NEW JERSEY VS. CAROLINA OTTAWA VS. TORONTO WASHINGTON VS. PITTSBURGH PHILADELPHIA VS. BUFFALO COLORADO VS. VANCOUVER DETROIT VS. LOS ANGELES DALLAS VS. EDMONTON ST. LOUIS VS. SAN JOSE

Thursday, April 26 Irbe vs. Brodeur Darren Pang Special to ESPN.com Arturs Irbe, Carolina Hurricanes 2000-01: 76 games REC.: 37-28-9 | GAA: 2.40 | SPCT: .910 | SO: 6 Career playoffs: 27 games REC.: 11-15 | GAA: 3.58 | SO: 0 Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils 2000-01: 72 games REC.: 42-17-11 | GAA: 2.32 | SPCT: .906 | SO: 9 Career playoffs: 84 games REC.: 50-34 | GAA: 1.86 | SO: 8 How you beat Irbe How you beat Brodeur You can beat him by getting him to move laterally, forcing him to open those old white pads. You have to have traffic in front, making him look around bodies and exposing the net. Because he is on the smaller side, the upper part of the net appears open. But he stays pretty patient in his stance, so the shot needs to be high and near his ears to make it difficult to reach. You can beat him by getting him to lean off the shot, meaning he won't always stay square to the shooter. A right-hand shot coming down the left side can get him to sometimes cheat to the far side, leaving the short side slightly. How Irbe beats you How Brodeur beats you He beats you with his agility and quickness. He has a solid stance and fundamentals to go along with big-game mental stamina (over 70 games played again). He also makes you overlook how good he is because of his size and non-flashy appearance. Many shooters take him for granted, and that is a big mistake. He has beaten a No. 1 team (Detroit) in the first round before ('94). He has a good stick in close for poke-checks and quick feet. He can beat you in so many ways, beginning with his stamina and even-keeled nature. He makes big saves at crucial moments, stopping momentum or gaining it on his side. He has a great two-pad stack and is very agile and flexible with a strong glove hand. He is the best puck handler in the game. Darren Pang is a hockey analyst for ESPN. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

ALSO SEE Pang: Joseph vs. Lalime Pang: Hedberg vs. Kolzig Pang: Hasek vs. Cechmanek