In all likelihood we'll be playing one of these two in the first round, so who would you prefer? Anaheim's been lights out the last few months but L.A. has the playoff pedigree, and that #1C/#1D combo always scares the hell out of me.
And if possible, try to refrain from the "it all means nothing once the playoffs start" responses, trying to encourage some debate and analysis here.
This will probably sound a bit crazy, but Anaheim, and here's why (as I've explained before).
Anaheim is the most likely to beat us in my eyes, and so why in the world would we want them in the first round? Because we don't want them in the second round. If we beat Anaheim in the first round more than likely we get LA in the second which I am very confident the Sharks will really be motivated for. I really cannot see the Sharks letting LA beat them after the embarassment, they are going to go all in for that round.
If they go all in against LA in the first round, they will very likely have a lull afterward, and Anaheim will stomp us. Beat Anaheim, then LA, and hopefully just getting to the conference finals will be enough motivation to eliminate that post LA hangover. I think the Hawks are vulnerable this year, and I think the Sharks can beat them (assuming they make it to the finals).
So essentially, the likely route we would take is Anaheim > LA > Hawks > Caps. The only team that really scares me there is Anaheim, so lets get that done and over with right off the bat.
