On Wednesday night the puck will drop on the first Stanley Cup Finals to feature two Original Six clubs since 1979. Each coming off a one-sided conference final the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks look set for a classic battle for Lord Stanley’s hardware.
Neither team is a stranger to hockey’s holy grail. The Blackhawks hoisted the trophy back in 2010, and the Bruins got their hands on it the following year. Here’s a look at each team headed into the series:
Chicago Blackhawks
After opening the season with a record setting 24-game point streak, the Blackhawks cruised to the NHL’s best record behind a breakout season from star winger Patrick Kane, who posted 57 points in just 47 games. Heading into the finals, the Blackhawks hope to become the first team to win both the Presidents Trophy and the Stanley Cup since the 2008 Detroit Red Wings. The 2013 Red Wings did their best to make sure that didn’t happen, taking a 3-1 series lead over the Blackhawks in the second round. Despite the odds, Joel Quenneville‘s resilient club climbed out of the hole behind brilliant play from netminder Corey Crawford, going on to beat the Wings in a Game 7 overtime thriller. Crawford, who spent most of the 2010 season with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs while Antti Niemi backstopped Chicago to the Cup, has been the key for a Chicago club that has not always gotten great production from its stars this postseason. The 28-year-old netminder has exorcised the demons of last season’s first round exit, and looks to be a Conn Smythe contender after Chicago’s five game defeat of the defending champion L.A. Kings.
The Blackhawks like to play a very fast game, scoring most of their goals in transition. They crash the net ferociously and ruthlessly put away rebounds. Wingers Bryan Bickell and Marian Hossa have stepped up this postseason, combining for 15 goals, but against the Bruins, the Hawks will need Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to carry the load. Kane is heating up following a Game 5 hat trick against the Kings, but Toews continues to play less than his best. Chicago has a very active defensive corps anchored by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who can skate up ice to score points and level opponents. A very balanced team, that excels in every zone, the Blackhawks should provide the Bruins with a stiffer challenge than the defensively troubled Penguins.
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Keys for the Blackhawks:
More comfortable playing on the fastbreak, the Blackhawks will likely be forced into a slower paced game by the Bruins. As a result they will need to step up in the corners both offensively and defensively to compete. A strong forecheck will be necessary to sustain offense and challenge Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask if the neutral zone gets clogged up. Throughout the playoffs, screens have been the key to beating the red hot Rask, so the Blackhawks will need to win the battle in front to score goals.
Chicago’s X-Factor:
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews picked up the Conn Smythe Trophy three years ago, but he has been disappointing this summer. Toews had 29 playoff points back in 2010, but this year he has only nine. With just one goal to his name, Toews will have to step up in the finals. A faceoff wizard and defensive master, he plays a shutdown role much like Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, and he will likely be tasked with slowing down playoff points leader David Krejci. If he can help stifle Boston’s top line and also pitch in his usual share of points, he could engrave his name on the Stanley Cup for a second time.
Boston Bruins:
Returning 17 players from their 2011 title team, the experienced Bruins have turned it on at exactly the right time, storming into the finals following a dominant sweep of the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins. Its hard to imagine that a month ago, the Bruins seemed to be down for the count. Trailing by three in the third period of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins engineered a miraculous comeback to win in overtime and they haven’t looked back. Since that memorable night, the Bruins have won eight of nine, embarrassing the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins reached their peak in the conference finals, outscoring the Penguins 12-2 in four games. Conn Smythe favorite Tuukka Rask, who backed up Tim Thomas two years ago, held Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Jarome Iginla scoreless throughout the series, pitching two shutouts. The Bruins masterful defending, built on the shoulders of Slovakian giant Zdeno Chara, will likely vex the Hawks forwards throughout the series.
Offensively the Bruins have soared in the postseason. After a slow regular season, David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic have been spectacular, combining for 51 points and a plus-38 rating. The Bruins have also enjoyed strong postseasons from agitator Brad Marchand and the clutch Patrice Bergeron, but the B’s defensemen have truly stood out. Joined by rookie revelation Torey Krug in the second round, the Bruins defensemen have combined for 15 goals so far, including five from Johnny Boychuk. If the Bruins continue to play aggressive hockey, while maintaining their defensive fortitude, then their seventh Stanley Cup may not be far off.
Keys for the Bruins:
The Boston Bruins played an essentially perfect series against the Penguins, and all they need to do is keep up the good work. Much like the Penguins, the Blackhawks like to create off the rush. The Bruins did a tremendous job of jamming up the neutral zone against Pittsburgh and the same style of play should slow down the Hawks. If the Bruins can continue to break the puck out of their own zone efficiently, and play physical yet disciplined hockey, their chances will come. The Bruins may struggle with Chicago’s team speed, but if they can continue to force the puck in deep and slow down the game with a strong forecheck, they should be just fine.
Boston’s X-Factor:
Back in 1992, Boston winger Jaromir Jagr, then a member of the Penguins, won his second Stanley Cup by sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks. More than two decades later the 41-year old Jagr would like nothing more than to hoist the trophy again. Though his game has changed tremendously to adapt to his fading speed, Jagr has been a key asset for the Bruins since arriving from Dallas at the trade deadline. The grey-bearded winger has yet to score in the postseason, but he has been a monster on the forecheck, posting three assists in his last three games. With 45 shots on goal this postseason, Jagr is long overdue to light the lamp, and he could have a big series in store. Bruins winger Tyler Seguin was just four months old, when Jagr last scored in the Stanley Cup Finals, but no one would be surprised if the active leader in postseason points found the twine a few teams en route to his third title.
Prediction: Bruins in 6
The Chicago Blackhawks might have been the best team in the regular season, but the Bruins are by far the hotter team right now. Playing their best hockey of the year, the Bruins are skating with supreme confidence and Tuukka Rask looks unbeatable in net. This should be a close series, between two very strong and balanced teams, but Claude Julien‘s bunch should be slight favorites to earn their second title in three years.
