View Profile
View Forum Posts
Private Message
View Blog Entries
View Articles
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs.
(8) Edmonton Oilers
Analysis by Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com | April 19, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Series Breakdown:
Schedule | Game Breakers | X Factors | Facts | Quotable | Crystal Ball
The Skinny
Don't blink or you might miss an important play in this series, which will be played at a breakneck speed by two rosters full of individual talent capable of fitting into their respective team systems. Although separated by 29 points in the standings, the teams are very similar in the way they play the game. Plus, Detroit's point total is clearly padded by the fact it feasted on the weaker opponents in the Central Division, which boasted just two teams -- Detroit and Nashville -- with winning records.
The Red Wings went 25-3-4 within its division, taking 54 of a possible 64 points in the process. Edmonton, on the other hand, played in the rugged Northwest Division, which featured all five teams possessing winning records at the close of the season.
In fact, during the regular season series between these two teams, Edmonton claimed five of a possible eight points to show that it can play with the unquestioned class of the Western Conference. Most importantly, Edmonton has the speed and skating skills to keep up with Detroit's lightning-quick fleet of forwards and its transition-happy defensemen. It also has the heft on the back line that can neutralize a good deal of the cycling game Detroit is happy to play once it gains the offensive blue line.
Plus, this series features two young coaches that have shown the ability to get the most out of their rosters and change tactics on the fly to press the advantage. Detroit's Mike Babcock took Anaheim all the way to the Finals in 2003. Craig MacTavish has only 12 games of postseason experience, but has pushed his limited team to winning regular-season records in each of his first five seasons in Edmonton.
Detroit Game Breakers
1. Pavel Datsyuk: Detroit's speedy, crafty playmaking center leads the Wings in scoring with 87 points in 75 games. He hasn't played since April 3 because of a charley horse, but coach Mike Babcock has guaranteed his return for Game 1 of the playoffs. Datsyuk is the team's most-gifted puckhandler and must be countered by deploying a top-tier defenseman against him, opening up opportunities for scorers on other lines. He also is a staple of the Wings' first unit on the power play, combining with Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom. Datsyuk has 11 power-play goals, tied for third on the team.
2. Nicklas Lidstrom: Like Chris Pronger across the ice, Lidstrom eats up copious amounts of ice time, playing a touch more than 28 minutes per game. He is effective, yet understated in his own end, snuffing out forays toward the net with seeming nonchalance. He has a plus-21 rating. But, it is on the offensive blue line where Lidstrom, a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, truly shines. He is an adept mover of the puck, distributing it in a fashion that often leads to breakdowns by the defense as they chase his attempts to change the angle of Detroit's attack. Plus, he has a blistering, yet easily deflectable, shot from the point. It is one he uses with relish on the power play, where he has tallied nine of his 16 goals this year.
3. Tomas Holmstrom: Nobody likes playing against this big Swedish forward. Holmstrom has made enemies throughout the League because of his zeal for planting his big, immovable body at the edge of a goalie's crease and refusing to vacate that hard-earned patch of ice -- no matter the negative attention he receives from said goalie and his defenseman. Holmstrom has 29 goals, including 11 on the power play, and it is no exaggeration to say that more than two-thirds of those tallies have come from within 10 feet of the opposition's net. His 6-foot, 205-pound frame also wears out defensemen after a night spent leaning on them and suckering them into post-whistle confrontations.
Edmonton Game Breakers
1. Ryan Smyth: An elite power forward, Smyth is the type of player that can cause tremendous headaches for a defense, especially in a seven-game series. His willingness to play the body on the offensive cycle and crash the net with gleeful abandon wears down opposing defenseman over the long haul. Plus, Smyth has the ability to score from those down-low positions as evidenced by his career-high 36 goals this season and above-average 15.65 shooting percentage. With a career in Edmonton that dates back to 1995, Smyth is the on-ice leader for this squad of over-achievers.
2. Chris Pronger: This elite defenseman has been all Edmonton could have hoped for, and more, since his arrival this year in a trade with St. Louis. Pronger has become the stud defenseman Edmonton has always craved, playing 28 minutes per game and dominating in all facets of the game. Defensively, he is an excellent penalty killer and shot blocker and has the ability to handle even the biggest forwards in front of the net. Offensively, he can key Edmonton's lethal transition game and is devastating on the power play, where he has scored 10 of his 12 goals this season.
3. Dwayne Roloson: Roloson's arrival as Edmonton's savior did not start well, as he struggled in his first few games after landing with the Oilers from Minnesota at the trade deadline. In fact, Edmonton almost fell out of the playoff race as Roloson tried to find his footing. But, the veteran goalie has stabilized nicely. In his last six games, he has allowed more than two goals on just one occasion, a three-goals-against win against Chicago. In fact, during that six-game stretch, Roloson has allowed just 10 goals and stopped 156 of 166 shots for a spectacular .933 save percentage.
X Factors
Steve Yzerman (DET): Before being shelved for three of the final four games of the regular season because of a lower-body injury, Yzerman was a man on fire. He registered a point in 11 straight games, going 5-9-14 over that span with a plus-7 rating. If he can recapture that form upon his return, Detroit is an infinitely more dangerous team. Even when not scoring, Yzerman is a boost just for the leadership and experience he brings to the dressing room. But, his chronic bad knee and his susceptibility to breaking down on a fairly regular basis merit consideration and have to be a cause for concern in Motown.
Sergei Samsonov (EDM): Obtained at the trading deadline from Boston, Samsonov has used his speed and undeniable skill set to fit right in with the high-flying Oilers. In 19 games with his new team, Samsonov has five goals and 11 assists. But, the smallish Samsonov has found the sledding much tougher in the postseason, often struggling with Boston during the first seven years of his career there. He has just nine goals in 35 career playoff games and managed just two in 12 games during Boston's first-round elimination in each of its past two playoff appearances
Reply With Quote
Visit Homepage
Bookmarks