When the postseason started all those weeks ago, I can say I honestly did not predict that it would end up with a face off between the Flyers and the Blackhawks.  Though I’m still a bit bitter that Boston blew it, I’ll admit that this year’s Stanley Cup Finals could amount to a pretty decent showdown.

We’re looking at two teams that haven’t hoisted the Cup in a very long time.  It’s been 35 years for the Flyers with their last Stanley Cup victories coming in back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975.  Though, that’s not nearly the drought the Blackhawks have gone through.  They’re the team in the NHL that’s gone the longest without a Cup win as the last one came in 1960.  That’s 49 long, hard years for one of hockey’s Original Six.  There’s no doubt that both are dying to get their hands on that trophy again.  So here’s a look at how these two teams stack up against one another.

The Flyers struggled through the regular season despite many NHL experts predicting they were one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference.  They took it all the way down to their very last game to secure their place in the playoffs, and were underdogs right from the start.  Many (including myself) predicted that the New Jersey Devils would hand Philly their walking papers early on but it wasn’t to be.  Not only did they slay the Devils, but they also ousted the heavily favored Boston Bruins in one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup History.  Then, when faced with putting a stop to a fellow Cinderella story in the Montreal Canadiens, they were ruthless.  Nearly sweeping the Habs, they ousted the lower seeded team with a 4-1 series victory.

The team has been playing with renewed confidence since the return of first-string goalie Michael Leighton.  He played in eight games through these playoffs and has posted a very respectable 1.45 goals against average with a .948 save percentage.  His return has equaled eight out of nine wins for the Flyers, and now is his shot to seek a little retribution against his former team.  Chicago traded the goalie after just 42 games.  While their goalie is good, credit must be given to Philly’s stacked blue line.  Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen are both defensive forces to be reckoned with.  Plus, with Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn playing backup, this backline can handle just about anything that’s thrown at them.  Just ask Montreal who suffered three shutout victories at the hands of this fantastic Philadelphia defense.

Finally, Philly is sporting an offensive line that absolutely slams any opposing defense with some fantastic forechecking.  Scott Hartnell, Daniel Carcillo and Mike Richards have been the kings of this attack that has forced plenty of turnovers and more than a few goals.  In addition, Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and captain Mike Richards have been scoring powerhouses.  They have put away a combined 30 goals and 36 assists (15 of those belong to Richards alone).

On the other side of the ice, the Chicago Blackhawks are a similar team with similar strengths and weaknesses.  However, Chicago’s road to the playoffs was much more straightforward.  They were at the top of the Western Conference throughout the season locked in a battle with the San Jose Sharks for the number one spot.  A playoff position was never in question; though, they did struggle somewhat in the opening rounds of the postseason.  They eventually ousted the Predators in six games.  It looked like they had it all figured out by the end of the second round as they finished off Vancouver in six and went on to secure their place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in impressive fashion.  They swept the top seeded Sharks 4-0.

The net minding could the one weak spot in the Chicago game.  Antti Niemi has done a good job through these playoffs while finding his feet and gaining valuable experience.  He’s posting a decent 2.33 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.  He’s gaining confidence and has been solid in the net, but he’ll need to take it to the next level as the Philly offense is going to be a tough test.

Luckily Neimi has the support of one tough defensive line.  In fact, the Chicago backline is one of the best in the league.  Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith are both league leaders and they’re fronting a defensive force with likes of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell playing support.  These guys have been excellent in controlling the defensive zone and protecting Niemi in the net.  I think their total domination over the San Jose offense is plenty of evidence of the skill behind this line-up.

Chicago’s most potent asset is their extremely powerful offensive line.  They have five different scoring machines on this team.  Captain Jonathan Toews has picked up seven goals and a very impressive 19 assists.  Patrick Kane isn’t far behind with seven of his own goals and 13 assists.  Add to that Patrick Sharp (seven goals), Dustin Byfuglien (eight goals), and David Bolland (five goals), and you’ve got a squad of talent that will be hammering the Philadelphia net.  They even have decent backup talent such as Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, and Kris Versteeg are all posting decent numbers.

Overall, these teams both have excellent potential.  And since both play such a similar game, this could result in a knock down drag out battle of seven games to decide who will have the honor of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.  In the end, though, I think Chicago has more depth and talent than Philly and will probably take this one out.  We shall see how they matchup in Game 1 on Saturday, May 29.  Chicago has the home ice advantage so expect them to take a 1-0 series lead.  BetUS is offering the following odds on the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals:

Game 1 Puck Line
Flyers: +1 ½ -170
Blackhawks: -1 ½ +150
Moneyline
Flyers: +165
Blackhawks: -200

To Win the Series
Flyers: +200
Blackhawks: -260

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