2017 Stanley Cup Final Prediction

Three rounds and 14 series have all come down to this. Only two teams remain in the battle for the greatest trophy in all of sports. Even though my emotional investment vanished a month ago, I've still be curious to see how the postseason would unfold, and here we are. The Stanley Cup Final. One final time this year, let's take a look at the matchup.

2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Predictions

Wednesday night saw a pair of Game Sevens to determine the final matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and both were thrillers from what I saw. The defending champs are still alive and making a late push, while some of the lower seeds have, on the whole, had a pretty successful postseason. So with one more round to go before we hit the Cup Final, let's take a look at our upcoming matchups.

2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Predictions

Two weeks ago, I was super excited. Playoff hockey was upon us and I was looking forward to a run at a fourth Cup for the Blackhawks. Instead, they became an absolute dumpster fire. I almost didn't want to write this post. But I pressed on last year after a Game 7 heartbreaker in St. Louis, and I will press on this year even after a sweep at the hands of the freaking Predators.

2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions

Today begins one of the most fun and most stressful (if your team is in it) times of year: playoff hockey is upon us.

16 teams begin their quest in the next two days for the greatest trophy in all of sports. The next two weeks will be crazy though, with eight series playing out.

Today's post will focus on the first round, but at the end I will make my pre-postseason Cup prediction.

2016 Stanley Cup Final Preview

I lost track of the second round playoff series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so I forgot to get a post in for the conference finals. Fortunately, I have plenty of time to get the Cup Final prediction in.

After the first round, we lost our last four Cup winners, as well as five of the last six, with a guarantee that we'll have a team that hasn't won a Cup since as far back as 2009. It's an interesting new matchup that, even if may not be a sexy ratings pick, is a compelling storyline and will be a series between two very, very good teams that deserve to be here.

Stanley Cup Final

San Jose Sharks (46-30-6, Beat Kings in five, beat Predators in seven, beat Blues in six) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (48-26-8, Beat Rangers in five, beat Capitals in six, beat Lightning in seven)
Teams each won 1 of 2 regular season meetings

Photo by Rocky W. Widner (NHL/Getty Images)

The Penguins have been a league darling for a decade straight now, but haven't made much postseason noise, making just their third Cup Final in that stretch and their first since they won the Cup in 2009. They take on a Sharks team that is making its first ever trip to the final round after years of missed opportunities. Pittsburgh has been fairly balanced in its scoring, with eight players recording at least 10 points through three rounds. Phil Kessel leads the team in goals (nine) and points (18), while media darling Sidney Crosby has played very well to the tune of six goals and nine assists, though he is a -2. They're getting a little thin on defense, with Trevor Daley out now, but young goaltender Matt Murray has been phenomenal with a .924 save percentage and a 2.22 goals against average. On the other end, Martin Jones has played incredibly well as well, with a slightly worse save percentage (.919) but a better goals against average (2.12). San Jose's offense has been more potent, with Logan Couture (eight goals, 16 assists) and Joe Pavelski (13 goals, nine assists) leading the charge, and an excellent defensive group with only two skaters logging a negative plus/minus. Brent Burns is +8 so far, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a team-high +13. They're going to need to be on their game all the more against a star studded Pittsburgh attack.

My heart wants to take the Sharks here, because I can't stand the lovefest for Sidney Crosby who has done nothing in the Kane-Toews-Keith-Q Dynasty and also because they saved the black cat that scrambled onto the ice during Game 1 against Nashville and found her a forever home. My head is initially leaning Pittsburgh because Crosby and company seem to have finally figured things out after six years of playoff disappointment that had featured only one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. With their issues of defensive depth against a ferocious attack though, I'm thinking I should switch sides. It's going to be a long, hard-fought series, but at the end of the day, give me the newcomers and the debate of who Pavelski hands the Cup to first: Patrick Marleau or Joe Thornton. Sharks in seven.

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner: Joe Pavelski, Sharks

2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Preview

I don't think I needed the couple days to digest the Hawks falling short in Game 7 against St. Louis. It's a bummer and a disappointment, but the Blues are a very good team, and they earned their first trip to the second round under Ken Hitchcock. I tip my cap.

I ended up doing a terrible job overall predicting the first round this year, and the scheduling weirdness means that this is getting posted after the second round gets underway. But in the interest of full disclosure, I wrote my preview for the one game taking place on Wednesday of the second round in advance, because I had to wait for the Game 7 between Nashville and Anaheim to be played out to fully preview this round.

With a (somewhat) heavy heart, I soldier on. Here are my predictions for the next round.

2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Preview

We're onto one of the most fun times of the year, but also one of the most gut wrenching. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a wonderful two month stretch of the best hockey of the year.

16 teams have survived the 82 game grind to reach this point, but only one will be hoisting Lord Stanley in June, and they have to win four best-of-sevens to get there. There's a reason many call the Cup the toughest trophy in all of sports to win.

So like I did last year, I am going to go into each round and try to predict a winner. I'm actually going to try and do a little analysis this time as well, and I will close this post out with my prediction for the Stanley Cup Final going into the playoffs as well.

Let's start with the obvious one.

One Goal Achieved

In 2010, I finished a swim between the third period and overtime of a hockey game played in Philadelphia and got out in time to see confusion from everyone except Patrick Kane as the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 49 years. In 2013, I watched much of a sixth game played in Boston with Kristen at her parents' house, left late in the third period, and got to listen to 17 seconds before making it home in time to watch the final minute. In 2015, Kristen and I went out to hopefully watch history unfold... And it didn't disappoint.

Victory lap by @kkmitzel moments ago #ONEGOAL #LetsGoHawks @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/YvCBDMUCsk

— Lucas Mitzel (@northsider89) June 16, 2015

Two months ago 16 teams began a journey for a legendary trophy. I went round by round and somehow only missed a single series prediction (Rangers over Caps) while getting to watch a lot of great hockey. Of course, like the last one, it wasn't easy.

