Chicago returns to the finals for the first time since 1992 in search of recapturing a trophy last conquered in 1961 when Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Pierre Pilote and Stan Makita ruled the ice. The last time, incidentally, Chicago hockey fans witnessed a powerhouse.
Happy Hawk legends Hull and Makita
Yet, not even those powerful Hawks teams of the 1960s and 1970s, it is argued, measure up to the depth and talent of the current generation largely built through the draft and led by Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. With a supporting cast that includes the under rated Patrick Sharp, sniper Marion Hossa, bulldozer Dustin Byfuglien (pronounced Buff-lin for some reason) and Brent Seabrook, the Blackhawks surprisingly swept a very good San Jose Sharks team in the Western conference finals.
In addition, a major reason for the team’s success has to be the unlikely emergence of goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi and Cristobal Huet started out platooning goalie duties but Niemi slowly won the starting job and heading into the finals has posted a .921 save percentage in the playoffs.
If the Blackhawks were expected guests in the NHL finals, so too were the Philadelphia Flyers. At the start of season one was hard pressed to not find an expert who didn’t believe they were a solid favorite in the Eastern conference. Instead, the Flyers struggled most of the season. So much so they fired coach John Stevens along the way. It didn’t get much better under new head coach Peter Laviolette ( a former Stanley Cup winner with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006) as they literally limped and staggered their way into the playoffs and the seventh spot thanks to a shoot out win, of all things, over the New York Rangers on the last day of the season. Next thing you know, whoa, the Flyers find themselves in the finals; something they haven’t tasted since 1997.
And like the Hawks with Niemi, an unlikely source for has been the revelation known as Michael Leighton. A journeyman for most of his career, Leighton actually played in 27 regular season winning 16 before going down with an injury. Like hurricanes are a fact of life in southern U.S. states, goaltending woes have been a part of the Flyers landscape for quite sometimes.
Parent and Broadstreet Bullies terrorized hockey in the 70s
Not since the great Bernie Parent who helped lead the Flyers - along with Bobby Clarke, Reggie Leach and Bill Barber - to back t0 back titles in the mid 1970s, has the team really had a franchise goalie. Pelle Lindbergh was tagged to be one but was tragically killed in an automobile accident in the early 1980s and Ron Hextall was a solid goalie but not quite considered elite. It got to a point where they signed basket-headcase Ray Emery.
Despite a checkered goalie past, with Leighton (and Brian Boucher who up until his own injury was the number one goalie) the Flyers have found success and if they managed to their first Cup since 1975, it won’t matter.
Which made me wonder about goaltending. We tend to over blow the importance of goaltending. Relax. Let me explain. Of course, out of all the pro sports, the hockey goalie is perhaps the most important; probably more so than the football Quarterback or baseball pitcher. My argument is less about that fact and more about how in reality a team can achieve success with competent, as opposed to ethereal, goaltending.
There aren’t and haven’t been many what we characterize as “franchise” goalies in history. Billy Smith backstopped the New York Islanders dynasty while the Edmonton Oilers had Grant Fuhr in nets. The Detroit Red Wings mini-dynasty succeeded with first Mike Vernon and then Chris Osgood. While all have proven to be excellent goalies capable of anchoring championship teams, none are considered elite in the Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek or Patrick Roy mould.
Hacker Smith: 4 Stanley Cups to his name
Dominik Hasek is perhaps statistically the greatest goalie ever and he never played for a dynasty. Same with another dominant goalie, Ed Belfour. A goalie is a part of a team and no matter how great or mediocre, success is predicated on other factors such as organizational standards, coaching and team mates dedicated to winning. You can stop all the pucks you want but if the team in front of you is not committed it’s bye-bye time. It makes little sense to tie up so much money in one player who can’t score goals.
Moreover, if we take a glimpse at the teams who have won in the last, say, 15 years or so, very few have won with “elite” goaltenders. The Tampa Bay Lightning won with Nikolai Khabbibulin. Carolina Hurricanes – under Laviolette – won with Cam Ward. Anaheim Ducks with Jean-Sebatien Giguere and Pittsburgh Penguins with Marc-Andre Fleury.
All solid goalies with some repute but are any classified as the best among their peers? In fact, Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo gets more attention and accolades and he’s yet to win a cup.
That’s why I tend to ignore pundits talk as if Niemi and Leighton are flukes. Winning is often a fluke in any sport. Besides, who effen cares as long as they get the job done. Why get caught up in all the “he came out of nowhere ergo he won’t last” shtick? I mean, Leighton has a whopping .948 save percentage! What more do people want? Sometimes living and playing in the now has equal if not greater value.
It’s a dilemma the Montreal Canadiens find themselves in with Jaroslav Halak (who posted the second highest winning percentage at .923 in the playoffs) who proved he can be a number one and Carey Price. I don’t think keeping both is a realistic option since each fancies themself too be a starter. Montreal has to pick who they feel gives them a better chance at winning down the road. How they will determin this I don’t know.
Last but not least, some American sports commentators have mumbled that this final lacks star power. Perhaps to the outside, casual fan does but it can’t always be just about the “superstars.” Making it to the NHL finals involves two teams and winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest thing to do in pro sports. Sidney Crosby can’t be there every year and Alex Ovechkin still has yet to make it to the final.
However, for my money, this series won’t be wanting of stardom. Jonathan Toews is a bona-fide star and probably had the best year of any player in the NHL. Patrick Kane is not too far behind. Duncan Keith is a Norris trophy finalist. Mike Richards is possibly the best two-way hockey player in the league if not the world. Jeff Carter has the potential to rise to stardom.
Add to this that these are two of the better known hockey brands with cool uniforms looking for a first triumph in 35 and 49 years it makes for one compelling showdown for any sports fan.
