Ding! Ding! Ding! Here we go again (again) ladies and gentlemen your Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks will be squaring off for another Stanley Cup playoff series.
In one corner we have one of the only two Canadian teams that made it to the post season. The President's Trophy winner, they have the leading point scorer, and they are favored by many to win the Stanley Cup. This team won ten more games than their opponents and they have been great all season long. The Vancouver Canucks is a hungry team with a lot of pressure a team that has not won a single Stanley Cup since its existence. Oh and did I mention it is one of the two Canadian teams to make the post season.
In the other corner we have the defending Stanley Cup champions who have had a less than stellar season. They have had to battle a ten player roster turn around (courtesy the salary cap). They have had many injuries to key players (Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa (twice), Patrick Sharp, Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell, and even Captain Jonathan Toews). And really this team just hasn't been playing their best. The Chicago Blackhawks are the underdogs, who some are even predicting will lose in four, that right swept!
Non-sense!
The Chicago Blackhawks' probability of winning the Stanley Cup again is not likely, but of beating the Canucks; that probability is high.
Many people forget that the Canucks have several key injuries to defense, not to mention the two games left on forward Raffi Torres, who was suspended four games for his elbow to the head of Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle.
The Blackhawks also have the mental edge over the Canucks as well. Even though Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo claims otherwise; few can forget Patrick Kane's first career hat trick he scored game six of the 2009 playoff series; and I am sure Luongo can't forget it either.
In fact some have suggested in the past that Roger's Arena is like a second home ice for the Blackhawks.
The truth of the matter is; anything can and usually does happen in the NHL playoffs and for people to write off the Blackhawks is crazy.
Folks for the third year in a row; we've got ourselves another crazy playoff season!
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Tags: chicago blackhawks, jonathan toews, nhl, patrick kane, playoffs, roberto luongo, stanley cup, Vancouver, vancouver canucks
