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The Anaheim Ducks entered into the NHL postseason as the undisputed underdogs. Their regular season had a rocky beginning, and only a dramatic recovery at the end of the season pushed them into the Stanley Cup playoffs in the eighth seed.

Their opponents: fellow Californians and top-seeded San Jose Sharks. The Sharks were the undisputed top team in the league for the Western Conference. They entered the playoffs already bearing the President’s Trophy and had only lost 5 home games during the regular season. The series playoffs began in their home territory, in San Jose.

Many predicted that the series would be challenging for the Sharks, who had a strong team but who lacked significant playoff experience. Those predictions have rung terribly true for the Sharks; the team has already lost its first two games in the playoff series against Anaheim. Now tongues wag, and there are whispers that San Jose is continuing its long tradition – six of the last eight playoff games – of dropping out of the postseason in a hurry.

But the Sharks haven’t yet lost hope. “It’s not like we’ve been spanked and we’ve got our tail between our legs,” San Jose Coach Tod McLellan stated. “We play the same way, do the same things, create the same number of chances, eventually it’ll go in for us, and we’ll continue on.”

After the loss in Game 1, McLellan changed his lines, breaking up top scorers Joe Thornton and captain Patrick Marleau. He had Thornton skate with Jeremy Roenick and Jonathon Cheechoo at the top while Marleau moved back to the middle. Both Clowe and Cheechoo scored, but it’s not clear that the goals came as a result of team effort rather than outstanding individual effort.

The Ducks, on the other hand, benefited from an excellent overall effort, a combination of postseason experience, skill, and simple luck. Their first goal – and the first goal in Sunday’s game – came less than 4 minutes into the first period. The Ducks had only seconds left on a power play when their young forward, Bobby Ryan, bounced the puck off of Sharks goaltender Evgenie Nabokov’s goalpost. Ryan then leapt over the prone Nabokov in order to shoot the puck into the net.

Early in the second period, Ryan Clowe was able to score the Sharks’ first goal in 174 minutes of playoff time. The score raised San Jose’s scoring chances and Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle called time-out a few minutes later. Anaheim was unable to score in the second period; and even worse, the Ducks continued with penalties – Chris Pronger committed two fouls in that period alone.

With a 17-3 shot advantage in the second period, San Jose was slowed only by Anaheim’s stalwart goaltender, Joseph Hiller. Hiller made 42 saves on Sunday, and although the Swiss player has no previous playoff experience, he is a veteran from the Swiss League and the world championships. He has posed a major challenge to the Sharks in the first two games in the series.

Ten minutes into the third period, rookie Andrew Ebbett was able to break the tie, scoring his first career playoff goal. Ebbett deflected the puck off of Nabokov’s playoff pad after Teemu Selanne sped behind the Sharks’ defense and fired the puck into the net, setting Ebbett’s play in motion.

Just minutes later, Drew Miller scored again for the Ducks on a rebound goal. There were less than 7 minutes left to play and the Ducks were ahead 3-1. Seconds later, however, Cheechoo managed to shove past Anaheim’s defense to score. The Sharks kept the pressure on, and Christian Erhoff even hit the post with just over two minutes left to play, but the Ducks were able to keep control of the puck in most of the final minute.

The game ended 3-2, Ducks.

Since 1994, an eighth seed has defeated a top seed seven times. To keep the Ducks off of that list, San Jose must win four of the next five games, two of which will be in Anaheim. Another early playoffs loss would be a devastating blow to a team with a President’s Trophy and a 117-point season. The next game will be on Tuesday.

Don’t forget to check the NHL betting lines at Instant Action Sports!

Predictions for the Western Conference

Wednesday sparked the beginning of the NHL’s First Round of playoffs for the 2009 Stanley Cup. The Western Conference boasts last year’s Stanley Cup winners, the Detroit Red Wings. But beyond that, the West will play some of the top players in the league, point to some incredible reversals of fortune, and pit youthful talent against aging experience.

At Instant Action Sports, we brought you analyses and predictions for the Stanley Cup’s Eastern Conference. Now, we’ve assembled the predictions and picks from the hockey experts at ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports.net, and of course, Instant Action, to take a look at this year’s Western Conference.

#1 SAN JOSE vs. #8 ANAHEIM

The game between San Jose and Anaheim pits a hot team with elite players against a more experienced and overall solid team. The game will depend on whether the Ducks can intimidate San Jose. Either way, it won’t be an easy series.

The Sharks have been vying for a chance at the Stanley Cup for five seasons. They have a nasty habit of enjoying good regular seasons then bowing out early during the postseason. This year, however, they come to the playoffs having tucked away the President’s Cup and having the best record in their franchise’s history. The Sharks may lack superstars, but they have a respectable goalie – Evgenie Nabokov has experience and a .917 save percentage in 59 games – and a strong top line – Joe Thornptom, Patrick Marleau, and Devin Setoguchi. Their second and bluelines are deep and solid. They also brag 3rd place in the NHL’s overall power play and 5th in penalty kill. But they will need to keep an eye on players returning from injuries this season – playoffs just ain’t the place to get back in shape.

