8 Kingston IceDogs vs 1 Seattle Spartans
Schedule
1. Icedogs @ Spartans
2. Icedogs @ Spartans
3. Spartans @ Icedogs
4. Spartans @ Icedogs
5. Icedogs @ Spartans
6. Spartans @ Icedogs
7. Icedogs @ Spartans
Overview
After an up and down season, in which Kingston GM Brett Harvie was sorely missed for most of the season, the Icedogs have once again squeaked into the postseason. The Icedogs have claimed the eigth seed, and are seeking to claim their first ever playoff series victory. To accomplish this team first, they will encounter the mighty Spartans, who boast one of the most potent offenses in the league, along with one of the best netminders in the game. The Icedogs counter with a team of players that just don’t know, or care that they are facing a monster. With Jagr reportedly hanging up his skates after this season, the Spartans will do everything possible to send him out with a Drunks Cup.
Statistics
RECORDS: Icedogs 33-40-7 (73 pts), Spartans 55-21-4 (114 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Spartans won 2-0
PLAYOFF HISTORY: ’02 SEA def KNG (1st Rd), ’10 SEA def KNG (1st Rd)
TOP SCORERS: KNG- Daniel Sedin (66 pts), SEA-Jaromir Jagr (134 pts)
POWER PLAY: KNG (10.5%) 32nd, SEA (20.7%) 2nd
PENALTY KILL: KNG (81.6%) 20th, SEA (85.8%) T-9th
TEAM SCORING: KNG (3.30 GF/G) 17th, SEA (4.15 GF/G) 4th
TEAM DEFENSE: KNG (3.53 GA/G) 17th, SEA (2.65 GA/G) 2nd
Offense
Even the most casual fan can point out that there is absolutely no comparison between these two team’s offenses. The Spartans roll out several marquee players, while the Icedogs have very few up front that strike fear into anyone. The Kingston Icedogs have a top line that looks like Seattle’s third line. While the Icedog’s top scorer, Daniel Sedin had 66 points, the Spartans had six players with more. Seattle has seven players with more than 20 goals. Kingston has just one.
Advantage: 
Defense
The Icedogs have the best defenseman in the game, in Lidstrom. Paired with Blake, they have the edge- if this was a game of one pairings. Depth comes into play and the Spartans have more of it. While on paper the Icedogs look like their defense can compete with Seattle’s, the stat sheet says otherwise. The blueline in Kingston has remained almost untouched this season, but it has yet to jell. And then in Seattle, a shakeup that sent defenseman Pitkanen to Montreal (for B. Morrow), the unit has come together and allowed only 25 shots per game. They get the slight edge.
Advantage:
Goaltending
Nabokov vs. Biron. Nabokov is a world-class talent, and is in a league of his own. Biron’s .869 SV% is horrid, and while Nabokov had a down year with only a .897 SV%, he is still one of the best in the game. Nabokov has the ability to at any night take over a game, as evidenced by his five shutouts this season. At backup Pavelec vs. Plante is about even, but expect this matchup to only take place if injuries occur.
Advantage:
Coaching
The Spartans have Dave Lewis at the helm, and he has been here before. Not only does he get his teams to the playoffs, but he wins once there. The same can’t be said about MacTavish, who leads the team that has never made it past the first round. While the Icedogs are disciplined, they will need to play a more physical style if they are to win this one. MacT needs to keep his team’s emotions and thoughts in check, as the Spartans have the names, and will have times in which they simply take over the game. This needs to be limited.
Advantage:
Prediction
Spartans in 5.
7 Denver Bison vs 2 Toronto Skyleafs
Schedule
1. Bison @ Skyleafs
2. Bison @ Skyleafs
3. Skyleafs @ Bison
4. Skyleafs @ Bison
5. Bison @ Skyleafs
6. Skyleafs @ Bison
7. Bison @ Skyleafs
Overview
The Denver Bison surprised a few by making it into the playoffs this season. The club was led well early by newcomer Matthew Goddard, but midway through the season Goddard’s activity declined. The Bison are easily predictable in the playoffs, as all their past results have been either a first round loss, or a trip to the Drunks Cup. Denver rode their stars hard to get into the playoffs and find themselves a bit fatigued which could play into Toronto's advantage. The Toronto Skyleafs enter the series with full health and should not take Denver lightly as many solid teams have taken the weaker teams deep into the first round or have been eliminated by them. Toronto is the clear favorite in this series, but Denver can be a pest. The Skyleafs have nearly 40 points more than the Bison and have scored over 100 goals more. The Toronto Skyleafs have a lot to prove to everyone, as they lost the top seed in the Jim Beam Conference with 3 games to go.
