| Kostya Kennedy's Breakdown |
|---|
| Dallas |
|
New Jersey |
| Mike Modano (nine goals) is playing like he did last year at this time.
That is, he's playing like the best two-way player in the league. With Modano,
Joe Nieuwendyk and Brett Hull, the Stars can put offensive pressure on at will,
and have plenty of resources when they need a big goal
late. |
OFFENSE The Edge:
 |
Patrik Elias' teammates believe he's the most underrated offense player
in hockey and they may be right. He has 15 points this playoff season and when
he flits around the way he did in his two-goal Game 7 against Philadelphia,
Elias is a first-class threat. Apart from Elias and Petr Sykora, the offense is
a little thin, but expect at least one big goal from Claude Lemieux. |
|
| The excellent group of blueliners begins with rugged captain Derian
Hatcher and fearless shot-blocker Richard Matvichuk. The unit is augmented by a
cast of veteran forwards -- guys like center Guy Carbonneau and winger Jere
Lehtinen -- who are deeply committed to their defensive
responsibilities. |
DEFENSE The Edge:
 |
The NHL's best defensive team, the Devils play positionally sound and
can shut down teams for games at a time. They routinely hold the opposition to
under five shots a period. Ferocious hitter Scott Stevens, nimble Scott Niedermayer and warhorse Ken Daneyko anchor a blue line group so deep that able
defensemen Ken Sutton and Brad Bombardir can't crack the lineup.
|
|
| Ed Belfour thinks he's better than Patrick Roy. He certainly made a
strong case by outplaying Roy in the Western Conference finals. Though he
remains somewhat underrated, Belfour has been the NHL's premier postseason
goalie the past two
years. |
IN GOAL The Edge:
|
When the going got tough in the Eastern Conference finals, Martin
Brodeur responded with three consecutive sharp performances. At his best,
Brodeur, a superb puckhandler, can play with anyone. But his lapses enabled the
Flyers to take New Jersey to seven
games. |
|
| This group has gotten steadily better as the playoffs have progressed.
Defenseman Sergei Zubov may be the league's best playmaker from the point on the
power play. Modano and Hull are the main finishers and Darryl Sydor helps move
the puck through the open
ice. |
PP The Edge:
None |
A solid if unspectacular group, the Devils have a lot of players who
contribute with the man advantage. They need production from defenseman Vladimir
Malakhov and right wing Alexander Mogilny for their power play to move from
decent to
dangerous. |
|
| Led by Carbonneau, they were phenomenal during the regular season. They've
proven vulnerable in the playoffs -- perhaps due to accumulated exhaustion --
and need guys like Zubov to clamp down and keep from trying to be flashy while
shorthanded. |
PK The Edge:
None |
No team has mustered much of a shorthanded presence versus the Devils
this postseason. Watch for spunky rookie John Madden to make a shorthanded play
or three this series. Otherwise, watch as New Jersey consistently clears the
puck out of harm's way before the Stars can sustain an
attack. |
|
| Is Ken Hitchcock the most intelligent head coach in the NHL? It says here
that he is. Hitch can make hockey seem simple, which helps him pass some
advanced concepts on to his
players. |
COACH The Edge:
|
Larry Robinson has made all the right moves since taking over for Robbie
Ftorek with 10 games remaining in the regular season. Most recently his loud and
perfectly timed postgame tirade spurred the Devils to come back and beat
Philadelphia. |
|
| They are trying to repeat, of course, and these veteran players feel
another Cup would solidify their legacy after a decade in which both the
Penguins and the Red Wings won back to
back. |
INTANGIBLES The Edge:
|
After rallying from a 3-games-to-1 deficit against Philadelphia, the
Devils will never stop believing they're in this series, even if they go down by
a couple of
games. |
|
| It's Modano, who we know will play good series. If he plays a GREAT
series, the Devils will be at a loss to stop
him.
|
X-FACTOR The Edge:
|
Can Claude Lemieux provide the post-season heroics we've come to expect
from him? Will sniper Alexander Mogilny continue the mini-resurgence he began
with a goal in Game
6? |
| Kennedy's Prediction: Dallas in 7 |
|---|
| |
