Mar 05, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin (33) and San Jose Sharks right wing Adam Burish (37) faceoff during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Canucks Vs. #6 Sharks

Season Series: Sharks swept the Canucks (3-0-0)

Sun Jan. 27 Canucks @ Sharks 4-1 Sharks win

Tue Mar. 5 Sharks @ Canucks 3-2 SO Sharks win

Mon Apr. 1 Canucks @ Sharks 3-2 Sharks win

Series Schedule

Wednesday, May 1 in Vancouver, 10:30 P.M.

Friday, May 3 in Vancouver, 10:00 P.M.

Sunday, May 5 in San Jose, 10:00 P.M.

Tuesday, 7 in San Jose, 10:00 P.M.

Thursday, May 9 in Vancouver, 10:00 P.M.

Saturday, May 11 in San Jose, TBD

Monday, May 13 in Vancouver, TBD

Canucks

Season Record: 26-15-7, 59 pts., +6 goal differential, Home Record: 15-6-3, Road Record: 11-9-4, last ten games: 5-4-1

The Canucks are the Northwest Division Champions again this season, with only the Minnesota Wild to help represent the division in the playoffs. They’ve had an up and down season and haven’t been as dominant as they have the past few years. We all know about their goaltending drama, but the Canucks have been consistent with Corey Schneider as the starting goaltender and Roberto Luongo backing him up. The Canucks will have home ice advantage and need to adjust their regular season home record of 15-6-3 if they hope to ward off the Sharks in the first round.

Canucks top scorer – Henrik Sedin 45 pts. (11G, 34A)

Starting Goaltender – Corey Schneider, 2.11 GAA, .927 save percentage

Sharks

Season Record: 25-16-7, 57 pts., +8 goal differential, Home Record: 17-2-5, Road Record: 8-14-2, last ten games: 5-5-0

The Sharks had a great start to the season, going 7-0-1 before faltering and blending in with the crowd. They swept the Canucks in a 3 game season series, once in a shootout. The Sharks won’t have home ice advantage for this series which could be an issue since their regular season road record is 8-14-2. The key to defeating the Canucks is playing a stronger road game every night in hopes of stealing a couple in Vancouver.

Sharks top scorers – Joe Thornton 40 pts. (7G, 33A), Logan Couture 37 pts. (21G, 16A)

Starting Goaltender – Antti Niemi, 2.16 GAA, .924 save percentage

Notes

Raffi Torres was traded from Canucks to the Sharks this season. We’ll see if he’s stopped his human wrecking ball ways or if he lets the Canucks feel some of it.

Both the Sharks and Canucks have lost 2 games in preparation for the post season, so it’s a matter of which team will turn it up and overtake the opponent.

Prediction – Sharks will advance in 7. Both teams have almost identical records, but the Sharks faced more talented opponents against the Anaheim Ducks and the LA Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions. It will be a back and forth series that eventually goes to the Sharks.

What is your prediction for the Sharks/Canucks series?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Feb 01, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2) during the third period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 01, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (2) during the third period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Duncan Keith is giving Vancouver Canucks fans warm and fuzzy feelings once again after making a sarcastic response to a reporter after Monday’s 3-1 loss. They’re throwing a parade in Vancouver after clinching the Northwest Division Championship and beating their hated rival, the Chicago Blackhawks. And Keith gave them some confetti to make it a bit more colorful and festive.

The Blackhawks are not used to losing a whole lot this season, so a 3-1 loss is hard to swallow. But when it’s against the Canucks, it leaves an extra bitter taste. Sometimes reporters relish those sour reactions from players and consider it their job to pick every wound and get every wince for the public to see. Enter the reporter that Keith bit (not literally, because what hockey player does that?) after some prodding.

Keith was on the ice when Daniel Sedin scored on a breakaway to make it 3-0, and the reporter just wanted to get Keith’s feelings on the subject, not harm intended. She wasn’t necessarily satisfied with his first response and suggested he slashed Sedin, showing his frustration in the game. Keith responded with the typical sentiment of “there was no penalty, what happened, happened” but expanded the point that she’s a reporter, not a referee, by sarcastically suggesting that she could be the first female NHL ref with the calls she saw but weren’t made in the game.

So now Keith is sexist because he acknowledged the fact that she was a woman when insinuating that she should leave the calls to the referees. As a woman, and a fan of Keith, the Blackhawks, and hockey in general, I’ve heard this response from players a thousand times. So have you. It’s a hockey player telling a reporter to not make calls after the game and refusing to answer “what if” questions after a tough loss.

