Chicago Blackhawks Lost Cup At Trade Deadline
Chicago Blackhawks fans have reason to celebrate after knocking up the Anaheim Ducks in a brutal seven-game Western Conference Final. Tomorrow night Game One of the Stanley Cup Final will face-off, though the series may have been decided back on March 2nd.
Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning were active at the trade deadline. Defensive help for a deep playoff run was the target and both teams found in an unusual place. The Philadelphia Flyers dealt a defenseman to both teams with the Lightning getting the better end of it.
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Pucks and Pitchforks
The Lightning struck a deal to bring in Braydon Coburn, paying a massive price to get the deal done. Coburn has played in every playoff game so far, averaging over sixteen minutes per game. The Blackhawks made a lesser deal to bring in Kimmo Timonen, whom fought back from blood clots and continue his career.
While his points and plus/minus aren’t eye-popping for either player it’s the ice time that matters. Coburn is averaging over sixteen minutes per game, while Timonen has found himself in the press box. That concern is rippling through the rest of the blue line on the Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks all-everything iron man Duncan Keith is posting an absurd 31:35 average per game, easily the highest on either team. Niklas Hjalmarsson is the next highest at 26:33, then Brent Seabrook at 26:21. See a pattern here? Johnny Oduya is fourth among defencemen in the Finals with an average of 25:23.
Only after you go through the Chicago Blackhawks top four defencemen do you get to Victor Hedman, the defensive ice-time leader for the Lightning who averages 23:24. Coming off a physical series with the Ducks, the Blackhawks defense needed all the rest they could get. Wednesday is coming too fast for them with that kind of workload.
The Blackhawks have to run their best players on the ice for big minutes because the bottom pairing has been a disaster. Kyle Cumiskey and David Rundblad were the Game Seven pairing but they weren’t exactly trusted with a ton of minutes. The Lightning defensive minutes have been more spread out, even playing three extra games. The fresher legs are in South Florida.
That’s important because up front both teams can flat-out fly. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and one of the most talked about RFA’s in the league, Brandon Saad, will put big pressure on the Lightning defense. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov are the big guns looking to run the Chicago Blackhawks into the ground with a similar speed and skill approach.
Eventually the large ice-time load on the Blackhawks top four will wear them down just enough for the Lightning to take advantage. I expect a hard-fought and long series, though it won’t go the distance. I’ve been on the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup since October and I see no reason to back off that now.
The failure of the Chicago Blackhawks to adequately handle their defensive depth issues will cost them the series. The Tampa Bay Lightning will defeat the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup in six games. Maybe if Chicago is in a similar place to make a run at the Cup next year they won’t trade for a 40-year old who hasn’t played.
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