Get ready, folks. We're about to witness arguably the greatest Stanley Cup Finals series since the lock-out, and quite possibly of the past decade. It breaks my heart to even have to think about the fact that both of these teams will probably look very different come next season due to salary cap restraints. Who knows, this may very well be their last good shot at a league title for years to come, so you know they're going to be playing their hearts out.
For the past week, everyone's been asking the same questions; who is it going to be this year? Will the Hawks end the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL? Will Marian end the "Hossa Hex?" Or will the Broad Street Bullies prove everyone wrong (or right if you work for THN) and do the impossible? Will Chris Pronger finally earn a Conn Smythe Trophy by winning his team a Cup?
Needless to say, Chicago has been heavily favored going into this series, and deservedly so. The Blackhawks are young, enthusiastic, and deep. Jonathan "Captain Serious" Toews and Partick Kane continue to put up crazy offensive numbers, and Dustin Byfuglien has gone from generic crease-beast to clutch scorer. I know I've said this before, but Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are STILL the best defensive pairing in the league. What's more, Antti Niemi has been nothing short of stellar between the pipes this post-season. And despite being snake-bitten in the scoring department, Marian Hossa continues to dazzle with his unparalleled two-way game. Look for him to break out this series, and even be the difference make at times.
Yet for all their strengths and good fortune, it's clear that the Hawks will have their work cut out for them. The Flyers have come alive at the right time, and everyone is on board. Not only are all their star players finally healthy, they're playing some of the best hockey of their careers. Danny Briere keeps showing us that he is built for playoff success, and Mike Richards, after receiving a lot of criticism this season for his play and leadership (or lack thereof), has been without a doubt the hardest working guy on this ice all post-season. His seemingly endless reserves of persistence, determination, and engery have set the tone for his team, and they've responded well. Gagne and Carter have come on strong after returning from injury, while Leino and Giroux have got people asking, "who are those guys?!" (but in a good way) Michael Leighton is evidently devoid of any rust that would normally come with not playing a single game in two months, and Chris Pronger has been... well, Chris Pronger. Almost nothing gets past, through, or around this guy, and if it does, it doesn't come out the other side in one piece.
Depth, grit, solid goaltending, and unrelenting puck pressure; there are so many things about these two clubs that are nearly identical. Look for these two guys to break this series open for their respective teams; Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger. Both of these players are without an opposing equal. I'm not saying they're the most talented (but they certainly are up there), I'm just saying that their styles of play and skill sets are unique to them. Pronger will have no problem continuing to be dominant on the backend, but I have a feeling Hossa will find his offensive game this series. He's got everything else going from puck possesion to backchecking, who's to say his hands won't catch fire as well?
*** CHICAGO in SIX
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