CHICAGO, Ill. — There is so much to be said about the excitement of a postseason matchup between two teams where one is playoff-tested and the other full of excitement with youthful eagerness. That is the way that we can describe the pairing of the fifth-seeded Calgary Flames and the fourth-seeded Chicago Blackhawks.
The Flames started to limp a bit since the beginning of March and were unable to maintain their divisional lead where they finished the last 20 games under .500. Consistency played a big role in these games but defensively the team was not giving the support upfront that netminder Mikka Kiprusoff needed to win games. Dion Phaneuf’s scoring numbers are down from the previous years but the biggest change is his plus/minus number that took a 23 point turn from last season’s plus 12. Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich both missed at least the last five games of the season due to varying injuries and they are uncertain if they are able to go in this series. You can also add Mark Giordano and Rhett Warrener to the injured reserve list but there is a chance that Warrener might be close to being cleared to play.
From the offensive side, the team hasn’t fared any better. Captain Jarome Iginla has also seen his numbers drop but he has become more of a playmaker as he adjusted to his scoring droughts. Ollie Jokinen was one of the biggest surprises at the trade deadline coming to the Flames from Phoenix and had am immediate impact scoring eight goals in his first six games but didn’t get a single tally in the final 13 games to finish the season. One good thing that Calgary has going for them is the return Rene Bourque from a lower body injury. Bourque was signed as a free agent in the off-season after coming up through the Chicago Blackhawks system. Since his injury the team was 12-12 and he might bring a spark to the first line of Jokinen and Iginla.
Now for the Blackhawks, the team comes in as one of the Western Conference’s best defensive teams. Thanks to the play of the huge off-season acquisition of Brian Campbell and the play of team veterans Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.
Offensively for the team, youth is served with the exciting tandem of youngsters Patrick Kane and team captain, Jonathan Toews. But one of the more pleasant surprises comes in Rookie of the Year candidate Kris Versteeg who is fourth in team scoring with 53 points. Just as important that you have the kids is that you have the guidance of veterans. Martin Havlat, who has been plagued with injuries through his career, was deemed a liability. But this season he has stayed healthy and led the team not only as an alternate captain but in team points.
So what haven’t we covered here, oh goaltending. What is there to say about the primary characters that guard the crease? Ironically both team’s goaltenders faced each other in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals with Kiprusoff in for Calgary and Nikolai Khabibulin for the eventual winner Tampa Bay Lightning. Kiprusoff has reached the playoffs in every season since he joined the team winning 23 games in 50 playoff chances. As for Khabibulin things turned out pretty good this season for the Chicago goalie. The team tried to get a trade but there were no takers. His agent even tried to get him home to play in the KHL but there was nothing. So the team was stuck with two number one type goaltenders as they signed Cristobal Huet. Both played well alternating but Khabibulin came out as the go-to-guy in the end.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville probably will not start anyone other than Khabibulin. He dominates the Flames with an all-time record of 22-5-2. As for this regular season the Blackhawks dominated the Flames winning all four games with only one being close in overtime.
Overall each team has its overall strengths and weaknesses. On paper both teams are fairly equal and what do you expect out of the fourth and fifth seeds? Calgary may seem to be hurting on defense but they can play an overall physical game upfront also as they also dominate in size. But the ‘Hawks can better that with their dangerous speed. What both teams need to do to succeed is to do what all coaches say is to play the simple game, limit or eliminate your mistakes, and take every opportunity that comes to you. Turnovers have hurt Chicago on a few occasions. Special teams play gives the Flames a little advantage. But overall we can see how balanced the tow teams are. One major advantage that the Blackhawks have is home ice. They have found a way to bring back the roar of great teams past. Look for this to give Chicago a boost in the first round.
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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