NHL Playoff Preview: San Jose vs. Anaheim
This is another top seed against an eight seed that I’m just not sure what to expect. You can make a case for each side in this series. They have split their six meetings this year. It is somewhat surprising that this is the first time these two teams have met in the post season.
The key here may be home ice advantage for the Sharks. They are 32-5-4 at home this year. The great home record was helped in large part to their 20-0-2 start at HP Pavillion, so they have cooled off as of late. The Sharks are very balanced offensively, and only allowed 2.43 goals per game. Evegni Nabokov finished 42-12-8 with a 2.44 GAA.
Nabokov will have to outduel Jonas Hiller. We all remember how impressive Jean Sebastien Giguere was in 2007 helping the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup. Giguere may have been even more impressive in 2003 when the Ducks lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals. If Hiller can find the form Giguere had he could steal the series. I think he plays well but the Sharks are too much in the end.
Prediction: San Jose in 7.
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