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I am in Chicago roaming the building and I just saw the script...so if you don't want to know what happens avert your eyes...Here are a few spoilers..
* The Bruins will score first. They almost always do. How many times in these playoffs have you turned on the game just a little after the start time to see a Bruins 1 at the top of the screen?
* The Hawks will play at their Highest Level from the start of a series for the first time.
* The Bruins will take a bit of time to adjust to team playing better team defense. We have seen it before. When a team defeats the Penguins the next series is tricky because the team grows accustomed to playing without backcheckers on them and get used to playing with space.
* The Hawks will be very physical on Rask. Chicago is a finesse team that happens to be very good at scoring UGLY goals.
* The Bruins will put every puck deep and make the Hawks defense have to go get the puck. Ask any player or coach and they will tell you how the Hawks defense hates to be hit. Absolutely hates to be hit. In 2010 the Flyers figured this out too late. It wasn't until Game 3 that the Flyers went to the dump and forecheck game. But when they did Chicago turned the puck over a lot. LA also had its best success doing this.
* Jonathan Toews scoring slump will be a distant memory. Kane and Toews have both been solid all playoffs but not putting up the offensive numbers they are used to putting up...Lately Kane has come out of that big-time. Toews is about to follow.
* Crawford and Rask will both have some struggles early due to nerves but both are great after having bad games or letting up tough goals. These teams have both been here before and won Cups but neither Rask nor Crawford were the goalies for their teams at the time. In a day and age where we always talk about how important a goalie is to a team's success that is kind of remarkable.
* Chicago will have a harder time adjusting to the Bruins style than the Bruins will have adjusting to the Hawks. Much has been made of the fact these teams haven't played this year, but I honestly don't think it matters. Would it have made a difference if the teams had played on a Tuesday in November? No. However the West and the East are very different Conferences in general and the Hawks haven't really played a team like the Bruins. They have played two of the more Eastern type of teams in the playoffs in Minnesota and LA, but neither does what the Bruins do. The Bruins on the other hand have played teams similar to the Hawks. Teams with crazy offensive depth and loaded with good puck moving D.... like the Penguins. Of course the Hawks are way better than the Penguins defensively, but stylistically...there are strong similarities.
* The Hawks will be smart and NOT piss off the Bruins. If the Canucks hit on Horton in 2011 and the Crosby incident in the last round have taught us anything it's "Don't piss off the Bruins." They are a much better team when angered. Never corner a bear. Play dead. The Maple Leafs knew this better than anyone and almost won by NOT doing anything that would become a rallying cry for players like Lucic or Marchand.
* This will be a long series and I predict we will see different kinds of games within the series. The Bruins and Hawks owe much of their success to their abilities to win 1-0 or 5-4. While it can be said the Bruins would prefer to be in the 1-0 realm while the Hawks are OK with more wide open hockey neither team is in trouble if the game leans the other way. That's why i believe will will see a few 2-1 games and a few 4-3/5-4 games...
My Prediction...The Hawks in 7. (sorry Hawks fans:)
Enjoy the game and follow me on twitter, instagram, vine for updates and photos
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