Foster Hewitt Conf Semifinal: (2) Seattle vs (3) Los Angeles

[mikey287]

In this thread, please discuss the playoff matchup between: (2) Seattle (http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... 4#p2791802" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and (3) Los Angeles (http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... 4#p2791842" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

They will face off in a seven game series that will be voted on only by the league's managers (asst GMs included) via a private message to me.

Please state your cases particular to this series regarding matchups, advantages, disadvantages, etc. - obviously, if you typed up some regular season notes about your team, they would be applicable here, but if you want to state that how your team would matchup well against your opponent, that would be encouraged.

In two days time (9/5), we'll have a vote to decide the series victor.

[Beveridge]

Looking at the match up, I would look at taking Upshall out of the lineup for Briere, and switch Cogliano and Voracek for most shifts.

At home, Totems will be looking to get the Seguin line away from Bergeron, and matching up the Courtier line with the Marleau/Stepan/Kesler line.

The disadvantage for my team will be faceoffs. I might lose 95% of them. However, I look at the wingers and they don't scare me as much as the centers down the middle do. If Chara is put out against the top 2 lines, they will just drive by him. The 3rd pairing of Lindholm and Braun will be ripe for the picking and knowing that if the top line is avoiding Bergeron at home, they will likely get Toews, I feel that I can overcome the best center line in the league and pepper Lehtonen all night long.

Even on the road, Bergeron against the top unit (if that's where it goes) wouldn't scare me. Minus the faceoffs I won't win, I feel that my forwards overall will be too much for a slower moving defensive unit and all forwards vs all forwards, the Totems have them beat.

I think the unit of McDonagh/Greene will thrive in this series and shutdown whatever offense the Kings can muster out.

I didn't like this matchup at first because of the centers, but the more I looked at the overall roster, the less worried I became over a 7 game series. I don't think a strong middle can contain/keep up with the attack of my top 2 lines and the "annoyance" of my bottom 2 lines.

The centers can't cover all 3 forwards and that's where the Totems look to exploit. Ovechkin will see double shift with the top 2 lines (especially on the road) to keep mixing it up. LA might steal a couple with center play, but I don't think they can take 4.

[Avyran]

The name of the game for the Kings is physicality. The Kings will be playing like the Bruins and pounding the Totems whenever possible.

Seattle's first line is great: a good mix of energy (Parise), skill (Seguin), and brute strength (Ovechkin). Very similar to Washington's first line (Seguin & Backstrom are similar, and Parise is the key addition). Beveridge called it - we'd be matching Bergeron against that group to particularly shut down Ovechkin. I would consider switching Kesler and Read on that line, for the sake of just bashing the line as much as I can. Seguin and Parise, while being energetic, are on the smaller side, and I'm not sure how well they would take constant hitting from larger opponents like J. Staal & Kesler.

In the regular season, my defense would struggle to keep up with the opposition. However, this is the playoffs, a different beast. This is where players like (old-version) Scuderi & Gill can shut down opposition, where Orpik can shut down Ovechkin. If any coach & defense know how to take advantage of the more physical, slightly slower pace of the playoffs, it's Julien/Chara. E. Johnson will learn well from Chara to play in the playoffs. You can't win by speed, unfortunately; games have to be ground out. That's where my team excels.

I don't know if the Totems team can take a brutal / physical matchup. Seguin experienced this against the Ducks this year: he only had 3 points. Sedin/Sedin/Voracek are not very physical. Cogliano and Briere are also kinda frail. I do really, really like their 3rd & 4th lines, but they feel like lesser versions of the lines I have. Regarding the defense, he Kings will look to hit Martin/Green and Myers as much as possible. Even McDonagh, though very good in his own right, is on the smaller side.

We'll use whichever goalie is hotter at the time - I'd actually guess Smith would be the starter for the series, partially because I am not sure how well Lehtonen plays in the playoffs (though last year may not be the best sample, as Dallas was outclassed by Anaheim), but like I said, it depends on their current form. Having Smith start would help relieve a lot of the puck-handling pressure on our big, slow defense, and he's played well in the playoffs in the past.

