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The Chicago Blackhawks were sitting on their couches waiting to see who awaits them in the Western Conference Finals. After last nights 3-2 overtime thriller in Anaheim, they now know they’ll be heading to the sunny west coast for Game 1 of the Conference Finals.
Chicago has reached the Conference Finals three years in a row now. It’s the first for Anaheim since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.
These two teams have never met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the Ducks want to have any chance at winning this series, it will come down to their goaltending. Frederik Andersen has picked up all eight wins between the pipes for the Ducks, and carries an impressive 1.96 goals-against-average and .925 save-percentage.
Putting up numbers like that against a potent Blackhawks offense will be tough to do.
The Blackhawks top line has three players with double digit points, Patrick Kane (13), Jonathan Toews (11), and Duncan Keith (10). Add on top of that 7 goals from Kane, and 4 from Toews and it could end up being a long series for the Ducks.
Anaheim has to rely on it’s big guns of Corey Perry (7G/8A) and Ryan Getzlaf (2G/10A) to put the pressure on Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. Although Crawford looked years better against the Wild, in round 1 against Nashville he showed he was vulnerable.
What may be the biggest advantage that Anaheim needs to use, is being 5-0 at the Honda Center. The Ducks need to utilize being undefeated at home, and having home ice in the series to their advantage.
The Ducks are the only team to have one loss in the playoffs, and have outscored opponents 17-4 in the third period and overtime.
Chicago will need Crawford to play like he did in the regular season against the Ducks, to skate to the Stanley Cup Finals. Crawford was 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .957 save percentage.
The Blackhawks will be without defenseman Michal Rozsival, who fractured his left ankle in the second period last Thursday.
Look for Patrick Kane to stay hot. After not expecting to return until the Stanley Cup finals at the earliest, the winger has a seven-game point streak, with seven goals and six assists in 10 playoff games.
Prediction: Blackhawks in 6