Yes, it was a biting response. Yes, he said the word “female”. And yes, it was kind of weird and not nice. But if a reporter wants a nice, polite response about a player’s frustration level during the game, don’t suggest there was “a penalty that went undetected” on a play where the interviewee went -1. That goes for male and female reporters alike.

Here is a link to the reporter’s article along with the audio clip. Do you think Keith’s response went too far?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Feb 19, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) is congratulated by his teammates for scoring a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks have have tied the NHL record for most games without a loss to start the season, by defeating their bitter rival, the Vancouver Canucks, in a nail-biter of a game that ended in a shootout.

The first period was a wild one.  It can be summed up as a “breakaway fest”, as there were 5 total breakaways in the period, 3 from the Blackhawks(2 of which were shorthanded!) and 2 from the Canucks.  None of those ended up in the back of any net, as goaltenders Ray Emery and Corey Schneider each made clutch saves to keep the game scoreless.  The Canuck’s Power Play looked flat-out awful, as the Hawks Penalty Kill looked spectacular.  It was the Canucks however, who drew first blood, as Daniel Sedin snuck a backhander past Emery, giving the Canucks a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period.

The second period belonged to the Hawks.  The officials clearly missed a call on the Hawks, for too many men on the ice, but the Hawks took advantage seconds later, as Patrick Sharp fired a slap-shot past Schneider, to even the score at one goal apiece.  A bit later in the period, the Hawks were on the Power Play, when Marian Hossa gave the Hawks the lead on his slap-shot, to make it 2-1 Hawks.  Less than 4 minutes later, it was Hossa again, but this time a hard-worked, out-muscled, well deked moves lead to his backhander finding the back of the net to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead at the end of the second period.

The 3rd period opened with some controversy.  Vancouver winger, Jannik Hansen landed a nasty elbow to the back of Marian Hossa’s head, leaving Hossa face-down on the ice for several minutes.  Hossa went back to the locker room and did not return to the game.  The 3rd consisted of lots of activity after the whistle(which is to be expected in a Blackhawks/Canucks game) and several penalties.  It appeared the Hawks were on their way to a regulation victory, until Michal Rozsival took an ill-timed hooking penalty, which lead to a Canucks’ Power Play goal off of Alexander Edler’s slap-shot, making the game 3-2 Hawks with less than 3 minutes to play.  The Canucks evened the score with the extra-attacker and an empty-net, with a minute to play, on Kevin Bieksa‘s goal.  Regulation ended in a 3-3 tie, and each team was rewarded a point in the standings.

The 5-minute Overtime period came and went, and the game was headed for a shootout.  In the first round, Jonathan Toews and Jordan Schroder each failed to score.  The second round was the exact opposite, as both Patrick Kane and Chris Higgins scored goals.  The third round turned out to be the decisive one, as Andrew Shaw scored for the Hawks and Ryan Kessler failed to score for the Canucks, giving the Blackhawks a 4-3 shootout victory, and a share of the record for best start to an NHL season.

Notes-

Ray Emery played fantastic, with several clutch saves that kept the Blackhawks in the game.

Duncan Keith ended the game with a team-high of 29:18 minutes on the ice.

The Blackhawks have earned 29 out of a possible 32 points so far this season.

Next up for the Blackhawks is the San Jose Sharks, who will be in Chicago to take on the Hawks on Friday.  Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM.

Mar 21, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) is defended by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Andrew Alberts (41) during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Game #16- Vancouver Canucks(8-3-3, 19 points) Vs.  Chicago Blackhawks(12-0-3, 27 points)

Game time- 7:30 PM Central Time

TV- CSN-CH

Radio- WGN 720 AM

Season Series- 2/1/13 VAN 2- CHI 1

Preview-  The Chicago Blackhawks will tie the 2006-2007 Anaheim Ducks’ record for the NHL record for best start to a season, and it would be extra meaningful if such a feat would be achieved through a victory over the hated Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks are currently sitting in first place in the Northwestern Division standings with 19 points on the season.  The big story for the Canucks has been their ability to thrive through their awkward goalie controversy.  In the offseason, the Canucks commited to goaltender Corey Schneider, by signing him to a 3-year, $12 million contract, delegating veteran Roberto Luongo to backup duties, and the star attraction of many trade rumors.  As the puck dropped on the 2013 season, Schneider struggled, and Luongo has thrived, and re-taken his starting job in the crease for the Canucks(although Schneider has recently improved his play).  However, tonight Schneider will be getting the start for Vancouver, as he tries to get his season back on track, and thwarting the Blackhawks’ scorching-hot start to the season would do him wonders.