There are, of course, plenty of moments that I'll end up throwing together into a YouTube playlist from this run. The classless policies of the Nashville Predators' ticket office drew the ire of Chicago, and they overcame a 3-0 first period deficit to win deep into the night. After Crawford got benched for the second time, concern rose, but the Hawks took care of business at home, including Brent Seabrook adding to his legend of overtime heroics. Finally, Crawford came back to relieve Scott Darling in a Game 6 clincher and the Hawks showed Nashville how a real hockey franchise operates. Hearing from Minnesota Wild fans sing the eternal praises of their deadline hero Devan Dubnyk did cause some concern, and yet the Hawks made it look like child's play. Then there were the Ducks. I kept it civil with KTLA's Tim Lynn, their helicopter reporter and avid Duck fan, even after the chaos of a bad Game 1 loss. I slept through the end of Game 2, missing out on Andrew Shaw's audition for the Chicago Fire and Marcus Kruger's heroics. I stayed up late for Game 4 to see deadline deal Antoine Vermette become a hero in Game 4. After losing a game in a series tied 2-2 for the first time in the era, I watched the Game 6 onslaught in the second period, and the total domination in Game 7 to send the goons Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler home sad.

This Tampa series though... man. I knew they were fast, and I figured they'd look insurmountable at times, but holy crap. They're a good hockey team. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a Cup in the next couple years. They have a lot of firepower, good defense, and a good goaltender. Like Nashville though, I didn't like their ticket policies either, so there's a sense of justice in this win. Even so, what a series. Kristen went to bed early on the night of Game 1, but I stayed up to watch Teravainen and Vermette steal the Game 1 win. Games 2 and 3 were frustrating as the Hawks gave up third period goals to drop both, but Crawford was phenomenal in the final three games, and the Hawks' offense did just enough.

Last night though was fantastic. I was feeling it all day; I didn't want to get overconfident, but this Hawks team knows how to close out a series, and they had a chance to win on home ice. They didn't waste it. Crawford was absolutely phenomenal, but the bar was on edge all evening until finally Keith broke through.

People felt better, but with as tight a series as this was, we were all still nervous as the third period moved on. Time moves agonizingly slow in situations like this, but it felt so much better once Showtime broke through for the insurance tally.

Kristen couldn't have been happier. I've mentioned on here that she's not much of a sports nut, but the Hawks are the exception. That made last night all the more worth it. We got to celebrate, do a victory lap together around the bar with the Cup when time expired, and I feel like we were the most popular people in the bar afterwards, as everyone wanted to take a picture with our inflatable Cup. Kristen joked that we should have charged a dollar to everyone who wanted one.

These are the experiences you remember and take with you for a long time. And now, the morning after, the city continues to celebrate not just a championship... but a dynasty.

That last point is a little tricky, and in my running-on-four-hours-of-sleep state, needed a little thinking. The argument could go that calling this Hawks team a dynasty cheapens the word. That may be true, but sports have changed in the last few decades. The NHL has a salary cap now, and it's impossible to keep together full groups like the old Canadiens, the early 80's Islanders, or Gretzky's Oilers. Factoring that in, this Hawks team has to be a modern dynasty. The Red Wings had a "three Cups in six years" stretch, but the salary cap didn't exist yet. Now that it does, we've seen what's happened to the Hawks following their first two Cups and what is almost certain to happen after this one. To lost so many pieces of your team, and still be back year after year is amazing. This is a dynasty. And the best part? It's only just beginning.

2015 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

It's June of 2015, good has triumphed over evil, and there's a potential dynasty in the making.

By Game 7 fortunes, I was able to nail down the matchup of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. We are thus rewarded with a treat of a matchup between two highly skilled teams that both had to overcome some hurdles to get to hockey's biggest stage.

Many people predicted this matchup a month and a half ago (myself included on the NHL's Bracket Challenge)... now it's here! Let's dig into it.

Chicago Blackhawks (beat ANA in seven) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (beat NYR in seven)
Teams split their season series (Blackhawks won in a shootout)

First, a little history. The Lightning have been in the NHL since the 1992-93 season. Much of their history is forgettable, as a majority of their time in the league hasn't resulted in a playoff berth. However, they had a magical 2003-04 season when they won the Stanley Cup, and in recent years, they have been building a young core reminiscent of that in Chicago in the latter part of the last decade and have the right structure in place to get here. They face the old guard, a Blackhawks team that has made the Western Conference Finals five times in the last seven years, now in their third Cup Final, with the honor of lifting Lord Stanley twice in that span.

Both teams had a difficult road to get this far. Tampa struggled in the first round against an always tough Detroit team, but were able to pull out a Game 7 win to advance. They then were able to knock out two of the best goaltenders in the league in Montreal's Carey Price and New York's Henrik Lundqvist, at times making both look like minor leaguers with barrages of goals. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, overcame an early 3-0 deficit in their first playoff game as well as a goalie controversy to knock out Nashville in six games, got a surprising sweep of the Minnesota Wild to shut up all the talk about Devan Dubnyk, then despite relying heavily on their top four defensemen, outlasting a physical (sometimes to the point of dirty) Ducks team to become the third straight team to eliminate them in Anaheim in Game 7 after the Ducks led the series three games to two.

I had mentioned before the last round about the early struggles of Steven Stamkos, who failed to score in the first eight games of the playoffs, and having just three through two rounds. He added four goals and three assists to bring his playoff point total to 17 for the year... and that's only the third best mark on the squad. Tyler Johnson continues his hot play (12 goals and nine assists in 20 games), while his mates on the "Triplets Line" have also excelled: Nikita Kucherov has 19 points (nine goals and 10 assists) and Ondrej Palat has 15 (seven goals and eight assists). Stamkos has no slouches as his linemates either, with Valtteri Filppula and Alex Killorn are also in double figures. They also boast an elite defenseman in Victor Hedman, who has ten points and is a +11 for the playoffs. Goaltender Ben Bishop struggled a bit against the Rangers, seeing his save percentage drop to a .920, but he's allowing just a 2.15 goals against average, so he has been very, very good.

