Important players ahead of the 2011 National Hockey League play-offs - Part 3
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
One of the diverse players on the Canucks roster who played a very important role to put them in a strong position this season is Ryan Kesler. He was the expected impact player at the start of the season and he certainly did that in style.
Not only is he a very handy player when it comes to the offence but his ability to defend and skate both ways has made him very important for the dominating Canucks this season. The Canucks have simply outplayed every other opponent that also brings with
it the fact that Kesler bagged the most impressive career in the National Hockey League.
Kesler scored 41 goals during the season which make him one of the most productive players in the league. His clinical finishing and defence at the back make him a very important player in the Canucks team. Kesler has consistently shown the depth and diversity
in their squad.
Ryan will surely play a very important role as the Canucks get into the running for the Stanley Cup. If Kesler is able to continue on what he has been doing so far during the season, then expect the Canucks to win the very first Cup in the history of the
franchise.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin are considered to be among the best players that the Canucks have come across. Kesler is following on the same lines and his performances that led the Canucks to the President’s Trophy this time have given him a solid reputation.
Ryan is getting popular among the Canucks fans and if he is able to continue on what he did in the play-offs then the Canucks can easily win the Stanley Cup. The Canucks have the phenomenal combination of Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler who have
the potential to demolish any defence on a given day. They will play an important role in the Canucks postseason campaign.
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Lidstrom is leading another one of the great teams in the Detroit Red Wings in the play-offs. They were disappointed last season as they were unsuccessful in getting hold of the Division title. However, fortunes changed this time out as they won the Central
Division title even though they were not in the best of shape during the season.
Lidstrom will be handed with extra duties of guiding the team and helping them as they look to win without the presence of their star forward Henrik Zetterberg.
Zetterberg was out of action in Game 1 against the Phoenix Coyotes and was replaced by Niklas Kronwall. The replacement was more of an accommodation for the gap that Zetterberg left. Lidstrom was brilliant in the first game of the series and if they are
aiming to go further then he needs to continue on what he has been doing so far.
The Red Wings are placed in a very tough and talented Western Conference that has several evenly matched teams. The Conference heated up in the final stages of the season, giving Lidstrom the duty of guiding his team.
Goal-keeper, Jimmy Howard’s performances in the goal and Lidstrom’s performance up front will be crucial as the Red Wings aim to defeat teams like Canucks to make their way to the very top of the ladder.
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