Variety is the spice of life in this year's Western Conference playoffs. Annual Stanley Cup favorites Colorado and Detroit are nowhere to be found, replaced instead by new kids on the block Minnesota and Anaheim. Vancouver has moved out of traditional postseason mediocrity and is making its bid for a place atop of the pedestal. The only familiar face in the West is Dallas, coincidentally the one team that finds itself on the verge of elimination.
The Ducks have been playing a strict defensive system to help mask their lack of game-breaking talent. Backed up by playoff MVP candidate goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the defense has carried them to seven wins in eight games, continually baffling fans, players and analysts alike.
Despite their success, however, there is still a feeling in the air that Anaheim will eventually be derailed. Since all of Anaheim's games have been decided by one goal, people are treating this squad like the Cinderella in the NCAA Tournament and not buying in to the Disney franchise's dominance.
The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, have not lived up to their reputation. The hopeful Stanley Cup predictions have deflated with the realization that the Stars are down 3-1 in this series and show no promise of rebounding. The return of right wing Bill Guerin from injury was a boost, but more will be needed for another three wins.
Center Mike Modano, the Stars' leading playoff scorer with five goals, and the rest of Dallas' deep offensive corps need to prove the vulnerability of Giguere and knock the Ducks out of their comfortable playoff rhythm. Without a potent offense, Anaheim will wear away at first-year starting goalie Marty Turco and gradually seize momentum.
For Anaheim's part, this squad lives and dies with the play of their goalie, which as of late has not been a problem. With a stifling defense, forwards like Paul Kariya and Steve Rucchin don't need to take over the game, only steer it in their team's direction.
The Wild are making their first franchise playoff run and are not disappointing all the fans who have been waiting for this moment since the days of the North Stars. Led by all-star forward Marian Gaborik's six playoff goals, the never-say-die Wild are causing headaches for the Western Conference. Due largely to the superb coaching of Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota has proved itself a viable Stanley Cup contender.
However, standing in their way are the red-hot Vancouver Canucks. With the solid goaltending of Dan Cloutier, the defensive presence of Ed Jovanovski and the lethal offensive combination of left wing Markus Naslund and his linemates, the Canucks are showing their regular season success was no fluke.
Vancouver has taken a 2-1 series lead by playing smart hockey and taking advantage of the opportunities presented. In game three, all three of their goals came on the power play in a 3-2 victory. With the Canucks' offense as intimidating as it is and the Wild defense not counted among the elite, Minnesota can ill afford to aid the Canucks in any way if they are to pull off another upset.