The Canucks are lead by their annual lamp-lighters in brothers Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin.  The Canucks’ blueline has proved to be productive as well, as Alexander Edler has put up 10 points in 13 games played.  The Canucks have the 4th best Goals Against per Game average in the NHL(2.14).

The pressure will certainly be on for the Chicago Blackhawks, as not only are they playing against hated rivals in the Vancouver Canucks, but the idea of making history is looming in the balance.  The Hawks are off to a fantastic start, and cannot seem to be stopped by anyone.  It is worth noting that although they have not lost in regulation yet this season, one of their two overtime losses this season came in their only previous meeting with the Canucks, earlier this month.

Tonight’s game will be extra challenging for the Blackhawks, as they will have to play without Defenseman Brent Seabrook, who was injured in the previous game against the Los Angeles Kings.  Also, it looks like Ray Emery will be getting the start in net tonight for the Hawks, as Corey Crawford is nursing an upper-body injury.  Emery has played very well in relief of the red-hot Crawford.

The Blackhawks are lead by the continually red-hot Patrick Kane, who leads the team in points with 21.  No overview of the Chicago Blackhawks is complete without mentioning Captain, Jonathan Toews, who has put up 15 points on the season.  Don’t let the points total fool you, Brandon Saad has been one of the more effective Blackhawks on the ice, and continues to play great.  The Hawks are ranked 2nd in the NHL in Goals Per Game at a rate of 3.33 goals.  They lead the league in Goals Against per Game, at an outstanding clip of 1.87 goals.  The Hawks success this season thus far is lead by their potent Penalty Kill unit, which is 3rd best in the league as it has killed 89.1% of opposing Power Plays.

Blackhawks Vs. Canucks is always an exciting matchup, as these two teams really dislike each other.  Tonight’s game will be no exception, and with the possibility of history being made, or the possibility of just missing out on making history will certainly add another exciting chapter in the Blackhawks/Canucks rivalry.

Photo by Maggie Avila

Game #8-  Chicago Blackhawks (6-0-1)  at Vancouver Canucks (3-2-2) 

Game Time- 9:00 pm Central

TV-CSN Chicago or TSN, RDS2 Vancouver  Radio -  WGN 720 Chicago  or AM1040 Vancouver

In a week that could easily have been called rivalry week the Blackhawks prepare to take on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Blackhawks started the week on Sunday facing long time divisional rival Detroit Red Wings. Then mid week they faced what could be a new rival in Minnesota especially if the league realigns and finds the Wild in the same division as the Hawks. The Hawks find if not the best, certainly the most heated rivalry has been saved for last.

While the Red Wings are a respected rival and the Wild are a new foe the Canucks are definitely the most vilified rival and with just reasons for every Blackhawks fan. There are so many villains on this team to choose from.

There’s hair pulling, groin kicking, finger biting forward Alex Burrows. Who can forget his hair pulling escapades with Duncan Keith and then he went for round two last year in a regular season game and decided to kick Duncs in his privates while he was down no less. Oh Alex you nasty, nasty boy.

You also don’t have to look to far either to find Zach Kassian who also has done his fair share of thuggish behavior. All the Hawks that played in the AHL on the Rockford IceHogs should be sick of Kassian since he played on the Chicago Wolves and we could see carry over scores that need to be settled. The Hawks also need to be aware of Kassian. He is the second leading point getter of Canucks forwards only trailing Daniel Sedin.

Truth is Vancouver has not hit their stride yet and has pedestrian numbers so far while the Blackhawks have been blazing hot out of the starting gates. The Canucks’ Achilles heel is one the Blackhawks are all too familiar with, namely special teams. Their penalty kill is currently ranked 22^nd in the league. If the Hawks are smart they will try to goad the Canucks into taking penalties and then cash in.

Vancouver is virtually the same team that the Blackhawks and their faithful have come to loath. Their lone pick up in the off season was D man Jason Garrison from the Florida Panthers. While they did not make many changes the addition of Garrison really strengthens the Canucks back end and also provides one killer slap shot from the point on power plays.