Although the Ducks may have had a weak start this year, they were able to strengthen up by the late season to make eighth seed. They have retained some of the most important players since their last Stanley Cup win two years ago, an experienced group of players that won’t flag under playoff pressure. And Anaheim’s top line has been scorching lately, relying on Ryan Getzlaf centering Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. Getzlaf, by the way, has had an astounding 14 points in his last eight games. Although the team is ranked low for penalty kill – only 23rd in the NHL—they have a strong power play at 4th in the league. And while the Ducks’ goalie, Jonas Hiller, has no playoff experience, his performance this season has nonetheless earned him a starting spot.

Anaheim will have to avoid unnecessary penalties to beat the Sharks; they will also have to overwhelm the Sharks’ brittle confidence. The Ducks will put up a fight, but most of the experts point to the Sharks as the winners in a close series—between 5 and 7 games.

#2 DETROIT vs. #7 COLUMBUS

Last year, Detroit won the Stanley Cup; this year, Detroit is going for it again. It is a rare thing for a team to win two consecutive years in a row, but the team is hot. The Wings lay claim to three of the NHL’s top forwards, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Marian Hossa. And with players like Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom, they also have depth in the front. They hold onto two of the league’s most talented defenders with Nicklas Lindstrom and Brian Rafalski. Their downfall, though, is at the net. Neither of the goalies – Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin – has had a stellar season this year. Osgood has had some electric games, with last year’s three shutouts and a 1.55GA, and Conklin has made some spectacular saves while with the Penguins, but neither has proven stable.

Columbus, on the other hand, lays claim to a rookie superstar, Steve Mason, who has led the team to win after win. With a 2.29 GAA and a .916 save percentage, he finished the season second only to Tim Thomas. As we saw in Capitals-Rangers opening game Wednesday, a strong goalie can save a game – and, in the case of the Blue Jackets, maybe even a series. If the Jackets have a chance against the Wings, it lies in Steve Mason.

The consensus goes with Detroit, but it may be close.

#3 VANCOUVER vs. #6 ST. LOUIS

The game between the Canucks and Blues brings a surprise twist: Vancouver has been banging on the door for years while St. Louis stumbled forward from mediocrity last year to the playoffs in this one. The series opened on Wednesday, and the Canucks claimed the first game 2-1.

The season changed for the Canucks when superstar goaltender Roberto Luongo returned from his injury. Since March 4, the team went 12-5-2 with a revived offense, defense, and of course, goalie. Luongo set a record for the franchise with 9 shutouts, even though he missed 24 games. On Wednesday night, Luongo managed some 25 saves, and will be a key player in the next games in the series. But Luongo isn’t the only star on the team. With Alexandre Burrows, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin on the top line, and Ryan Kesler, Mats Sundin, and Pavol Demitra on the second, the Canucks gained a scoring attack on two lines.

St. Louis was a shocker; the experts thought little of the Blues, but they rocketed forward with Chris Mason, a starting goalie who has had an amazing 6 shutouts in only 57 games and a .916 save percentage. Mason managed to finish Wednesday’s game with 29 saves. The lineup, though, lacks dazzle, especially with Paul Kariya out since November 4 for two hip surgeries. (He may be cleared for play within the week.) But with Keith Tkachuck, Brad Boyes, David Backes, Andy McDonald, and David Perron, St. Louis has a solid offense.

In the top ten in both penalty killing and power plays – 3rd and 8th, respectively – St. Louis appears to have an edge on Vancouver. But that didn’t play out Wednesday night. The Canucks, ranking far below St. Louis in special teams, were able to stop six of St. Louis’s seven power plays. Though the Blues have talent, the Canucks have a little more—and Luongo. The consensus goes to Vancouver, though the series will be a tough one for them.

#4 CHICAGO vs. #5 CALGARY

The game will set the Blackhawks against a deeper, more experienced team in the Flames. The matchup may be in the Blackhawks’ favor; the team outscored Calgary overall and in a couple of games at the United Center. Calgary, however, has far more playoff experience, attending the last 5 consecutive postseason events. In order to win, the Blackhawks will need to keep their heads.

Chicago has in its grasp one of the top lines in the NHL, with Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Teows, and, of course, Patrick Kane. Martin Havlat, one of the strongest on Chicago’s offense, boasted career highs this season with 48 assists and 77 points. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who may have given a very underwhelming performance in his first three seasons, is now giving the Blackhawks an elite performance, with a 2.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

The Flames are armed with talent, toughness, and experience that will make them a challenge for the Blackhawks. Their ranking as 4th best in the league for penalty killing pushed them into the playoffs. Several important players have been missing this season, though, including Dion Phaneuf, Mark Giordano, Cory Sarich, and Robyn Regehr, and may also miss the playoffs. Many hope that Mikka Kiprusoff will save Calgary, but he has failed to stun this season. Calgary’s major bonus is its playoff experience; the team will have to overwhelm Chicago to make it through the series. Most critics, however, think the Blackhawks will win out.