2007 STANLEY CUP - Conference Finals

We have arrived at the final four. The New Jersey Devils have answered the question "What happens when a 35 year old goaltender (Martin Brodeur) plays 78 regular season games ?" The answer of course ? He has nothing left by the 2nd round of the playoffs. All due respect to the Ottawa Senators, but Marty was toast in the series & a mere shell of his former self as his Devils were squashed by the Sens. Perhaps the Sens have finally turned the corner, maybe after all these years of playoff disappointment, they are ready for big time hockey. Maybe. In any case, they have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
No surprise as the Buffalo Sabres ousted the New York Rangers to earn their way into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Out West, the Anaheim Ducks dispatched Vancouver in five games made close by the stellar goaltending of Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. The Canucks did the best they could with what they had, but the Ducks are just way too deep. The surprise was the Detroit Red Wings rather easily dismissing the San Jose Sharks. It seemed to be a case of the Sharks (youngest average age in the league) being simply outfoxed by the wily veteran Red Wings. The baby-faced defensive corps of the Sharks seemed at times bewildered while the veteran Red Wings methodically dismantled them. It also didn't help that Sharks' Captain Patrick Marleau had nary a point in the series. Wings defenseman Niklas Lidstrom may not win the Norris trophy this season, but proved his is amongst the best to ever lace 'em up. Let's match them up.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Detroit Red Wings - The Wings conquered a deeper team in the San Jose Sharks while the Ducks have yet to play a series in which they were not decisive favorites. This will be the first real test for the Ducks. The Wings again appear to be at least slightly overmatched against the Ducks who have a deeper bench and should have Center Todd Marchant back for this series. There will be immense pressure on the Red Wings top line of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, & Tomas Holmstrom. There are a million subplots here. The three Norris trophy finalists (Niklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer & Chris Pronger) will all be playing in this series. The Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is himself a former Norris trophy winner. Wings coach Mike Babcock coached the Ducks in 2003 when the upset the heavily favored Red Wings while enroute to the Stanley Cup Finals. The goaltending is strong on both sides, Dominik Hasek seems to really want to get his name on the Cup a second time. This series is hard to call, but I'd have to go with the depth of the Ducks. This will be an entertaining tilt. It may go seven games, and we all know Hasek even at age 42 is still capable of stealing a series, but then again, so is the younger Jean-Sebastien Giguere (as he did in 2003 vs. Red Wings). Do you think the Red Wings remember ? You bet they do, but the Ducks shall prevail.
Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres - Ottawa's Senators should have played for the Cup in 2003. They did prove themselves adaptable in the first two series as they first shut down a creative wide open Pittsburgh Penguins team, and then shut down the shut-downers when the beat New Jersey in round two. Are these notoriously soft Senators ready to step up and take down the Buffalo Sabres, an ultra-fast juggernaut of a team which went virtually wire to wire in establishing the league's best record during the reguler season ? It will depend on two key aspects, the goaltending of Ray Emery & the continued strong play of Ottawa's top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley & Jason Spezza. If these things fall into place, Ottawa could pull the upset. Remember, Ottawa was the number one seed in the East last season when Buffalo dismissed them in five second round games. Ottawa now has a shot at redemption, but it ain't gonna happen. Buffalo will face the Ducks for the ultimate prize. But this series should been fun. Strap yourself in, and enjoy. See ya'