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| Wednesday, January 17 Updated: January 18, 12:17 PM ET By Brian Engblom Special to ESPN.com |
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The Matchup: Phoenix vs. Pittsburgh
The Question: Which team is better prepared for the playoffs?
Burke is one of the best … but he can't do it alone Typically, good goaltending is more important going into the playoffs, and Phoenix goalie Sean Burke has been terrific. Burke's numbers are spectacular, and everyone in the league would agree Burke has been the best goaltender in the first half and has done the most damage against shooters thus far. Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they haven't been scoring as much as they usually do at this point in the season. The most notable lack of production has come from their two big guns – Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk – both of whom should certainly be in the top 20 in scoring. Even though the Coyotes are concentrating on defense, their lack of production has to be a little scary for them. Pittsburgh may lack a killer goalie like Burke, but because everything else is going their way right now – when compared to Phoenix – they get the edge. The Penguins – particularly Mario Lemieux – put a lot of fear into the heart of their opposition. The Pens have proven they can produce and they have an enormous amount of firepower. Because they have to defend the Penguins so severely, opposing teams look at the them differently, which gives either Garth Snow or Jean-Sebastien Aubin a bit of a cushion. Neither of the Penguins goaltenders have proven to be in the top echelon of the game right now, but what they lack in netminding, they more than make up for on offense. With the Coyotes mediocrity on offense, Burke lacks that cushion. Momentum and confidence going into the playoffs may be the X factor for both of these teams. While one lacks significant offensive production and one lacks stellar goaltending, whoever has the momentum and the ability to carry over the early success from either side of the puck may be the team who has the most success in the playoffs. Mental attitude will also be of utmost importance; neither of these teams is convinced yet that they can go all the way to the finals. Good goaltending is to hockey as good pitching is to baseball: both are vital to a playoff run. Aubin or Snow could certainly get hot and combined with the Pens scoring, could go deep into the playoffs. Teams that win Stanley Cups have goaltenders like Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour and Patrick Roy. Phoenix is hoping their scorers come around while the play of Burke stays consistent. Brian Engblom is a hockey analyst for ESPN. He played 11 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, including six with the Montreal Canadiens. | |||||