Statistics
RECORDS: Bison 36-38-6 (78 pts), Skyleafs 53-19-8 (114 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Skyleafs won 2-0
PLAYOFF HISTORY: 04' TOR def DEN (1st Rd)
TOP SCORERS: DEN-Peter Forsberg (79 pts), TOR-Alex Ovechkin (119 pts)
POWER PLAY: DEN (12.9%) 28th, TOR (20.8%) 1st
PENALTY KILL: DEN (82.6%) 18th, TOR (88.4%) 2nd
TEAM SCORING: DEN (3.15 GF/G) 22nd, TOR (4.49 GF/G) 1st
TEAM DEFENSE: DEN (3.31 GA/G) 14th, TOR (2.65 GA/G) 3rd
Offense
The Denver Bison are weak on offense, as their top scorer doesn't even register a point a game. The team is led by Peter Forsberg, who appears to be on his farewell tour. Outside the wheelchair line (Forsberg, Stillman, Tkachuk), the Bison have a below average offensive unit. In order for this team to advance to the next round they will have to score more goals. The Toronto Skyleafs are relying heavily on Alexander Ovechkin to continue to produce big numbers in the playoffs. If Ovechkin were to get injured, then this series would be really close. Toronto however is deep in talent and can call on anyone to produce, which is a good reason this team ranks first in the league with 359 goals scored.
Advantage: 
Defense
The Denver Bison are more known for their defense than offense. The team has good defensive unit led by Martin Skoula. The Bison have turned to Skoula and Mike Komisarek for their veteran leadership to lead the other 4 young aggressive defenseman on the team. While the defense category shows a bit of promise for the Bison, it's still not comparable to the mighty Toronto Skyleafs. The Skyleafs look excellent on defense from top to bottom. Led by Brad Stuart and Lubomir Visnovsky, Toronto's defensive unit surrendered the second fewest goals with 212 allowed. If healthy, the Skyleafs have no pressure on defense and should easily stop Denver's already weak offense.
Advantage: 
Goaltending
While both these teams have quality goaltending, the Skyleafs easily win this match up. The Skyleafs have Tomas Vokoun between the pipes, who has been solid for the team the past few seasons. If he were to go down the team is still solid with Chris Mason, who registered over 1,000 minutes in net. For the Bison, Jose Theodore has played virtually every minute in net and has put up some solid numbers. Backing him up is Johan Hedberg, who was Denver's starter entering the playoffs last season. Untested this season with less than 500 minutes in net, Hedberg still has the qualities to come off the bench and keep things from getting out of hand.
Advantage:
Coaching
It's now or never for Skyleafs Coach Pat Burns. Burns has taken the Skyleafs to the top during the regular season year after year, but hasn't produced the same results when it matters most. Even though the team isn’t as good as last years, one would think Burns is under a lot of pressure to do well during the playoffs. Kevin Constantine is behind the bench in Denver and is on the last year of his contract. Constantine is a past Drunks Cup winner with the Arizona Phantoms in season 2. If Denver wants to advance out of the first round, Constantine is going to have to get more out of his offense, while maintaining his defensive core.
Advantage:
Prediction
Skyleafs in 5.
