(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings
Season series: Blackhawks won 4-0-0
They have a history: Dating back to 1934, this will be the 16th playoff meeting between these Original Six rivals. The Blackhawks hold the historical edge, winning eight of the 15 previous series, but the Red Wings won the last two meetings, including the 2009 Western Conference final. Due to realignment, this will be the last meeting between these two as division/conference rivals.
For the Blackhawks to win: The Blackhawks took care of business against No. 8-seeded Minnesota like you’d expect from any Presidents’ Trophy winners. Chicago won all four head-to-head meetings with Detroit this season, but three of those victories came after regulation, so Detroit gave them all they could handle. To keep up that success against their upset-minded rival, the Blackhawks will need to utilize their speed and puck-possession game to put an average-at-best Red Wings defence corps on its heels. And if Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wake up offensively compared to the first round, there’s no reason why Chicago shouldn’t make this series look easy.
For the Red Wings to win: The Blackhawks are a different animal from the Ducks, and that will pose problems for Detroit. Chicago has better goaltending and defence than Anaheim, as well as a more consistent team game. What the Red Wings can get out of their depth players – Valtteri Filppula, Damien Brunner, Dan Cleary, etc. – will go a long way determining whether they can pull the upset. It would also help if they could solve Chicago’s stifling penalty kill, which is 61-for-63 (96.8%) over its last 24 games. More important, Jimmy Howard may have to play the series of his life for the No. 7-seeded Red Wings to prevail.
Matchup to watch: Corey Crawford vs. Jimmy Howard. Both teams played close games in the season series as well as their respective first-round tilts. Which goalie will blink first under pressure? Who will make the big saves in the key moments? Both goalies are underappreciated, but both have flaws — and the teams they’re facing know them very well.
Big question: Can Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson contain Toews or Kane like they did with Corey Perry (no goals in seven games) in the first round?
Best bet: Blackhawks in five.
Hockey Central insider predictions
Chris Johnston: Blackhawks
Doug MacLean: Blackhawks
Daren Millard: Blackhawks
Scott Morrison: Blackhawks
John Shannon: Blackhawks
Mark Spector: Blackhawks
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