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The Schedule
Game 1: Wednesday, May 15 8 p.m. @ Chicago NBCSN, CBC
Game 2: Saturday, May 18 1 p.m. @ Chicago NBC, CBC
Game 3: Monday, May 20 7:30 p.m. @ Detroit NBCSN, CBC
Game 4: Thursday, May 23 8 p.m. @ Detroit NBCSN, CBC
Game 5*: Saturday, May 25 TBD @ Chicago CBC, TBD
Game 6*: Monday, May 27 TBD @ Detroit CBC, TBD
Game 7*: Wednesday, May 29 TBD @ Chicago CBC, TBD
* if necessary
The Setup
| Detroit Red Wings | Team | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 24-16-8 56 Points - 7th in West | Record | 36-7-5 77 Points - 1st in West |
| 2.54 (19th) | Goals/Game | 3.10 (2nd) |
| 2.29 (5th) | Goals Against/Game | 2.02 (1st) |
| 18.4% (15th) | Power Play % | 16.7% (19th) |
| 81.7% (12th) | Penalty Kill % | 87.2% (3rd) |
| Anaheim Ducks (won in 7) | Round 1 Opponent | Minnesota Wild (won in 5) |
| 53.9% (5th) | Puck Possession (Fenwick Close %) | 55.8% (2nd) |
The Head-to-Head
Jan 27th @ Chicago: Detroit 1 - Chicago 2 (OT)
Mar 3rd @ Detroit: Chicago 2 - Detroit 1 (SO)
Mar 31st @ Detroit: Chicago 7 - Detroit 1
Apr 12th @ Chicago: Detroit 2 - Chicago 3 (SO)
The Matchups
Forwards vs. Forwards: Chicago had seven forwards this season who cracked 20 points compared to Detroit's four. While Pavel Datsyuk led the Wings in goalscoring with 15, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each potted 23. Marian Hossa had 17 goals as well. Only three of Chicago's forwards got outcorsi'd at even strength and only three of their forwards ended the season with a minus rating (Dave Bolland's -7 is impressive on a team with a +53 goal differential in 48 games). Puck-possession wise, the head-to-head there isn't as bleak, as Detroit had only four Fs with a negative corsi. Chicago gets more scoring out of their top guys and more depth out of their depth guys though.
Advantage: Blackhawks
Defense vs. Defense: The highest-scoring defenseman in this series is Niklas Kronwall, whose 29 points narrowly beat out Duncan Keith's 27. Once again, Chicago wins on depth here though. Only Sheldon Brookbank was a minus player for the Hawks in this campaign. Even scarier, No Chicago blueliner took more than 11 minor penalties all season. The Wings had four D-men who topped that number. Possession-wise, Brian Lashoff is the only defenseman between both teams who had a negative corsi.
Advantage: Blackhawks
Chicago's PP vs. Detroit's PK: The power play was Chicago's lone weak spot this season and, after a rough start, the Wings PK helped them get the job done for the most part. Chicago's PP didn't do much in round one, but Detroit's PK faltered in allowing Anaheim's man advantage unit to go 28% (although that one shorthanded goal by Abdelkader was kind of a big deal, huh?). If this turns into a special teams battle, this phase is a chance for the Wings to gain an upper hand.
Advantage: Red Wings
Detroit's PP vs. Chicago's PK: The Blackhawks had one of the best PKs in the league while Detroit's power play struggled with consistency and with allowing shorthanded goals. The Wings put up a respectable 24% efficiency in round one, but the Hawks also didn't allow a power play goal to Minnesota in their five-game series. The Wings are going to have a tough time scoring here, but will likely need to push through that to make a difference.
Advantage: Blackhawks
Goaltending vs. Goaltending: Jimmy Howard played very well for the Wings this season, but Chicago's two netminders combined to win the William M. Jennings trophy this season for Chicago by only allowing 102 total goals (league-worst Florida allowed 171). There's really not much else to say about that. Save percentages between all the goalies worth mentioning here are similar, but the Hawks goalies see fewer shots.
Advantage: Blackhawks
Coaching: Joel Quenneville has never beaten the Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs
Advantage: Red Wings
Key Players
Let's face it; if somebody else is going to be the hero of this series, it's going to fall on two of these four to be the goats for not getting it done. The head-to-head here is going to be fun to watch.
Prediction
Wings in seven. Why stop believing now?