6 Arizona Phantoms vs 3 Winnipeg T-Rex
Schedule
1.Phantoms @ T-Rex
2. Phantoms @ T-Rex
3.T-Rex @ Phantoms
4.T-Rex @ Phantoms
5. Phantoms @ T-Rex
6.T-Rex @ Phantoms
7. Phantoms @ T-Rex
Overview
Consistency? Look up the word in the dictionary, and the T-Rex Logo appears next to it. The T-Rex finished Season 11 with 1 less win than they did in Season 10. They have made the playoffs for the last 5 years straight, and have a Drunks Cup in the trophy case at the Carnivore Center in Winnipeg. They went through a brief, very brief, rebuilding period last season, and have taken off again from that point. GM Ryley Weir has a knack for finding, and keeping young talent, while surrounding them with the right supporting cast, and role players. The perennial playoff participants, T-Rex, face a Phantoms team that has made the playoffs the last two seasons straight, after a dismal DWSHL 9 season under then GM Joe Scanlon. The team was taken over by new GM, Jeff Perlis for DWSHL 11, and although there weren’t many moves made by the 1st year GM, Perlis did make a big splash by trading for franchise player Eric Staal. Staal did not disappoint by notching 38 goals and 81 points. The Phantoms had 6 players score 20 goals or more, The T-Rex have 7 players with 20 or more goals led by Dany Heatley with 50. Winnipeg have been a very defensively sound, allowing only a shade over 26 shots per game which is almost exactly what they allowed in DWSHL 10. They were 3rd in the league in goals scored, and 5th in goals allowed per game at 2.75. Ryan Miller had another spectacular season, posting an .899 save percentage and 43 wins which was good enough for 4th best in the league. The T-Rex have one of the best offensively stocked teams in the league with names like Heatley, Zetterberg, Nash, Naslund, and Hemsky. Next year, Tomas Vanek will join the ranks of the big name players. The defense is anchored by Marek Zidlicky, and Lukas Krajicek, and leans quite heavily on them. The defensive supporting cast is adequate with Mark Streit, Bryan Allen, and youngster Erik Johnson eating up important minutes.The Phantoms relied heavily on Mats Sundin, and Eric Staal as their “go to” guys this season. Sundin, and Staal scored 37 and 38 goals each respectively. 28 year old Taylor Pyatt had a breakthrough season. After scoring 12 goals with the Riptide, and Justice last season, Pyatt came into his first season in Arizona after signing a 4 year contract, by scoring 30 goals. The team has ridden the goaltending of Cam Ward all season long. Ward is a respectable goaltender, who’s best years are ahead of him. Ward started EVERY game for the Phantoms this past season, and played all but 530 minutes while posting a losing record. The Phantoms defense is anchored by gray beards, Mathieu Schneider, and Rhett Warrener. They are past their prime, but still, very good d-men. Younger guys like Fedor Tyutin, and Duncan Keith have to step it up in order for the team to be successful.
Statistics
RECORDS: T-Rex 47-24-9 (103 pts), Phantoms 39-36-5 (83 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Series tied 1-1
PLAYOFF HISTORY: ‘05 WPG def ARZ (2nd Rd), ‘08 ARZ def WPG (1st Rd), ’10 ARZ def WPG (1st Rd)
TOP SCORERS: WPG-Dany Heatley (99 pts), ARZ-Mats Sundin (104 pts)
POWER PLAY: WPG (17.8%) 8th, ARZ (16.7%) 15th
PENALTY KILL: WPG (85.3%) 12th, ARZ (79.7%) 29th
TEAM DEFENSE: WPG (2.75 GA/G) 5th, ARZ (3.491 GA/G) 28th
Offense
The T-Rex and Phantoms can both score with the T-Rex having scored only 45 more goals than the Phantoms this season. The T-Rex have many weapons, and like to pummel the opposing goalie with as many shots as they can get on net. Everyone on their top 2 lines has atleast 70 points. The Phantoms have a much different situation. Their scoring really revolves around future Hall of Famer Mats Sundin, and 25 year old franchise player, Eric Staal. The Phantoms have 2 good lines, but aren’t as deep offensively as the T-Rex. In order for the Phantoms to hang in against the T-Rex, they are going to have to get strong offensive showings from Pyatt, Comrie, Stempniak, and Prospal. Without them, their playoff hopes will dwindle. This series could be a high scoring series if the Phantoms are firing on all cylinders.
Advantage: 
Defense
The T-Rex and Phantoms are at different ends of the defensive spectrum. The T-Rex is in the top 5, while the Phantoms are in the bottom 5. Phantoms defensemen Mathieu Schneider, Rhett Warrener, and Yannick Tremblay better be at the very top of their games in order to stop the T-Rex from filling the net.|
Advantage:
Goaltending
Ryan Miller is one of the best goalies in the league, and his numbers rank him up in the top 5 goalies this season. He has the ability to single handedly win games for his team. The T-Rex only allows 26 shots per game, and as long as Miller plays his game, and avoids injury, the T-Rex should easily dominate the goaltending match up of this series. That being said, Ward is an up and coming goalie who has the ability to stand on his head at times. If this playoff series is the time he decides to do that, watch out, the Phantoms could make things very difficult for the T-Rex.