While the Canucks top four D men are solid what is surprising is that D men Alex Edler and Dan Hamhuis are also leading the team in assists along with Daniel Sedin. Watch for their defensemen to join the rush and beware the stretch pass as the Canucks have always had great team speed.

Ryan Kessler is out on IR so the forward position is definitely missing an all star but the Sedins are still there and are always a threat every time they are on the ice. It will also be interesting to see who coach Q puts out against the Sedins since Dave Bolland is now centering the second line. Can Andrew Shaw be as much of an irritator as Bolland while maintaining his own control? This could be very interesting to watch.

The big talk all off season and even currently is the Canucks trying to trade Roberto Luongo. The Canucks unable to trade Luongo now find themselves in a precarious position as he is currently in fourth place in the NHL in both GAA and SV%. Interestingly Corey Crawford is not too far behind him in eighth place in both as well. Where is Corey Schneider ranked 32^nd GAA and 29^th SV% which demonstrates why coach Alain Vigneault has been going with Luongo as of late.

Vancouver has already stated Loungo will be starting against the Blackhawks. You would have to think that Crawford will get the call but coach Q may through everyone a curve ball so we will see.

The Blackhawks need to keep firing a Luongo especially high blocker side and try to rattle him early. While the Canucks top four defenders are top drawer they’re third and fourth D pairings are a little suspect. If Shaw, Stalberg and Bickell  can pelt him with shots enough it might wear him down and Viktor Stalberg has the speed to beat their defensemen.

The Blackhawks are coming off their first defeat of the year in a shoot out loss to the Minnesota Wild while the Vancouver Canucks are coming off of 3-0 thrashing of the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams having played on Wednesday.

Last year the Hawks split their series with the Canucks 2-2. This year we will only face them three times, twice in Vancouver and once in Chicago unless they meet again in the playoffs down the road. This will be the first meeting this year between the clubs but I do not anticipate this rivalry and dislike between teams to be any different. That said buckle yourselves in for what should be a great game with a lot of speed,physicality and plain old dislike.

Prediction – In a close physical game the Blackhawks go to OT again but take this one 2-1.

For instant updates during the game follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up, we are also on Facebook at Blackhawk UP.

Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

The rumors of  the  Blackhawks trading for Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo are harder to kill than Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Terminator movie.  Luongo added fuel to the trade fires with an interview he conducted with a Vancouver radio station on Friday.  He told the “Jeff O’Neil Show” on 993 The Fox that pretty much his playing days in Vancouver are over, which is not a surprise to anyone.  When asked if there was a “chance in hell” if he would be in a Canucks jersey this fall Bobby Lu replied: “I would never say never. You never know. But I think we all know what’s going on. We’ve all seen what’s developed. At the end of the day, I think it’s time to move on. And I’m OK with that.”  He added that it was time for Cory Schneider to take over the net in Vancouver.  Luongo seems like a man that knows his time his up and he handled it with a bit of class, which couldn’t be something he learned from the Canucks organization.

The interview got very interesting when he was asked where he wanted to go next, and of course the two teams mentioned where the Blackhawks and the Panthers.  When asked if he’d rather play in Columbus or Chicago his response was: ”I’d rather not talk specific right now. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff going on … I’ve always said I like playing in Chicago.”  When probed a little more about the idea of wearing the Indian Head Luongo added: “ I think there’s a lot of cities that are great to play in, and Chicago’s definitely one of them. But you have to realize that it works both ways. There’s not only me involved in this decision. It’s also a question if the Blackhawks would be interested, if the team would be interested in trading me there and if I wanted to go there.”  The best part of the interview came when he was asked how he felt about the Blackhawks goal celebration song “Chelsea Dagger.”  Luongo had a great reply with: “I like that song. It’s catchy. I heard it seven times in one game.”  Luongo came off as a funny guy with a sense of humor and a personality.  He was not the crybaby douchebag we have been used to listening to.  He didn’t sound like a guy that reportedly listed Chicago as a team he did not want to traded to.

