Yeah, I think momentum is key here. Instead of a traditional 2/7 matchup, this is more like a 4/5 matchup based on the last half of the season. On paper, I think the Canucks are better, but it's not by a lot. If they've lost that early season magic, it means they're going to have to grind more against a high energy team like Nashville. It's a toss up for me.
When the teams are this close (in their current level of play, not just talking about the talent on paper), you have to look at the way the big players on the team have played in the playoffs. O'Reilly, Forsberg, Josi...deadly. Outside of J.T. Miller, do the Canucks have anyone with any real playoff success on their team to speak of?
The goaltending is going to be interesting too. Demko looked okay the other night, but if he gets bumped a little or caught in a scrum, does he aggravate an injury? Saros is pretty equal to him most nights anyway, so any drop in his game will give the Preds an advantage.
I'm still going to say Canucks in 7, but this will be a really close series.
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"You know, that's kinda why I came here, to show that I don't suck that much" ~ Devin Cooley, Professional Goaltender
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