2011 NHL Playoffs: The 10 Key Players in the Western Conference Finals
After a long wait, the Western Conference Finals begin in Vancouver on Sunday evening. The Sharks and Canucks will face off in a best of seven to determine which franchise gets a shot at winning its first Stanley Cup.
There will be a lot of analysis, predictions and trash talk amongst fans between now and Sunday about who is going to win.
When you have two equally talented teams, there is no point in making predictions as the series could easily go either way. Especially when you have two teams who have recently underperformed in the postseason.
Both have overcome past playoff disappointments and are on the verge of something great.
With big names littered across both rosters we are focusing in on 10 key or the 10 most important players to watch for over the next couple of weeks. One or two of these players could prove to be the series hero.
1. Ryan Kesler
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Canucks center Ryan Kesler is having an epic, Conn Smythe–type playoff run. He started the playoffs by shutting down Jonathan Toews and then seemingly took out Nashville by himself.
He is the leading scorer for the playoffs, after not scoring in the first round.
Kesler's contribution is coming in every aspect of the game. Defense? Check. Penalty Kill? He's the Canucks top guy. Power play? Look for him in front of the net. Forecheck? Ask Weber and Suter about that.
The point is that he's been doing it all.
Will he continue to do it against San Jose?
He will need to for the Canucks to win the series. Whether it's scoring or shutting down the Sharks' big guns, Kesler will need to keep his shoulder to the grindstone.
Kesler has the look in his eye that indicates no matter what happens he is going to come out swinging again in this series.
2. Antti Niemi
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It goes without saying that the goaltenders are key to any playoff series, but Niemi is an interesting case.
He is the only goaltender that appeared in the playoffs who has won the big prize. This is not uncharted territory for him. For some reason, many people don't give him credit for being a "Stanley Cup Goalie" despite the bling on his finger.
Chicago faithful brushed off Niemi's departure as it being more about the team in front of him. Now he has an equally talented team in front of him, which again results in his play being overlooked.
So how good is Niemi?
Getting back to the finals with a different team will go a long way to show critics that just maybe he is an elite goaltender.
That being said, there are some chinks in his armor. He can give up juicy rebounds and will have to control shots better to get past Vancouver.
So far in the playoffs he's been up and down and comes into the conference finals with a 3.01 GAA and a save percentage of .906. It would seem that those numbers may not be good enough to get to the finals.
Niemi has his chance now to make a statement and become a top goaltender.
3. The Sedins
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Yes, technically Daniel and Henrik are two people, but let's face it, they share one brain. At least on the ice they do, so we're counting them as one key player.
The Vancouver sports radio airways are heated up these days with talk of the twins. The topic? What's wrong with them?
There are many theories. One, Henrik is hurt. This may be true, as he was seen heading to the locker room a couple of times against Nashville and has seen a step slow on the ice.
As the playmaker, it makes sense that if Henrik has been less than 100 percent, Daniel's production would also suffer. For Vancouver's sake, hopefully the time will help him be back to what he was during the season.
The other theory is that Nashville's physical defensive style of game shut down the twins. San Jose plays a more open game, and the twins won't have that excuse this time.
Getting past Nashville was possible without huge scoring from the Sedins, but that isn't going to be the same against San Jose.
The Canucks need the twins to find the net in this series if they wish to advance.
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4. Ryane Clowe
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Ryane Clowe is leading the Sharks in playoff scoring this year but he provides more than just scoring for San Jose. In many ways he is the heart and soul of the team.
He's the guy who called out the star players earlier in the season, and his absence from the pivotal Game 6 loss in Detroit was glaring.
He returned from injury to play in Game 7 and the Sharks will need a healthy Clowe against Vancouver. He's a rare blend of a physical bruiser who has a nice scoring touch.
Clowe may be on the ice a lot with Ryan Kesler, who is a similar player, and this matchup could be epic as well as a key to the series.
