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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Vancouver vs. Los Angeles - MiamiHerald.com

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Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Vancouver vs. Los Angeles - MiamiHerald.com
Apr 10th 2012, 20:28

One of the biggest questions is how a late-season concussion will effect winger Daniel Sedin.

Henrik Sedin's twin hasn't played since March 21 after he took an elbow to the head from Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith, a cheap shot that earned the blueliner a five-game suspension. The good news is that Daniel was able to return to practice on Monday for the first time since the blow and could even be ready for Game 1 on Wednesday, however, he was unable to take to the ice the following day.

If Sedin can return, it will completely shuffle the Canucks' lines. He should return to a line centered by Henrik that also includes Alexandre Burrows, a unit that represents Vancouver's top scoring threat. Even with the missed time Daniel Sedin was tops in the club with 30 goals and second with 67 points, while Burrows' 28 tallies were second on the club. Henrik Sedin, meanwhile, led the NHL with 67 assists and the former Hart Trophy winner was among the league leaders with 81 points to go along with a plus-23 rating.

The pressure will be on the Sedin twins following Vancouver's second straight Presidents' Trophy. The Canucks rode the league's highest point total last season all the way to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, but that run came to an end with a seven-game loss to the Bruins. Henrik was held to just one goal in the series, while Daniel scored twice and had four points in the series.

Once Daniel Sedin returns to action, his replacement on the top line, Maxim Lapierre would likely drop back to one of the lower lines, with the second unit of center Ryan Kesler and wingers Mason Raymond and David Booth remaining intact. Kesler regressed from 44 goals a season ago to just 22 this season, while Booth had 16 goals and 29 points in 56 games with Vancouver after being acquired from Florida.

Vancouver's shutdown line will be centered by in-season pickup Samuel Pahlsson (acquired from Columbus) and will also feature forward Dale Weise and possibly Lapierre at some point.

The other big question facing the Canucks is just how long of a leash goaltender Roberto Luongo will be on.

Luongo would likely be an undisputed No. 1 on a lot of teams, but the solid play of backup Cory Schneider has made him a fan favorite in Vancouver. Schneider, who went 20-8-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average in 33 games this campaign, even made one start in last year's postseason during Vancouver's opening round with Chicago, but didn't finish the game due to cramping. He then relieved Luongo twice in the finals against Boston.

A veteran of 59 NHL playoff games, Luongo certainly had his struggles during the 2011 postseason. He went 15-10 with a 2.56 GAA and .914 save percentage and holds a career playoff GAA of 2.50. He hasn't helped his case this regular season either, going 31-14-8 with a 2.41 GAA and .919 save percentage in 55 games after winning 38 games with a 2.11 GAA and .928 save percentage the previous season.

Luongo gave up at least four goals in a game six times in last season's playoffs, including eight in one game versus the Bruins, and a few outings like that early on could lead to Schneider taking over.

Vancouver could take a lot of pressure of Luongo if its fourth-ranked power play (19.8 percent) gets hot versus the Kings. Getting Daniel Sedin back would certainly help, but Vancouver also gets a lot of points from its blue line.

Alexander Edler was the top threat with 11 goals and 38 assists in 82 games, while Kevin Bieksa (44 points) and heavy-hitter Dan Hamhuis (37 points) are also dangerous in the opposing zone.

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