Quick Glance:
Belfast has its work cut out for them against the league’s top team. If the Giants look back to how they played Copenhagen in five regular season games … they will get scared. The Giants dropped three tight games on home ice and lost by three goals in both visits to Denmark. The biggest question as the series starts is the health of Belfast’s top left winger, Petr Vrana. Vrana was the team’s third-leading scorer in the regular season and he was dinged up in the first round. This series features two excellent second lines. Miks Indrasis, David Pasternak and Pavel Zacha have been hot for Belfast, but the Tridents’ line of Boone Jenner, Cedric Paquette and Anton Lundell have been having their way with opponents all year long. Copenhagen’s very deep defense corps will be a tough nut to crack.
Goalies (playoffs):
- Belfast – Alexander Salak 2.57 GAA and .906 save pct.
- Copenhagen – Joonas Korpisalo 1.25 GAA and .932 save pct.
Top Plus/Minus players (playoffs):
- Belfast – Erik Gudbranson, Cam Fowler, Nikita Zaitsev, Miks Indrasis and Pavel Zacha +6
- Copenhagen – K’Andre Miller and Boone Jenner +6
Expert Panel Predictions:
- Commissioner Chuck: Copenhagen in 6 games. Two good teams, but one has so few holes, water can barely get through it. Copenhagen dominated the season series between these two teams and we’re looking for a big series from Copenhagen’s top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Auston Matthews and Marko Dano.
- Rose: Belfast in 6 games. Even the best, most well-constructed things don’t last forever. If you want proof, look at the Holy Roman Empire or my cleavage. Copenhagen’s dream season will droop in this round, I predict. We all know Giants goalie Alexander Salak can be a brick wall when he gets in a groove and I think the Tridents are going to take Belfast’s forward line depth too lightly.
