NHL PLAYOFFS: How the West will be Won

So I gave you guys the Eastern Conference Preview, now it's time for the West.

Western Conference

Dallas comes into the series coming off the 4OT win against San Jose. Yes, San Jose didn't make it this year, so every analyst can stop riding their dick. I don't question their pick, with strong offense (especially that Joe Thornton who became a new man since leaving Boston), a punishing defense and superb goaltending, Dallas proved to be the better squad. Dallas was saved by the strong goal play by Marty Turco. He has no Stanley Cups to his credit and this is a huge theme of this series.

Turco is pitiful against Detroit. In fact, during the postseason, he has never really been successful in Detroit (0-7-2). Since taking the position from Ed Belfour, winner of the No Goal Cup Final, Turco has been unreal during the regular season but absent in the playoffs. You could essentially make the comparison to Peyton Manning pre-2006.

The entire team is going to have to step up to a Red Wings team that is 5-0 at Joe Louis. With the first two in Hockeytown, the Stars have to at least split; better case being winning Game 2. Brendan Morrow leads the Stars with 7 goals in the postseason, he along with Mike Madano (how do guys still not find ways to cover him) and Mike Ribeiro (leader in points) will need to cranking out goals.

But Detroit, to go with a winning streak at home, are coming in as the President Cup winner and this team is loaded and ready to go. It's getting sick to see Johan Franzen, NHL leader with 11 goals, nine in the Colorado series, keep scoring and helping Detroit. Dallas has to find a way to stop him.

Oh yeah, and don't forget Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk out of the scoring column.

Don't forget that Detroit has a strong defense as well. Okay, so Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom are the AARP of bluelines, but them along with Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart are younger studs who play to that kind of intensity. Dallas's offense could run into a road block.

Then in goal, Mike Babcock can choose his poison between Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek. While Hasek was skated out by the Nashville Predators, Osgood came in and cleaned up the mess. Then he helped sweep the Avs, an upstart team that was beat up coming into the series. Though no one can challenge them in that they've played this far in the season and have both won Stanley Cups.

In the end, I think we'll see Turco's demons come back. He has to deal with a hot Detroit offense that cannot be stopped and the defense is just so good and too smart to lose in a short series. I'll take Detroit in five games.