Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings Series Preview

During the regular season the Chicago Blackhawks were the best team in the NHL. One would argue that the only team in the Western Conference that could possibly beat the Hawks in a playoff series was the Anaheim Ducks considering their 2-0-1 record against them in the regular season.

While the Hawks were coasting to a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Wild, the Detroit Red Wings were locked in a battle with the Ducks in a grueling seven games series that needed overtime in four of those contests.

During this series the Red Wings needed to travel across three time zones numerous times. There is a reason why they are being moved to the Eastern Conference next season. That is what makes this matchup between the Hawks and Wings so enticing is that it will be the last time they play each other in the playoffs barring a Stanley Cup Final.

Detroit hopes to raise the Cup once again.

While the Wings' victory over the Ducks may be a blessing in disguise for the Hawks (4-0-0 record against the Wings this season) it still means a series against a team that knows the Hawks very well. Players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Johan Franzen are brilliant veterans who can work magic with the puck while also playing well in their defensive zone.

The Wings also have enigmatic goalie in Jimmy Howard who shined brightly in their game six and seven victories. The real question for Howard is can he steal a game or two against a Hawks team that is stacked from lines one through four? He has the ability but he will need the tired legs in front of him to play a brilliant defensive game in containing the Hawks' potent offense.

However, if there are any players that may not feel the effects of a seven game series it would be the young defensive core that the Red Wings have outside of Niklas Kronwall. Players like Jakub Kindl and Kyle Quincey are maturing nicely and making the loss of Nicklas Lidstrom less noticeable. They will need to play perfect if they wish to best the Hawks.

Can Crawford stand tall?

For the Blackhawks, it is all about puck possession, utilizing their speed and rolling out their four lines like they did all season. Blocking shots is huge for the Hawks as is their top ranked penalty kill. While Detroit presents a much better powerplay unit than the Wild you can't ignore the success the Hawks had killing penalties in round one with a perfect 100%.

The real question is Corey Crawford. Can he continue the success that he had in round one? My opinion on Crawford is that he has improved so much this year due to the time he spent with his goaltender coaches in the offseason. He has done a much better job in taking away angles and putting himself in a better position to make the save.

Toews leads a vaunted Chicago offense.

The thing that is so scary about the Blackhawks is that they can go an entire series without having a goal from Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews and still win four games out of five. When your third and fourth lines can go toe to toe with the other team's best line it makes it hard to compete 60 minutes. At some point the first or second line for the Hawks will get matched up against the other team's third or fourth line.

The Hawks are healthier than they have been in awhile with Patrick Sharp back in the lineup and scoring five goals in round one. Another huge addition to this series is the return of Dave Bolland who seems to perform on another level come playoff time. His legs should be fresh as he has been out since April 22nd. The idea that Coach Q may bench Viktor Stalberg, who is one of the fastest skaters in the league, shows the depth that they have on this team.

Nick Leddy has been great this year.

The real test will be the Red Wings top players against the deep Chicago defense. Duncan Keith seems to be playing at a high level again and Nick Leddy has emerged this year as one of the top defensemen in the league. Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson make the second pair. Both are great defensemen and both are in the top 20 in the league in blocked shots. Johnny Oduya and Michal Rozsíval round out the defense and give the top four defensemen much needed breathers throughout the games.

The only chink in Chicago's armor may be their middle of the road powerplay. For a team that has so much talent it's bizarre that their powerplay struggles so much. Hopefully the time off allowed them to simplify their entries and create different looks. I feel the Hawks can win the cup with a mediocre powerplay, but they can dominate entire series if it is clicking on all cylinders. 

Ultimately I think the Red Wings will take a couple hard fought games from the Blackhawks, but the depth and skill that the Hawks have on offense and defense will outlast a good but tired Wings squad.

Prediction: Blackhawks in six