So thanks to the win by the Flyers last night the Stanley Cup Finals are now set! The Flyers finally finished off the Canadians yesterday with a 4-2 victory in Game 5. Brian Gionta got the scoring going for the Habs 30 seconds into the hockey game. Then the Flyers come back and tie the game thanks to a short handed goal from Mike Richards. The funny thing about the Richards goal was the way he scored. A loose puck rolled into the Habs end and Halak came out to play it. Him and Hamrlik collieded and the puck came loose to Richards who had a net so wide open Stevie Wonder could have hit it. So at the end of 1 the game was tied at 1. Moving on to the 2nd period, the Flyers came out strong. 3 minutes in Arron Asham scored a very nice goal, which Asham was not really know to do when he played for the Islanders. So the Asham goal made it 2-1. Then Jeff Carter scored a little over a minute later to stretch the lead to 3-1. Late in the 3rd Scott Gomez cut the lead to 3-2 but the Jeff Carter scored his 2nd goal of the game into an empty net to seal the Habs fate and send the Flyers to the the Cup finals.
This will mark the first trip to the finals for both teams in over a decade. The Blackhawks last played for the Stanley Cup in 1992 where they were swept in 4 games by the Champion Penguins. Meanwhile the Flyers last trip to the Finals was in 1997 where they were swept by the Champion Red Wings. These teams have met only once before in the playoffs and the Hawks won the lone series in 4 games in 1970-71. Another interesting stat worth noting is that both teams are trying to break losing streaks in the Finals as well as cup droughts. Both teams have lost 5 straigth times each in the cup finals.
The Blackhawks have not won the Cup since 1961. Since then the Hawks have made 5 appearances in the finals, losing them all. The losses were to: 1961-62 lost in 6 to the Maple Leafs, 1964-65 lost in 7 to the Canadians, 1970-71 lost in 7 to the Canadians, 1972-73 lost in 6 to the Canadians, and finally 1991-92 lost in 4 to the Penguins. I think it might be safe to say that the Hawks are thankful the Flyers knocked out the Canadians, so the Hawks won't have to deal with them again in the finals. As for the Flyers, they have not won a Stanley Cup since 1974-75 and they have not been in the Finals since getting swept by Detroit in 1996-97. Now since the last Flyers Cup victory, the Flyers, like the Hawks, have lost their last 5 trips to the Cup Finals. The Losses were to: 1975-76 lost in 4 to the Canadians, 1979-80 lost in 6 to the Islanders, 1984-85 lost in 5 to the Oilers, 1986-87 lost in 6 to the Oilers, and finally in 1996-97 in 4 to the Red Wings. During the 2009-2010 regular season, these teams met once. it was on March 13th in Philadelphia, a game in which the Flyers won 3-2 thanks to a goal from Chris Pronger with about 2 seconds left in regulation.
This final should be very entertaning. Both teams are coming in with very hot goalies, Michale Leighton for the Flyers and Antti Niemi for the Blackhawks. Right now both of those goalies can be in possible consideration for the Conn Smyth Trophy as playoff MVP. Also possible considerations for that award from these 2 tteams would be Jonathan Towes and Dustin Byfuglien of the Hawks as well as Chris Pronger and Danny Briere of the Flyers. I say possible Briere and Byfuglien because of their clutch goal scoring here in theses playoffs, espically Byfuglien. As for Pronger and Towes getting consideration, it is due to their just solid overall play throughout the first 3 rounds.
The schedule for the Cup Finals looks like this:
Saturday, May 29 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Monday, May 31 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
Wednesday, June 2 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, June 4 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Sunday, June 6 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
*Wednesday, June 9 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
*Friday, June 11 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS
So there you have it. The 2009-2010 Stanley Cup Finals are all set. if the first 3 rounds of the playoffs were any indication this should be fun to watch!
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