NHL: Hot Wings Too Much For Ducks

In a rematch of last seasons Western Conference final, McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn was on hand for a game between Valtteri Filppula and the Detroit Red Wings against Ryan Getzlaf and the Anaheim Ducks. McKeen's reviews several young players that will be taking on even more prominent roles this season.

Detroit Red Wings: Jumping over Hurdles

The perception in recent years has been that the Detroit Red Wings are an aging team. However, one look at their roster and it might be shocking to see that 11 players are younger than 30. The Wings continue to dominate the West due to their brilliant scouting staff that uncover gems and a coaching staff that gets the most out of their prospects. McKeen's was on hand for a recent contest featuring the Wings and files notes on five stars in the making.

Jiri Hudler RW, Detroit

The Red Wings allowed Robert Lang to walk because they knew Hudler was ready .. the diminutive winger is masterful with the puck .. his slick stickhandling gets him into positions to score .. he has a great shot, which explodes, off his stick .. not an overly fast skater, he is agile and can make up ice with quick bursts of speed .. he is good in confined spaces where he can slither out of trouble .. he makes quick plays with the puck, often distributing it as fast as it comes onto his stick .. behind-the-back plays and touch passes have now become his specialty .. at times, he is guilty of not moving his feet in the neutral zone and away from the puck .. he comes back often and supports defensive assignments when the play is deep in his own zone however, he needs to do a better job preventing the rush to begin with .. Hudler has gotten smarter in his approach to the offensive game .. the confidence he has this year should help, as coach Babcock trusts him in PP situations .. he has also become a regular in the shootout option due to his quick hands and stick .. expect the point totals to increase but only marginally.

Valtteri Filppula C, W, Detroit

The way Filppula approaches the game is reminiscent of a young Sergei Federov however, without the scoring punch .. he is extremely smart and has the hockey sense that simply cannot be taught .. he makes subtle plays that are appreciated by the coaching staff .. he will not over handle the puck or force a play, as he plays with the maturity of a seasoned veteran .. this is a large reason why his icetime continues to increase .. for example, in a PK situation he had an opportunity to charge the ice however, he noticed all his players were on a line change and casually dumped the puck in, as opposed to going up ice to lead a 3-1 charge that would have resulted in him losing the puck and an odd-man break the other way .. great faceoff skills .. he always comes back to support the play and never leaves the zone until the puck is clearly out .. he has modest speed .. he can stickhandle well and often he creates chances off the fly .. lacks the upper-body strength to be a force even though he is quite capable of driving defenders out wide .. he is not physical .. he takes hits and continues to go on playing his game, as he is focused and does not lose his concentration .. once he gains more weight and becomes stronger, he could potentially break open a game because he is always around the puck.

Tomas Kopecky RW, Detroit

After playing in a handful of games last season, Kopecky starts his first full season with the Wings .. gives the team an element of grit and a physical edge .. plays big but still lacks overall balance and strength to physically intimidate players at this level .. has a decent skill set however, he needs to be more selfish and shoot in scoring opportunities .. needs to make quicker plays with the puck, as was evidenced when he was rocked by Pronger for making an extra move at the line .. an ok skater, he needs to work on his balance, as he is prone to some quick bursts of speed .. his speed allows him to get deep into the offensive zone however, he does not do a great job coming back .. his icetime was crippled as a result .. will continue to play in a fourth-line capacity until another prospect can usurp him.

Niklas Kronwall D, Detroit

Injuries have certainly taken a toll on the former first-round pick .. he has yet to play 70 games in a season and last year's pelvis injury forced him to miss the playoffs .. the injury came out the most inopportune time, as Kronwall was just starting to gain confidence in this league .. a capable puckcarrier who can spearhead an attack or make a great outlet pass .. he is not credited with many points but the play usually starts with Kronwall being able to make something happen in the defensive zone to spring an attack in the other direction .. at times, he joins the rush, acts as a fourth forward, as he is very offensive-minded, and gives the opposition something to think about .. he works the PP with fellow countryman Lidstrom .. he can coral loose pucks along the boards, as he has good puck control when it is on his blade .. when he handles the puck inside the offensive zone, he tries to go through them as opposed to around him, as he uses his brute force to muscle past the opposition .. he has a good shot but needs to use it more often .. he is a physical player who does not back down and asserts himself whenever he can .. has paid his dues and is slowly becoming relied upon more in offensive situations such as the PP, which should bode well for his overall totals.

Brett Lebda D, Detroit

Lebda could be the most underrated player in the league .. buried behind the likes of Lidstrom, Rafalski and Kronwall, his play is rarely discussed however, he competes and gives the Wings on average 15 quality minutes a game .. he is very deceptive in terms of using his speed to create .. he can jump into the zone in a moment's notice .. he is shifty and surprisingly fast .. he often catches the opposition off guard because they do not expect that from him .. partnered with Chelios, he has free reign to jump into the rush but is very methodical and plays within the team system .. he makes safe outlet passes, often using the boards to get out of trouble .. he is fluent on either side the forehand or backhand to make a play and his strength enables him to rid the zone effectively .. he plays bigger than his size suggests .. he willingly throws hip checks and catches up to forwards because of his mobility .. Lebda's relaxed approach has him slotted in the top four, as he has risen to the challenge of increased minutes with his steady all-around solid play.