When faced with adversity Clowe is the guy to watch for San Jose, he is the guy who will put the team on his back and get them where they want to be.
5. Roberto Luongo
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There may not be a goaltender under as intense a spot light as Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. If he looks more tan than the rest of the guys on the ice, that's the reason.
For starters, he is one of the highest paid netminders in the league. That alone brings pressure, but he also plays in a city that is dying for a championship.
When they've fallen short in the playoffs, Luongo has received the lion share of the blame. Whether it is deserved or not is debatable, but he will have to shine this time around to get the Canucks in the finals.
He is a hard goaltender to get a read on. He will look brilliant for long stretches at a time and then, out of nowhere a shot from a bad angle will bounce around his pads and fall across the line.
That happened at least four times against the Predators and resulted in the series being extended longer than it should.
Are those just bad luck goals or a lack of concentration on Luongo's part?
Whatever the case, the Canucks cannot have those types of goals scored against a team like San Jose, who is more than capable of also scoring the conventional way.
6. Joe Thornton
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Big Joe can be a force on the ice. The problem is that he seems to disappear in the spring.
Thornton has taken mountains of criticism for his postseason lack of success, despite getting his team to the conference finals two years in a row.
This year he has had some big moments. He scored the series-winning goal in overtime against the Kings in the first round and has chipped in with nine assists so far.
But, the Sharks need more from their captain than 11 points and a minus-two.
They need to him to be a leader. They need him to use that huge frame of his, make room and get his linemates in the game.
If Thornton fails to show up against the Canucks it may be another "almost" for San Jose. If he does though, the Canucks may not be able to match up with him or the Sharks.
7. Kevin Bieksa
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Kevin Bieksa was a sure bet to be traded before the season started. Canucks fans waited for the announcement eagerly to see what they got in return.
Luckily for Vancouver, they decided not to pull the trigger and Bieksa rewarded them with his best season ever.
He has continued that play into the playoffs. Bieksa is big and physical, and along with partner Dan Hamhuis will most likely draw the Sharks' big line all series long.
Bieksa does have some offensive skill, but his plus-five so far in the playoffs is where he's been contributing the most.
The Canucks will need more of his steady and consistent play in this series. Bieksa has matured over the years and is now a leader for Vancouver who will be rewarded this offseason by someone.
For now, Vancouver hopes he rewards them with a trip to the playoffs.
8. Joe Pavelski
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In a series filled with top line offensive players, both teams will need to get secondary scoring. They will need guys who aren't household names to come up with some timely scoring.
Pavelski has had big playoffs before, and this year has been clutch with a couple of game winners in overtime.
The Sharks will need "Little Joe" to continue to find the net to help them advance.
If Pavelski's line is on, the Sharks will pose huge matchup problems for the Canucks who will have to test their defensive depth trying to stop two high powered lines.
Hopefully for the Sharks, Pavelski won't wait until overtime to light the lamp.
9. Chris Higgins
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When you think of the Vancouver Canucks, it takes you a while to come to Chris Higgins' name. But as with the Sharks, the Canucks will need scoring from someone outside their big three or four.
Higgins will be key for Vancouver. Higgins hasn't burned up the stat sheet yet, but he has contributed with three timely goals playing mostly with Ryan Kesler.
Higgins also has good speed and has helped bring energy to the Canucks during the first two rounds. They will need his contributions and high energy to get past the Sharks this week.
Look for Chris Higgins as a possible key player who could be that one guy every Stanley Cup team needs to come from out of nowhere to score some big goals.
10. Logan Couture
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Couture is one of the games promising young players. He's having a great playoff run as well.
Second on the team in scoring with six goals, including a big Game 7 goal Thursday night, he has provided the Sharks with that all-important secondary scoring.
As stated earlier, secondary scoring will be key to this series and Couture is a guy to watch in that regards.
The future is bright for Couture, and it could be now if he finds a way to score a couple of big goals and help get the Sharks to the finals.
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