So the best two teams in the West did end up advancing to the Conference Finals! San Jose returns from last year, whereas Vancouver is back for the first time since 1994.
Offence
Vancouver
Kesler leads the Canucks in points(15) and assists(10). Second on the team in points is Daniel Sedin with 10, but also first on the team in goals with 6. Brother Henrik has 9 points, but just one goal. Alex Burrows has 4 goals and 4 assists. Left winger Mason Raymond has a goal and 4 assists. Another left winger, Chris Higgins, has 3 goals.
From the point comes Christian Ehrhoff with 2 goals and 7 assists to pace all Canucks blueliners. Alex Edler has 2 goals and four assists, while Kevin Bieksa has a goal and 3 assists.
San Jose
Ryan Clowe, despite missing a game, lead the Sharks with 13 points. His 9 assists are tied with 2 other players for team lead. Logan Couture has 6 goals and 6 assists. Their top center, Thornton, is tied with Clowe and defenceman Dan Boyle for team lead in assists. However, he has only 2 goals.
Devin Setoguchi is tied with Couture with 6 goals. Left winger Dany Heatley had 8 points and Joe Pavelski has 7. Kyle Wellwood has 7 assists, but only 1 goal. Patrick Marleau has 3 goals and 3 assists. Torrey Mitchell has a goal and four assists.
Boyle leads all Shark defenceman with 2 goals and 9 assists. Ian White has just one goal, but also 6 assists. Nic Wallin has 1 goal and 3 assists.
Edge: (Slight) San Jose
Defence
Vancouver
Bieksa is second on the team with a +5.Dan Hamhuis is second among defenceman with a plus 3.
But some of the defenceman really are struggling with the +/-. Ehrhoff is a minus 7. Edler, Aaron Rome and Sami Salo are minus 1.
Foward Kesler leads the team with a +5. Right winger Jannik Hansen is second among Vancouver forwards with a plus 4. Higgins and Raymond are +3 and +2. Also at +2 is Raffi Torres. Maxim Lapierre is down at plus 1.
The Sedin twins really need to improve in this area. They are both a minus 8.
San Jose
White tops all blueliners with a plus 5. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is next with a plus 2. Wallin is also +2.
But Douglas Murray and Jason Demers are both minus 1. And then Boyle is a minus 2.
Among forwards, Clowe also tops them with a plus 6. Pavelski is a plus 4. Couture is a plus 3. Mitchell is a plus 2. Marleau is a plus 1.
There several forwards that are minuses.
Jamie McGinn was a minus 1. Ben Eager, Thornton and Heatley were all minus 2. Setoguchi was a minus 3. Right winger Jamal Mayers was a minus 4 and Scott Nichol was a minus 6.
Edge: (Slight) San Jose
Goaltending
Vancouver
Roberto Luongo is where he's never been before. He's been this far in the Olympics, World Juniors and World Championships.
But never in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Like some of his teammates.
He looked a little shaky and unsure of himself against the Hawks. Against the Preds, there were moments of both brilliance and unconsistantcy. Still, he got through both. Which is going to help.
In 13 games he has posted a 8-5 mark with 2.25 GAA and .917 S%.
And with that, he is now a vetran of 57 playoff games.
Corey Schneider has yet to impress and will only appear if Luongo struggles.
San Jose
Antii Niemi has been here before. Last year, he took the Hawks all the way. And now, he's the first goalie since Patrick Roy to win his first 6 playoff series that he has appeared in.
Having said that, though, he and Luongo share a dubious mark this season. They've both been forced to win a seventh game after having been up 3-0.
That's not going to happen to either team this series.
But how will Niemi respond. Was he a fluke last year? Then how has he gotten this far this year?
It's not often that you can have a GAA of 3 or over (3.01) and get this far, but so far he has done it.
Mind you, when needs be, he's been very good. But those numbers have to improve, or we will see the other Ant appear.
Here are Niemi's numbers 13GP 7W 5L 3.01 GAA .906 S%
The other A N (Antero Niittymaki) has actually won a game and played the equvilant of half of another. He's 1-0, 0.66 GAA and .967 S%. That might be needed in this series!
Edge: (Wide) Vancouver
Prediction: Vancouver in seven games
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