Hockey’s American renaissance continues to move forward, now with just four NHL teams left in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.
In Sunday night’s Western Conference opener, the young NHL team Chicago Blackhawks took a hard lesson from the defending champion Detroit Redwings, as Detroit commanded long stretches of the game on the way to a resounding 5-2 win in Game One. Keys to the rest of the series: chess-like maneuvering of each team’s deep front lines to exploit uneven match-ups, moving the puck in transition, and converting offense on power plays. For the NHL team Blackhawks, scoring first and staying cool under pressure will be very important as well. Keep an eye on the match-up of Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews; a formidable defensive player, Datsyuk has struggled on offense and Toews may be able to capitalize.
In the Eastern Conference Game One on Monday, the NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had 28 saves, holding off the Carolina Hurricanes offense to help the Pens earn a 3-2 victory. Keys to this series: Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar’s ability to play through his knee pain, Cam Ward’s level of play in the Carolina net, and converting on power plays. The difference in the series could come from extra offensive production at the blue line—Pittsburgh’s defensemen have 10 goals in this post season, compared to just two from NHL team Carolina’s blue liners.
These Stanley Cup playoffs haven’t disappointed so far; here’s hoping the NHL can sustain the hype.
All team sports information would like to know, who do you think will win the Stanley Cup?
