Unlike previous playoff series, I'll take a bit of a different approach for the Conference finals and break down how each team compares in various aspects of the game. First up is the West final, while my preview of the East will come tomorrow. Enjoy!
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| This picture pretty much sums up what the entire series will be about. |
Season Series: 2-1-0 Chicago
Offense: The Blackhawks offense has been their bread and butter all year long. Finishing second for goals during the regular season, they've seen a bit of a decline in their offensive production in the playoffs, but so have all teams. They're averaging 2.75 goals per game in the post season, while Los Angeles is only averaging 2.00. The Hawks are led by fast, dynamic players such as Patrick Sharp (11 points), Marian Hossa (11 points) and Patrick Kane (9 points). Captain Jonathan Toews has struggled through the first two series's, but seems to have found his game recently and could be heating up at the perfect time. They're not just a one line team either, as 16 different Hawks have scored at least two points in these playoffs. Though the Kings can't match the speed that Chicago boasts, they have a tough group that can hit as easily as they can make a play. They've been led so far by Mike Richards (10 points), Jeff Carter (5 goals) and Anze Kopitar (7 points). Those three players are probably just as dangerous as the top three on Chicago, while the depth has been just as good also. The difference may come down to style, where the Hawks like to play a more wide-open game, while the Kings prefer to keep it simple and generate offense in transition from their defensively responsible game. If Chicago can impose their will, LA will have some trouble keeping up with them.
Edge: Chicago
Defense: It probably won't surprise you that the Kings have been the best defensive team in the playoffs, leading the post-season with just 1.54 goals against per game. Aside from Drew Doughty, it's a rather unspectacular group on the back end for LA, featuring young players such as Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez, who have performed very well. They also have the veteran leadership of Robyn Regehr and Rob Scuderi, who won't provide anything on offense but are outstanding in their own zone. Then there's Slava Voynov, the 23 year old sophomore who has emerged as an offensive threat (7 points) while staying responsible in his own zone (+7). LA's strength has always been their defensive system, and all these players are executing it very well thus far. What might surprise you though, is that Chicago is right behind them averaging 1.83 goals against in the post-season. It shouldn't though, considering they boast the likes of former Norris winner Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Seabrook has struggled a bit thus far, only scoring one goal (which just happened to be the game seven, overtime winner against Detroit) and sporting a minus 5 rating, lowest on the team.
Edge: Los Angeles
Goaltending: What can you say about these two goaltenders, other than both have been simply outstanding. LA's Jonathan Quick is proving last year's Conn Smythe Trophy was no fluke, as he leads the NHL playoffs in every major goaltending category. He has a brilliant 1.50 goals against average, and a .948 save percentage to go along with 3 shutouts. Sure, he's a product of the defensive group in front of him, but he's been awesome in these playoffs, keeping his team in some very tight games and making several amazing stops so far. While Quick may again be the front runner for the Smythe, Chicago's Corey Crawford is right there behind him. His 1.70 goals against average is second only to Quick, while his .938 save percentage and one shutout are third in the league. The only concern for Chicago is that Crawford has allowed 3 or more goals four times, and hasn't shown quite the same consistency so far that Quick has.
Edge: Los Angeles
Intangibles: Los Angeles has had a slightly better power play so far, operating at 20% to Chicago's 16.2%. However, Chicago has been unusually snakebit on the pp, and they could heat up at any time. The Blackhawks have a clear edge on the penalty kill though, allowing only one goal while down a man all playoffs long, good for a 97.6% kill rate. The Kings pk, on the other hand, has been only average in comparison at 86%. LA will have great trouble scoring any power play goals against the Hawks, so the edge on special teams has to go to Chicago. Home ice advantage is going to be huge in this series as well, as the Hawks and Kings have been two of the best home teams all season long, so Chicago has the edge there. Surprisingly, both teams have struggled on the faceoff dot, Chicago is 47.5% and LA is only 45.7%. Whoever can win the faceoff battle might end up winning the series, as the difference is razor thin so far. Both teams are recent Stanley Cup winners, so there is tons of big game experience and leadership on each side. The Blackhawks roster is fully healthy, while the Kings may miss excellent defensive center and faceoff man Jarret Stoll for the first few games at least.
Edge: Chicago
Prediction: Chicago in 7. It's really, really hard for me to go against the defending Stanley Cup champions in this one. I think one of the main differences is the path that Chicago has traveled to get to this point. While the Kings played in two very tight series's so far, they haven't had to face very much adversity either. The Hawks on the other hand, after playing a very easy series against Minnesota, took Detroit too lightly in the second round and had to fight back from a 3-1 deficit. That was a wake-up call for a veteran Hawks team with tons of talent, and they won't make that same mistake against the Kings. The x-factor in all this might be Quick, who has the ability to stand on his head for seven games and make my prediction look silly. I know you should never bet against the hot goalie, but Crawford is nearly his equal and I think Quick will be outstanding in defeat. Ultimately, the dynamic offense combined with the excellent defense of the Hawks will give them the edge over the more one dimensional, defensively tough Kings.
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