Stanley Cup Final preview: 'Hawks' experience vs. Bolts' youth
If success breeds copycats, the National Hockey League is headed in an entertaining direction.
While the Anaheim Ducks were defined as much by their size and physical play as by their skill, and while the New York Rangers were defined mostly by their goaltender and their ability to defend, the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning are defined by skill, speed and stars.
Guess who made it to the Stanley Cup Final?
"It seems like they have a lot of offense and skill and speed to their game, too," Chicago right wing Patrick Kane said of the Lightning, the Blackhawks' opponent in the Cup Final which opens Wednesday in Tampa. "You look at it, it seems like it would be a fun matchup and a fun series for the average fan to watch — a fun series to play in, as well."
It is tempting to label the Lightning a young version of the Blackhawks, but those comparisons always fall short in too many areas. What can be suggested is that the Lightning and Blackhawks are the two most exciting teams in the NHL.
"They're one of my favorite teams to watch on TV and play against," Lightning wing Ondrej Palat said. "It's going to be a challenge for us to match their skills."
In truth, Tampa has no shortage of skills with Palat, Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman. The overriding question in this series will be whether Tampa is ready to take the final step in its maturation process and to topple a team that has seen every tactic, answered every challenge and risen to every occasion over the years.
"That's an important attribute; it's possibly the most elusive trait to pin down," Chicago GM Stan Bowman said. "There are certain players that have the ability, when the game is on the line, to elevate their play and to come through.
"Fortunately we've got a number of guys that can do that. They can raise their game in those critical moments."
How they got here: Tampa Bay defeated Detroit 4-3; Montreal 4-2; and New York 4-3. Chicago defeated Nashville 4-2; Minnesota 4-0; and Anaheim 4-3.
Season series: Tampa won 1-0-1.
Playoff history: The Lightning and Blackhawks have never met in the playoffs.
Goalies: Neither Tampa goalie Ben Bishop nor Chicago goalie Corey Crawford has been consistent in the playoffs. Bishop allowed five goals to New York on three occasions in the Eastern Conference finals but also has posted two Game 7 shutouts against the Red Wings and Rangers. Crawford was replaced by Scott Darling for a stretch of the Blackhawks' first-round series win over Nashville, he posted a sparkling .940 save percentage in a sweep of Minnesota, then reverted to a middling .920 percentage in a seven-game win over Anaheim in the Western Conference finals. The conventional wisdom says Bishop has to be a little better for Tampa to overcome Chicago's deep playoff experience. Then again, Tampa led the NHL in goals during the regular season and is second in the postseason. Crawford certainly carries the edge in experience, having won a Stanley Cup and started 68 career playoff games. This is Bishop's first postseason.
Key players: For Chicago, getting defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk back would take a huge load off the top four defensemen: Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook and Johnny Oduya. Kyle Cumiskey (11:14 average ice time), Kimmo Timonen (9:26) and David Rundblad (7:25) were limited in the conference final after Michal Rozsival (ankle) was lost for the season in the series-clinching win over Minnesota. When right, van Riemsdyk is capable of logging bigger minutes but he hasn't played in an NHL game since Nov. 16, when he suffered a knee injury against Dallas. He was rehabilitating that injury in the AHL in March and played eight games before suffering a wrist injury that required surgery. Tampa won't wear down Chicago's defense with a heavy forecheck and physical play like Anaheim tried to do, and it should be noted that 'Hawks defense fared just fine against fast-paced Minnesota, but in what should be a high-paced series, depth would help make the blue line more effective. For Tampa, everyone knows by now how deadly the triplets line has been, and Stamkos is a household name. Meanwhile, forward Killorn is quietly having a terrific postseason with seven goals and 16 points in 20 games. Secondary scoring is so critical in the postseason and it will be all the more critical against the star-laden Blackhawks. Tampa hasn't received much offense from its third and fourth lines. It can't afford for Killorn to taper off as well.
Key stats: Tampa is 9-0 when it scores first in the postseason, 3-8 when its opponent does ... Tampa's triplets line of Johnson, Palat and Kucherov has tallied 28 of the Lightning's 55 playoff goals (51 percent). ... According to war-on-ice.com, Chicago is minus-73 in shots on goal, the worst mark in the playoffs, and minus-24 in scoring chances in the slot, tied with Calgary for worst, during the playoffs. ... Chicago defenseman Keith is averaging 31:35 of ice time in the postseason, second to Nashville's Roman Josi, who averaged 31:36, but in just six games. ... The Blackhawks are 32-0-0 this season when leading after two periods.
Best storyline: Chicago's experience vs. Tampa's blissful ignorance. Following Tampa's 2-0 win over New York in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, coach Jon Cooper was asked to explain how his team had overcome the Rangers' experience, New York's Game 7 mystique and goalie Henrik Lundqvist. "I don't know if we're so young and dumb and don't know any better," he said. "Every time we as a staff go in and challenge them, they respond." The vast majority of analysts are picking the Blackhawks to win this series because of their playoff history: two Stanley Cups in the past five years; five conference finals in the past seven). That belief very well may play out, but Tampa's confidence has grown with each round and success has to start somewhere. What better challenge than to try to take down the NHL's marquee franchise?
Special teams: Tampa Bay's power play has converted 22.2 percent of its chances while its penalty kill has neutralized 81.2 percent of opponents' chances. Chicago's power play has scored on 19.6 percent of its chances while its penalty kill has been successful just 75.5 percent of the time.
Injuries: Chicago D Rozsival (ankle) is out for the season. F Bryan Bickell (undisclosed) and F Marcus Kruger (undisclosed) are expected to play in Game 1. Tampa reported no injuries.
Breakdown: From a pure hockey standpoint, this series should be must-see TV. Both teams bring oodles of skill, speed and star power to the table. Neither team tends to muck things up to slow down the games and lull the viewer to sleep.
Tampa's offense has been extremely top-heavy, with five players (Johnson, Palat, Kucherov, Stamkos and Killorn) accounting for 42 of the Lightning's 55 goals (76 percent) this postseason. That plays a bit into the Blackhawks' hands. Nobody has been able to shut down the triplets line, but you can bet Chicago coach Joel Quenneville is focused on doing just that. He has three terrific defensive centers in Jonathan Toews, Antoine Vermette and Kruger. Tampa likely will need someone from the third or fourth line to step up at some point in this series.
Since the NHL began tracking ice time, no team has won the Stanley Cup with four defensemen averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs, as Chicago's top four are doing right now. As noted previously, van Riemsdyk's return could provide a huge boost, but it's possible that Chicago's top four are so seasoned that it can go another round logging heavy minutes. While Anaheim held the belief that it would wear down the Blackhawks with physical play, Chicago appeared to get stronger late in that series.
Tampa has the offense to hang with Chicago, but the Lightning is at its best when it focuses on defense and scores off the rush. That is the more prudent move against a Blackhawks lineup brimming with the big-game experience of Toews, Kane, Marian Hossa, Keith, Patrick Sharp and Seabrook. Tampa defensemen Anton Stralman, Hedman, Braydon Coburn and Jason Garrison will play crucial roles in containing those stars.
Prediction: Chicago in 6.
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