How the West will be won

Alright, intermission's over, let's get right back to it.

Western Quarterfinals

Detroit (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas (2) vs. Colorado (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Anaheim (6)
Nashville (4) vs. San Jose (5)

Detroit (1) vs. Edmonton (8)

This is going to be a great series, mostly because it's a meeting of my favorite team and a team that I like a lot. I'm going to forget what happened yesterday, and call that Detroit wins this one in 6. The Oilers will give them a tough time, but ultimately, we just don't have the offensive depth to win four games out of seven against these guys. This is further complicated by the fact that Manny Legace keeps his cool no matter what happens, and Roloson... well, I've seen a few too many times where he's upset at the ref because of some call he thought should have been made, when really, I've got to agree with the ref... Detroit in 6.

Dallas (2) vs. Colorado (7)

This is the most difficult series to call in the West. Colorado prevailed today, and their continued success is going to be measured by if José Théodore can keep his play up; he's experienced playoff success and major disappointment in the past, so I have no idea how he's going to play it out. Turco has been exceptional in goal for Dallas this year, and I would expect this to extend as far as Dallas will get in the playoffs. In the end though, I think Dallas will prevail. Too bad. Dallas in 7.

Calgary (3) vs. Anaheim (6)

I really don't expect this to be as close as Game 1 suggested it might be. Calgary will win no problem, their defence is top-notch and special teams are doing awesome. Anaheim is not the team it was three years ago when it went to the Cup final - I think only 4 or 5 players from that team remain today. Calgary sweep.

Nashville (4) vs. San Jose (5)

Nashville lost Tomas Vokoun late in the season to injury. I expect this to be an offense-heavy series, given that both of these teams are better known for their great offensive play then their defensive work. In the end though, the hot Thornton-Cheechoo pair will triumph over Kariya's Pred's, in part because Nabokov will steal more goals than whoever the replacement in Nashville is. San Jose in 6.

Western Semifinals

Detroit (1) vs. San Jose (5)
Dallas (2) vs. Calgary (3)

Detroit (1) vs. San Jose (5)

This will be a great series simply because of what we'll be seeing: youth highrisers vs. established legacy. The Detroit offense isn't what it once was, but the defense is better than ever. San Jose is a club that plays disciplined hockey and hardly ever fails to capitalize on chances. Playing Detroit though, I expect few mistakes of the sort will be made. I don't know how good San Jose's PP has been, but I do know that both Detroit's PP and PK are among the best in the league. If the Oilers series drags on to 7 with lots of overtime games, and San Jose forces a lot of extra time too, I could see the Red Wings tiring out and abdicating, but in the absence of that, I'm going to have to call this one in favour of the Wings. Detroit in 6.

Dallas (2) vs. Calgary (3)

If the Oilers can't take on the Stars this year, I suppose Calgary will make for an acceptable substitute. This will be an exceptionally tight series, as both teams play an incredibly focused defensive style, but also have plenty of offensive punch. In the end, Kiprusoff is better than Turco, and Iginla arguably playing better than Modano. Plus, scoring is more or less equally distributed among Calgary's three scoring lines, whereas Dallas has to rely on one big line to get the job done. The fact that Calgary will have ended their quarters early while Dallas will probably go to 6 or 7 to settle their quarterfinal date with Colorado will play into this. I expect this series to be much closer than what my verdict would tell you: Calgary in 5.

Western Final

Detroit (1) vs. Calgary (3)

The Flames took it to them in 2004, and they seem poised to do it again in 2006. I expect the Wings' veterans to be tired by now, and will consequently making more mistakes. Also, speaking of the Wings' veterans, their good, but they're also starting to show signs of age. As much as like the guy, Stevie Y isn't getting anywhere near as many goals as he used to, as is Shanahan. The young ones are going to have to step it up majorly if Detroit is going to win. This is not a problem in Calgary, when a good mix of experience and youth exists, and it's pretty clear that the youth has stepped up to the job (Dion Phaneuf, anyone?). Calgary in 6.

Western Conference Champion: Calgary Flames

I'll ponder the matchup on the Flames and Hurricanes in the next little while. You'll be hearing back from me about that.