Advantage:
Coaching
Phantoms Coach Tom Renney is a good coach. That, we are sure of. However, Mike Babcock is in a league of his own when it comes to coaching. His high flying offensive game cannot be matched by Renney. Babcock also has his teams ready to play a very strong defensive game as well. Renney better be watching a lot of video of the T-Rex. Matching lines, or shadowing the likes of Nash, Heatley and Zetterberg can be almost impossible to do. The Phantoms go into this series as underdogs. If the Phantoms want to throw a wrench in the T-Rex championship hopes, they better start by playing defense first. If they do that, the goals will come.
Advantage: 
Prediction
T-Rex in 7.
5 Quebec Crunch vs 4 San Diego Wolves
Schedule
1. Crunch @ Wolves
2. Crunch @ Wolves
3. Wolves @ Crunch
4. Wolves @ Crunch
5. Crunch @ Wolves
6. Wolves @ Crunch
7. Crunch @ Wolves
Overview
The San Diego Wolves and Quebec City Crunch no doubt have the closest playoff series on paper. The Crunch finished only 1 point behind the Wolves, but had more wins at home and in the conference. Both teams feature many seasoned veterans with a splash of undeveloped youth, which make them both tied for one of the highest average aged teams in the DWSHL at 29. The Quebec City Crunch have made it to the show 3 times and have yet to make it out of the first round. The team did show fight last year and should have easily put away the top seed Toronto Skyleafs, but the teams coach didn't alter his lines and handed game 6 and 7 to the Skyleafs. The Wolves have made the playoffs 3 times as well and have only got as far as the second round. The only thing that isn't close with these teams is their special teams. If Quebec continues to rack up the penalties, then San Diego should win this series. If the Crunch can stay out of the box, they could get the advantage.
Statistics
RECORDS: Crunch 45-31-4 (94 pts), Wolves 44-29-7 (95 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Series tied 1-1
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Never Met
TOP SCORERS: QC-Mark Recchi (73 pts), SD-Scott Gomez (100 pts)
POWER PLAY: QC (16.1%) 21st, SD (19.3%) 5th
PENALTY KILL: QC (85.8%) 10th, SD (86.1%) 8th
TEAM SCORING: QC (3.55 GF/G) 11th, SD (3.58 GF/G) 10th
TEAM DEFENSE: QC (3.00 GA/G) 11th, SD (2.91 GA/G) 9th
Offense
Much like the stats, these teams are close. The Crunch are weak at center, have 2 good lines on the left side and have a strong right side. The Wolves have strong centers, 2 good lines on the left side, and a weak right side. In other words, these teams mirror each other. The Crunch, led by Miroslav Satan, have many leadership tools in place to guide DWSHL '12 studs Patrick Kane, Andrei Kostsiysyn, Anze Kopitar and Zach Parise. The young guns could very well be the difference. However, the Wolves think they can separate themselves in the playoffs. After acquiring Scott Gomez late in the year, the Wolves seem to have played with a new energy despite posting the same results. Both offenses are as even as it gets, only 2 goals separated themselves in the regular season. Although there isn't an advantage in this category, it must go to someone
Advantage: 
Defense
The Quebec Crunch have a solid all around defense. The Crunch core are very defensive with a nice balance of offense. Led by Dan Boyle, the Crunch surrendered only .03 more goals a game than the Wolves, or a difference of 7 on the year. The San Diego Wolves defense is a joke on paper, but somehow the chemistry has panned out for them. The only bright spot on their D is Sergei Gonchar, who has provided much support for the Wolves. This defense has been criticized by many, but the Wolves are proud of what their worker ants have accomplished and hope they can ride it out till the end.
Advantage: 
Goaltending
The brightest spot for the Quebec City Crunch comes in the goaltending department. The Crunch have had stellar goaltending all year from the tandem of Rick DiPietro and Antero Niittymaki. DiPietro has to be given much credit for the team’s success, after all he did play in all 80 games this season and logged more than 4,500 minutes. The Crunch might regret that decision come playoff time, as DiPietro has already showed signs of fatigue. The San Diego Wolves have surrendered fewer goals all season, but that was with the likes of Roberto Luongo and Marty Turco in net. With both gone, the Wolves turn to Robert Esche, who was what many think the reason the Antwerp IceBats have been held back. With Esche on a slightly better team than Antwerp, it's his time to shine and prove he is still worthy of being a starter in the DWSHL.