It's fun to see those numbers, because the Blackhawks are pretty similar. Chicago also has seven skaters with at least 10 points on the playoffs, only they are led by the guy you expect to lead them. Patrick Kane struggled a bit early in the Ducks series, but came alive as the series went deeper, and his 10 goals and 10 assists give him 20 points to lead the way. Jonathan Toews hasn't always scored goals with regularity in the playoffs, but he has nine to go along with nine assists to tie for second. Those are the bulk goal-scorers, though Brandon Saad picked up the pace a little bit against Anaheim with his breakaway speed leading to a couple big early goals in Chicago wins. In something of a "desperation mode", Joel Quenneville made these guys the top line for the final two games, and they did not disappoint, destroying Anaheim's top line. The bigger talk for Chicago has been its defense, in particular Duncan Keith, who leads all defensemen with 18 playoff points (including 16 assists) and a whopping +13 while logging copious minutes. Brent Seabrook has also been his usual effective self (six goals, four assists, +6). Meanwhile, after the first round hiccups, Corey Crawford has returned to his solid form with a .919 save percentage, even though his goals against average is still kind of high at 2.56.

Both teams boast great speed and elite scorers, so both Bishop and Crawford may see their numbers decline a bit. The Blackhawks have faced some tough offenses (Anaheim in particular), though it could be argued that Tampa is better. Meanwhile, the Lightning really haven't faced the kind of offensive threat that the Hawks can bring to the table. To reverse it though, the Hawks still have some concerns with defensive depth. Their top four of Keith, Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya have played a ton of minutes to cover up the rotating cast at five and six. Kyle Cumiskey did well in limited time in the last six games, and Quenneville replaced veteran Kimmo Timonen, who looked lost and out of shape at times with David Rundblad for the final two games (though Rundblad dressed for Game 1 to replace the injured Michal Rozsival). Even as a Hawks fan, I have to wonder how much the Hawks defense has left in the tank, though Duncan Keith is clearly some sort of cyborg sent to secure the dynasty's place in history. That lack of defensive depth is still a concern, especially against a team like the Lightning who can score at will. Going the other way though, most of this core for the Lightning haven't been to this stage before (there are a few former Rangers who played in last year's Cup Final, and Filppula won the Cup with Detroit some time back), and they're going against a proven champion who has already shown resiliency night in and night out.

The Lightning will give the Hawks some fits. But ultimately, I think there's too much experience for the Hawks. Bishop has had some off games, something he can't afford to do against an offense of this level. We'll probably see at least a couple overtime games, because that's what happens this time of year, and the Lightning will look great, if not insurmountable at times. However, I refuse to count out the heart of a champion. Make it three in six years, and this time... the party can kick off at the Madhouse with 22,000-plus delirious fans screaming in delight as The Captain hoists the toughest trophy in all of sports to win. Blackhawks in six.

2015 Stanley Cup Conference Finals Preview

And then there were four.

The second round predictions went pretty well, as I set up the conference finals correctly in the West, while  the East was a little more chaotic (though I went against my Bracket Challenge pick with this; I originally had Tampa advancing past Montreal while the COAS pick had the Habs moving on).

So, without any further ado, here's a look at the conference finals matchups.

Chicago Blackhawks (beat MIN in four) vs Anaheim Ducks (beat CAL in five)
Blackhawks won two out of three regular season meetings

After playing little brother to the Los Angeles Kings for the past few years, the Ducks finally made their way back to the Western Conference Finals, their first berth since their 2007 Cup run. After running through a pair of Canadian teams that were good, but not necessarily great, they get to prove their worth against a Blackhawks team that is appearing in the Conference Finals for the third year in a row and fifth time in seven years.

For a long time, the Ducks were considered a one line team led by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Perry has been a Conn Smythe nominee pretty much from the get go, notching a league-leading 15 points in the playoffs so far, and Getzlaf leads the league in assists this spring. However, 13 Ducks have lit the lamp through nine games and nine of them have at least two. The addition of Ryan Kesler to center their second line was huge, and he's responded with four goals and five helpers against the Jets and Flames. Meanwhile, Frederik Andersen has been excellent, posting a 1.96 goals against average while stopping 92.5 percent of the shots he's faced.

They have a mountain ahead of them in this series, though. Patrick Kane shook off the rust from his collarbone injury to torment poor Devan Dubnyk, and he's the best offensive weapon Anaheim has seen so far in the playoffs. The Hawks' top line of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Brandon Saad have also been deadly at both ends of the ice, and will probably help bring the Ducks' top lines to a halt. If there's one spot of concern for Chicago, it's the defense. They're thin at the blue line this year, especially now with Michal Rosival out for the year with a broken ankle and Kimmo Timonen getting limited minutes. Anaheim has to take advantage when Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya are off the ice.

All in all, Anaheim will probably be Chicago's toughest test. But in a world where things come in threes, it seems only fitting that this core's third trip to the Cup Finals goes through the one California team they haven't faced yet. The Honda Center will be tough, but can the Ducks do any damage in the Madhouse? I think not. Blackhawks in six.

Tampa Bay Lightning (beat MTL in six) vs New York Rangers (beat WSH in seven)
Lightning won all three regular season meetings

Tampa got revenge for a first round sweep last year, though Montreal made them work for it, and the Lightning are in the Eastern Conference finals for only the third time in franchise history, and the first time since 2011. Meanwhile, the Rangers are making their second straight appearance and third in the last four years after adding another chapter to the Washington Capitals' Book of Blown Series Leads.

For the Rangers, once again it's primarily about the guy in net. Henrik Lundqvist is having a phenomenal postseason, posting a 1.60 goals against average with a save percentage of .944. That has helped a team that has scored just 24 goals in 12 games this postseason. Derrick Brassard and Derek Stepan lead the team in scoring with eight points apiece, with Stepan being the hero in Game 7 against Washington.

