Sharks-Red Wings Rd 2 Preview

Written by Chris Wassel | 29 April 2010

Thanks again to Ryan for helping us out.  Here is that series that many want to talk about.

How They Got Here…
Sharks-
Round 1: 4-2 series W vs. 8) COL
Red Wings-
Round 1: 4-3 series W vs. 4) PHX
Season Series…
3-1 Red Wings
Previous Playoff Meeting…
2007 Western Conference Semifinals (4-2 Red Wings)
Tale of the Tape…
Forwards-
Edge: Red Wings… The winged wheel has an experienced group of forwards that had success against a quality defensive team in Phoenix.
Defensemen-
Edge: Red Wings… It’s closer than it appears, but Detroit’s depth here is the difference.
Goaltending-
Edge: Sharks… Taking nothing away from Howard, but Nabokov has played well and has more experience.
Special Teams-
Edge: Sharks… They had the best special teams unit in the league all year, and their PK is more consistent.
Coaching-
Edge: Red Wings… Babcock vs. McLellan; teacher vs. student.
Experience-
Edge: Red Wings… Really, this isn’t even close.
Team X-Factors…
Sharks-
Patrick Marleau… Throughout all of San Jose’s noted playoff failures, Marleau has been the popular one to blame (whether it’s deserved or not). Against Colorado, they were fortunate the second line carried the team offensively; if not, they may not be in this position right now. Now they’ll take on a much better opponent, and the top line featuring Marleau and Thornton has to step up and produce (much) more often. Marleau’s had his struggles recently, but this would be the perfect time for him to break out.
Red Wings-
Jimmy Howard… There were times in the first round where Howard looked like a rookie. But he recovered nicely, and put together a nice series against Phoenix. Detroit’s new star goalie will have to be more consistent. Frankly, a big series from Howard can make him a household name and on the cusp of stardom… but a shaky showing here could leave the Wings short of the conference finals for the first time since 2006.
Key Injuries…
Sharks-
D Niclas Wallin (lower body, questionable for start of series)
RW Jed Ortmeyer (lower body, questionable for start of series)
Red Wings-
RW Kirk Maltby (shoulder, doubtful for series)
Keys to the Series…
Sharks-
1. Sharp Nabokov… It’s safe to say ‘Nabby’ hasn’t had much career success vs. Detroit (8-17-2, 3.53 GAA). He was solid in round one, but will he mentally be able to keep it up?
2. Defend the ‘Tank’… We all know the Sharks’ problems with Detroit. A nice start at home may help rid those demons. Too many times have the opposing walked into the ‘Tank’ and taken the first game or two. It can’t happen now…
Red Wings-
1. Win special teams battle… One of San Jose’s few advantages in the series should be the special teams. That can easily change, though, if the Wings can strike on the power play and perform consistently on the penalty kill.
2. Control the 3rd period… In the Wings’ four wins over the Coyotes, they outscored them 11-1 in the final frame (but were outscored 4-2 in losses). Judging by those stats, it’d be a good idea for Detroit to control the third in this series.
Burning Questions…
Sharks- Can they ‘overcome’ Detroit’s tenacity and skill?
San Jose’s theme for round one was ‘overcome’. They overcame a fast and youthful Avalanche team… but this is a completely different animal. The Wings are in their heads a bit, and the Sharks need to match their tenacity and aggression on the puck.
Red Wings- Are they going to eventually run out of gas?
You wonder how much a hard-fought 7-game series can take out of this team, especially having gone to the finals the last two seasons. It’s also a quick turnaround from Tuesday’s game in Phoenix. In the end, I think they’ll be fine for at least another round.
Why the Sharks will win…
For the Sharks to win this series, they must have amnesia. The past needs to be totally out of their minds (not even the back of their heads). This is their opportunity to shake the playoff woes of that past. Detroit is the team they’ve measured up to the last handful of years. I almost feel like McLellan should pull a page out of Herb Brooks’ book and give the team the ‘you attack them’ speech he gave to the 1980 USA team (referring to the Soviets) in Miracle. All kidding aside, the Sharks are talented enough to win this series… the mindset just has to be there.
Why the Red Wings will win…
Just like he said before Game 7 Tuesday, Mike Babcock will have his team ready for this series (though the short rest). Datsyuk and Zetterberg are arguably playing as well as they ever have, and Howard is good enough between the pipes for them to go far. I don’t have much doubt the ‘old guard’ can get the job done in this series. As long as they have the stamina needed and a couple step up (Franzen, Bertuzzi, etc), I definitely see them pulling through.
Final Thoughts…
Like I said, this is San Jose’s chance to prove the doubters wrong. I just don’t see them getting past this hurdle with the current core. Detroit takes it in an epic seven-game series.
PREDICTION… RED WINGS IN SEVEN