Either the Montreal Canadiens or the Pittsburgh Penguins will be in first place in the East when the regular season ends Sunday. It comes as no surprise that these two are the favorites to represent the conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. Furthermore, the Habs have the chance to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.
Prior to this season, the Canadiens were not even thought to have a shot at making the postseason - they were too young and too old with an inexperienced coach. Led by a resurgent Alexei Kovalev (83 points in 80 games) and a trio of young, speedy forwards in Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn, Guy Carbonneau's squad has surprised everyone. The Habs are the NHL scoring leaders with 256 goals and last season's top power play replaced quarterback Sheldon Souray with the versatile Mark Streit to retain its top billing.
Montreal shocked the hockey world by dealing No. 1 goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2009. Montreal's playoff hopes rested on the young shoulders of 20-year-old Carey Price and 22-year-old Jaroslav Halak. Both have risen to the challenge. Price has notched 10 wins in 13 games since the trade deadline, three of them via shutouts. The Habs are counting on Price to channel Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden as he attempts to be the third rookie to lead the bleu-blanc-et-rouge to the Cup.
In order to be a serious contender in the spring, the Canadiens will have to utilize their speed. As one of the fastest-skating teams in the league, they will need to take advantage in order to make up for their lack of size and physicality. If Price can maintain his recent regular season performance, there will be a long hockey season in Montreal.
The Penguins have taken advantage of excellent draft picks and trading to stockpile a collection of elite talent. After years of hype and high expectations, everything is coming together. Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin could each be the top star on any team. When Crosby was out for weeks with an ankle injury, Malkin stepped up and has posted more than 100 points this season.
Goaltending has been an issue for the Penguins. Top netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has never really lived up to his first overall selection in 2003. He was injured this season but has managed to come back healthy and has looked good in his most recent starts. The Penguins counted on Ty Conklin down the stretch, but he is best known for a horrific postseason giveaway during his stint in Edmonton. Fleury will see nearly all the starts in the postseason, and he will have to finally live up to his billing.
Last season, lackluster performances in the clutch led to an early exit. It is up to Sidney Crosby to show that he's worthy of the C on his jersey by leading this team past the first round.
In the West, the Detroit Red Wings are favorites for the President's Trophy, and they clinched their postseason berth weeks ago. Despite their record, the Wings are not considered a runaway favorite, but it is reasonable to expect that the Cup will once again head to the stronger Western Conference.
The Wings are built around defensive stalwart Nicklas Lidstrom and European forwards Pavel Datsuyk and Henrik Zetterberg. Datsuyk (95 points) and Zetterberg (91) are each incredible forwards who should come up big in the playoffs with lots of ice time and lots of points. Lidstrom is a Hall of Fame lock that plays nearly 30 minutes a game and will probably win yet another Norris Trophy this season. His defensive partners are less skilled, and the back pairing has experienced a revolving-door effect with AHL call-ups rotating through the No. 6 slot. Still, Detroit has allowed the fewest goals in the league, thanks in part to coach Mike Babcock's system and his defensively responsible forwards.
Detroit's shut-down defensive system has allowed goalies Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek to appear a whole lot better than they actually are. Hasek is one of a kind, but at 43 he's showing his age. The Wings are counting on their defense to protect Osgood and Hasek as they have all season. In addition to the fewest goals, Detroit has allowed the fewest shots on goal, making life easier for the pair of netminders.
After a rough start, the San Jose Sharks have righted the ship and are in second overall, with an unbelievable 19-0-2 record in their last 21 home games. Captain Patrick Marleau has finally stepped up his performance after the worst first half of his career, and the addition of defenseman Brian Campbell at the trade deadline has boosted what was one of the most anemic power plays in the NHL. The Sharks have also received excellent goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov, who has carried the team to a first-place finish in the Pacific.
The Sharks do not score much, with just 218 total goals. Playmaker Joe Thornton leads the team with 90 points, but sniper Jonathan Cheechoo, who won the Maurice Richard Trophy last season, has just 22 goals. He and Marleau will need to elevate their production in the postseason in order to support the Sharks' defense and goaltending.
The heart of the team is Nabokov, who is a true iron man. He has gotten the nod for San Jose in all but four games this season, posting a 2.14 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. He is a big reason the Sharks are winning in spite of their lackluster offensive output. Last year he performed very well in the postseason, and the Sharks hope that his increased playing time this year will not tire him out for the playoffs.
All four teams have an excellent shot at the Cup, but the Sharks are the best bet. Nabokov has the fewest question marks of any goaltender this side of Martin Brodeur, and physicality on defense is an excellent asset in the playoffs. Marleau has shown some signs of life lately, and as captain, he should be able to lead this team to the Cup.
