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Two years ago, a much more heralded Anaheim Ducks team took out Detroit on their way to a Stanley Cup. This time, the Ducks enter a series against the Red Wings as perhaps the most-feared eighth seed in NHL playoff history. That said, they're still an eighth seed, and a decided underdog. Is this the end of "Cinderella"?
| Anaheim Ducks |
Detroit Red Wings |
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The Ducks have some veterans like Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry, and one of the league's most dynamic youngsters in Bobby Ryan. |
Forwards |
Detroit features the two-way prowess of Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk and 2008 Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg. Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom still do the dirty work in front of the net. Oh, yeah, and they have Marian Hossa, too. |
| Advantage: Detroit. Anaheim has some impressive talent, but no one in the league matches Detroit's depth, skill, or balance up front. It's a formidable group that can carry this team, even when they have an off night in their own zone. |
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Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Francois Beauchemin all played significant roles on the 2007 team. Ryan Whitney was brought in from Pittsburgh this past winter, and deadline acquisition James Wisniewski has been a solid contributor. |
Defense |
Nicklas Lidstrom still leads the way, but his supporting cast isn't as good as it used to be. Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, and Brad Stuart are all guilty of the occasional lapse. Despite being sometimes a bit irresponsible, they move the puck as good as anyone. |
| Advantage: Anaheim. The Wings have offensive skill, but the Ducks have that, and they're better in their own zone. Neither team is at all short of veterans or Cup winners at this position. |
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No question Jonas Hiller has established himself as the top guy. He was great against San Jose, and as long as he can make the first save, he'll rarely run into much trouble. The Ducks are comfortable letting him see a lot of rubber. |
Goalies |
After a rocky regular season, Chris Osgood pitched a shutout in Game 2 against Columbus, nearly threw one in Game 3, then absolutely imploded in the second period of Game 4. Luckily, the offense saved him that night. They may have to do that again if Detroit is to advance. |
| Advantage: Anaheim. The Ducks have the hot hand, and they're better in front of him. It's going to be a chore for Detroit to score much. |
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This is a good power play team. They're not particularly deep at forward, but the top guys are great players who work hard. It helps to be able to stick Pronger and Niedermayer at the points, too. That work ethic makes their penalty kill a tough nut, too. |
Special Teams |
Detroit attacks in waves, and their power play is deadly. The puck possession game the Wings play tailors itself very nicely to a formidable power play. They're good enough along the boards to be pretty tough killing penalties, despite their defensive issues. |
| Advantage: Detroit. I'll take the team with more depth and a more dynamic power play. Neither team has been particularly consistent with their kill, so this should be an entertaining matchup. |
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Randy Carlyle knows how to get the most out of his team, and he got them to peak at just the right time. Once in serious danger of missing the playoffs, Anaheim looks like a real threat to win the Cup. |
Coaching |
There aren't a lot of weaknesses that can be easily exploited in this Detroit team, and Mike Babcock is a good reason why. His work with matchups is huge in keeping a Wings team that has serious holes from being an easy out. |
| Advantage: Push. Come on, you expect me to pick against a coach who has recently won a Stanley Cup? This chess match will surely be something to watch. |
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Anaheim is on a roll. They had to get hot to just make the playoffs, and they're coming off a convincing win over the NHL's best team from the regular season. |
Intangibles |
Detroit probably needed the long rest they're coming off of, but will it leave them rusty? Giving Babcock home-ice advantage means he gets to play his matchups (not that he's incapable of this on the road). |
| Advantage: Detroit. Even though The Joe isn't exactly an intimidating venue for visitors, Detroit being at home for four out of seven does offer them an edge because of how much these coaches will try to play the matchups to their favor. Not only that, but the Honda Center isn't going to scare the Red Wings one bit, either. |
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| Final Prediction: All 6 FanHouse writers picked Detroit to win the series. |
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