2011 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings Series Preview

After an 82-game schedule where nothing seemed certain and certainly nothing was settled until the very last game of the NHL schedule, the playoff matchups are finally set.  Despite Chicago's best efforts to give the Dallas Stars a playoff spot with a loss, Dallas decided they'd rather be golfing, as they also lost, and let the Blackhawks squeak into the final spot in the playoff picture.

San Jose has the great fortune to draw the L.A. Kings, but it's not fortune because the series will be easy. No, nothing in the playoffs comes easy in the Western Conference. Rather, it is fortunate because the Sharks will travel exactly one hour from the Bay Area down to LA.  No cross-country trips in Round 1. 

They are also fortunate because the NorCal vs. SoCal rivalry will have the normally deafening HP Pavilion at ear-drum shattering decibels with chants of "Beat L.A." resonating around the steel structure.  The loudness of the arena gives the Sharks a big home-ice advantage as many pundits note year-in and year-out.

However, despite the easy travel and a pumped up fan base, the biggest break the Sharks get is that, out of all the bad draws (Anaheim, Nashville, LA and Chicago), the Sharks get the only match-up that gives them a significant advantage.  The Kings will be without superstar center Anze Kopitar, who is lost for the year with a broken ankle. And shifty first-line winger Justin Williams is injured even though he may play.  They are LA's two biggest offensive threats. 

There is no better time to play the Kings than now.

L.A. presents certain problems for the Sharks in that they have a talented and deep defensive unit that can stifle even the most talented of offensive teams. Goaltender Jonathan Quick is starting to establish himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league.  Nevertheless, both Quick and the stalwarts on defense (Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson) are young and lack significant playoff experience. 

While the pesky Kings may have a slight edge on defense, the Sharks have a clear advantage with their forward units. I would also give the Sharks the edge in net, although that is debatable (while Quick and Niemi have similar stats, Quick is still unproven come playoff time while Niemi has a Stanley Cup under his belt). 

The description of this matchup brings back memories of the two Sharks vs. Nashville Predators series back in the mid-2000s.  The Sharks, with the deep forward units and an experienced goaltender, took on a team with a talented but youthful defense (it was Weber and Suter back then) and a clearly talented but untested-come-playoff-time goalie (Vokoun).  Those series ended in five games each, as the Sharks did not have much trouble scoring and keeping Nashville at bay.

While the series against L.A. should be competitive simply because of the intense intra-state rivalry that the two franchises have, the Kings simply do not have enough offensive firepower to keep pace with a San Jose team that comes into the playoffs. And their defense, while talented, cannot control three scoring lines that feature the likes of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Dany Heatley and Ryane Clowe.

This series, like all the series in the Western Conference, is no gimme. But San Jose should be able to dispatch the Kings in six games.