Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators in the second round

Vancouver had to fight back and win from behind in the 3^rd period in both of their wins.   However, it was the Nashville Predators who controlled each and every game from the very start.  Not many teams in the league were able to do that this season and on paper it should be a cake-walk for the President’s Trophy winners.    Vancouver scored 6 goals in 4 games vs. the Predators, and one of them was an empty-netter!

Both teams will feel like they are playing with house money, but for very different reasons.  The Vancouver Canucks will feel lucky to have escaped the furious Chicago comeback and it should breathe new life into a shaken franchise.  The Predators won an NHL playoff round for the 1^st time in their history and might have that “happy-to-be-here” feeling.   Nevertheless, both teams will bring confidence into round 2 and it will come down to matchups and puck-luck to determine the winner.

Forwards

Vancouver owns the clear edge in this category.  The Sedins struggled in round 1, but we are talking about the eventual back-to-back Hart Trophy winners here.  Behind them is the likely Selke Trophy winner in Kesler.  He had to take on a much more defensive role against Chicago, but look for him to get back to his offensive role this round because Nashville don’t boast the same kind of top-end firepower up front.   Still, the fun doesn’t stop there.  There are an endless amount of guys who can step up any given night and help lead this squad to victory—Samuelsson, Burrows, Hansen, Raymond, and Higgins are just a few of the names to keep your eye on.   They still do miss Malhotra though.   Henrik and Kesler are good in the face-off circle, but not as good or as reliable as Malhotra—especially in the defensive zone.

Nashville might not have the same kind of star power up front, but they do have a lunch-pail group that all play a two-way game to some degree or another.   They are well-coached and always in a supportive position (count how many times you see 4 or 5 Predators within the frame of your screen).   S Kostistyn emerged this season as a reliable offensive threat and Martin Erat should be back after suffering a head injury in round 1.  Guys like Tootoo, Hornqvist, Legwand, Fisher, and Sullivan all have two-way capability and is the primary reason why this bunch is so dangerous.  There are very few defensive breakdowns or missed assignments, so they will enjoy making life hell for Vancouver.   Edge: Vancouver

Defensemen

Dan Hamhuis and Shane O’Brien will both be facing their former clubs in this series.  There aren’t any burned bridges between the parties though, but they will have an extra incentive to bring their ‘A’ game.  Hamhuis might have a concussion history, but it didn’t have any ill effect on him in round 1.  He was arguably the Canucks best d-man and was cool under pressure for most of the series.   Bieska is a nice compliment to Hamhuis and plays a lot of important minutes (ironic since he was on the trading block for so long).   Right behind them is Alexander Edler.   He might not look like a hitter, but he brings the wood shift in and shift out.  He logs big minutes and plays in all situations.   Along with Christian Ehrhoff, these guys make every power play a serious threat to score.   Combined they blocked 24 blocked shots against Chicago.   Ballard, Salo, Alberts, and Rome make up a less than stellar supporting group, but they are serviceable in their own right and shouldn’t be a liability against the offensively challenged Predators.

As good as the defense is for Vancouver, Shea Weber is a current Norris Trophy candidate and is a lethal threat from the point in any situation.  He’s especially dangerous on the power play where he brings one of the hardest shots in the league.   He and Suter make up the best defensive pairing in the league and will be the cornerstone of the Nashville game plan.  Blum and Franson have developed into real offensive threats from the blueline as well, and both can hold their own in the defensive zone as well.   All of these names are primed to punish Vancouver in the counter-attack and make it very difficult for the Canucks to come away victorious.   Edge: None

Goalies

The goaltending matchup should be a wash.  Both are Vezina finalists and should have their “A” game for most of this series.   Luongo and Rinne both got their respective monkey’s off their backs so the playoff nerves shouldn’t be a concern any longer.   I expect both to play calm and cool confident hockey.  Even if the series goes long, Luongo has proved he can handle the pressure of the big game.   Personally, I would rather have Rinne as my goalie, but we might be splitting hairs at this point.  We also can’t ignore the possibility of seeing Schneider at some point in this series.  When it comes to Alain Vigneault, who knows.   Edge: None

Coaches

The pressure is squarely on Vigneualt here and it isn’t even close.  He made a ballsy move by putting in the rookie between the pipes for game 6—a move that I didn’t agree with, but this is why he gets paid the big bucks.  All turned out well so he’ll never have to answer for those decisions.   He also doesn’t get too carried away about the matchup game.  He’s very comfortable putting strength against strength.

Trotz is one of the most underrated coaches in the league bar none.  I’m a little upset that he hasn’t been nominated for the Jack Adams yet, but that is another fight for another day.   Right now he’s playing with house money and I’m sure he’s looking forward to this matchup.   Whatever game plan he comes up with, you can be sure it will work out more times than not.   The only question is, does he have enough weapons to carry out the orders?  Edge: None

Special Teams

On paper this shouldn’t even be close.  Vancouver was ranked 1^st and 2^nd in power plays and penalty killing respectively coming into the playoffs.  That could spell bad news for Nashville because Anaheim shredded them apart with the man advantage.    Having said that, adjustments will be made and I expect Pekka Rinne to raise his game to another level.    Edge: Vancouver

Key Matchup

One of the biggest keys to this series will be the matchup of the Sedin brothers vs the Weber/Suter/Rinne combination.  It’s very possible that whoever wins this battle will win the series.   This might be bad news for Vancouver because once Dave Bolland returned in the Hawks series, the Sedins didn’t have an answer for the tight checking.  They don’t play an aggressive style of hockey and they don’t like being on the receiving end of it either.   Yet, this is exactly what they will face in Suter and Weber.  This defensive duo is regarded as the best in the league and Smithson, Tootoo, and Spaling will likely compliment them in the checking role. 

Conclusion

Look for Nashville to get the early jump on Vancouver in game 1 and they will have a great chance to get the series lead.   If they can come away with a win to start the series, the pressure will really amp again for the Canucks to win game 2.   Vancouver are on an emotional mountain high after they finally beat their nemisis in a thrilling game 7 overtime and they might have difficulty bringing that kind of intensity to the start of this series.  Meanwhile, Nashville has been resting for a few days and they’ve had the time to come down from their high.  Coach Barry Trotz will have his team focused and on point when they head to the Pacific Northwest.    The NHL odds are great if you like the upset, but if you want to roll with Vancouver, the spread might be the only option (3 way lines, -1.5 series line, etc) worth your time.  The value just isn’t there on the money line.