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Blackhawks Fri Jun 07 2013
5 Reasons the Blackhawks Can Close Out the Kings Saturday
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Los Angeles Kings last night 3-2 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead into game five of the Western Conference Finals this weekend. The Blackhawks are in position to end this series sooner than later. Admittedly, I didn't think it would happen so quickly but here we are.
Here are five reasons why the Blackhawks can close out the Kings tomorrow at the United Center.
Depth
It's no secret that the Blackhawks roll four lines deep. Of course, they get contributions from the usual suspects in Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, etc. The contributions of Bryan Bickell, Michal Handzus, Marcus Kruger and Micheal Frolic should not go unnoticed. Last night's game was a microcosm of the team's depth. Duncan Keith was unavailable due to a suspension. To make up for that loss the team got a lot of ice time out of Michal Rozsival and Sheldon Brookbank.
The Blackhawks have figured out Jonathan Quick
The talk before the series was mostly about how the team was going to deal with the Kings' much ballyhooed goaltender, Jonathan Quick. Everyone is well aware of Quick's accomplishments and his ability to steal games from the opponent. I doubt that most fans and pundits would have thought the Blackhawks would run him out of a game like they did in game two. Corey Crawford, who most fans won't give any credit to, has thoroughly outplayed the current Conn Smythe winner.
The Blackhawks can outskate the Kings
Puck possession is key against a physical team, and the Hawks have been successful by passing and moving around the big hits. The team that has the puck the most is going to score the most. A team can't create opportunities to score if they don't have the puck in the first place.
The Madhouse on Madison
The fans at the United Center will be ready to cheer the team on to another victory. The team feeds off of that. The Hawks want to end this series just as much as the fans do. Expect another physical affair from the two teams.
The Blackhawks are the better team
I said that before the first puck drop that the Blackhawks are the better team. Even though the Kings play a style of hockey that is considered to be boring by some, it is effective nevertheless. The Blackhawks have found ways to counter the physical style of the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
