Playoff Picks: Western Conference

(1) Detroit over (8) Calgary.

The Red Wings can outscore anybody, plus they have The Dominator back in goal. Calgary made significant improvements to their offense in the off-season, and their defense in-season, but it was barely enough to eke out the final playoff spot in the conference. There will be some thrilling low-scoring, OT games in this series because Hasek and Miikka Kiprusoff love to flop around and challenge shooters. However, since the Flames are horrible on the road and the Wings have home ice, they will be in an early series hole from which they cannot emerge. Red Wings in five.

(2) Anaheim over (7) Minnesota.

Each team can play smiliar styles, or contrasting styles, and match up line for line. If last night's game is any indication, each successive game in the series will be a never-ending cycle of line matching which makes the start of each game tentative, but building to a crescendo. This one might go the distance, but Anaheim has the power of the home-ice, plus they are playing with more emotion and a chip on their shoulder after losing to upstart Edmonton last season. Anaheim in seven.

(6) Dallas over (3) Vancouver.

I'm picking this as an upset because I flipped a coin and it came out heads, by which i mean Dallas. Both teams have stingy defenses and goaltenders who can go all night without giving up a crucial goal. This series looks to be more evenly matched than Anaheim-Minnesota, but where I fall on the side of the Stars is that I believe they can slightly outscore the Canucks, who have never really recovered from losing Todd Bertuzzi. Dallas in six.

(4) Nashville over (5) San Jose.

Both teams have depth and speed, but San Jose has the size and intimidation factor on their side. Still, the Predators were locked in battle with Detroit for top spot in the West for the second half of the regular season, and it has to put a burr in their saddle to know this is the prize for losing. I'm thinking Nashville also needs to remove the ugly memory of last year's five game exit to these same Sharks in the first round by outlasting and outscoring them this time around - because they can't possibly win by trying to check the bigger Sharks to death and wearing them out. Kariya, Sullivan, Forsberg, Dumont and Arnott must be the difference here, and it will be slight because the Preds have a game seven at home. Nashville in seven.