If the 2012 National Hockey League Playoffs were to start tomorrow -NHL Special Part 4
Winding up the Western Conference as we continue to imagine what would happen if the playoffs were to start tomorrow; the series have been very exciting up until now due to the new pairing up of teams to face-off in the playoffs quarterfinals.
In the East, a team like Boston Bruins would be facing off against the Ottawa Senators, who could be considered to be a newbie team in regards to playing in the postseason after multiple seasons of not being able to make it past the playoff line.
Now, we have four more teams in the West remaining to be paired off.
San Jose Sharks (3rd Place) vs. Detroit Red Wings (6th Place)
The San Jose Sharks are a team that have had some disappointing results in the past to acquire their first Stanley Cup championship in history. They are a club that has reached the Western Conference Finals for two straight seasons but has not been able
to get past that point, which certainly puts them off in terms of team morale and dedication.
It is not possible doing that every year especially when you have to go against a team like Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the series.
Detroit is a team with immense talent and capabilities along with having one of the most experienced teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sharks just might not be as lucky this time if they had to face the Red Wings in the first round starting
from tomorrow.
San Jose currently stands at number three with 41 points while the Red Wings have 43 points for the sixth place since they have played more games with a 21-12-1 record while the Sharks stand at 19-10-3.
Prediction: Detroit Red Wings win in five games against San Jose Sharks.
St. Louis Blues (4th Place) vs. Vancouver Canucks (5th Place)
Now this would be one of the more exciting series to watch. Like the Boston Bruins on the other side, Vancouver Canucks are the Stanley Cup finalists of the West and are still looking to win that first Stanley Cup in their 40-year history as a team of the
major league.
The Blues have dramatically changed themselves around this time and have one of the leading spots in the conference, compared to the helpless situation they were in last time.
St. Louis is also a team with a huge amount of talent but they still lack the abilities to tackle a team like Vancouver, who are renowned to come up strong at the last moment after giving the impression that they are going to be eliminated.
During the 2011 NHL Playoffs, Vancouver gradually worked their way up in the series by overtaking the defending champions, Chicago Blackhawks in seven-games, followed by the Nashville Predators in six-games and finally San Jose Sharks in five.
Vancouver has not changed much over the offseason and most of their players except a few are healthy and ready to go at the moment, including their American All-Star, Ryan Kesler.
Looking at the team dynamics of the situation, it would be extremely hard to say that the St. Louis Blues could emerge as the winning team in any conditions.
Prediction: Vancouver Canucks take the series in six-games against St. Louis Blues.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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