Advantage:
Coaching
This category is no contest. Pat Quinn is a much wiser coach than Brian Sutter. Quinn has a lot to do with turning the Crunch around and getting them back in the playoffs. Pat Quinn also won a cup with the Denver Bison seasons ago. Brian Sutter has been the man in charge in San Diego since DWSHL 6 and will be making only his 3rd playoff appearance this upcoming week. Sutter's job may be on the line if results aren’t produced as the fans are tired of the poor performances since he was hired. Coach Sutter needs to get more out of his goalie and defense in order to advance past the first round.
Advantage:
Prediction
Crunch in 7.
8 Texas Cannons vs 1 Michigan Falcons
Schedule
1.Cannons @ Falcons
2.Cannons @ Falcons
3.Falcons @ Cannons
4.Falcons @ Cannons
5.Cannons @ Falcons
6.Falcons @ Cannons
7. Cannons @ Falcons
Overview
The Falcons avoid their yearly first round playoff meeting with the Galaxy, and this year, face the 8th seeded Texas Cannons. This is the first playoff appearance for the Cannons in their 11 year history. The Falcons, perrenial playoff participants, face a Cannons team that squeaked into the playoffs after only winning 25 games last year. This season, they improved from 55 points last season to 78 points this season. In season 11, the Falcons have played very well defensively, allowing only 26 shots per game which is pretty close to what the team allowed in DWSHL 10. The Falcons were 2nd in the league in goals scored, and 10th in goals allowed per game at 2.95. Youn Netminder Marc-Andre Fleury had another spectacular season, posting an .890 save percentage and league leading 51 wins. The Falcons are a scoring machine with 3 players eclipsing the 100 point plateau. Kariya, Crosby, and Selanne are scoring machines. Add Federov, and thats 4 potent scorers, and an offense that's tough to stop. The defense is anchored by Ohlund, Regehr, and Hannan. Ohlund, and Regehr led all defensmen in scoring and look to provide as much grief to the Cannons D, and Goaltending as possible. The Cannons on the other hand relied heavily on 3 players to be the difference makers this season. Two Hall of Fame bound players; one goalie that goes by the name of Martin Brodeur, and stud defenseman, Chris Pronger. Star forward Alex Kovalev led the team in scoring in this season with 30 Goals and 84 Points. The team is backstopped by the aforementioned veteran netminder Martin Brodeur. Brodeur has had a solid season, but aside from Pronger, the defense in front of him has been questionable thus far. This series will likely be high scoring with the Falcons providing the bulk of the scoring. The Cannons will be praying Brodeur is up to the task of facing the 4th top shooting team in the league
Statistics
RECORDS: Falcons 57-21-2 (116 pts), Cannons 36-38-6 (78 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Falcons won 6-0
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Never Met
TOP SCORERS: MI-Paul Kariya (119 pts), TEX-Alex Kovalev (84 pts)
POWER PLAY: MI (17.6%) 9th, TEX (12.3%) 30th
PENALTY KILL: MI (89.6%) 1st, TEX (83.6%) 17th
TEAM DEFENSE: MI (2.95 GA/G) 10th, TEX (3.45 GA/G) 16th
Offense
The Falcons and Cannons play at different ends of the offensive spectrum, the Falcons aren't afraid to spread around the scoring, and their top two lines are a great example of that, each player was able to hit at least sixty points. The Cannons have a much different situation. Their scoring really revolves around Alex Kovalev. When Kovalev is scoring, the Cannons have a shot. Blunden, Mcleod, Camalleri and Surovy have each added over 20 goals, and have had more than respectable seasons. If the Cannons expect to hang in with the powerful Falcons, each player has to be firing on all cylinders.
Advantage: 
Defense
The 2.95 goals against per game is up from where it was last year. The Falcons went from 2nd overall in GAA, to 10th this season. That said, the Falcons are still the real deal when it comes to defense. They allow an paltry 26 shots per game. The team has to relied heavily upon the play of Robyn Regehr and Mattias Ohlund in the past, and that hasn't changed. Hannan has helped to shoulder some of that burden this season. However, with Marc-Andre Fleury backing them up, the Falcons' defense will never be a problem. The Cannons lone bright spot on defense is Chris Pronger. Hopefully Pronger can play 60 minutes a game, because that's what it's going to take to harness the Falcons' offense. .
