Canadiens, Hawks look to be Stanley Cup finalists
The Montreal Canadiens celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 7 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference semifinals. (May 12, 2010) Credit: AP
It's the top two seeds in the Western Conference final, just as the NHL would have wanted.
In the East . . . Well, perhaps No. 7 vs. No. 8 isn't quite what the league had in mind, but it sure makes for an interesting final four.
Let's see how they teams match up:
EASTERN CONFERENCE Flyers vs. Canadiens
Key Flyer: Mike Richards. The Flyers' captain is not the type to put the team on his back, but he's a tone-setter with big goals and physical play, both of which the Flyers will need.
Key Canadien: Jaroslav Halak. The Canadiens goaltender is turning into some sort of Ken Dryden-Jacques Plante-Patrick Roy hybrid, carrying the Habs past the Caps and Penguins. If Halak is on his game against the far less potent Flyers, this one could be quick.
Wild card: Hal Gill. The big Montreal defenseman did a job bottling up Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in the first two rounds. The Flyers don't have an obvious candidate for a matchup, but Gill has been the anchor of a surprising defense.
Prediction: The Canadiens have thrived in rallying from seemingly insurmountable deficits - and after what the Flyers did to the Bruins, they like the underdog role, too - but Montreal is clearly the better team coming in and Halak is too hot to be cooled off by the Flyers.
Canadiens in 5.
WESTERN CONFERENCE Sharks vs. Hawks
Key Shark: Joe Pavelski. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau shook off their playoff choker labels in the win over the Red Wings, but Pavelski, the unsung Olympian, is the one who makes the Sharks click. If he can keep up his strong work - nine goals in 11 games - he could put the Sharks over the hump.
Key Hawk: Dustin Byfuglien. The big guy with the unpronounceable name (it's BUFF-len) completely disrupted the Canucks in the conference semifinal and has the potential to drive Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov a bit out of his head. Byfuglien is also the third wheel along with stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, adding some size to the speed and skill of the Hawks' two top talents.
Wild card: Antti Niemi. The Hawks goaltender was considered the weak link for a talented team coming into the postseason, and he's had some blow-ups and a couple shutouts.
Prediction: It's about time the Hawks got a real crack at a Stanley Cup, with the best young talent in the game and a rejuvenated fan base.
Hawks in 6.
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FAST FACTS
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette is trying to become the second coach in as many seasons to win an Eastern Conference title after being a mid-season replacement.
The Eastern Conference champion will have the fewest regular-season points (88) of any finalist in the post-lockout era.
The Hawks are 1-7 in conference finals since the 16-team playoff format began.
The Sharks are trying to get off the list of NHL teams that have never been in a Stanley Cup final - there are six remaining (Sharks, Coyotes/Jets, Predators, Blue Jackets, Wild, Thrashers).
