And the winner of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs is...

Well, the 2011-2012 NHL season is winding down, and with only a couple games left, and the playoffs about to start on Wednesday, April 13, I’m going to take a look at some of the favourites to win the coveted Stanley Cup.

The obvious favourite is Vancouver Canucks. This team has been lights out all season; they are the President’s Trophy winner as the league’s best team; their stellar goaltending tandem of Roberto Luongo and rookie sensation Cory Schneider have won the Jennings Trophy as the league’s best goalie combination; and they have two players in the top five in both points and goals. What’s not to like? Well, as an admitted Vancouver hater, there is a lot I don’t like about the Canucks, but most notably, if I’m a Vancouver fan, I’m worried about poor playoff track record these Canucks have. Year after year Roberto Luongo has proven to be a disappointment in the playoffs, and I expect/hope this continues during this year’s playoffs.

Philadelphia is another favourite to hoist Lord Stanley’s mug this May, and they certainly have the squad that can do it. The Flyers boast a ridiculous defence core, anchored by veterans Chris Pronger and Kimo Timmonen. Their offence is nothing to sneeze at either. Mike Richards leads a well balanced scoring threat of Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere. These Flyers were in last year’s cup final but ultimately lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. They feel they can win, and are out looking for redemption. They will be difficult to stop once they get going; their only real weakness is their inexperienced goaltending. Philadelphia will live and die with their rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky who, at times, looked excellent, but has had his fair share of bumps throughout the season.

Pittsburgh has managed to stay competitive despite losing their superstar tandem of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for much of the season, but those injuries will prove to be too difficult to overcome. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has the ability to win the Pens a series, but there is just too much competition out of the East for the Pens to survive.

San Jose has been the biggest playoff disappointment for years. The Sharks have managed to put together stellar regular seasons, but always manage to fall in the playoffs. But, all of that was before Anti Niemi. The goalie that helped the Chicago Blackhawks win last year’s title has come to California and brings his winning experience with him. The balanced scoring of the San Jose Sharks, who had a record seven players with at least 20 goals, coupled with Niemi’s goaltending and a solid defence core, will put the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they won’t win it.

This is the year of the Washington Capitals. Bruce Boudreau is the most underrated coach in the NHL because he has the league’s top player in Alex Ovechkin. In a year where Ovechkin had a subpar year (though most of the league would kill for an 85-point season), Bruce Boudreau has successfully transformed his team from a completely offensive minded squad into one of the league’s most defensively aware teams. The Capitals were among the league leaders in goals against and shots against, something that was typically their downfall in previous seasons. Their goaltending is inexperienced, but if they continue to hold their opponents to so few shots, their goaltending shouldn’t be an issue. The addition of Jason Arnott at the trade deadline has added some much needed playoff experience and filled a void on the second line. The Caps are still able to score in bunches, and their addition of a defensive game gives them a great opportunity to bring the Cup to Washington. The Caps beat the Sharks in 6 games.