DENVER, Colo – According to most experts this matchup heavily favors the higher seeded San Jose team against the lower seed, Colorado Avalanche.
The Sharks have a ton of skill up front with Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatly and Joe Thorton. They also have a tough and experienced blue line led by Rob Blake and Dan Boyle and an always reliable goal tender in Evgeni Nabokov.
San Jose’s hockey talent level is maintained throughout the line up with flashy high scoring youngsters Devin Setoguchi, Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski on down to vets like Manny Malhotra, Scott Nichol, and Jed Ortmeyer. Everybody on this team can contribute on the score sheet.
Colorado can counter with a few Stanley Cup winning veterans like hardnosed defenseman Adam Foote, tough and tenacious third line center Stephane Yelle, as well as Mr. Magical hands himself, Milan Hedjuk. Once you get past these few familiar faces the rest of the team is a bunch of fresh faced kids and Darcy Tucker.
Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly are 19 years old. TJ Galiardi and Peter Mueller are 21 years old. Chris Stewart, and Ryan Stoa, are 22 years old. Paul Stastny, Brandon Yip, and Kevin Porter are 24 years old. Cody Mcleod and David Jones are 25 years old. That is eleven out of eighteen forwards that are 25 years old or under. These are not late season or playoff call ups, these are the kids that have been getting it done all season for this Avalanche team.
Former Shark, Scott Hannan, along with Captain Adam Foote will secure the blue line while offensive defensemen like John-Michael Liles and swift skating Kyle Cumiskey will venture into the scoring areas.
Craig Anderson, the man they call The Vortex, has ended a few years of questionable goal tending for the Colorado Avalanche. His somewhat unorthodox style appears to be based on an abject hatred of being scored on and that is a good trait in a goaltender.
This series has all the earmarks of another early round upset of the San Jose Sharks. With virtually no pressure on the lower seeded Avalanche, these kids with their steller goal tender just might skate and score their way past this baggage laden Sharks team.
Prediction: Avalanche wins it in 6.
Contact the author at terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com
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