I'm not surprised to see either the Bruins or the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final. What I am surprised about, though, is how quickly the two Conference Finals ended. Pittsburgh was the odds-on favorite to hoist the Cup, yet Tuukka Rask gave up just two goals in five games against that offense. Defense is definitely an advantage the Bruins have over the Penguins, and it's one of the reasons why I thought they could win that series. But Rask was unreal. He's playing the way Jonathan Quick played while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy last year. The Bruins have only lost once since that miracle comeback in Game 7 against Toronto. That was a month ago.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, were left for dead by some after the fell behind 3-1 against their archrival Red Wings. Since then, Chicago has proven why it won the President's Trophy, going 7-1 in its last eight games. Yes, the Kings won a game in the Western Final. And three of the four Blackhawks wins were one-goal games, including the double-overtime Game 5. But it seemed more one-sided than that. I never thought the Kings were going to win throughout that entire series.
And so we're left with two of the three best teams in the league throughout the season playing for the Cup. I don't know if it's a result of the short season or because the Bruins and Blackhawks really are just that much above everybody else, but you don't often get the two best teams in the Final. Take last season. The Devils were the No. 6 seed in the East and had home ice against the Kings. Not so this year, though. The Blackhawks have had realistic Cup dreams ever since they started the season on a 24-game point streak, and the Bruins were looking to make up for last season's early exit. Now they're the two left standing, which should make for a great Final.
This series is going to have an old-time feel, and not just because it's two of the Original Six. Boston plays tough, physical defense and Rask has been by far the best player in the entire playoffs so far. I've also been impressed with the Bruins' offense balance. It's not just Lucic, Bergeron and Krejci. Everyone's getting in on the act. Well, everyone except for Jaromir Jagr. Although, now that he's back in the Final for the first time in 21 years, he might be ready to go off. That depth is the primary reason they completely outplayed the Rangers, and it certainly helped against the Penguins as well. I'd expect it to be just as much of a factor in this matchup with Chicago.
Speaking of depth, the Blackhawks also have plenty to go around. I'd argue that Chicago's best player, at least in the last two rounds, has been Brent Seabrook. He's a defenseman, yet it seems like he scores all of the biggest goals. Jonathan Toews was outstanding against LA, too. But I think the Blackhawks' defense is incredibly underrated. Sure, Corey Crawford hasn't been the dominant force his counterpart has been. He has, however, been very good. Crawford might have to be outstanding for Chicago to lift the Cup, though.
Boston's defense is going to make life just as hard for Patrick Kane and Co. as it did for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Even if Chicago is able to break through that line, Rask is like a brick wall in net. If anybody can get to him, though, I think its the Blackhawks. They're willing to mix it up if they need to, which could make Brian Bickell an important figure in this series. When the Bruins got physical in the East Final, the Penguins cowered into a corner. That's not going to happen against Chicago.
Chicago doesn't play that finesse game Pittsburgh does. The Blackhawks can play that physical game and still figure out a way to score, which is kind of the same things the Bruins do in a slightly different way. If this becomes a series of grind-it-out 1-0 and 2-1 games, I think it's advantage Boston. I'm not saying the Blackhawks can't win if the games are low-scoring. They just need Crawford to be as good as, if not better than, Rask in those games. However, if Chicago's skaters are able to find open ice and create things, this could be fairly high-scoring. The Bruins are plenty capable of scoring goals, but that's not their style of play. If we see 4-3 games, those will probably be Blackhawk victories. My guess is there'll be some combination of both. Whichever style wins out could help decide the series.
For the last two days, I've been saying to myself and anybody I've talked hockey with that I think the Blackhawks are going to win. They've been the best team in the NHL all season, and they're virtually unbeatable at home. Even though most of what I've written here is praising Boston and making it look like Chicago doesn't have a chance, I think that home ice thing could be the X-factor. The Blackhawks have only lost once at home this playoff year. As a result, I'm sticking with my original pick. I see this series going seven, which is why I like Chicago. Although, the Bruins did win a Game 7 on the road in Vancouver two years ago. Regardless, I'm going Blackhawks in seven.
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