(4) Anaheim vs. (5) San Jose

A matchup with the reigning WCHL Champions ought to strike fear into any potential first round opponent, but it seems as though San Jose is heading into this mouthwatering west coast clash oozing confidence. A plethora of pundits and fans alike are finding seemingly finding joy in pushing the narrative that Anaheim, a franchise that looked well placed to become a dynasty, is already trending in the wrong direction. And its the Sharks, led by Slovakian unit Zdeno Chara, that aim to capitalise here.

Only twelve months ago, the Ducks were an unstoppable offensive juggernaut that struck fear into every opponent by its impregnable pedigree. This season, however, Alain Vigneault's outfit took an undeniable step backwards on the offensive side, ranking a lowly 18th overall in "goals for" (2.38). Fortunately, the Ducks D has remained outstanding, as the ever-impressive Shea Weber has led a top-notch defensive unit that ranked sixth overall in "goals against" (2.18). The special teams have been relatively poor (21st overall, PP+PK), but the team has maintained its discipline, ranking sixth overall in PIM/GP (8.70). But despite a lacklustre regular season by GM Danton's lofty standards, the fact remains that Anaheim has earned a playoff berth, and henceforth the chance to defend its title once again. We don't buy the negativity folks ... if Bergeron, Stepan, Backes and Moulson find their groove early, this team will be crowned Western Conference champions once more. 

San Jose isn't going to lay down for Anaheim, that's for sure. The super-talented quartet of Jonathan Toews, Paul Stastny, Jeff Skinner and Tyler Seguin would given any head coach nightmares, particularly in the playoffs, where it only takes four good games and you're moving on. Unsurprisingly, San Jose ranked fifth in "goals for" (2.51) this season, and third in PP % (23.92%) - it will certainly be intriguing to see whether Anaheim's loaded defense, and Rask, can stop Randy Carlyle's skilled group from hurting them. Despite the positives, San Jose is lacking on offense past a core group of superstars, and porous on defense past Chara and Martin. Its hard to envisage this bottom ten defense, and bottom ten PK unit, can stop the Ducks here- even more so if San Jose's lack of discipline, evidenced by their 25th overall rank in PIM/GP (12.84), rears its ugly head. 

THE VERDICT: Anaheim might be a little nervous coming into this series given the negative press, so we expect San Jose to score on the Ducks in spurts, handing the Sharks enough victories to keep this one close. Ultimately, however, we can't look past Anaheim's superior roster. The Sharks will undoubtedly spend too much time in the penalty box, and that will be enough for Bergeron and co to feast on OAP Tim Thomas. DUCKS IN 7.

PLAYOFF POOL INDICATOR: Anaheim 12 - 2 San Jose

DUCKS GM TERRY DANTON: "We consider the Sharks to be a serious threat considering our play this year. They have played us 4 times this year, and they took 3 of those 4. We are very concerned. Round 1 is going to be a true test of our grit, and frankly our ability to step it up come the post-season."