The big question is are the Blackhawks really thinking of trading for Roberto Luongo?  I am not sure, but if Luongo’s contract only had three to four years left on it, I would trade for him in a heartbeat!  If you think the Blackhawks are better off with Corey Crawford than Roberto Luongo you are out of your mind!  Luongo is still one of the best goalies in the NHL and Crawford had no shutouts in the regular season and let in two weak overtime goals in the playoffs last year.  The Hawks would be in a much better situation with Luongo between the pipes than anything they have right now.  I know Luongo has a horrible reputation as a guy who can not win the big game.  Has he had horrible playoff games? Yes.  But is he the only reason the Canucks have not won a Stanley Cup? Absolutely not!  He is one player on a team that has not been able to get the job done.  Other players, including almost his entire defensive core, choked when the pressure was on, not just Roberto Luongo.  Plus, how awesome would it be for the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup with Bobby Lu in net?  That would be the ultimate “F you” and check mate in the feud between Hawks and Nucks fans.  I don’t think Stan Bowman will make this move, but I wouldn’t be too upset if he did, depending on what he gave up.

February 11, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; NHL former player Jeremy Roenick speaks during a pregame ceremony to retire his jersey before the game between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-US PRESSWIRE

Since most leagues are copycat leagues,  I guess the NHL took a while but turned copycat this weekend.  Apparently from the Stanley Cup Championship success  the Sedin brothers have had playing for the Vancouver Canucks, some teams in the NHL made moves this weekend to have family member reunited.

The big move of the weekend was the Pittsburgh Penguins trading away Jordan Staal for a 1st round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes along with Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin.  Jordan Staal will now be reunited with his older brother Eric in Raleigh.  Last season Jordan scored 25 goals with 25 assists with a +11 rating. Jordan had turned down a 10 year contract extension from the Penguins earlier in the week setting up the draft day trade possibilities.

The second brotherly trade happened when the Philadelphia Flyers traded away James Van Riemsdyk to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Luke Schenn.  Schenn will be playing alongside younger brother Brayden Schenn in Philly. Last season Luke recorded 2 goals and 20 assists with a -6 rating and has averaged 260 hits per season.

The Blackhawks continued the “family weekend” in Pittsburgh theme when they chose winger Chris Calnan in the third round.  His family ties are that his uncle is Hawks legend Jeremy Roenick.  J.R. is the 7th all-time goal scorer in Chicago Blackhawks history with 267.  Hopefully this won’t be too big of shoes to fill for the development of Calnan, but it would be great if he follows his uncle footsteps into becoming a great Hawks player.

The floodgates of trades never really transpired this weekend and the Blackhawks only move that made the transaction wire was swapping 2012 and 2013 4th round draft picks with the San Jose Sharks while picking up a 7th round pick.  Besides the Staal and Schenn family reunion trades, it was a very quiet draft, but if you want to see all the draft day trades click here.

So now that the draft is over, when will all the trades for the Blackhawks happen?  The next date circled on the trade calendar is July 1 when free agency begins. The Hawks are not expected to be active unless players get moved through trades with the biggest name talked about is still Nicklas Hjalmarrson.  Teams looking for a top 4 defenseman could be intersted in the services of Hjalmarrson. My guess ,GM Stan Bowman is waiting for the phone to ring with a deal that he cannot refuse.  Hopefully, Bowman can still make a deal because he hasn’t seemed to eager to pull off any trades since last draft day with the exception of the Johnny Oduya deal.

-Rumor mill is heating up  tonight with the possibilities that the Hawks are one of the top teams to trade for Roberto Luongo. Twitterverse is all abuzz with many crying that no way would they want Luongo in a Blackhawks uniform.  Maybe he would be great in Chicago after getting away from the Sedin brothers and the Vancouver lunatic fans, but I find it hard to believe that the Canucks would trade Luongo to one of their top rivals and that the Hawks brass would want the PR mess of Luongo trade.

Jim O'Conner-US Presswire

Lets flashback to the morning of April 18, 2011 for a moment.  The night before the Blackhawks lost to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2, at the Untied Center, and fell behind 3-0 in their best of seven series.  I wrote an article that morning begging the Blackhawks to go out like champions.  I pleaded for them to go down fighting and leave it all on the ice.  The Blackhawks blew out the Canucks in Games 4 and 5 and won Game 6 in overtime to force a Game 7 back in Vancouver.  The Hawks went down fighting until the very end of Game 7.  Even thought the Hawks lost the series they made me proud by the way the never gave up.

