Now, with the East all previewed up, let’s get down to the West.

San Jose Sharks v Colorado Avalanche
Before you go handing the series to the Sharks in four games, keep in mind that San Jose has a habit of choking in a big way when it comes to the playoffs.  Anyone remember their first round exit last year after they fell to the Ducks despite their number one ranking?  They’re hoping to finally get over their playoff curse as this year they’ve added some experience in Dan Boyle.  He’s one of the few players on the team that has hoisted the Cup in the past, and San Jose is hoping that he’ll show enough leadership and aggression to get them deep into the playoffs this year.  Forward Patrick Marleau will be the offensive force for the Sharks after finishing the season off with a career high 44 goals.  Plus, Evgeni Nabokov is no slouch in the net, posting a 2.43 GAA and .920 save percentage.

The Avs shocked a few fans after jumping from the bottom of the league last season to eighth seed in the playoffs this season.  Thanks to some player and coaching staff shake-ups, they were able to claw their way back up to the top.  They started the season out fantastically, and I’m hoping that that is the team that shows up in these playoffs.  It’s going to be tough, especially since star rookie Matt Duchene is listed as questionable as starting date approaches.  Nevertheless, Paul Stastny and Ryan Stoa finished off the season with a strong showing.  Plus, goalie Craig Anderson has been fantastic in the net.  He won 38 of the 71 games he played and posted a 2.63 GAA and .920 save percentage.  And, he’s well rested as the Avs prepare to hit the ice.  Hopefully we can all expect some big saves.

San Jose might be the smarter bet in this one, but I can’t go against the Avalanche.  I’m holding out hope that this one will go down to game 7 and the Avs will emerge victorious.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Puck Line
Sharks: -1 ½ +130
Avalanche: +1 ½ -150
Moneyline
Sharks: -240
Avalanche: +200

Chicago Blackhawks v Nashville Predators
Chicago is making their second consecutive appearance in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.  It’s all thanks to an offensive line full of young superstars that know how to move the puck down the ice.  With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane at the helm, this team is sporting an impressive six players that have put away 20 goals or more this season.  But, it’s all about offense on this team as their goalies are leaving much to be desired. With Christobal Huet having a subpar season, many are predicting Antti Neimi to be the starter for the ‘Hawks in these playoffs.  He posted a 2.25 GAA and .912 save percentage, but consistency is a problem.

Nashville seems to be the exact opposite of their round one opponents.  They’re lacking when it comes to offense, but have one of the strongest back lines in the league.  Fronted by the Shea Weber/Ryan Suter duo, this defense has only allowed an average of 2.70 goals.  Add 12th ranked Pekka Rinne in the net and you’ve got a defensive line that can stop the best of opponents.  It will certainly come in handy as these guys prepare to face an offensive onslaught from Chicago.  Fronting the Predator offense is lead goal scorer Patrick Hornqvist and lead point scorer Steve Sullivan.

Nashville is capable of pulling off big shockers so don’t count them out.  Ultimately, though, I’m expecting the Blackhawks to take this one in five games.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Puck Line
Blackhawks: -1 ½ +120
Predators: +1 ½ -140
Moneyline
Blackhawks: -250
Predators: +210

Vancouver Canucks v Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver is arguably the most talented team in the West right now.  They’re ranked second only to Washington in scoring, and are sporting one of the most powerful forwards in the league in Henrik Sedin.  He racked up a league leading 112 points as well as 29 goals and 83 assists.  He’s also fronting a line of Vancouver offensive players that consists of six 20 or more goal scorers.  There’s no doubt that this team knows how to put the puck in the net.  They’re also offering a pretty great defensive line with Roberto Luongo minding the net.  As many of you may remember, he helped Team Canada to their gold medal in this year’s Olympic games.  He’s ranked fifth in the league and should be able to stop anything the Kings have to throw at him.

Los Angeles is making their first playoff appearance since 2002 and it’s a very young and inexperienced team.  Nearly all of their top scorers, including captain Dustin Brown, have never been through the playoffs.  They have no idea of the physical and mental toll the post season can take.  Top goalie Jonathan Quick is ranked sixth in the league, but he too is lacking playoff experience.  The Kings aren’t looking at this as a bad thing though.  Many people panned the Blackhawks for their young, inexperienced players last season and they nearly took the Western Conference crown … from the Red Wings no less.  So, will LA be able to do the same?

Unfortunately, the Kings will be going up against too big an opponent.  With one of the most prolific offensive lines, Vancouver is going to hand LA an early exit this year.  Vancouver in four games.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Puck Line
Canucks: -1 ½ +160
Kings: +1 ½ -190
Moneyline
Canucks: -190
Kings: +160

Phoenix Coyotes v Detroit Red Wings
This one should turn out to be quite an interesting matchup.  The Coyotes have had a Cinderella season, rising out of bankruptcy chaos to become the fourth seed in the Western Conference.  They’ve had a fantastic year thanks to the expert goal tending of Ilya Bryzgalov.  He’s ranked third in the league and posted a 2.95 GAA and .908 save percentage against Detroit in four matchups this season.  He’s also bringing some Stanley Cup experience to the team, which they will definitely need as they prepare to face the Red Wings who are appearing in their 19th consecutive postseason.  The offense is fronted by point leader Lee Stempniak, Wojtek Woldki, and Radim Vrbata who have all scored more than 20 goals this season.  Don’t count out Shane Doan either as the left wing earned 55 points, 18 goals, and 37 assists.

The Red Wings were one of the best teams in the league after the Olympic break.  They went on to win an impressive 16 of their final 21 games.  That included a big OT finish against Chicago in their final game, proving that you can never count out the Red Wings.  This team is packed with Stanley Cup experience.  With an offense led by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterbert, these guys are a highly physical team that know how to battle it out for wins in the postseason.  One of the big surprises to emerge for Detroit this season is rookie goalie Jimmy Howard.  He started in three games during the final week of the regular season and claimed wins in all of them, posting a 13-0-2 record this season.

We all like to side with the underdog, but I’m afraid experience is going to win out in this series.  I’m predicting the Red Wings take it in seven games.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Puck Line
Phoenix: +1 ½ -305
Red Wings: -1 ½ +255
Moneyline
Phoenix: -110
Red Wings: -110

Don’t forget to check out BetUS to put down a wager at all of the odds mentioned above.  They’re also offering live betting throughout the series and plenty of props.  Check out before game time on April 14.

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