The top 4 of the Kings defense will be used for the majority of the game. Chara averaged 25 minutes last playoffs; E. Johnson, 26; J. Johnson, almost 30 minutes. Even Daley has 26 minutes. Even Braun & Lindholm both had around 20, while Staal had 22. They're all used to logging big minutes and playing as long as they need to. Lindholm, Braun, and J. Johnson will be swapped depending on the need and how the playoffs go; I personally think Johnson and Lindholm will be used more often for the power play potential. I also think J. Johnson will perform well under the guidance of his former coach (Richards) and Julien, though others disagree.

I'd likely swap Smith-Pelly for Hodgson, possibly using Hodgson as a power play specialist, Sobotka as a PK specialist, and Nielsen as an overall special teams specialist. Having 3 (or 4; I trust a Nielsen/Sobotka/Hodgson line) lines continuously going will keep our energy up.

There are few better players in the playoffs than Toews, Bergeron, and Chara. Julien is one of the best at specializing strategies to stop the opposition, and Richards showed how a less-talented yet more physical team can annoy the crap out of a more flashy team. Unlike Beveridge, I actually think the longer this series goes, the better chance I have, mainly due to the wearing down of the opposition.

Seattle is a good team, and against a similar team I think they would win because of their ability to have two defensive lines & two offensive lines. However, my team does not really have a line to match up against; every line is very physical and defensively responsible. It'd be a very fun series to watch in real life, for sure. If Seattle goes through, though, I do think they'd pick up a couple of injuries along the way that would hinder them against whoever they play next. Seattle has the perfect coach to fight against this system, as well, as Quenneville did push through it in the finals (though Chicago was the superior team versus the Bruins in that year). Seattle's a really well-designed team.

[mikey287]

The Coast was provided with a dynamic and memorable series between Los Angeles and Seattle.

Los Angeles seemed to determine to put the series on ice, capturing both games in Seattle. Captain Jonathan Toews was naturally brilliant. Ryan Miller played strong hockey, but was ultimately undone by the strong top line of Palat-Toews-Backes. Jordan Staal sealed the double OT thriller in game 2, where Kari Lehtonen and Ryan Miller matched wits until well after midnight back east.

With a chance to put a death grip on the series back in LA, the Kings struggled. Tyler Seguin and Zach Parise had three points each, as they ate up the LA defense in an unforgiving manner. Seattle would ride that momentum to a game 4 win as well, Alexander Ovechkin scored first to set the tone early - however, it was short lived, as the Kings pushed back. Seattle would prevail despite a late scare: Patrick Marleau's penalty shot in the late stages of the third period was stymied remarkably by Miller to hold the win. Matt Read would find an empty net with seconds left to ice it.

The trend of the road team winning each game of the series would not be stopped in game 5 either. Ryan Kesler had 1+1 while Zdeno Chara laid waste to the Sedin line, corralling them as easy as putting on his hat. Jordan Staal was instrumental in holding Alexander Ovechkin to just two shots in the contest. As Los Angeles cruised to an easy win.

Seattle would bounce back in game 6, who else but Tyler Seguin? He played an inspired game and Ryan Miller channeled his days in land of Sparty to lead Seattle to a victory in a surprisingly tight-checking game given these two offenses. Chara's buzzbomb from distance was the lone marker for the SoCal sextet.

Game 7 is where Jonathan Toews shines, but he had competition to be sure. It was actually Ryan Kesler who opened the scoring on the first shift of the game. Toews would follow soon after on a three-way passing play that he finished near the post. Zach Parise would launch one through Kari Lehtonen, who was insulated well in the series. The teams would trade goals in a wild game 7. Eventually Los Angeles would prevail, with David Backes scoring the series clincher and the empty net goal to ice it.

Game 1: LA 3-1
Game 2: LA 2-1 (2OT)
Game 3: Sea 7-2
Game 4: Sea 5-3
Game 5: LA 5-1
Game 6: Sea 2-1 (OT)
Game 7: LA 7-4

Los Angeles wins in 7

Three stars: Jonathan Toews, Tyler Seguin, Ryan Miller

[Beveridge]

I demand a recount of the votes!

[mikey287]

The votes were dramatized and recounted in the above tale.