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   VS. 

1. SAN JOSE SHARKS VS. 8. ANAHEIM DUCKS

JOSH BREWSTER

Congratulations, NHL. The Battle of California is on.

Built to be hyped, very attractive to fans, the Battle of California, will be a battle royal between two California teams, the first time that two clubs from the Golden State have met in the NHL playoffs since 1969, when the Oakland Seals lost to the Los Angeles Kings in a seven-game series 40 long years ago.

San Jose steamrolled through most of the regular season, its only lag came during the last 22 games, during which time the team was 11-9-2 from games 61-82.

CORE MATCHUP: San Jose welcomed back Mike Grier recently, and as is his forte, he’ll likely see shutdown duty alongside Travis Moen and possibly Marcel Goc or even Torrey Mitchell. Anaheim will feature a checking line of Petteri Nokelainen, Rob Niedermayer and the rejuvenated Todd Marchant, whose ice time has spiked since Samuel Pahlsson and Moen were dealt at the deadline.

At the heart of this matchup lies the ability of the Ducks’ checking line to shut down Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi and Patrick Marleau. On the other side, Grier’s trio must contain one of the hottest top lines in the league in Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. If one of these checking lines can produce points against the other club’s top line, it may tilt the entire balance of this series.

The Sharks, though formidable, have drawn a very poor card for round one. They’d have been far better off with Columbus or St. Louis, rather than the Ducks, their longtime divisional and regional foe, who went 13-6-2 during that same stretch from games 61 through 82.

POTENTIAL SERIES-TURNER: Ryan Clowe. He scored no points in four games against the Ducks this season, but after returning from a late-season injury, the 6’2”, 225 lb. Clowe could be a difference-maker as he’s tough and will give the Ducks fits as they try to contain him, playing alongside Joe Pavelski.

Pick: Surging Ducks win a very tight, back-and-forth series. San Jose grits teeth, vows patience. Ducks in 7.

LEON RAFNER

Sharks don’t choke on Ducks. The fuzzy Ducks will be so much fish food unless they come on strong and punch those swift Sharks in the snout with their webbed feet. Up front, look for San Jose to try and contain Anaheim’s big, and explosive two Ryan line: Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry. Getzlaf is a reborn Eric Lindros, big, fast, and tough in the slot. Perry can drive a goaltender though the net, and top rookie Bobby Ryan has those quick hands and ability that made him the top rookie goal and point scorer. San Jose counters with Duck Slayer Jonathan Cheechoo, who hasn’t had a fantastic year, but managed to put the Ducks away with a late goal in their last meeting. San Jose also benefits from monumental stupidity and experience. Who in their right mind would give up Joe Thornton? Jumpin’ Joe has revitalized this franchise, leading the scoring and a team loaded with experienced veterans like Rob ‘Butt Check’ Blake, Jeremy Roenick, and Claude Lemieux. Roenick is already pretty banged up, nursing his recent shoulder injury, while Lemieux just wants one more cup ring to have a full set on when he high five’s his old teammate Scott Niedermayer, who only has four. Credit these experienced vets with creating the team atmosphere and attitude that won the President’s Trophy.

In goal, we have great and greater. Evgeni Nabokov doesn’t let down. With a strong D in front, ‘Pickles’ Vlasic, Christen Ehrhoff, Rob Blake, and added Dazzling Dan Boyle, ‘Nabbi’ doesn’t have to deal too often with close in shots and anything he sees, he stops. Snipers Teemu Selanne and Bobby Ryan will have a tough time moving to his net. If Devin Setoguchi or Milan Michalek can streak past Chris Pronger, or newly returned Francois ‘Mr. Goodstreet” Beauchemin, they will probably find the recently hot Jonas Hiller in net, while J.S. Giguere is on stand-by. If San Jose can score early and stand up to the physical Ducks, they have a good chance at a long run. If they let Anaheim drag them into a long battle, the victor will be left floating on the surface belly up. Sharks in 5.

DENNIS BERNSTEIN

San Jose hasn’t played a game in anger in calendar year 2009 (I’m discounting their battle for the first overall spot with Detroit as a pennant race) and the old question arises about a team being able to turn it on after such a lengthy snooze. Team Teal got the one team they didn’t want to face in the lid lifter of the playoffs, the battle tested Anaheim Ducks. The Red Wings owe the Phoenix Coyotes a lot of love for knocking off the Ducks in a shootout in the season finale so they wouldn’t have to face the former champs. I gave Anaheim up for the dead at the trade deadline; they traded a number of heart and soul players and couldn’t see them putting together the chemistry necessary to make the playoffs. Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle pushed all the right buttons down the stretch so they enter the post season as one of the hottest team in the league and guess what, with more winning players than the Sharks. In my first upset selection, I like the Ducks in six.

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