Playoff Preview: #1 Red Wings vs. #8 Predators

Forwards:

Without question, The Redwings are clearly a stronger team all around. The Wings have tremendous depth all around and the Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to have finally have some success in the playoffs. This could spell doom to the Predators who seem to be happy to be there. While the Predators are lacking the talent they had last season, they still snuck into the playoffs. However they still will only last one round. The Redwings aren’t nearly as soft this year either with the likes of Downey, Dallas Drake and Darren McCarty to go with the Drapers, Holmstroms, Franzen, etc. Nashville though brings the pain and will be looking to go after an already banged up Red Wing squad.

Edge: Wings

Defensemen:

Detroit's defense is likely the best in the league at moving the puck and engineering the offence. Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart, Lebda and Kronvall can all move the puck.

Not to mention that Lidstrom guy is probably the best defender of our generation and a shoo-in for the Norris Trophy. Nashville does have some talent on the d side but it’s not anywhere near Detroit who have the horses to shutdown even a meager Predator attack. Predators have a much greener blue line corps led by Shea Weber, Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Suter, Greg Zanon, Ville Koistinen combined with Marek Zidlicky and Ex Ave Greg Devries. This isn’t a slouch group by any means but it pails in comparison to the Wings.

Edge: Wings

Goalies:

Color me unimpressed with the play of both Osgood and Hasek but playing behind that defense gives them the edge. Dan Ellis isn’t anything to write home about but there is ALWAYS a chance for a goaltender to steal a round. Ellis has been playing very well in recent weeks but he is still after all Dan Ellis.

Edge: Wings

Intangibles:

The season series was one that was close with only one outcome considered a blowout (6-3 Detroit win on March 20th). Two other games were decided by two goals (4-2 and 3-1, both Nashville wins). Detroit also has shown a tendency to either go really far in the playoffs or chokes like dogs. I don think that Nashville is the team to do that in this round but they know how to play Detroit and how to beat them. Not to mention, the Preds have been playing meaningful hockey for a few months know while Detroit has simply been on cruise control since the all-star break. Truth, this is not like last year where a bunch of stars are on Predator squad, this is a TEAM. Nashville is a playoff team, scrappy, and now they are a little bit meaner.

Edge: Predators

Coaching:

The thing that’s going to put the Wings over the top is Babcock. He gave the Wings a completely different gear last playoff season. He knows how to win tough, grueling, even physical games. Given that these teams know each other so well, I think it’s going to require the coaches to have some good tricks up their sleeves and Nashville coach Barry Trotz has yet to show anything to take his coaching game up to the next level.

Edge: Wings

Prediction:

Detroit's injuries are probably a bigger concern than most realize. Kopecky, who has been playing the best hockey of his career the past month, is out for the season, and there's no telling how effective Holmstrom, Draper, Maltby, Samuelsson, and Stuart, who are all currently out, will be - let alone if they'll all even be ready for the start of the series. The forward depth and health just doesn't look too promising for Detroit right now. Preds have been playing playoff hockey for the last few weeks, they're riding high and play Detroit well. Plus, they're due for a 1st round win …except it won’t happen this year.

Red Wings in 5