Fear The Flyers

A lot of hockey media has made it a point to say that the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Hawks and Sharks might as well be the Stanley Cup Finals.  Well I’m here today to disagree with that notion.  Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Philadelphia is no joke, and to think that the winner of the West is going to breeze to the cup is a serious lapse in judgment.

I just hope that the Flyers and Hawks win their respective series’ so that I will not have wasted my time writing this article.  With that being noted, let’s preview a Flyers vs. Hawks final.  Two great hockey cities which offer two of the best venues to watch a live game.  You can’t beat the National Anthem at the Untied Center, and even to a Hawks fan the “Orange-Out” at the Wachovia Center is pretty cool.  In addition to the atmosphere, anyone watching the game gets to see the two best jerseys in the NHL (in my opinion).

But that’s enough about the aesthetics, let’s go on the ice.  Philadelphia is the only team in the same stratosphere as the Hawks in terms of depth.  Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the rosters side by side:

Offense

Buff-Toews-Kane                                            Gagne-Richards-Carcillo

Brouwer-Sharp-Hossa                                   Hartnell-Briere-Leino

Ladd-Bolland-Versteeg                                 Asham-Giroux-Van Riemsdyk

Eager-Madden-Burish                                   Nodel-Betts-Powe

Defense

Keith-Seabrook                                                               Pronger-Carle

Campbell-Hjalmarsson                                  Coburn-Timonen

Hendry-Sopel                                                    Krajicek-Parent

Goalie

Niemi                                                                    Leighton

*Also note that Jeff Carter is now skating with the team and will be back in action soon.

Going into play today I’m going to say Goaltending and Defense are a push.  Pronger by himself creates attracts just as much attention as the duo of Keith and Seabrook.  In net, Leighton has shined just as bright as Niemi thus far in the Conference Finals.

In terms of offense I’m giving the edge to the Hawks. Philly is about as deep in their forward lines as Chicago, but I give a big character edge to the Hawks.  Even when considering Carter, Richards, Briere, Gagne, Hartnell, and Giroux, I’d still take Kane, Toews, Buff, Hossa, and Sharp over any package of Flyers that could be put together.

When all is said and done, I like the Hawks in 5 or 6 games in this series.  I have said numerous times that the time is now for the Hawks to hoist the Cup and I’m not backing down from that statement.  I just differ from most in believing that knocking out the Sharks is a guaranteed championship.

Philly plays a style of hockey unlike anything seen in the playoffs thus far.  Ask Montreal, there is just no head to cut off.  You can’t key on just one guy or one line because so many guys on their squad can beat you. 

I think the thing that will separate the Hawks from the Flyers is their character and unity as a team.  It has been fairly obvious that fighting within the locker room played a large role in Philly’s down season.  I welcome the thought of a Hawks Flyers matchup because when all the chips are on the table and a Cup is on the line, the Hawks togetherness and trust in one another is unrivaled in today’s NHL.  Knowing that everyone is on the same page will allow for the Hawks to rise up and bring Lord Stanley home where he belongs.