks in the conference semifinals two years in a row, this setback in the conference quarterfinals has to set off a few alarms in Hockeytown.

And those rabid Red Wings fans will have to wonder if they have seen the last of Nicklas Lidstrom.

While the outcome of this series is not really that much of a surprise, the Predators still sent a message to the rest of the West, loudly and clearly, that the road to the Stanley Cup will get very bumpy for anyone trying to take down Nashville.

The Preds, as a whole, played a fantastic series and pretty much controlled this quarterfinal from start to finish. After taking some baby steps in the playoffs last year, the Predators now look like they are ready to fly.

From an individual standpoint, the Predators got great performances from up and down the lineup.

Here are the five best players from the Predators' 4-1 series victory over the Red Wings.

5. Shea Weber

Everyone will remember Shea Weber for what many considered a cheap shot when he slammed Henrik Zetterburg's head into the boards at the end of Game 1.

There was a loud, public outcry, especially in Detroit, for Weber to be suspended. But Brendan Shanahan saw things differently and only fined Weber $2,500.

Weber then quietly put together a very solid series. Physically, his presence could not be denied. His play, along with Ryan Suter, against the very powerful Pavel Datsyuk line cannot be emphasized enough.

Datsyuk was limited to one goal and Weber played a very big part in that.

It wasn't just defense for Weber, though, as he chipped in with two goals.

In a series where goals were at a premium, Weber's offense, combined with his strong defense, made him one of the heroes of the series for Nashville.

4. Kevin Klein

Kevin Klein also had a quiet, yet very effective, series.

While not as physically imposing, or perhaps as effective as Weber, this Predator defenseman was still a handful for the Wings to deal with.

Klein tallied two goals, including the game-winner in Game 4, and an assist. He had a plus-two rating and was one of the most consistent guys on the ice for Nashville.

Another thing Klein did very well was to stay out of the penalty box. Klein was not penalized the entire series despite being a physical presence on the ice.

Between Shea Weber and Kevin Klein, the Predators got good physical defense and some timely scoring. If there was a key to this series, it may have been the stellar two-way play of the Preds defenders.

3. David Legwand

The Predators center had a fantastic series, as he scored two goals and two assists.

His power-play goal in Game 4 sealed the deal in the Predators' 3-1 win.

For an encore, Legwand's play in Game 5 was nothing short of stellar. His goal 13 seconds into the third period turned out to be the series-clincher for Nashville.

Beyond that, though, Legwand had a plus-five rating for the series, so whenever he was on the ice, something good seemed to happen to Nashville.

It has to be a sweet moment for Legwand, who was Nashville's first draft pick way back in 1998 and who has seen this team grow and mature into a very dangerous and explosive one.

He now knows something else the Predators are—Stanley Cup contenders.

2. Gabriel Bourque

Bourque got the party started for the Preds in Game 1 with two goals, including the game-winner.

Now, that is what I call an impressive playoff debut.

He would later add another huge goal in Game 4 as he broke a scoreless tie.

In Game 5, he assisted on David Legwand's series-clinching goal.

His energy was contagious and his plus-five rating tied him for second on the Predators for the series with Legwand and Alexander Radulov.

His overall play was instrumental in the Preds' resounding series win over the Wings.

Not bad, rookie—not bad at all.

1. Pekka Rinne

The Predators' fantastic goalie is the real reason this series is over in just five games.

He started all five games and stopped 151 of the 160 shots the Red Wings put on net.

He had a 1.81 goals-against average for the series with a .944 save percentage.

All those stats are great, but they only tell part of the story.

The Red Wings outshot the Predators in three of the five games and it was Rinne's stellar play that proved to be the difference-maker.

This was especially true in the two games in Detroit. With the series tied at 1-1, Rinne stoned the Wings in Game 3 by stopping 41 of 43 shots.

In Game 4, he was even better, as he turned aside 40 of 41 shots to put the Predators in a position to wrap the series up, at home, in Game 5—which is exactly what they did.

If Rinne continues to play like that, the folks in Tennessee may soon forget about the Titans and Volunteers, as they will be too busy celebrating a Stanley Cup Championship.