Advantage: 
Goaltending
Marc-Andre Fleury is one of the best goalies in the league, Although his numbers don't rank him up in the top 10 this season, he can single handedly win games for his team. The Falcons rarely allow 30+ shots, and as long as Fleury remains up to his usual standard, the Falcons should easily dominate the goaltending match up of this series. That being said, Brodeur is a truly great goalie, and could be the player to steal wins in this series for the Cannons. If Brodeur can steal a game or two, this will be an entirely different series than we expect.
Advantage: Even
Coaching
Once again, the Falcons have a huge advantage in this category, bench boss, Marc Crawford is probably the best coach in the DWSHL. He's an offensive genius, a defensive mastermind, and he has the resume to back it up with the recent 2008 Drunks Cup championship under his belt. Darryl Sutter is a gritty, no nonsense coach, but hardly spectacular. The only advantage that Sutter may have is the Sutter mentality and drive which has seemed to rub off on the Cannons this season. The Cannons are going in as underdogs, but no matter how much Sutter grit and determination his team plays with; it will take a lot of hard work, and disciplined play to pull off the upset.
Advantage:
Prediction
Falcons in 6.
7 New York Vipers vs 2 Hanover Galaxy
Schedule
1. Vipers @ Galaxy
2. Vipers @ Galaxy
3. Galaxy @ Vipers
4. Galaxy @ Vipers
5. Vipers @ Galaxy
6. Galaxy @ Vipers
7. Vipers @ Galaxy
Overview
If history repeats itself, this series could get interesting. The Hanover Galaxy have made the playoffs the past 10 seasons, 6 of which were 1st round knockouts. Last seasons first round upset against the Jacksonville Prowlers left a bitter taste in the Galaxy’s mouth, and the team set out guns blazin' to prepare a better roster suited for the postseason. The Galaxy has definitely put up amazing results during the regular season, and have put together one of the best teams in the league stat-wise. The New York Vipers have been on the downward spiral for over 2 seasons and continue to limp their way to success. The Vipers usually have pretty good success during the playoffs, and need a their GM and coach to be aggressive in order to get anywhere
Statistics
RECORDS: Vipers 42-35-3 (87 pts), Galaxy 53-22-5 (111 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Series tied 1-1
PLAYOFF HISTORY: 05' NY def. HAN (Conf. Finals)
TOP SCORERS: NY-Marian Hossa (95 pts), HAN-Vincent Lecavalier (128 pts)
POWER PLAY: NY (18.6%) 7th, HAN (19.2%) 6th
PENALTY KILL: NY (84.6%) 15th, HAN (87.0%) 6th
TEAM SCORING: NY (3.38 GF/G) 14th, HAN (4.03 GF/G) 5th
TEAM DEFENSE: NY (3.30 GA/G) 13th, HAN (2.75 GA/G) 4th
Offense
This is a no contest. While the New York Vipers have a few gems, much of their offense is overshadowed by overproducing farm caliber players. Led by Marian Hossa, the Vipers can only hope their team continues to overproduce or their flaws will be exposed. Although not many people though the laid back Vipers team was playoff caliber, they will create much noise if they can stop the Hanover offense. The Hanover Galaxy led by "the holy one", Vincent Lecavalier, has been on a tear ever since getting knocked out of the playoffs in embarrassing fashion last year. The team made some tweaks on their offense in the off-season which has paid off and even stepped up Lecavalier’s game to another level. The Galaxy have 2 solid lines that are comparable to the leagues best, and if healthy will carry this team deep into the playoffs
Advantage: 
Defense
The New York Vipers used to excel with their defensive game, have taken a big step back in the last few seasons. Currently led by Toni Lydman, the Vipers are average at best and just barely do enough things to get by. This D lacks the star power of years past, and with Hanover's offense full of weapons this could result in a meltdown for New York. The Hanover Galaxy have pretty much kept the same core the past few years, as they have gelled well together. Led by their newest member Wade Redden, the Galaxy have a real strong, physical and defensive top 4 which is easily top 3 in the league. Hanover's D will no doubt be able to stop the Vipers beer leaguers, and might even score more themselves.