Now flash forward to this past Wednesday night.  The Los Angeles Kings blew out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 to take a three games to none stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final.  The next morning everyone had the names of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick already engraved on the the greatest trophy in sports.  The series was over and the Kings were already crowned champions of the hockey world.  I am sure every Devils fan begged for their team to go out with some heart, the same way I pleaded with the Blackhawks last season.  The Devils responded with hard fought 3-1 victory in Game 4.  Last night the Devils handed the Kings their first road loss of these playoffs to extend this series to Game 6.  The Devils have a pulse and have taken all to momentum away from the Kings.  The odds and history are still in the Kings favor and they will most likely still win the Cup.  Win or lose, the Devils are showing heart and are making their fans proud, which in the end is the most important part of sports, being proud of your favorite team!

Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

#8 Los Angeles Kings   vs  #6  New Jersey Devils

Regular Season meetings:

10/13/11 LA 1 @ NJ 2 (SO)

10/25/11 NJ 3 @ LA 0

Stanley Cup Final Schedule:

Game 1 Wed 5/30 LA @ NJ 7pm NBC

Game 2 Sat 6/2 LA @ NJ  7pm NBC

Game 3 Mon 6/4 NJ @ LA 7pm NBCSN

Game 4 Wed 6/6 NJ @ LA 7pm NBCSN

Game 5* Sat 6/9 LA @ NJ 7pm NBC

Game 6* Mon 6/11 NJ @ LA 7pm NBC

Game 7* Wed 6/13 LA @ NJ 7pm NBC

* if necessary

Los Angeles Kings

Regular season record: 40-27-15   95 Pts.

How the Kings got to the SCF: 

1st round: defeated the #1 Vancouver Canucks in 5 games

2nd round: defeated the #2 St. Louis Blues in 4 games

Western Conference Finals: defeated the #3 Phoenix Coyotes in 5 games

Ex-Blackhawks Factor:Colin Fraser and Head Coach Darryl Sutter

The Kings have steamed rolled their way through the top 3 seeds of the Western Conference, on their way to their first SCF since 1993.  They are only the 2nd 8th seed to make the Final, and the first one since the 2006 Edmonton Oilers, who lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Kings are not your typical 8th seed.  They are a team that was picked to contend for the Cup at the beginning of season but underachieved.  It took a coaching change in December, that brought in former Blackhawks player and head coach Darryl Sutter to right the ship.  The Kings lost both regular season meetings versus the Devils, but this is not the same team it was in October.  The Kings have been the best team in the Stanley Cup playoffs and enter the Final an astonishing 8-0 on the road.  They have everything clicking and are going to be very tough to knockout at this point.

(more…)

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The biggest ex-Blackhawks factor going into the Stanley Cup Final is Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter.  Sutter not only played 406 games for the Blackhawks, from 1979-1987, but he also was the Hawks’ head coach for two and a half seasons from 1992-1995.

When Sutter took over the reigns of the Kings on Dec 22nd, LA was in 10th place of the Western Conference with just 34 points.  The Kings went  25-13-11 under Sutter and now his team is resting and waiting to see who they will be playing for Lord Stanley’s Cup.  It took just 14 games to knock out the top 3 seeds in the West; Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix.  The Kings have gone an astonishing 8-0, in road games, on their path to the Stanley Cup Final.  The Kings are playing a tough, no nonsense, defensive minded game which has got Darryl Sutter written all over it.  They have adopted the personality of their head coach and it is paying off big time.

Darry Sutter has always been an outstanding head coach.  This will be his second appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.  He guided the Calgary Flames to a Western Conference title in 2004 but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  His teams have never missed the playoffs in years where he has coached a full season.  The Flames missed the playoffs in 2003, but he took over in midseason that year.  He took the San Jose Sharks to 5 straight post seasons between 1998-2002.

He has won everywhere he has been, including here in Chicago.  He won the last ever Norris Division title in 1991-1992, his first year behind the bench, replacing Mike Keenan.  Sutter parallels Keenan in many ways.  Not only did he replace him in Chicago, but as GM in Calgary, he hired Keenan as head coach before firing him in 2009.  Both coaches have had success where ever they have coached but always seem to eventually wear out their welcome.  Both guys have a “my way, or the highway” attitude which leads to winning, but will lead to friction down the road.  The Kings are enjoying a tremendous run and are not worried about when Sutter’s style will wear thin on them.  I am hoping the Kings bring home the Cup.  Not only because they beat the hated Canucks, Blues and Coyotes, but also to get one of the greatest family names in hockey back on the Stanley Cup.