Blackhawks v Ducks....That is going to be a very entertaining series. Two monster teams with stacked lineups. Looking forward to watching that one.
Absolutely Grevy. Gonna be a long fun series. I thought Chicago/NYR Finals at start of playoffs we'll see
Hawks in 6. I also think it will be a good series, but to me the Ducks need to prove they belong here. They beat the Jets and Flames. I don't want to take anything away from the Ducks, 8-1 speaks for itself, but the teams they beat aren't the Preds and Wild IMO. The Ducks got a good break and setup in the Pacific. I want to see them do it against a team like the Hawks. Until I do I will say Hawks in 6 in a tough physical series.
The Hawks are a terrific franchise. I would put them as favorites to win the Cup, which would give them 3 Cups in 6yrs. Great performance in a salary cap era.
The Hawks were bad at the right time but getting top picks doesn't always guarantee success (Oilers). They really are a great franchise...won two cups...lost several key players from both teams but still manage to contend for the cup just about every year. I am expecting and hoping for a 7-game series just to see these two powerhouse teams go after each other. The Ducks are going to play a much more physical game than the Hawks and both teams have a lot of guys who can score. Just going to be a very entertaining series...I may lose some sleep watching the Ducks home games...
Grevy, to add to your comment, i'd also say that having 2 great players (like Toews/Kane) doesn't guarantee you Cups either. Look at Crosby/Malkin with just 1 Cup and a lot of underachieving. The Hawks have managed to put together a terrific supporting cast around their 2 stars that allows them to contend for the Cup year in and year out.
The Hawks were very fortunate (don't want to call it lucky) to develop such a strong supporting cast for their big 2 while they were still on relatively cheap contracts. Things will not be so easy for them going forward after this year with Kane and Toews each carrying 12m hits. Sharp is a guarantee to be traded this offseason and they'll need to make a few additional moves as well. Not saying their window will close, but it won't be as easy for them after this year.
To your point Prod, a lot of people believe this might be the last best shot for them to win a cup. After this season their cap gets very messy and the huge extensions for Kane and Toews kick in. Not saying they are done, as you said as well, but it will get tricky for them. Right now they are the favs. And I think they will play the winner of our series with the Caps, in the SCF. Which would be a great series as well.