They go up against a Tampa team that needed a little time at the start of the playoffs to get going, but they're in good shape now. Ben Bishop has been very good as well, with a .931 save percentage and a 1.88 goals against average. They've gotten a lot more offense though, even with Steven Stamkos not lighting the lamp a ton (he has 10 points, but only three goals). Tyler Johnson has emerged as a playoff hero, as he leads the NHL with eight goals in these playoffs. Nikita Kucherov has also emerged with 11 points to help out. The Bolts will need those guys to continue their barrage, but they'll have to do it against another great goaltender.

This shapes up to be a fantastic series. New York has the edge in experience and a slight edge in goal, while I think Tampa has the edge elsewhere. Their regular season success doesn't mean anything now, but their offensive success compared to New York has to mean something. I think it comes down to the wire, and with the goaltender advantage not as dominant as some might think, I'll give the significantly better offense a slight edge, and Henrik Lundqvist will see his streak in Game 7's get snapped. Lightning in seven.

2015 Stanley Cup Conference Semifinals Preview

It took a while; a few series that had multiple days between games ended up going seven games, but we're ready for the next round of the playoffs!

In what worked out fairly well, I picked all eight series winners correctly, though only two in the correct number of games. This is no surprise though; to a degree, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a crapshoot, and anyone who knows hockey will probably agree with that notion.

However, we're now down to eight teams left in the playoffs. I'll go in depth on the Hawks because Hawks, and I'll take a look at the other three series as well.

Minnesota Wild (beat STL in six) vs Chicago Blackhawks (beat NSH in six)
Blackhawks won 3 out of 5 regular season meetings

For the third straight year, the State of Hockey will do battle with the Madhouse on Madison. In 2013, Minnesota put itself on the map before the lockout with the signings of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, but has fallen to the Hawks in two straight postseasons. Part of the problem has been in goal, but this year, there are no net questions in Minnesota. After making a trade in January for Arizona's Devan Dubnyk, the Wild went on an absolute tear through the entire league, including taking both matchups with the Blackhawks. Other than a hiccup in Game 4 against the Blues and seeing Vladimir Tarasenko go bonkers in Game 2, Dubnyk was phenomenal.

Offensively, eleven Wild players scored goals in that Blues series, so they have the scoring.. something that's a little alarming for the Hawks. There's a goalie controversy of sorts in Chicago, with both Corey Crawford and backup Scott Darling getting pulled in the first period of games, though the Hawks would go on to win both contests. Crawford is getting the nod to start the series, and while he's been inconsistent much of the season, he's also played well for stretches.

Ultimately, the series rests on the goaltending. Yeah, this is the case with pretty much every playoff series ever, but especially so here. Crawford needs to play like he did in Game 6 as opposed to Games 1 and 2 of the Nashville series, and Dubnyk needs to continue to stand on his head. Minnesota is in the best position it's been in to knock off Chicago in the last three years because of him. I'm just not sure yet: Will Minnesota have an answer for Playoff Bryan Bickell (7 goals and 3 assists in the last two years against the Wild)? And can Dubnyk handle the monster that is Showtime?

Dubnyk makes this tricky. The Hawks will probably have a game or two where they look flat while they steal a game or two they have no business winning. Ultimately, home ice proves to be too much. Hawks in seven.

Other Western Conference Series

Calgary Flames (beat VAN in six) vs Anaheim Ducks (beat WPG in four)

Remember how I said Anaheim's close game luck wasn't sustainable? They sustained it, leading for something like 36 of a possible 240 minutes in the series en route to a sweep. Corey Perry led the way with three goals and four assists while Frederik Andersen posted a .924 save percentage. The Ryan Kesler addition also proved useful, as he notched five points in the sweep. They take on a Calgary team that was able to make a late push to help keep the defending Cup champs out. They had some good scoring balance, but I'm not sold on the goaltending. Karri Ramo had a solid 2.09 goals against average in Round 1 against Vancouver, but posted a .907 save percentage, which isn't that great. Calgary has had a good run, but I think it ends here. Ducks in five.

Eastern Conference Series

Washington Capitals (beat NYI in seven) vs New York Rangers (beat PIT in five)

These two teams meet for the fifth time in the last seven postseasons in something of a rubber match, since each team has won two series. The President's Trophy-winning Rangers have been relying on their old standby through one round in goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who boasts a 1.54 goals against average and a .939 save percentage, while his team scored just 11 goals over the span of five games (each of their wins was by a 2-1 final). This was a defense that shut down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but I think they're going to have a little more trouble this time around. Alexander Ovechkin is an offensive monster, but he had plenty of support in guys like Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Meanwhile, Braden Holtby was just as good in net in the first round, posting a .943 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against average. Overall, I have little faith in the Capitals because they haven't been able to get much going once the postseason starts in the Ovechkin era, but I actually think this year they could pull it off. Capitals in seven.


Tampa Bay Lightning (beat DET in seven) vs Montreal Canadiens (beat OTT in six)

These teams meet for the second straight postseason, after Montreal swept Tampa in the first round last year. Tampa got regular season revenge, winning all five of their matchups. Of course, the postseason is a different animal, and the Habs have been able to make a pair of Eastern Conference Finals since 2010 while Tampa doesn't have the same recent postseason success. They'll need more from Steven Stamkos, since the odds of Tyler Johnson scoring six goals in this series probably aren't great. They have an advantage they didn't last year in goalie Ben Bishop, who was hurt during the 2014 Playoffs, and that will help negate a Montreal attack that cooled off somewhat as their first round series against Ottawa progressed. Montreal was led in scoring by P.K. Subban's four points, though he should have been suspended for his thug tactics in the opener against the Senators. However, everything comes down to Carey Price, who allowed fewer than two goals per game while stopping 93.9 percent of the shots he faced. I think Price outplays Bishop, and while the Lightning are able to give Montreal some scares, the Canadiens return to the Eastern Conference Finals. Habs in six.

2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

Today begins one of the best parts of the year in sports, and one that will end in either unbridled joy or sheer disappointment. Hopefully the former.

