Just take a look at how each playoff matchup is faring in each conference. In the East, seemingly every team is playing as good as the other; three matchups were won by the underdog (Montreal over Boston, Carolina over New Jersey, and Ottawa over Philly are all completed upsets). In the West, the opposite is true. Although the lower seeds/underdogs have put up a worthy fight in most of the matchups, the favorites were capable of asserting their strength and come through with victories in each of the four series. So then what accounts for this?

For one thing, the offensive style of play is very different. In the East, coaches preach the dump and chase as the primary mode of offensive attack; whereas in the West, the defensemen bring the puck up to the opposing neutral line and direct the play from there. When the dump and chase is played for the majority of the game, this often results in numerous faceoffs deep in a team's zone, which more often than not results in fluke goals since the team that dumped the puck in the zone is invited a free pass for all five of its players to be within twenty feet of the goalie. So if both teams play this strategy, as is often the case, then the potential for untimely and unpredictable goals is increased because no one team successfully controls the play.

The West, as you've likely picked up by now, plays playoff style hockey where the team that controls the point controls the game. The defensemen set up the play passing often and shooting less in hopes of catching the goaltender off guard, ironically resulting in more goals. Somebody forgot to tell fired ex-Philly coach Bill Barber all of this. There is further evidence that a puck controlling offensive attack is better one-on-one against the dump and chase.

When one thinks of the Avalanche/Devils Cup Finals last year, undoubtedly the first thing that comes to mind is Ray Bourque, granted because it was a memorable year for him, but also because of his stellar play. He almost single-handedly kept the Devils at bay supplying his forwards with great passes and moving the puck up ice full of energy.

Wondering why the Stars didn't make the playoffs? Blame their slow, pass-illiterate, and hit-first-then-chase-after-the-puck defensemen which didn't fare well in their puck-controlling offense, something they're forced to play in a conference whose teams play this style predominantly.

This is true because catching up when down is often a hard task since the team will likely resort to the dump and chase but will fail since the puck will likely remain in the possession of the defensemen more often than not. Goalies in the West will often leave it to the defensemen who plays the point, who then attempts to juke and elude the forward who's chasing the dumped puck.

Attempt to name a great defensive duo in the Eastern Conference that is offensively oriented (pass-literate with a lethal shot) as well as speedy with great stickhandling and I am sure you will come up empty-handed. Name one in the West, and a host of duos qualify: Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit, Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger of St. Louis, and especially Ray Bourque and Rob Blake last year of the Cup-winning Avalanche.

Although the puck-controlling offensive scheme is better in many ways, it will be years before the Eastern Conference will be good at it the way the West can handle it. Until the scheme does take full effect, upsets and ugly goals will rule the Eastern Conference and the West will rule the Stanley Cup Finals.

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