Records…

Red Wings-
Overall: 51-21-10
Last 10: 3-6-1

Blue Jackets-
Overall: 41-31-10
Last 10: 3-3-4

Season Series…
Tied 3-3

Highlights of Last Meeting…

Previous Playoff Meeting…

1st Meeting

RLD ‘Playoff Formula’…

Red Wings- 54.76
Blue Jackets- 36.78

RLD ‘Playoff Formula’ Predicts…

Red Wings in 4 or 5

Tale of the Tape…

Forwards-
Edge: Red Wings… Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Franzen… the list goes on and on.

Defensemen-
Edge: Red Wings… Even though they haven’t played well as a unit this year, it’s still a big advantage for the Wings.

Goaltending-
Edge: Even… Mason has been better than Osgood, but Ozzie has a wealth of playoff experience.

Special Teams-
Edge: Red Wings… Red Wings: #1 PP; Blue Jackets: #30 PP

Coaching-
Edge: Red Wings… Ken Hitchcock has some good experience in the past, but Mike Babcock is fresh off a Cup win. Slight edge to Detroit.

Experience-
Edge: Red Wings… Is this even a question!?

Team X-Factors…

Red Wings-
Chris Osgood… Goals against wise, this has been Ozzie’s worst season in his career. He has a well-below average GAA of 3.09. And it’s not the fact he’s giving up more than usual… it’s the way the pucks are getting by him. It seems like the frozen rubber is finding holes in his pads. He seems a half-second slower in the crease. He was great in the playoffs last year, but I’m not sure he’ll have the same success this spring. Detroit needs him to be on top of his game to repeat.

Blue Jackets-
R.J. Umberger… We all know how Rick Nash has done against Detroit in his career. I’m assuming that top line with Huselius and Malhotra will have some success. It’s this 2nd line that I’m concerned about, and that’s where Umberger comes in. He played really well for the Flyers last spring, and has a big body that he can use in front of the net. It’s really important for the Jackets to establish 2 scoring lines against these guys.

Key Injuries…

Red Wings-
RW Marian Hossa (groin, expected to play in series opener)
C Kris Draper (upper-body, expected to play in series)
D Andreas Lilja (head, status for playoffs unknown)

Blue Jackets-
C Derick Brassard (shoulder, expected to miss round 1)
C Andrew Murray (hamstring, expected to miss at least first 2 games)
LW Kristian Huselius (concussion, expected to return for series)
LW Fredrik Modin (knee, status for playoffs unknown)
D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (knee, doubtful for playoffs)

Keys to the Series…

Red Wings-
1. Flip the switch… It’s safe to say that the defending champs have backed into the playoffs. If they don’t take a 180° turn, this team will be in trouble later on this spring, if not, now. Coach Babcock has expressed concern of whether his team is ready for grind. I’d say no.
2. Intimidation… Detroit can usually put together a storm in the first 10 minutes of a game, and I think they’ll do so again here. The Jackets are making their first trip to the playoffs. Pouncing on them early in games could be detrimental to Columbus’ hopes.

Blue Jackets-
1. Improve the power play… Whenever you’re ranked last in something, you have nowhere to go but up. Well, Columbus has been stuck in a rut on the man advantage all year. They’ll be going up against one worst PK’s in the NHL (statistically). This is a chance for them to turn it around.
2. Act like you’ve been here… Teams making their first trip to the postseason can tend to feel the pressure a bit. Even though they have some players who have made return trips to the playoffs, it’s important for the Jackets to just play loose and not worry about the playoff pressure.

Why the Red Wings will win…
They’re Detroit. We’ve all talked about how they’ve struggled in these last few weeks, and how the Joe isn’t as hard of a place to play anymore for other teams. But this is the Red Wings we’re talking about. They know when to turn on that switch. I’m fairly confident they’ll be able to do that with that extremely talented group.

Why the Blue Jackets will win…
Steve Mason. I’ve talked about the 2nd line & power play stepping up… but here’s their catalyst. Mason is the Calder favorite, which means he’s never been in this situation before. He’ll be going up against the mighty Red Wings, a team he’s played pretty well against. If he turns in an ’03 J.S. Giguere-type performance, Columbus has a shot.

PREDICTION… RED WINGS IN 5

[Source: RedLightD.Blogspot.com]

Don't forget to subscribe to our awesomely fantastic RSS feed or you can follow us on Twitter. Thanks for coming back, enjoy the article, and leave a comment below. Much Love!