Anaheim Ducks: Three Ryan's with a Splash of Perry

When the Ducks won the Stanley Cup, it marked the first time the Stanley Cup got a Californian-tan. Losing the services of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, as well as the Dustin Penner poaching hurts the Ducks but does not cripple them. Led by the dynamic duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, these youngsters have now become the face of the franchise. McKeen's looks at four Ducks who should have an impact this season.

Ryan Getzlaf C, Anaheim

The way in which Getzlaf performed in last year's playoffs had many comparing him to a young Mark Messier and for obvious reasons, as he dominated in the playoffs leading the team in scoring .. he was a threat in all situations, scoring short handed, on the PP and led the team with three GWG's .. Getzlaf has all the tools to be a superstar player in this league, with a superior offensive skill set that marries his vision with his velvety-soft hands .. he is unflappable with the puck and shows a higher level of confidence in his overall game since winning the Stanley Cup .. his size opens up room for not only him but his teammates as well .. he is very dangerous once he gets within 20 feet of the goal because he becomes harder to defend especially if he has momentum .. his shot is good but his playmaking abilities are what makes him so versatile .. he goes to the slot like all gifted goal scorers and looks to use his timely release as often as he can .. at times, can be unstoppable on a PP, as he distributes the puck so well .. a smart centre that eagerly supports the defensive side of the game .. he comes back as far as behind his own net and rushes out of the zone to make a play .. he has a patent move in which he teases forecheckers to stick check him only to quickly shift drawing them out of position and in turn, the entire team .. has all the skill to blow open a game and take it over .. just scratching the surface, as he has the potential to be a top scorer in this league for many years to come.

Corey Perry RW, Anaheim

With a WJC Gold, a Memorial Cup and now a Stanley Cup to his name, Perry has won on every level .. Perry had an outstanding final six games in the playoffs averaging over a point a game to help capture the team's first Stanley Cup .. he has solidified himself as a pressure performer, capable of taking his game to new heights when the chips are on the table .. wiry strong but not quite filled out, he competes hard and plays the role of the agitator to a tee .. opponents do not just want to hit him they want to hurt him .. needs to back up his actions with his fists to garner the respect of the league if he continues to play this 'Ken Linseman' style of hockey .. an awkward skater with slow start up but he accelerates nicely .. balance helps Perry in terms of his mediocre skating ability .. he is strong on his skates and as such, attacks the corners and boards with guile .. he has an uncanny knack for making plays in the offensive zone, as he is very skilled with the puck and sees the ice well .. he does not give up when he is five feet in front of the goal and his persistence usually pays off on the scoresheet .. he can get offensively hungry, leaving the zone early in an attempt to get something generated the other way .. he is not lazy defensively but still is unsure of what to do in certain situations .. at times, he takes careless penalties and is starting to develop a poor reputation amongst the league's officials, which should see him on the receiving side of many penalties .. a highly skilled offensive forward who is just starting to hit his stride in the league.

Bobby Ryan RW, Anaheim

After leading the team in preseason scoring (6-1-5-6) and scoring in his second game it looked as if Ryan was well on his way to replacing Penner .. however, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft still has many things to learn with his play away from the puck .. was subsequently benched for the second and third periods in his third game against Detroit and then demoted to Portland the following day .. a highly offensive player with an expanded wingspan that helps him to create.. there is a slight hitch in his skating but he has a long stride, which gets him around the ice although, he is not overly fast .... he suffers in the transition game .. he is unfamiliar with the pace of the league and is slow to recover .. his skating has really been exposed at this level due to the constant, quick changes of pace .. he is careful not to over commit on plays .. he needs to move his feet more to stay involved with the play .. not overly strong, he needs to add some upper-body mass in a big way .. has good puck skills and with all players his size, there will be some growing pains .. Ryan proved that he could produce at the AHL level in his call-ups, he just needs to put in a more consistent effort away from the puck .. his development should be like Perry and Getzlaf before him - players that spent time in the AHL until they could fulfill a permanent role on the Ducks.

Ryan Carter C, Anaheim

Fourth-line centre plays admirably considering his lack of icetime .. plays well within the team system and gives you an honest effort each shift .. he is a utility player who serves a purpose, as he gives other star players a rest when he jumps over the boards .. not thrust into an offensive role, his puck handling skills and finish are average .. any points he scores are bonus, as he is not complimented with finesse linemates – Parros and Mowers .. he has ok faceoff skills .. his attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck is how he earns his living .. played primarily on the PK, he does a good job of staying with skaters stride for stride despite his ok speed .. he stick checks and is not afraid to be physical to win one-on-one battles .. should continue to eat away at his five-to-seven-minutes-a-game clip and provide stability.