Sharks vs Red Wings - NHL Playoffs - Western Conference Semi-Final

This is it! 1,230 games have been completed and the 2nd season begins. 16 teams participate and 1 will hoist the most coveted trophy in professional sports: the Stanley Cup. This is one of the toughest tournaments in the world and P&B will be your round by round guide.

(Photo via allpro.com)

2

VS

3

2011 Season Series

San Jose won 3-1

What's the Story?:

The Red Wings cannot be denied. They played through Phoenix with some key injuries to important offensive players (Zetterberg, Franzen).
But the Datsukyan one continues to prove that he is the best Russian player on the planet.He is a game changer on every shift and one of, if not THE, most complete athletes in the League. His takeaway abilities and puck possession skills make him dangerous at every turn. Howard is continuing the trend where average goaltenders transform into playoff heroes for Detroit. He has a respectable 2.35 GAA and a great save percentage that currently sits at .927.

The Sharks are looking to return to the West final so that they can kill the label that has been dogging them for years: chokers. The player with the largest "C" on his jersey is Jumbo Joe Thornton. He scored the biggest goal in their 1st round series vs LA as he netted the OT series clincher. Like Detroit, this team features plenty of offensive options and a mobile defense. The second similarity is that the window for the Sharks to win a championship is closing. They are in the bottom tier in terms of average age (Detroit is dead last) with that clock ticking as each season goes by. Detroit has been there, done that as they have won multiple championships post-lockout. San Jose need to believe that their time is now.

Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before You Pick a Winner:

Can you believe that Detroit is still competing at such a high level? Will San Jose finally get over that hump? At what point will Datsyuk take over this series?

Key Playas and Pretendas to Watch:

Red Wings Playas: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Filpulla, Lidstrom, Salei
Red Wings Pretendas: Abdelkader, Modano

Sharks Playas: Thornton, Couture, Pavelski, Marleau, White, Boyle
Sharks Pretendas: Heatley, Nichol, Setoguchi

P&B Prediction:

There is so many All-Stars in this series that it could go either way. The Sharks are hungry and will take care of the Wings in 7.

-Paqman