speaking of bill clement...

[Guest Azazello13]

avs/wings preview

 

ESPN analyst Bill Clement breaks down the second-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings.

 

5-on-5

A tough call. I see Adam Foote and Rob Blake on the blue line for Colorado and Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios on defense for Detroit. I see Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan and Brett Hull up front for Detroit, and Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Chris Drury and Peter Forsberg up front for Colorado. Detroit has a little more scoring depth, but Colorado definitely has more speed over its four lines. The Avs skate better than the Wings; everybody in their lineup can move. It will be difficult for Wings coach Scotty Bowman to play Luc Robitaille and Tomas Holmstrom on the same line because they are not very good skaters. The Avs are also more punishing than Detroit with Blake, Foote and Darius Kasparaitis. They will make life miserable for the Detroit forwards any chance they can. They have an element of grit and physicality on the blue line that Detroit doesn't have. If it's a long series, that becomes an advantage. The Avs will by far be the best team the Red Wings have faced. It may take the Wings a game or two to adjust to the intensity, tempo and skill. Although the two teams are nearly even at even strength, the Avs get a slight edge because the Wings will have to adjust early in the series and because Forsberg is the most dominant offensive player in the Western Conference.

 

Detroit power play vs. Colorado penalty kill

This matchup will be one of the focal points of the series because both teams are extremely strong. During the regular season, the Red Wings had the NHL's No. 2 power play, while the Avs had the No. 2 penalty kill. Although Wings' power play has been effective when they needed it in the playoffs, Colorado's penalty kill has been overpowering. No power play the Avs have faced can show them as many looks and shapes as the Red Wings can. At the same time, Detroit will not have faced a corps of defensemen as adept at killing penalties as Colorado's big four. Whoever wins this special teams battle of the titans may win the series.

 

Colorado power play vs. Detroit penalty kill

Despite its talent and the presence of Forsberg, Colorado's power play really hasn't gotten untracked in the playoffs yet, scoring only six power-play goals overall. The Avs had the NHL's fifth-best power play during the regular season. Meanwhile, Detroit has killed penalties against two pretty good power plays in Vancouver and St. Louis. The Blues had the lethal combination of Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra and Al MacInnis, but the Wings' penalty kill, led by Kris Draper up front, played well against them. Plus, the Wings are so dangerous short-handed. They have scored four short-handed goals in the playoffs, two by Hull. I like what the Wings' ability to stop other teams and threat to score. Until the Avs can figure out how to get its power play going, Detroit has the edge.

 

 

Goaltending

The matchup between Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy is one of the greatest in the history of the sport. Hasek only has the Stanley Cup missing from his resume, while Roy seems to rewrite the playoff book every time he has a chance. As good as Hasek has been, expect him to be even better against Colorado. But anyone who watched Roy come through when it really counted in Game 7s against Los Angeles and San Jose would have to give him at least a slight advantage. At crunch time, the Avs are as strong in goal as any team in the history of the game.

 

Coaching

When Bowman rearranged his lines after Game 2 of the Vancouver series, it paid immediate dividends. Colorado has more balance, more power and more texture to its game than any team Detroit has faced. Bowman and his staff will have to do more coaching than it has at any other time in the playoffs. Bob Hartley is the defending Stanley Cup championship coach. He turned the San Jose series back in the Avs' favor in Game 6 when he put Forsberg on the ice with Sakic. He wanted to ride his big horses in Games 6 and 7, and that was the difference in the series. Tanguay and Forsberg teamed up for the only goal in Game 7, and Forsberg was magical in Game 6 with the overtime winner on a pass from Sakic. Hartley has proven to be a match for Bowman. I can't give anyone an edge over Bowman, but Hartley has been great.

 

Intangibles

Detroit is the more well-rested team. The Red Wings got a scare in the first round, being down 0-2 to Vancouver. After that, however, the Canucks were never really in the series. The Wings won in five against St. Louis and made it look easy in the process. However, Colorado has endured two consecutive seven-game series, coming back from a 3-2 deficit to San Jose. The Avs are the more battle-tested of the two teams. Plus, they get two days off before playing Game 1 in Detroit.

 

Prediction - Colorado in six

The Avs have the most dominant offensive player in Forsberg, they have a slight edge in goaltending with Roy, and they are more battle-tested than Detroit. Looking at total hits, the Wings may be able to match the Avs, but Detroit's forwards do the majority of the hitting. Colorado's defensemen are punishing; over a long series, they are no fun to play against. Very slight edges in multiple areas add up to a Colorado victory.

[redwings.cup]

pretty good analysis.. i think he's correct about six games, but he has the team wrong.