The Western Final features the fourth seeded Dallas Stars and the Pacific Division winning San Jose Sharks.  The Sharks went 3-1-1-1 against the Stars during the regular season, outscoring them 25-20.

San Jose had the league’s best powerplay during the regular season, but Dallas had the league’s best penalty kill.  The Sharks were the fourth highest scoring team in the CDNHL, while the Stars had the seventh best defense.  San Jose finished with 5 more wins than Dallas and won the division with 12 more points.

The Sharks rolled past the Hawks in the first round, sweeping the series.  They then defeated the Canucks in 6 in the second round.  Dallas got by St Louis in the first round in 6 games, then defeated the Red Wings in a tough 7 game series.

In 8 games, Semyon Varlomov has been great going 8-2 with a GAA slightly over 2 for San Jose.  MacKenize Blackwood has been strong but not stellar for the Stars, going 8-6 with a GAA slightly over 2.5.