Stars Playoff Hockey - Starts this Thursday

I am not a hockey dummy but I care about you and you getting your read on so I asked a 'pro' to give his analysis on the upcoming NHL playoffs.

Thanks SB-12!

" The end of the season was wrapped up in barbaric fashion Sunday afternoon against the Sharks here at the AAC. A miniscule 160 penalty minutes were handed out between the two teams in the regular season finale setting up what would be a feisty and entertaining 2nd or 3rd round series with the pacific division champs. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Our first round draw will be against the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Anaheim Ducks.

Ah yes, the Ducks, the enigmatic team that slouched it’s way through the first half of the season until Selanne and Niedermeyer decided to quit playing golf and help the team in it’s quest of a back-to-back cup win. The Stars have won the regular season series (5 of 8 matches) and that will prove to be valuable coming into the first round. The Ducks are a pacific division foe we see eight times a season...which will be the difference in this year’s playoffs for the Stars, familiarity. Last season’s loss was to a Canadian, non-divisional team, and the rivalry wasn’t there in the regular season. This year, the tale will be of goaltending matchups with Marty Turco and J.S. Giguere minding the twine at both ends of the rink, and of how much offense the Stars can muster. Considering a ranking in the top ten for goals for this year opposed to the twenties last year, I think that the Stars could take the series deep to seven and win it. Add Sergei Zubov to the mix from his injury in the second round, and you could see a different outcome in the playoffs from the years before.

All in all, try to catch as many first round matchups as possible. If memory serves me correctly, there are at least five divisional rivalries in the first round. This year should be an entertaining Stanley Cup run for both conferences and the upsets may be early going. Go Stars!"

The action begins Thursday night...