The second round certainly wasn’t easy for either team, as they both were pushed to the limit in a pair of exciting seven game series. Ultimately though, the Chicago Blackhawks prevailed over Detroit Red Wings, and the Los Angeles Kings outlasted the San Jose Sharks to give us a Western Conference Final between the two best teams in the Conference over the last 14 months.
The story line here is simple, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Kings are back in the final four. They are once again riding their tough, physical, grind it out style of play, and the outstanding goaltending of last years Conn Smythe Trophy Winner in Jonathan Quick to have gotten this far. At 16-4 in last year’s playoffs the Kings were a juggernaut, and while their 8-5 record isn’t quite as impressive this year, they are getting the job done, and any time you face the defending Champs you can expect to be facing a big time challenge.
Waiting for them at the United Centre in Chicago for Game 1, is the NHL’s best team this season, the President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks. The team that started the season with an incredible 24 game run of not losing a single game in regulation. Oh, and lets not forget the fact that said streak started in Los Angeles, where the Hawks spoiled the Kings banner raising party on the opening night of the season.
As the 2010 and 2012 Stanley Cup Champions, these teams both feature a ton of playoff experience. They both have been through the wars, and both teams know what it will take to win 8 more games this year, and hoist Lord Stanley’s famous mug. In this way, there really is no underdog. Its the hockey equivalent of Frazier vs Ali, two top notch heavyweights going toe-to-toe, and what a series we are in for.
On the Blackhawk side of things, they come in despite some disappointing performances from some of their stars thus far. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have combined for just 3 goals in 12 playoff games for the Hawks, while Brent Seabrook had just 1 point and was a -6 before becoming the game 7 overtime hero vs Detroit. While Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith are providing the production that the Hawks have come to expect from them the rest of the core pieces must start to step up. In a pleasant surprise, Bryan Bickell is second on the team with 5 playoff goals so far.
Scoring against the Kings will not be easy. The rugged and talented defence doesn’t give up that many prime scoring opportunities, and even when they do, they are backstopped by a guy who is arguably the NHL’s best goalie right now. Quick’s playoff numbers are out of this world good. He leads the playoffs in goals-against average (1.50), save percentage (.948) and shutouts (three). His numbers show great consistency, but the reality is Quick has not only been steady, he’s also been spectacular. The spectacular was highlighted in game 7 vs San Jose and can be seen in his remarkable split pad save against the Sharks’ Logan Couture and his diving save on Joe Pavelski late in the third period that preserved the victory. No goalie is playing better in these playoffs, and the Hawks must find a way to solve Quick if they have any hope of winning the series.
Meanwhile the Kings offence in the playoffs has been sputtering along. The team has scored 26 goals in 13 playoff games. Consider the fact that one of those goals was an empty netter, and you have a pop-gun offence that is putting up less than 2 goals per game in this years playoffs. This is the big difference between the juggernaut kings of last year’s playoffs who were scoring nearly a full goal more per game (2.85). Mike Richards (10 points in 13 games) and Jefff Carter (5 goals) lead the way on the Kings’ second unit, but they must get more out of the first line. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are just not going in the same way as they did last year, but they do have the opportunity to break out at any time. Vyacheslav Voynov’s 4 goals from the blueline have been a pleasant addition and have helped him add on to a breakout regular season where he put up 25 points in the shortened schedule.
The Hawks defence and goaltending had problems at times with the Detroit Red Wings, especially in the transition game, but they eventually came to shut them down in games 5, 6 and 7 to take the series. Everyone remembers the bad goal that Corey Crawford gave up in game 6, but those things happen to a goalie. What was more impressive was the way Crawford battled back from that goal, and stymied the Wings for the rest of the series. While he’s not as good as Jonathan Quick, Crawford has really come into his own as a netminder, and should provide the Hawks with a decent backstop.
Now, that we’ve gone through all that… Prediction Time.
Personally I love the fact that we will see what are in my opinion the two best teams in the Western Conference go toe to toe. This really is an epic matchup. Now I think it comes down to goaltending and the Hawks had serious issues finding enough offence to get past Jimmy Howard and the Red Wings. Jonathan Quick than Howard and this could really gives the Hawks fits. However the Kings offence is going to need to step up and fulfill their end of the bargain, I think the will. Ultimately though, Quick is better than Crawford and in such a tight series goaltending is often the difference. I think the Kings take this in 7.
Our other writers weigh in:
Russell McKenzie: The Kings have an uncanny ability to get amazingly skilled teams to submit to playing their game. The Hawks have not seen a team like this during this playoff run. They’ll just be the latest victim on the Kings road to repeat. Kings in 7.
Mitchell Tierney: The Blackhawks are a team playing scared at the moment. The desperation they needed to claw back into there last season can only help them against the Kings. Jonathan Quick may be the better goaltender but I really like Corey Crawford in these playoffs. His ability to bounce back has been immense, and a major factor as to why the Hawks are still here. Plus, Toews is due to start scoring in bundles eventually. It may well be at the expense of the defending champions. Hawks in 7, with the United Centre crowd behind them in the crucial game.
Max Vasilyev: I am not sure how you can bet against the LA. They are the more physical team with the speed that can match the Hawks. I know Hawks have weapons, but they can be shutdown as proven by Detroit in games 2, 3 and 4. If Toews let Henrik Zetterberg get under his skin, welcome Dustin Brown who should spend plenty of time in his face. Kings in 7.
So there you have it, while 3 of our 4 writers took the Kings, all 4 see this as a 7 game series. Its so close betweent the two clubs, that ultimately the result here might be a coin flip.
Game 1, Jun 1, 5:00pm Los Angeles Kings vs Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on TSN, NBCSN
Game 2, Jun 2, 8:00pm Los Angeles Kings vs Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on TSN, NBCSN
Game 3, Jun 4, 9:00pm Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on TSN, NBCSN
Game 4, June 6, 9:00pm Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on CBC, NBCSN
Game 5, June 8, 8:00pm Los Angeles Kings vs Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on CBC, NBC
Game 6, Jun 10, 9:00pm Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on CBC, NBCSN
Game 7, Jun 12, TBA Los Angeles Kings vs Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on CBC, NBCSN
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