Stanley Cup Final Preview

(2) Western Conference Champion Chicago Blackhawks
Regular Season Record: 52-22-8, 112 pts
Head-to-Head Record: 0-1
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1961
Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 1992
Total Championships: 3
Last Postseason Appearance: 2009)
Stanley Cup Rings: Andrew Ladd (06, Carolina), John Madden (2, 00 & 03, New Jersey), Tomas Kopecky (08, Detroit)

(7) Eastern Conference Champion Philadelphia Flyers
Regular Season Record: 41-35-6, 88 pts
Head-to-Head Record: 1-0
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1975
Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 1997
Total Championships: 2
Last Postseason Appearance: 2009
Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Chris Pronger (07, Anaheim)

Before I begin, it is very important to point out that never before in the history of the four major team sports has a notable player been on the losing end in three consecutive championship finals of his sport with 3 different teams! Hossa would be the first if the Blackhawks fail to win their first cup since 1961. Twice before, both in baseball, did a player even appear in his sports championship final three years in a row while a member of three different squads. Eric Hinske was on the 2007 RedSox, 2008 Rays, and 2009 Yanks picking up rings from the 07 BoSox and 09 Yanks. Don Baylor was a member of the 1986 RedSox, 1987 Twins, and 1988 Athletics winning the World Series with the 87 Twins. Hossa would officially be the only guy to be on the losing effort of three consecutive championship finals in the four major team sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA)! No NHL player has ever even appeared in the Cup Finals three years in a row with three different teams.

I just had to make all that clear, I find the possibility Hossa could become the answer to this horrible trivia question absolutely hilarious. Jim Kelly and Andre Reed lost four straight Super Bowls, Fran Tarkenton quarterbacked three Super Bowl losses, Karl Malone has an 0-3 record in NBA Finals, Jerry West picked up only one ring out of the nine NBA finals he took part in, Jackie Robinson is his equivalent in baseball playing in five World Series but winning only one, Roger Clemens won only two World Series despite playing in six, Don Shula lost four of the six Super Bowls he was on the sidelines for, and there are many other athletes who unfortunately had a lack luster record in their sports final or endured multiple defeats whether consecutive or spread out, however, if Chicago loses for whatever reason Hossa may actually be able to claim that he is in fact the true cursed athlete and has suffered the most pain in the history of the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and Stanley Cup. At least Hossa didn't have a 20 year legendary career without ever even appearing in the post-season, Ernie Banks accomplished that with the other cursed Chicago team, the Cubs. I guess not everyone can be Bill Russell (11 rings in NBA) or Yogi Berra (13 rings as player and coach in MLB).


Now onto the series at hand. This is a series of teams with polar opposite paths to get this far. The Blackhawks have been one of the best teams all season long while the Flyers needed a shootout victory over the Rangers to even get in the post-season. Despite these roads last years Conference Final losers get over the hump and are going to head to head as both franchises attempt to end long title droughts.

Chicago is the clear cut favorite in this series and it really has been their cup to lose for weeks now. The Blackhawks have tons of young talent including Toews, Sharp, Kane, and of course Hossa. These guys are studs who can erupt at any time and immediately are a presence every time they touch the ice. While these top line players need to produce it has been the role guys and the secondary scoring that has carried Chicago throughout the playoffs. Duncan Keith has become more then just a defensive goon he has added 10 points, Bolland, Brent Seabrook, and Kris Versteeg have also picked up clutch goals been contributors to numerous key scoring rushes. Dan Byfuglien has been a beast so far and has been the main non star to step up. He has almost carried this team through three rounds. Every past champion has had stars but year after year it is the grind line players that step up and are the main factors to their teams hoisting the cup. Kris Draper, Kurt Maltby, Darren McCarty are not going to the Hall of Fame but Yzerman, Shanahan, Robitaille, Hasek, Osgood, Fedorov, Lirianov, Hull, and Lidstrom either are already in or are locks to be in someday but may not have rings if it was not for the success of the "grind line" during the Red Wing title seasons.

The Flyers send out Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter (now fully healthy), and Danny Brierre but when they have needed that extra punch it has been the grinder type role players such as Claude Giroux, Carcillo, and Ville Leino who have come up big. These guys all need to continue to produce for Philly to have a chance at the upset but like Byfuglien has been the main spark plug for Chicago Leino has been that man for the Flyers. Leino is another late round gem by Ken Holland and the Detroit brass and has fully made a name for himself this playoffs. Every one of his twelve points has been huge and truly has helped to make Philadelphia appear as a team of destiny. Despite his resurgence along with other less known Flyers the Blackhawks have much more scoring depth overall and have way more fire power.

On defense, Chicago is captained by Seabrook who has the ability to score and actually defend while Philly has arguably one of the best dmen over the last twenty years, Chris Pronger. The only other blueliner with a better resume since Pronger came in the league is the immortal Niklas Lidstrom who may go down as the best ever. Whoever Pronger is put on will get shutdown. The Hawks do not have a guy who can stop a top scorer by himself. The Blackhawk scoring depth will come into play when it comes to Pronger because he can only stop one man. The Flyers have a stronger defensive core but will it matter?

Goaltending could go either way. Niemi who was inconsistent at best in the first two rounds truly stood on his head in the Conference Finals. I actually feel like I owe him an apology, every other post concerning the Blackhawks I ripped him as their only weakness. He still can go south at anytime but just needs to play relatively well with the star studded group in front of him. Leighton, a career backup and former Hawk cast off, was called into action after literally every other person who owned a set of pads in the organization went down with an injury of some kind. First was the man brought in to bring this team this far, Ray Emery, he was forced into season ending surgery just before playoffs started. With Emery out former Flyer product and another career backup, Brian Boucher, took over and held serve to keep Philly alive. During their historic comeback from down 0-3 to Boston, Boucher sprained his MCL, he will not be returning. Leighton played well in the East Finals but who knows if that will keep up. If someone told me the Flyers would have burned two goalies and got down to the third string and were in the finals I would have said that person was doing more crack then the 86' Mets, however, they are.


My pick: I know I was wrong in both Conference Finals but I think this series is pretty cut and dry. The Flyers have not won the Stanley Cup since winning back to back titles in 1975. The franchise has also only won 2 Cup Final series out of the 9 it has taken part in. While history is not usually on their side it has been even longer and less often for the Blackhawks. Chicago has not hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup since the days of Bobby Hull in 1961 and is in the finals for the first time in 18 years, 1992 losing to Pittsburgh. The curse of Hossa and his birth right to be in the finals but lose also does not help bring a positive omen. When all is said and done, the jokes and trivia questions will be meaningless because the Blackhawks are just to talented, to strong, and to motivated to fail on their quest now. Hossa will finally get his ring, Toews will pass him the cup first, as is tradition when a veteran finally gets to drink from hockey's holy grail, then Hossa will cry like a bitch. Chicago passes the longest drought off to Toronto and wins the Stanley Cup in 5.