Chicago: When it comes to offense, the Blackhawks have it in spades. Led by superstars Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp, there is no doubt they can put the puck in the net.
Hossa is a playoff beast, making his 4th finals appearance in the last six years. He sits 5th among active players will 111 points in 147 career playoff games, including 14 points this year to lead the Hawks. Right there beside him this year is Sharp, who leads the team with 8 goals, and Kane, who also has 14 points. Kane started the post-season slowly, but has four goals in the last two games, including the series winner in overtime against LA. Toews has struggled to score, only netting one goal so far in these playoffs, but he picked up 2 assists in game five versus the Kings and now has 9 points.
The great part for coach Joel Quenneville is that with four guys like that, he can afford to spread the wealth around two lines and two power play units. The Hawks are more than just their four big stars however. 27 year old forward Bryan Bickell has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat, and he sits tied with Sharp with 8 goals. Bickell has shown to be a perfect complement to the big four, bring a physical element to whatever line he's on and creating chaos in front of the net. Veteran Michal Handzus has been providing solid secondary scoring since taking over the number two center spot and has 9 points so far. Young players such as Andrew Shaw, Viktor Stalberg, Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger have been chipping in as well.
The blueliners for Chicago have been having difficulty hitting the scoresheet. Former Norris winner Duncan Keith has 11 points in 16 games, but not other dman has more than five. Brent Seabrook has particularly struggled, with only 2 goals and 3 points so far.
Boston: While the Bruins may not boast a player with the pedigree of Toews or Kane up front, they are certainly not to be underestimated. While the Hawks are top heavy, the Bruins have depth that Chicago can't match.
David Krejci might be the quietest superstar in the entire NHL. When the Bruins won the Cup in 2011, Krejci had an outstanding playoffs, scoring 23 points in 25 games. He's almost surpassed those numbers this year, as he leads the entire NHL with 21 points through only 16 games. Linemate Nathan Horton has struggled through severe concussion issues, but is on top of his game again with 17 points and an impressive +21 rating. The ageless Jaromir Jagr, despite being 41 years old, and still searching for his first goal of the post-season, has three points in his last three games and looks to be getting better as the playoffs go along. Nobody currently playing in the NHL has more career playoff points than Jagr.
The other members of the top six have preformed well also. Power winger Milan Lucic, after an embarrassing scratch late in the year, has turned his game around and sits tied for third in team scoring with 13 points. Superpest Brad Marchand has been at his best, leading the team in penalty minutes with 16 while also scoring 13 points. Center Patrice Bergeron has been a shutdown monster, but is also contributing with 5 goals and 11 points.
Unlike Chicago, the Bruins have also been getting offense from the blueline. Captain Zdeno Chara has 11 points through 16 games, while Johnny Boychuk and rookie Torey Krug have combined for 9 goals and 12 points.
Edge: Boston
It's hard to ignore the stars on Chicago, but Boston's depth puts them on top of this match-up.
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