For the first time since 1979, two of the Original Six teams of the National Hockey League will face off in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers were the last two-teams to play. Now, the St. Louis Blues’ division rival and President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks face the Boston Bruins, who swept No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh.
It was also just the second time in NHL history that the previous four defending Cup champions were in the semifinals. The L.A. Kings won last year, with the Bruins winning the Cup against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. Before that, the Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in 2010. Pittsburgh won in 2009.
The Blackhawks, at least on paper, should be considered the favorites, but the Bruins are riding a hot goaltender and the momentum of rallying for a three-goal, third period deficit against Toronto in Game 7 of the opening round. Â The Bruins are 9-1 from that point on. Â The Hawks were down 3-1 to their old time rival Detroit, before rallying to win a Game 7 in overtime. Â They quickly dismantled the defending champs in five games.
Joining me on this Google Hangout are two guys by the name of Matt. I one “Chicago Matt,” (who looks like Jason Motte) and the other “East Coast Matt.” They each share some great fan opinions on the team they want to see win.
