For the second year in a row the Detroit Red Wings will be facing off against the Phoenix Coyotes in round one of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Last year these teams battled through seven games before the Red Wings eventually advanced, one would have to imagine another long series is in store for these two teams.  For the most part both teams are returning virtually the same teams, and their styles of play also remain the same.  These two franchises couldn’t be more different as the Coyotes have spent the entire year with a for sale stuck outside their arena desperate for interest and support, while they actively look for a new home.  The Red Wings reside in HockeyTown where they have made the playoffs 20 years in a row and are looking for the 12th Stanley Cup in team history.

Key Factors:

Special Teams-

The Red Wings hold an extreme advantage  with their 5th ranked power play match up against the Coyotes 26th ranked penalty kill.  While the rankings become irrelevant in the playoffs this is a match up neither team ignore.  They power play unit will be missing Henrik Zetterberg for the foreseeable future (not encouraging to hear he isn’t skating), but the Red Wings have more than enough talent to still produce on a high level.  Not to mention, numerous injuries over the past two seasons has made this team very flexible.  The one bright side for the Coyotes is that they were the 23rd least penalized team in the league, so if they can stay disciplined they could neutralize a potentially dramatic advantage for the Red Wings.

Style of Play-

Claus Andersen/Getty Images

In any playoff series controlling the style of play goes a long way towards deciding a series.  The Coyotes prefer to grind out games and have no problem letting their opponent out shoot them (out shot 52 times).  While the Red Wings prefer to control the puck and score early and often.  The past two seasons the Coyotes have concentrated on picking their spots and rely on a team attack to score goals, not to mention the Red Wings continuously struggle with turnovers that lead to great scoring chances.  However allowing the Red Wings to control the puck will give them the opportunity to control their own destiny.  If he Red Wings can cycle the puck and limit turnovers they should be able to have many opportunities.  Certainly it will be no easy task scoring, since the Coyotes have a goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov who can stand on his head and shut teams down regardless of the number of shots he faces.

Difference Makers-

Keith Yandle: The Coyotes have a clear cut offensive leader in Shane Doan, but as mentioned before they mainly rely on a team attack.  However they do have a special player on defense in Keith Yandle.  While he is far from Nick Lidstrom he is the Coyotes version of him as far as what he provides on both offense and defense.  He finished the year with 48 assists and has a knack for slowing down his opponents top scorers.  The Coyotes don’t have a lot of depth behind him so they will rely heavily on him, but if the Coyotes are to pull the upset Yandle will be a big part of their success.

Darren Helm: The Red Wings will need a big series from their stars, especially with Zetterberg out of the lineup, but Helm will play a large role in deciding this series.  It’s no secret the Red Wings aren’t built with speed, but few have the jets to match Helm.  His speed, big play ability, (as well as his new found ability to finish) and aggressive make him very special.  Throughout the year the Red Wings fourth line has been their most consistent and Helm was a major reason for that success.  If Helm can continue his break out success he will give the Coyotes fits, with his speed, agitation, and grit.

Prediction:

The Coyotes may be the under dog in this series, but the Red Wings fizzled down the stretch and now find themselves as one of the forgotten teams in the playoffs.  While the Coyotes are more experienced this time around, the Red Wings ability to control the puck, along with their offensive depth should make the difference in this series.

Detroit 4 – Phoenix 2*

*It is Important to note, if the Red Wings plan on taking the Coyotes for granted they will lose this series.  While the Red Wings have plenty of talent, they don’t have enough to play ‘flip the switch’ hockey whenever they want.  Not to mention they need a big playoffs from all of their defensemen.  The unit as a whole turned the puck over far too frequently and should  error on the side of conservative play.  Turnovers in their own zone will create opportunities that the Coyotes thrive off of and will take advantage of.  Also it would be great if Mike Babcock played Jonathan Ericsson as little as possible, it would be great if he played up to his potential, but it’s becoming clear that he isn’t there and may never be the player they want or think he can be.

« »