Advantage:
Goaltending
The goaltending tandems for both sides will be fun to watch. While Hanover's Vesa Toskala has put up the better numbers this season, New York’s Niklas Backstrom has been more consistent the past few seasons and with a less to work with. In fact, Backstrom has been the backbone to the Vipers success the past 2 seasons, as without him the team’s real troubles would be exposed. Although Backstroms better years are most likely behind him, he still has enough game left in him to carry this weak defense deep into the playoffs. The only knack to Backstroms game is the lack of care given by management, who knew going into the season playing him everyday was their only hope. Sure enough, Backstrom has 80 games under his belt and with the second season is at high risk for fatigue or even injury
Advantage: 
Coaching
The Hanover Galaxy have once again turned to fellow countryman and fan favorite Hans Zach for the DWSHL '11 campaign. Unfortunately, unlike his team, Zach isn’t a top caliber performer and doesn't bring to much to the table. Jacques Lemaire has struggled to motivate the Vipers in years past, but many think he has a lot to do with the team being in the playoffs. Lemaire often finds himself getting the most out of lesser talent, such as the past 4 seasons in New York and with Ottawa during their darker days. Lemaires coaching no-doubt has made a believer out of this team and has turned many of their players past their potential
Advantage:
Prediction
Galaxy in 4.
6 Birmingham Blaze vs 3 Nashville Battalion
Schedule
1. Blaze @ Battalion
2. Blaze @ Battalion
3. Battalion @ Blaze
4. Battalion @ Blaze
5. Blaze @ Battalion
6. Battalion @ Blaze
7. Blaze @ Battalion
Overview
For the first time since DWSHL 2, the Birmingham Blaze have finally returned to the playoffs. Led by the aggressive Anthony Notarianni, the Blaze have finally proved to the league where hard work, determination and an active GM will get you in this league. 2 seasons ago this team had 18 wins, a far cry from the 41 they got this season. The Blaze sure have the tools to make a first round upset against the watered down Nashville Battalion, but might not get much further than that. Still, reaching the playoffs is a turning point in the Blaze and their future. The Nashville Battalion proved the CBA affected the top-tier teams and watered them down a bit. No longer did the Battalion dominate and cruise to the top of the charts. The Battalion are thin on depth which might have contributed to them losing the Conference/Division title late in the season. The Battalion no longer can double shift in the playoffs, so it is interesting to see how deep each series of theirs will go. This matchup could be a lot closer than the standings show
Statistics
RECORDS: Blaze 41-33-6 (88 pts), Battalion 54-19-7 (115 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Battalion won 2-0
PLAYOFF HISTORY: 02' NSH def BRM (2nd Rd)
TOP SCORERS: BRM-Mike York (64 pts), NSH-Olli Jokinen (101 pts)
POWER PLAY: BRM (15.6%) 22nd, NSH (17.3%) 11th
PENALTY KILL: BRM (88.0%) 3rd, NSH (87.4%) 5th
TEAM SCORING: BRM (3.29 GF/G) 18th, NSH (3.76 GF/G) 7th
TEAM DEFENSE: BRM (2.90 GA/G) 8th, NSH (2.41 GA/G) 1st
Offense
The Birmingham Blaze were very offensive at one point this season, but with Scott Gomez declining a contract extension he was shipped away for a goaltending upgrade. The Blaze on paper are decent at best, with their top line barely cutting it and nothing much after that. The team isn't even comparable to Nashville and their thin depth and must hope for an overproducing top line just to stay even. Nashville on the otherhand have about a line and a half of top notch players and virtually nothing after that. The team can’t afford injury to their top players, as depth is already lacking.
Advantage: 
Defense
The Blaze don't look bad at all on defense. Led by Brian Campbell, this defense is setup to where their line pairings have 1 offensive-defenseman and 1 defensive-defenseman per line. This may be an advantage for Birmingham as their offensive isn't anything special and the team needs more players joining the play. The Battalion are known for their defense, but this season's roster has been anything but normal for the team. Nashville is led by Zdeno Chara and have three young aggressive defenseman in the fold. The Battalion should be cautious with selecting their youngsters to their roster, as they are often penalized.
Advantage: 
Goaltending
The Birmingham Blaze dealt Marty Turco earlier this season after they could not agree on an extension. So GM Anthony Notarianni did the unthinkable and traded the backbone to their playoff run. Oh yeah, and he got Roberto Luongo in return. Luongo has been excellent for the Blaze and gave the team confidence every night to compete. If he were to go down or get fatigued the Blaze arescrewed as they dont have a capable backup. The Battalion on the other hand win this hands down. With the tandem of JS Giguere and Nikolai Khabibulin, the Battalion can afford to ride one goalie until he fatigues then ride the other. Many questioned the Battalion, as they kept Khabibulin instead of getting much help elsewhere, but GM Tyler Weir may have something up his sleeve come playoff time.
