Series Breakdown: Blues vs. Sharks
By Brian Engblom
Special to ESPN.com
The Blues now get their chance to prove how good they really are. Check out which team has the edge, and then see what I think the outcome will be.
Matching up 5-on-5
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BREAKDOWN
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EDGE
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St. Louis has one of the top offenses in the league. The Blues will be affected by top scorer Pavol Demitra being gone with a concussion. His absence changes their second line. San Jose gets offense from only a few players. The Sharks need second- and third-line help. Someone other than Owen Nolan or Vincent Damphousse needs to get on a roll because the Blues will stifle them. St. Louis is the best defensive team in the league. The Blues' puck pursuit and speed put teams back on their heels. The Sharks will need to get something on the scoreboard before they are down 2-0. The Blues play better with the lead than any team in the league.
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Special teams
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BREAKDOWN
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EDGE
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Their power plays are even, but the Blues have more weapons. Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger on the point are experienced and productive under pressure. Pierre Turgeon is a sniper up front. The Blues have more power-play combinations than San Jose. Owen Nolan is the best power-play sniper in the league, but that's only one player. The Sharks have far fewer go-to guys. As for penalty killing, the goalie is the most important player, and Roman Turek has been outstanding.
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Goaltending
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BREAKDOWN
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EDGE
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This is an interesting matchup because Turek and Steve Shields are two new No. 1 goalies this season. Shields played a fair amount last year, but Mike Vernon was the No. 1 goalie for the Sharks. Now it's all on Shields' shoulders. Turek, who played behind Ed Belfour in Dallas last year, has answered all the questions about his capabilties as a No. 1 goalie in the regular season. There is no reason to think he will fold under pressure. I expect Turek to be just as outstanding during the playoffs as he was during the season. Turek just looms, looking like he is nine feet by five feet in the net.
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Intangibles
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BREAKDOWN
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EDGE
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St. Louis hasn't had a slump all season long. The Blues have been incredibly consistent. The Sharks are a much more volatile team. The only way they could take advantage of their volatility is to take it to St. Louis. That's the Sharks' only hope. One bad game will not affect St. Louis. Striking fear in a stable Blues team will take a tremendous effort for the Sharks, who will have to come out smoking.
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PREDICTION
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Blues in four. All the positives are in the Blues' favor. St. Louis is too strong and unshakeable for San Jose to get under its skin.
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Brian Engblom, a former NHL star with the Canadiens, serves as an NHL analyst for ESPN and ABC.
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