The wild Western Conference is where we focus our playoff analysis and simulation for our second round coverage of the 2009 NHL Playoffs. Four teams remain, as it was a crazy first round with some physical play all around.

Detroit Redwings vs. Colorado Avalanche

We will be starting at the top with the best team during the regular season, the Detroit Redwings who will be playing the Colorado Avalanche. These two teams are known for their hatred for one and other and renewing their rivalry in the playoffs for the first time in about six years should only help to add fuel to the fire.

The Redwings have a two headed goaltending monster that led them to victory over the Predators in the first round. Strong play from role players like Johan Franzen and hard hitting Niklas Kronwall has the Wings poised to go far this year. Holmstrom and Zetterberg are poised to light some lamps and crafty vet Niklas Lidstrom has his eyes on his first cup as team captain.

The Avalanche rode strong goaltending and solid defense in the first round to get past Minnesota.  However, this series will prove a much more daunting task for the Avalanche. Captain Joe Sakic has regained his overtime magic touch and there is hope in the Mile High City once again. However oft injured star Forsberg will need to suck it up and play every game, and play well, to give his team a fighting chance against the best in the west.

My take has the Wings pulling this one out, snuffing out any chance at redemption for the Av’s from their defeat years ago. The series will go six, but in the end Detroit is just too strong from top to bottom to falter this early. Having Hasek as a plan B is great, and Theodore will need to play great in the other net just to keep his team in this series. Datsyuk will run wild and the Wings will make it out of this one. Will the physical toll from this series be too much for them to get to the Finals?

NHL ’08 says the Wings take the series in five games. Hasek is still the starter and Osgood didn't even make an appearance in the five games. Sakic gave it his all with four goals in the series, but it was still not enough as the Redwings proved too much for the Avalanche to handle this year. Jiri Hudler and Kris Draper were unsung heroes during the wins for Detroit. Ironically Nik Lidstrom laid a hit on Forsberg and knocked him out in game four. He would later return, but be silenced for the rest of the series. Digital Octopi were not present, but NHL '08 has the Wings only 8 wins away from hoisting the cup!

NHL 08 Prediction: Detroit in 5

San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars

Our other match up has San Jose Sharks taking on the Dallas Stars.

San Jose barely survived a first round scare from the squad from Calgary and failed to match the physical intensity of the Flames for most of the seven game series. Lead by Captain Patrick Marleau and skilled center Joe Thorton the Sharks must get gritty in round two or go home. Still being picked as a possible favorite to win it all by many, San Jose needs Nabokov to show the form he did earlier in the season between the pipes and could use better defensive play in their end.

The Dallas Stars shocked the hockey world by upsetting last years champs the Anaheim Ducks. They jumped on the Ducks early and held on late to move on in the playoffs. Now they are greeted with the daunting task of playing the spoilers once more as the road leads them into San Jose. Brendan Morrow has elevated his play and showed why he wears the C in Big D. Marty Turco is trying to erase playoff mishaps of years past and prove he is the right man to lead his Stars into the Conference Finals. Dallas will also need Sergei Zubov to return to some semblance of healthy in order to put their best effort in.

The road team has struggled all year when these two teams have met up and you can all but throw home ice out the window. I predict the Sharks take this series in another seven games. This is one of the hardest series to pick in my opinion, simply because one team isn’t playing all that well and the other just doesn’t impress me enough with their talent. The latter of course being the Stars with the former being the Sharks. In the end, I just think Turco may make a mistake, perhaps while handling the puck, to swing the momentum of the series in favor of the Sharks. We shall see.

NHL '08 has the series pretty close as well, but San Jose took the series home in six games. Thorton led the way with eight assists and a game winning overtime goal along the way. Nabokov and Turco were pretty reliable in net, and all the big guns came to play in this one. In the end, it just came down to the Sharks having a few more of those guns than the Stars. Mike Modano scored on two penalty shots to make virtual history, but ironically, both were in losses. Brad Richards proved he was a worthwhile acquisition with another three goals, but it wasn’t enough as a California team has made it to the Conference Finals yet again.

NHL 08 Prediction: San Jose in 6

So there you have it, some interesting things could play out in the next two weeks. Be sure to check out the playoffs and get a little gaming in between games. We will be back for the next round with more predictions, so stay tuned!