Western Conference first-round matchups

By Scott Wraight, SI.com

Time to analyze the four first-round series in the Western Conference.
Click here to see the Eastern Conference.

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Edmonton Oilers Regular-season series: Tied 2-2 The Skinny: Though three of the four regular-season tilts went into overtime and the overall goal differential was just five, the Oilers will quickly find out that the Wings are a different beast when the postseason rolls around. If Edmonton hopes to have any shot at pulling off a mammoth upset, it needs to be very physical -- without taking a plethora of penalties. What sets Detroit apart from just about every team is its amazing depth: eight players scored more than 55 points. Player to Watch: Chris Pronger. If the Oilers are going to be a physical presence in the series, it begins with the 6-foot 6-inch Pronger. As Edmonton's No. 1 backliner, the 31-year-old will have his hands full trying to clear traffic in front of the net (Tomas Holmstrom), while keeping another eye on Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Pick: Detroit in five. (2) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Colorado Avalanche Regular-season series: Stars won 3-1 The Skinny: Like Detroit, the Stars are fairly deep, featuring seven players with at least 40 points. But let's not kid ourselves. Dallas will only go as far as Marty Turco takes them. This is likely to be a very intriguing matchup, but I still have questions about Colorado's goaltending, where Jose Theodore, who has played just 43 games this season, appears to be the No. 1 guy at the start of the series. But the Avs may have a real shot if the Stars continue their regular-season modus operandi of committing stupid penalties at bad times. Player to Watch: Alex Tanguay. He's played just four games since returning from a badly sprained knee, but if he's close to 100 percent, the Avalanche will get a real offensive boost. After all, the 26-year-old winger was second on the team behind Joe Sakic with 78 points. The Pick: Stars in six. (3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Anaheim Mighty Ducks Regular-season series: Tied 2-2 The Skinny: If Monday's melee-filled game (102 penalty minutes) was any indication, this could be a doozy of a series. One of the youngest and fastest teams in the league, the Ducks will present match-up problems for Dion Phaneuf and the rest of the Flames' defense. What could really hurt Calgary is a lack of offensive punch from its top two lines, with Jarome Iginla the only player to finish the season with more than 60 points. Of course with J.S. Giguere and Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes, offense will be at a premium. Player to Watch: Andy McDonald. The Ducks' No. 1 center, McDonald finished a breakout season with 34 goals and 85 points, both career highs. The 28-year-old speedster also had three goals in four games against Calgary. Anaheim had better remind the fourth-year player to keep his head on a swivel when he comes across the middle. The Pick: Ducks in seven. (4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks Regular-season series: Tied 2-2 The Skinny: The season series may have been deadlocked, but that's very misleading. None of the games were after March 11, when the Sharks began a 14-6 streak that included an 8-2 record over their final 10. Aside from New Jersey, there might not be a hotter team than San Jose, thanks to the one-two punch of Jonathan Cheechoo (56 goals) and Joe Thornton (125 points). Stranger things have happened, but it's tough to see Chris Mason carrying this team into the next round. Player to Watch: Kimmo Timonen. With Marek Zidlicky possibly out for the beginning of the playoffs, Timonen will be asked to shoulder more of the offensive load on the blueline. If that's not enough, it'll be up to the seven-year veteran to figure out a way to keep Thornton and Cheechoo in check. The Pick: Sharks in six. Eastern Conference Breakdown