Saturday saw the 82nd game for every NHL team to finish off the seeding process for the tournament. As I'm not super familiar with every NHL team, I'm not going to do a full series-by-series prediction, other than maybe a cursory mention at the end (we'll see). Instead, I'll stick to the matchup I know about: Hawks-Predators.

Chicago Blackhawks (48-28-6) vs Nashville Predators (47-25-10)
Blackhawks won 3 out of 4 regular season meetings (1 in OT, 1 in SO)

Man, the Central Division was loaded this season. The Hawks had some bad luck games this season where they gave up goals late in regulation to lose a Bettman point, yet still had a great run. They take on a Nashville team that looked to be running away with the Central up until March when they went ice cold.

This is still a matchup that concerns me. Nashville has a strong defense led by Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne is an elite goaltender who helped the Predators finish ninth in the league in goals against. They tried to add offense, and did a decent job by finishing 14th in goals for thanks to additions like James Neal and Filip Forsberg. There's some depth and balance here, and they'll be a tough out.

Meanwhile over on the Chicago side, Corey Crawford helped lead the Blackhawks to their second Jennings Trophy (shared with Montreal) in three years, and had some games where he stood on his head. There's some intrigue on defense with the rotating pieces like Michael Roszival, Kimmo Timonen and David Rundblad, but the top four haven't been bad and will be counted on to contain those strong pieces. Then there's the forwards... you have several elite two-way players like Toews, Hossa, and Saad, the potential for Bryan Bickell to start to catch fire because it's the playoffs, some depth down to the fourth line... oh, and this guy is back.

88 came up 3 times in my first period math lesson today. It's a good sign! @88PKane #Blackhawks
— Kristen Mitzel (@kkmitzel) April 15, 2015

Nashville won't make it easy, obviously. They've been doing a lot to try and "keep the red out" of their arena, which we all know won't work. They'll still pose a challenge, but I think the return of Kane will galvanize a struggling Hawks team. Blackhawks in six.

Other Western Conference Series

Minnesota Wild (46-28-8) vs St. Louis Blues (51-24-7)
I'm kind of glad the Hawks didn't win the Central, because then they'd have to deal with a red hot Wild team. Most of that coincides with the arrival of goalie Devan Dubnyk, who has been phenomenal for Minnesota since he was traded from Arizona earlier in the season. St. Louis has plenty of weapons still, but questions in goal. I think this ends in a similar fashion to last year. Wild in six.

Winnipeg Jets (43-26-13) vs Anaheim Ducks (51-24-7)
Winnipeg has the current hot goalie in Ondrej Pavelec, but it's hard to say what else they have going for them. Dustin Byfuglien hasn't seen much playoff hockey since his days torturing the Vancouver Canucks in the Indianhead sweater. I don't know that the Jets will have the firepower to keep up with Anaheim. The Ducks have had an arguably unsustainable run in close games (33-1-7 in one goal contests) but with the playoffs tightening things up, is it sustainable? Hard to say. The atmosphere for games in Winnipeg will be crazy, but I think the Ducks take it home. Ducks in six.

Calgary Flames (45-30-7) vs Vancouver Canucks (48-25-9)
Calgary is out probably their best player in defenseman Mark Giordano, which hurts. This team reminds me a lot of last year's Avalanche in a way; the advanced numbers don't argue well for Calgary. If they can get some gritty goals against whoever's in goal for Vancouver, they could steal the series. In a crazy twist... I think it happens. Call it continued hatred of the Canucks or what have you. It takes seven games, but they pull the upset. Flames in seven.

Eastern Conference Series

Due to time constraints, I'm keeping the East to just series predictions.

Pittsburgh Penguins (43-27-12) vs New York Rangers (53-22-7)
Rangers in four.

New York Islanders (47-28-7) vs Washington Capitals (45-26-11)
Capitals in six.

Ottawa Senators (43-26-13) vs Montreal Canadiens (50-22-10)
Canadiens in five.

Detroit Red Wings (43-25-14) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (50-24-8) 
Lightning in six.

Game Notes: Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks (11/16/14)

Final Score

Blackhawks 6, Stars 2

Game Summary

Patrick Kane doing Patrick Kane things.

In the final game at the Madhouse before going on their annual Circus Trip, the Blackhawks (10-7-1) started fairly well with some good pressure and some pretty passing got them on the board first. Dallas (6-8-4) answered back a couple minutes later to tie it with some consistent presence in the Hawks' end, and added another shortly after. The Hawks woke up from there, helped by Andrew Shaw beating the crap out of Antoine Roussel. A couple minutes later, the power play got going and the Hawks tied it up. The second period was pretty uneventful, and the Hawks struggled a bit, but Crawford made a great glove save and a Star just missed an open net to keep the game tied at two after two. In the third, the Hawks came out firing again, taking the lead about five minutes in and just pouring it on from there.

Three Stars

3. Brad Richards (CHI): 2 A, 5 SOG, +3. Richards was honored before the game tonight, the 1000th of his career. He made it one to remember with his wife, baby, and parents in attendance. He fed Kane for the go-ahead goal early in the third, and added another helper on Versteeg's goal that made it 5-2 Hawks. 

2. Duncan Keith (CHI): 1 G, 1 A, 4 SOG, +1. Keith played pretty well on both ends of the ice, making some good defensive plays to help Crawford out. He also made a great cut to the net and put home a beautiful pass from Patrick Kane.

1. Patrick Kane (CHI): 1 G, 2 A, 3 SOG, +3. Kaner had himself a good night. He had that gorgeous pass to Keith on a break to the net to open the scoring, then set up the blast from the point that Seabrook hammered home to tie it. Kane went on to score the game-winner, shooting from a tough angle up over Kari Lehtonen.

Final Thoughts

I'd say Kristen and I picked a good game to go to. We went with her cousin Laura and her boyfriend Steve, not realizing it was Richards' 1000th game until we got there, and it's probably the best game Kristen and I have been to. Patrick Kane is Kristen's favorite player, so to see him have a great game was a plus. Toews scored too, which was nice, and I don't remember if we've been to a game where both have scored. 

