2 St. Louis vs 3 Chicago Playoff Breakdown

The St. Louis Blues will  face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. These two Central Division rivals have heated things up this year: Both teams are incredibly strong, both teams are true contenders to win the Stanley Cup, and both are in rabid hockey markets. The main differences we see in these two teams are their styles of play. That being said, here is the short breakdown of each team headed into this matchup, followed by what to look forward to, and finally, my winner prediction:

ST. LOUIS BLUES (52-23-7, 111 Points):

Strengths: 

Stifling defensive play

Very strong goaltending

Very deep

Norris Trophy Candidate in Alex Pietrangelo

Diversified scoring (5 players with 50+ points)

Well-coached

Style of Play: Physical/Defensive

SRS (Simple Rating System): 0.71

Leading Scorer: Alexander Steen (33G-29A-62P)

Worries:

Oshie, Backes, Sobotka, Berglund,  Morrow all questionable for Game 1, Tarasenko out

6-Game losing streak entering playoffs

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (46-21-15, 107 Points):

Strengths:

Arguable top offense in the league

Norris Trophy Candidate in Duncan Keith

Four 28+ goal scorers (Sharp, Hossa, Kane, Toews)

Have 5 60+ point scorers

Very deep

Well-coached

Playoff tested

Style of Play: Flowing/Offensive

SRS (Simple Rating System): 0.60

Leading Scorer: Patrick Sharp (34G,44A,78P)

Worries:

Goaltending can be an issue

Players just now returning from injury might be tentative/fragile

Losing streak headed into playoffs

Things to Watch:

Both the Blackhawks and the Blues are major Cup contenders, and this series was the hardest for me to pick a winner for. That being said, there are some things to watch in this series:

1. Tentativeness: With both Kane and Toews returning from injuries, there is a possibility of tentativeness or hesitation in their games. Look for a physical first game in which the Blues attempt to rough up both Toews and Kane

2. Response to Recent Losing Streaks: Each team has a losing streak heading into the playoffs. The Blues need to respond well to their 6 game losing streak if they want to contend in this series, and the Blackhawks, with their 2 game streak, need to shake it off and move forward.

3. Faceoffs: Sobotka and Toews are two of the best faceoff men in the game. Look for faceoffs to play an integral part in this series.

Players to Watch:

Chicago: Jeremy Morin

How hot is Morin? How about 4 goals since he was called up on April 4th? Proved himself in Rockford, should be a Blackhawk for years to come.

Blues: Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller has proven himself in the Olympics while not really having an opportunity to play for a contender in the playoffs. Look for him to play some of his best hockey.

OUTCOME:

BLUES IN 7

St. Louis may be up against the defending Cup champions, but they are no strangers to adversity and no strangers to challenges: they have proven themselves all year, and it's time to show up in the playoffs. Physical/Defensive play will stifle the Blackhawk offense.

The Dynamic Duo: Kane and Toews

Chicago sports fans should be used to dynamic duos: They have already one.

For years, Hull and Mikita were the greatest one-two punch the sport had ever seen. Mikita would make a great move, flip the puck to an open Hull who would rocket the shot into the back of the net. The two combined for 969 goals and 2109 points as fellow Blackhawks, with numerous All Star Game appearances, MVP awards, Hart Trophies, and a Stanley Cup to boot. The Hawks were the darlings of Chicago sports fans for years.

But by the early 2000’s, Chicago was looking for new heroes. The Blackhawks were abysmal. Then, all of a sudden, came Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Kane and Toews, Toews and Kane, Tazer and Kaner, however you want to say it, were both extremely young entering the league. They were both highly touted prospects, and were both drafted in the top 3 of their respective drafts. The similarities with each other end there, but they extend to the first duo mentioned in this article: Hull and Mikita. Whenever I see Toews and Kane, I think of Hull and Mikita. From their personalities to their playing style, I see flashes of the Hawks heroes in each of them.

Compare Toews to Mikita. Serious, businesslike. He has a quieter playing style than his counterpart Kane, with flashes of the unbelievable and an “it” factor that is undefinable, something intangible that just makes him better than anyone on the team. Call it heart, guts, balls, whatever you want, Toews has it.

Kane is like Hull in many ways. His flashy style of play extends off the ice too, with parties and a slight immaturity that makes him who he is. Hull was the darling of Chicago, signing thousands of autographs and smiling for hundred of photographs. Kane is the same. He loves the spotlight. He enjoys playing on the highest stage possible, and his playing style reflects that. There is an electricity in his game that moves fans to the edge of their seats. He has a wicked shot and loves to celebrate.

The two have combined for 356 goals and 899 points in the short time they have been in the league. In many ways they have exceeded Hull and Mikita. They have together won two Stanley Cups. They have each won the Conn Smythe Trophy. More importantly, they have won the hearts of Blackhawks fans throughout Chicago and around the World. Just as an example, Patrick Kane leads the entire league in jersey sales. Before the two superstars, one would be hard pressed to find ANYONE with a then-current Blackhawk on the back of their sweater (Arnason, Bell, and Calder, anyone?). Perhaps someday those jerseys will hang in the rafters of the United Center for all to remember, waiting for the next two.

Matchup of the Day 11/23/13

Blackhawks at Canucks!

This heated rivalry will add another page to it's storybook tonight when the Blackhawks take on the Canucks at Rogers Arena. Here are my predictions:

Hawks 5, Canucks 2

Kane gets 2, Toews gets 1, Saad gets 1, Hjalmarsson gets 1

For the Canucks,

Burrows gets jack squat, Kesler gets both goals.

Fighting In The NHL: Why It Needs To Stay

With all the talk of fighting in the NHL being banned or more strictly enforced, I am here to present my humble opinion. Fighting has been in the league since its inception. Fighting is as much a part of the game as a body check or a clean pass. It helps to weave the fabric of the game together. Most importantly, it keeps the game honest. No other league in the NHL has an honor code when it comes to fighting: Don't fight a player with hurt hands, don't fight for selfish reasons, fight to protect teammates, etc. This helps keep the fabric of the game woven tightly together. It creates bonds between the fans and the players, and also creates a bond between players.

Hockey is an honest game.

Let's keep fighting for that.

EARLY CUP CHAMPION PREDICTIONS:

I predict that your 2013-2014 Stanley Cup Champion will be...

The Chicago Blackhawks!

The Hawks will repeat, making it the first time a team has won 2 Stanley Cups back-to-back since the '97 and '98 Red Wings. I also (boldly) predict that Patrick Sharp will win the Conn Smythe trophy.

I'M BACK!

I'm back! I have decided to begin the blog again, now that times are getting settled a little bit. Finals are the week of the 2nd of December, but then I should be able to post on a regular basis again.

Season Standings Predictions: Review

West:
1. Vancouver
2. St. Louis
3. San Jose
4. Los Angeles
5. Detroit
6. Chicago
7. Nashville
8. Colorado
9. Phoenix
10. Minnesota
11. Calgary
12. Dallas
13. Anaheim
14. Columbus
15. Edmonton

East:
1. Pittsburgh
2. Winnipeg (yes, Winnipeg)
3. Boston
4. New York Rangers
5. Carolina
6. Toronto
7. Washington
8.  Buffalo
9. Ottawa
10. Montreal
11. Philadelphia
12. New Jersey
13. Tampa Bay
14. Florida
15. New York Islanders