Stanley Cup Finals Preview: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks Game 1

For Philadelphia, the playoffs have simply been owned by C Mike Richards. He already has six goals and 15 assists to lead the team with 21 total points. His line mate LW Simon Gagne has seven goals as well. C Claude Giroux leads the team in +/- with a +10 for the postseason, while he has only taken two penalties to boot. Special teams have been special for the Flyers as well, as they have netted 17 power play goals in the first three series leading up to this clash with the Blackhawks. The question is whether or not G Brian Boucher is ready to go or not for the first time since the series with the Boston Bruins two rounds ago. If he isn’t, there is no controversy, as G Michael Leighton has performed well in these playoffs. However, if Boucher says he can play with his injured knees, there is an interesting decision to make. Leighton is 6-1 and already has three shutouts in these playoffs with Boucher sitting on the bench.

It is the young guns on the Blackhawks that carried them to within one series of the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and it is those same young guns that will hopefully be able to carry them to the first championship that the city of Chicago has seen on the ice since the 1960s. C Jonathan Toews probably has the inside track to win the Conn Smythe Award for these playoffs, as he already has a whopping 26 points in 16 games in the postseason. RW Patrick Kane isn’t all that far behind with 20 points. RW Marian Hossa has played on the L/2 Stanley Cup losing teams, and he’ll hope that that trend comes to an end in these next two weeks or so with the Blackhawks. G Antti Niemi is that prototypical red hot goaltender, as he has gone 12-4 in the postseason and has a 2.33 GAA to lead the way for the ice stars in the Windy City.

These two teams only met once this year, with the Flyers taking a 3-2 victory in the City of Brotherly Love. This postseason has been an awkward one to say the least, and we’re going to ride history and go with Philadelphia to take a 1-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Selection: Philadelphia Flyers +180 at BetEd Sportsbook