The anthem was great, as always. To me though too, there's something magical about 21,000-plus people singing the chorus to Chelsea Dagger in unison, especially that many times. All in all, a good way to send the team off leading up to that long road trip.

Game Notes: Carolina Hurricanes @ Chicago Blackhawks (3/21/14)

Final Score

Blackhawks 3, Hurricanes 2

Game Summary
Playing without a few of their major contributors, the Blackhawks (41-15-15) put forth a great effort early and got quite a few good looks, but Anton Khudobin held his own for the Hurricanes (30-31-9). Carolina didn't manage a shot on goal until more than 11 minutes had gone by. Ultimately the teams went into intermission scoreless. The Hawks didn't waste a lot of time in the second period, scoring a breakaway goal to take the lead. They'd add another one towards the end of the period thanks to some lackadaisical defense by the Hurricanes. Unfortunately, Carolina notched a goal with 38 seconds left in the period to halve the lead going back to the locker room. They came out and got a 5-on-3 power play, and after a timeout, scored directly off a draw to tie it up. They remained on a one-man advantage, but a bad bounce off a shot attempt gave the Hawks another breakaway chance, and they took advantage again. Carolina had a few decent looks to come back again, but struggled to get Khubodin off the ice thanks to great offensive zone pressure by the Hawks, who held on for the win.

Three Stars
3. Patrick Sharp (CHI): 1 G, 6 SOG, +1. Sharp netted his 30th goal of the year on that first breakaway off a great feed from Andrew Shaw. I didn't get to see him finish it off since I was standing behind our seats from an earlier food run, but I know the unmistakable sound of a goal when I hear it.
2. Alexander Semin (CAR): 2 G, 4 SOG, -1. I didn't really know anyone on the Hurricane roster offhand, but remembered Semin a little but when I saw his name. He scored both Carolina goals, the first on a rocket late in the second, and then a second one in the third while on a two-man advantage.
1. Jonathan Toews (CHI): 1 G (SH), 2 SOG, +1. Toews took a couple penalties tonight he maybe shouldn't have, but made the play of the game shortly after the Canes tied it up. An errant shot took a funky bounce towards the Carolina zone, and Toews caught up with it, and made a gorgeous forehand-backhand move to put it home. It was all the Hawks needed from there.

Final Thoughts

Photo of Arnie the Alpaca by Kristen Klecka

The anthem? Once again, amazing. I actually took video of it, but the video doesn't do it justice. If you haven't been to the Madhouse for a Hawks game, do so. It's magical.

One guy not mentioned on here so far, but should be? Corey Crawford. He made 26 saves tonight, including a few really good ones and also played well despite taking a stick to the groin. He may not be an "elite" goaltender, per se, but he's a very good netminder who can definitely help this team win another Cup.

Kristen and I went to this game as our dating anniversary gift to each other, and it happened to time out to be three months before our wedding. Clearly the outcome was becoming of the evening. We're now 1-1 on the season after seeing a loss to Minnesota earlier in the year. One thing we did confirm though is that our alpaca friend pictured to the left is a good luck charm: the Blackhawks are 2-0 when we bring him. We forgot to take him when we went earlier in the season. Now we know. Nobody bring up the Law of Averages; I don't want to hear it.

I do think this year's Hawks team is capable of repeating, but it won't be easy. Having to face Colorado in the first round as they're on track to do (though they now would have home ice) scares me a little bit based on season results. But then again, playoff hockey is totally different. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks. And hopefully come playoff time, the Hawks will be at full strength. Get well soon, Kaner.

Game Notes: Minnesota Wild @ Chicago Blackhawks (10/26/13)

Final Score

Wild 5, Blackhawks 3

Game Summary
A bit of an ugly game for the Blackhawks (6-2-3), who came out kind of flat in the early going. The Wild (6-3-3) never trailed, tallying the first goal midway through the opening frame. They scored early in the second to double the lead. A Hawk goal was taken away due to a high stick, but they came down and scored a couple minutes later. The Wild would get it right back and go up 3-1 after two. The Hawks never got closer in the third. Ultimately though, it was not a great night for Corey Crawford, who only stopped 80% of the shots he faced while Niklas Backstrom held off 33 of the 36 shots the Hawks threw at his net.

Three Stars

3. Ryan Suter (MIN). 2 A, 2 SOG, +1. One of Minnesota's high-priced acquisitions of the 2012 offseason notched a helper on Zach Parise's opening goal in the first, which was kind of a soft tally for Crow to let up. His second came in the 2nd period on the #1 star's first goal.
2. Niklas Backstrom (MIN). 33 SV, 3 GA, .917 SV%. Backstrom picked up his first win of the year, and didn't look bad doing so. He made some big stops to help keep the Hawks out of the net.
1. Jason Pominville (MIN), 2 G, 6 SOG, +2. Pominville ultimately had the game-winning goal in the third to, for all intents and purposes, put the game out of reach.

Final Thoughts

Not a great outing for the Hawks, back home off their Florida swing. It also drops my in-person record to 1-1 (the win coming last season against Nashville). It was really nice to get back to the Madhouse though. Jim Cornelison nailed the anthem as always (and I think it seemed louder than the first time, but that could be me). But the atmosphere was, of course, great. I just wish the outcome could have been as well. Going 1-7 on power plays just isn't going to get it done. Kane did have a nice goal on the one, but they just couldn't get enough done on Backstrom. On the other end, the Hawks were only listed as having 4 giveaways, but it sure seemed like more (probably because the giveaways promptly led to Wild goals). As it is though, it's a long season with plenty of games left. You'd like to have something from a game against a division foe, but the Hawks get them up in the Twin Cities on Monday, hopefully with a good chance to get some revenge for tonight's setback.

Bring Me My Cup

I watched a vast majority of last night's Game 6 from my fiancée Kristen's house in Naperville last night and was facing the difficult decision: when do I head for home? Ultimately there was a stoppage in play about halfway through the third period when I decided I needed to head home, what with having to work this morning.