Advantage:
Coaching
The Nashville Battalion automatically win this by default. The team is going fo 3 in a row with Coach John Torterella and it is likely the team will start out on the right foot. The Birmingham Blaze can only hope Coach Ron Low has a good gameplan for the playoffs. The Battalion have Birminghams number in the past and present. If The Blaze want to win this series they are going to have to stop the Battalions top two lines and hope their own average top line can light the lamp.
Advantage:
Prediction
Battalion in 6.
5 Jacksonville Prowlers vs 4 Copenhagen Blizzard
Schedule
Game 1: Prowlers @ Blizzard
Game 2: Prowlers @ Blizzard
Game 3: Blizzard @ Prowlers
Game 4: Blizzard @ Prowlers
Game 5: Prowlers @ Blizzard
Game 6: Blizzard @ Prowlers
Game 7: Prowlers @ Blizzard
Overview
In DWSHL 10, The Prowlers and Blizzard were very similar teams, in DWSHL 11, the Blizzard were a better team in the standings, but the teams are still the most even match up in the league. Bolstered by an exceptional power play and an offense that shoots a ton and limits opponent shots better than any team in the league, the Blizzard improved on their 10 season, only to see a strong Hanover team unseat them as Euro champs. The Prowlers enter the series as perhaps the most ironic team in the league. Jacksonville has recently been characterized by a revolving door of player personnel, with trades being made nearly as frequently as games played. So, it should be no surprise that one of the individuals no longer with the team is its own GM. Also, the Prowlers are the 2nd most disciplined team in the league, and so it is only fitting that the Prowlers lost their GM due to a lack of discipline. The Prowlers took the season series 1-0-1 and were playing slightly better down the stretch.
Statistics
RECORDS: Prowlers 47-29-4 (98 pts), Blizzard 52-25-3 (107 pts)
SEASON SERIES: Prowlers 1-0-1
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Never Met
TOP SCORERS: JAX-Joe Thornton (101 pts), COP-Jochen Hecht (93 pts)
POWER PLAY: JAX (17.6%) 10th, COP (20.7%) 3rd
PENALTY KILL: JAX, (86.9%) 7th, COP (84.7%) 14th
TEAM SCORING: JAX, (3.73 GF/G) 8th, COP, (3.79 GF/G) 6th
TEAM DEFENSE: JAX (2.81 GA/G) 7th, COP (2.79 GA/G) 6th
Offense
The Prowlers disciplined play figures to limit the opportunities for Copenhagen’s power play, which figured for around 20% of the Blizzard’s goals this season. At even strength, it’s hard to imagine the Blizzard can keep up with the speedy and potent top line out of Jacksonville. While Copenhagen has a well-balanced team from 1st to 4th lines, Jacksonville has the better top end talent. Still, with all that talent, Jacksonville and Copenhagen had nearly identical offensive production over the course of a season.
Advantage: 
Defense
The Blizzard gave up 223 goals this season. The Prowlers gave up 225. The Blizzard take one more shot a game on average and give up 1.5 fewer shots on average. These are the slimmest of margins. The Blizzard play a less disciplined game than the Prowlers, which figures to put more pressure on the Copenhagen defense, but that defense is physical and punishing, which may wear down the Prowlers over the course of the series.
Advantage: 
Goaltending
Copenhagen’s goaltending is made up of a platoon of Mathieu Garon and Tuukka Rask. These aren’t the most intimidating names in the league. But they both have GAA below 3. Jacksonville has Mikka Kipprusoff backed up by Curtis Joseph. These are much more potent names. But Garon has a better GAA than Kipprusoff, and Rask performed stronger than Joseph in the backup role. The good news is the Prowlers likely won’t have to rely on Joseph given Kipprusoff’s steady presence. Kipper’s clearly the best goalie in this series, but the Blizzard’s defense makes Garon about as good.
Advantage:
Coaching
Ken Hitchcock has forgotten more about coaching teams than Barry Trotz will ever know, and Hitchcock has the advantage of enjoying the active support of his GM, Mike Osterloh. The Prowlers are a ship adrift in the post-season, and Trotz, while an excellent helmsman, is simply outmatched here.
Advantage:
Prediction
Blizzard in 7
DWSHL Forum
DWSHL11 Season