More Than A Feeling: Blackhawks - Bruins Stanley Cup Finals Preview
By Rob Winn in News on Jun 11, 2013 5:50PM
The Blackhawks are back in the Stanley Cup Finals. They were able to avoid an early round exit which has folded many previous Presidents' Trophy winners, they overcame a consistently powerless power play and even racked up goals when their biggest stars were silent. But now the Hawks will face their toughest opponent yet in the Boston Bruins. Like the Hawks, the Bruins feature a roster that has already won the Stanley Cup.
Before the conference finals, Patrick Kane described L.A. Kings as a better version of the St. Louis Blues. Well the Bruins are a much better version of the Kings. They have size throughout their lineup and rely on their defense to frustrate the opposing team, plus goalie Tuukka Rask has been playing out of his mind, stopping 134 of 136 shots against Pittsburgh. Not to mention they just shut down a prolific offense in the Penguins.
The Bruins will now attempt what others have failed: Hit the Hawks into submission and shut down their offense. The thing is the Bruins might have the talent to do it. They have great defensive pairings that will do their best to clog up the neutral zone and slow down the fast-paced Blackhawks. The stars on the Hawks will need to capitalize on their opportunities, because they may be few and far between. The outcome of the speed vs. size battle will go a long way to determining the result of this series.
The Blackhawks defensemen, on the other hand, will have to do what they do best: play solid defense while pushing the puck to pressure the opposing team. When Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Co. do contribute on the offensive end, however, they will have to avoid turnovers and odd-man rushes because, unlike many teams they've faced, the Bruins can score.
Goalie Corey Crawford has had an impressive run throughout the playoffs. Each series he has faced tougher competition and Crawford has met the challenge. The Bruins will be no different. They have scored more goals than the Hawks throughout the playoffs and have only given up 1.88 goals per game (the Hawks have a 1.94 GAA). Crawford will need to be at the top of his game because there won't be many blowouts in this series and each game may come down to who blinks first.
Honestly, this series is a toss-up. It could come down to who ever plays better in Game 7 or which team can steal a game on the road. Because of the shortened season, the Hawks and Bruins didn't meet each other in the regular season. But apparently coach Joel Quenneville isn't taking any chances; he has already rearranged his lines to match the Bruins' strengths. Either way this series is could be a battle of attrition. May the best team win.