Of course, I found a way to regret that decision. It's a 20 minute drive from her house to mine which I hoped would be enough, given media timeouts and what have you, and boy, that 20 minute drive was a roller coaster ride. Disappointment hit me when Lucic scored that go ahead goal, and I was mentally going so far as to try and figure out Wednesday plans for watching the game.

Of course, I was still driving when everything turned. I was a couple minutes away from home, about to turn into my neighborhood when Bryan Bickell saved the day. Yelling and fist pumping ensued as I drove on. I was down the street from my house when Dave Bolland put home the winning tally as I felt pure elation. More fist pumps, more happy yelling ensued. Needless to say, I made sure I was going to get in my house for the final minute. I wasn't going to miss that.

Photo by Greg Cooper, USA Today Sports

Chicagoans undoubtedly know by now the history of this storied franchise and the dark era the team went through for much of my formative years under Dollar Bill Wirtz and the subsequent resurgence since his passing and the takeover by his son. Changes were promptly made and suddenly the Blackhawks were a draw again. Long lost fans made their way back to join the die-hards and brought a new generation of fans with them, and it all culminated in that 2010 Cup win.

For me though, this Cup win is different. I was a late bloomer on the Blackhawks, joining the ranks of the fanbase during the rebirth, and I was thrilled about that first Cup win, but that one might have been more about exorcising old demons than anything else. But it also brought passion and joy to a title-starved city, and hooked a lot of us who were newer fans to the sport and the team.

After that Cup win, we really cared. We followed the team through a fire sale of key pieces they could no longer afford then watching them squeak into the playoffs and nearly make a glorious comeback to end all glorious comebacks against Vancouver with nowhere near as good a team as was constructed the year before. We suffered through Mike Smith being a scumbag and Raffi Torres forever sealing his fate as one of the most hated athletes in Chicago history. We suffered through that lockout, not knowing if we'd even see any hockey this year while I offered my fiancée's cousin Gary Bettman's head on a silver platter.

This year's Hawks team made everyone seemingly forget about all of that. They tore through the first half of the season while I made jokes about not knowing what a regulation loss was. Kristen and I finally got to experience the best draw in the city in person, joining her cousin for a late regular season game at the Madhouse. Suddenly Kristen, who was never much of a sports fan, cared. She caught onto the rules and flow of hockey and was hooked. I was happy to be hooked back in with her.

Obligatory billboard shot on my way into work

All the emotions we went through on this run made winning the Stanley Cup this year more meaningful for me. Watching Bryan Bickell backhand home the overtime winner against Minnesota to start the run. The dark, somber mood at Kristen's cousin's house as Detroit took a commanding lead giving way to me cutting off a conversation on the phone with my brother with screams of joy as Brent Seabrook banished Detroit to the East days later. Resisting the urge to trash talk to KTLA's traffic reporter as the Hawks made Jonathan Quick look human and Hatrick Kane sent the team back to the Finals. Staying up late into the night to see why Andrew Shaw loves shin pads. And last night: enjoying the rewards of sticking with this team as they hoist the best trophy in all of sports.

I'm wearing a Hawks shirt to work today. Given the party that this city is probably still going through, I think it's fitting. My Hawks are Cup champions. Fellow Hawks fans, let's enjoy this one.

Game Notes: Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks (4/19/13)

Final Score
Blackhawks 5, Predators 4 (OT)

Game Summary
In my first ever NHL game in person, the Blackhawks (34-5-4, 72 pts) got off to a good start and scored in the opening 5 minutes (on a power play no less!) after some good early chances. But Nashville (15-21-9, 39 pts) came back quickly and scored twice to take the lead about halfway through the first period. The Hawks were able to tie it up before the intermission though and head to the locker room at 2-2. Chicago took leads in both the second and third periods but gave up tying goals to the Preds both times. The turning point of the game came with less than a minute to go when, while still tied, Rich Clune drew blood from Marcus Kruger with a high stick, earning a double minor that carried over into the extra session. Using their stars, it only took a minute for Marian Hossa to put an end to a dramatic game.

3 Stars

Celebrating the win from the 300 level of the Madhouse.

3. Jonathan Toews (CHI): 2 A, 2 SOG, +1. The captain had a couple nice plays to help out on the pair of first period goals, and played well defensively. He was out on the ice for all 52 seconds of overtime as well. Overall a good game for him (clearly the Toews shirt I was wearing underneath my borrowed Seabrook jersey worked well.)
2. Matt Halischuk (NAS): 2 G, A, 4 SOG, +3. That's a pretty good line. Halischuk scored Nashville's first goal and I think was originally given credit for the second (though that was changed during the first intermission) but scored again in the second on a breakaway (read: defensive breakdown) and assisted on Nashville's goal in the third. This is only his second full year in the big time, but he's a talented kid. We'll be hearing from him a fair amount.
1. Duncan Keith (CHI): G, 2 A, 4 SOG, Even. Keith scored the Hawks' first goal on the power play on a nice pass from Stalberg and played pretty good defense throughout. He was also out on the ice for all of overtime and got an assist for Hossa's winner.

The Blackhawks Experience
I've been to the United Center a few times, but mostly for Bulls games (a couple of which were bonuses for getting to see Aurora Christian play Wheaton Academy there) and most recently for an MDA Muscle Walk where I got to peek in briefly on a morning skate. Being there for a Hawks game for the first time was quite the experience. Hearing the airhorn and Chelsea Dagger in person was a lot of fun, and of course, the anthem, while not quite as loud as I was expecting, was still something to behold in person.

I was at this game with my fiancee Kristen (a fellow NHL virgin coming into tonight) and her cousin, who has been to hundreds of Hawks games in her lifetime and is a die-hard who supported the team even in the lean years. Kristen is not really a sports fan by any means (so the fact that she's willing to spend the rest of her life with me is a blessing I am incredibly thankful for), but she got into the game quite a bit. Hockey is often spoken of as the best live sporting event of the four major American sports, and I think tonight proved it. Kristen knew little about hockey rules and such coming in but caught on quickly, and even said she'd go again. And so would I, in a heartbeat. We really enjoyed it.

