As always, the Stanley Cup tournament got off to a terrific start. Several first round conflicts were so intense, and ended with such climactic fervor, that the winners face the risk of a letdown. A slow start to the second round, especially for Stanley Cup neophytes like the Mighty Ducks and Lightning, will result in a quick end to their season.
Here's how the Conference semifinalists stack up. Incidentally, your Stanley Cup Nostradamus went 7-for-8 in picking opening round winners, though he rarely got the number of games right.
The Western Conference:
(1) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Anaheim Mighty Ducks
They had trouble holding a lead, but in many respects the Stars were the best team of the opening round. The leaders led – 10 points each from Mike Modano and Sergei Zubov, Derian Hatcher at plus-7 – and the followers did their jobs. After seeing what happened to Detroit, they won’t be caught under-estimating the Ducks.
If another west coast upset is in the works, it begins with Anaheim’s show-stopping goaltender, Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who must maintain his spectacular form after a full week off. Whether guys like Jason Krog and Stanislav Chistov continue their scoring heroics is another question. In fact, scoring will be a huge challenge for all the Ducks. It will be interesting to watch Paul Kariya and Adam Oates try to scale the Dallas blueline, where Hatcher and his cohorts are ruthlessly efficient.
The Stars’ one potential weakness is in net. Marty Turco looked frail against Edmonton, so until he proves otherwise, Dallas has the second-best goaltender in this series.
The Bottom Line: Sweep the Stanley Cup champs, then knock off the deepest team in the West? In the same year? It would be a monumental achievement. If the Ducks can do it they deserve their own wing in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Stars win in five games.
(4) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Minnesota Wild
Anyone who thinks physical hockey is nothing more than thuggery and goon-baiting should have watched Vancouver's remarkable comeback against St. Louis.
Faced with the prospect of winning three straight games, the Canucks did the only thing they could: place their faith in goaltender Dan Cloutier and start pounding bodies. The Blues - reportedly ravaged by a vicious flu bug - turned to jelly, and the Canucks soon found plenty of time and space to exhibit their considerable skills.
Can Minnesota can be subdued by the same tactics? Like the Canucks, the Wild are on a high, having engineered an upset over Colorado that everyone is still trying to absorb. The Wild aren't about to deviate from their disciplined game plan, and any team that sent Sakic and Forsberg packing should cause problems for Naslund and Bertuzzi.
But Minnesota also needed a little luck - two straight overtime wins - to get here. A repeat of such glories might be too much to ask.
The Bottom Line: The Wild are more than capable. But one suspects they have already peaked, while the Canucks continue to improve, especially their goaltender.
Canucks win in six games.
Next page: The Eastern Conference semifinals.