Final Thoughts
Early this week I had been talking to Kristen's cousin about the possibility of this game being for home ice thoughout the Western playoffs, but Monday's win over Dallas and Anaheim's overtime loss to Columbus on Wednesday sealed that spot early. Either way it was good to get 2 points instead of just 1, especially on a night when Corey Crawford (23 saves) wasn't quite at his best (made some good saves, but also allowed some goals he shouldn't have). With a 6 point lead over Pittsburgh with 5 apiece left, the Hawks find themselves in the driver's seat for the President's Trophy, which would be only their second in franchise history if I counted the banners right. Obviously this scares me a bit given the bad luck Trophy winners have had in recent postseasons, but I think this Hawk team, especially when fully healthy, should be able to beat anyone in a best-of-7 series.

What's a Regulation Loss?

I've been largely quiet on the hockey front here, a lot of it due to the fact that of the four major sports, hockey is the one I know the least about. But when a team goes halfway through a season without a loss in regulation, it deserves attention.

I've been home for a lot of these games and have gotten to see chunks of a lot of them, so I've been able to see a lot of the dramatics unfold before my very eyes. And really, this is an incredible run that is (deservedly) getting a lot of national media attention. This is a run the likes of which has only been seen once before (the '79-80 Flyers, who registered 35 straight games with a point) though not in a condensed season like this with back-to-backs and 3-games-in-4-nights throughout schedules. It's not worth comparing that to, say, the Heat's 16 game winning streak as both are impressive in their own ways.

What really impresses me with this Blackhawks team though is how deep they are. In 21 victories, 15 different guys have registered game-winning goals. During their slide last year, the Hawks' stars couldn't get anything going and there was no one left to pick up the slack. This year it's not an issue. The defense has gotten a lot better on all 3 pairings so it's not just Keith and Seabrook doing all the heavy lifting. Most impressive though has been the play of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. Crawford was much maligned last year for not playing too well, especially in the playoffs against Phoenix. Maybe it was the infamous sophomore slump, but whatever the case, the Hawks are the most complete team in the NHL right now, and it's insane to think about.

Talking heads like Stephen A. Smith seem to think that a streak like this in hockey isn't as impressive as one in basketball, but on the whole, there's so much more parity in hockey. Of the 24 games so far, a majority have been decided by one goal, and the Hawks are not only unbeaten in regulation, they're also unbeaten in the 5-minute overtime. All 3 losses have come in shootouts... which is even more incredible.

Purely based on the Law of Averages, a regulation loss is bound to happen sooner or later and my hope is that it doesn't deflate this team. Of course, a lot of teams and their fans have been saying that the streak is going to end when they take on the Hawks, and it has yet to happen. I don't expect it to still be intact, but I would be beyond thrilled if this stretch is still running come April 19th when I cross "catch a Blackhawks game" off my sports bucket list. I'm sure the second half of this season will be full of as many amazing moments as the first, and hopefully it all culminates in a parade downtown this summer celebrating another Stanley Cup.

A Tale of Two Road Trips

I've been more zeroed in on North Central lately, and not really focused as much on Chicago's two teams taking up residence on the West Side... though that's mostly because they haven't been home lately. It's just been kind of interesting to see how these two squads have spent their road trips going in seemingly opposite directions.

The Bulls have been mostly a joy to watch recently, as I'm sure Geoffy will attest to. You go 6-3 on a road trip, you're in good shape. The bad news is that the Bulls 3 losses came to good teams (Miami, Philly, and Boston). At the same time, you have to take into account that the Bulls have been, like pretty much everyone else, injury ravaged this season. And the scary part is that without some key figures, they're staying competitive with the other contenders in the East. You include Deng in the Miami game, the Bulls probably pull that one out, and with Rose, Boston is likely a win as well. Philly was a little more one-sided, but those losses will happen.

On the positive side, the Bulls are destroying inferior teams, including the NBA record 4 straight road wins by 20 or more. Racking up wins any way you can in this shortened season is a must, and at 23-7, the Bulls are in a great position... especially when you consider that 20 of those 30 games have come on the road. The second half of the season will be more in front of the friendly crowds at the United Center, something Bulls fans should be excited about.

Thank God Derrick Rose doesn't have any structural damage in his back, otherwise the Bulls would have a reason to worry. Until then, I would say let him rest. They're in good shape and don't need to rush him back in the immediate future.

I wish the news were the same for the other tenants of the Madhouse. It's been a rough go the past month or so. After dropping that home-and-home with Nashville into the All Star Break, the Hawks have been killed on this 9 game road trip of theirs, going 0-5-1 so far. And really, there's no one thing that the Hawks can do to get out of the funk. One night, the offense isn't scoring any goals, the next they're giving up 8 points to one guy. I've had the TV on for parts of a couple games on this trip, and I'll be into it a little bit, only to get really frustrated. This team has shown flashes of brilliance mixed with "WTF" moments. Many fans have called for Coach Q's head or Stan Bowman's head, but not a lot of attention has been paid to the players. They're the ones not executing right now.

That being said, all it takes is one good game for guys to get confidence up. Say tomorrow night in Nashville the Hawks only give up a couple goals in tough situations, but manage to score a time or 2 on timely opportunities and possibly steal one from a division rival. A win can cure everything, but even a tough loss where the team plays well can ignite a fire under the other guys.

I saw a status on Facebook from a guy I went to college with who's a hockey player and a big Hawks fan, and he reminded Hawks fans that this team lost 7 of 9 games in March of 2010... and we all know what happened that season. Granted, the rosters are totally different, but all you need to do is get into the tournament. Once there, anything can happen.

These two teams are going in different directions now, it seems. But both of these teams will play prominently when 30 competing teams get whittled down to 16.