CHICAGO — The pond hockey match that was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final — with last shot wins — can’t continue on.
Much as it was fun to watch, the real Stanley Cup Final, between the Philadelphia Flyers and the heavily favoured Chicago Blackhawks, began Monday night.
The game, we expect, looked more like hockey. There was not 11 goals scored. The goaltenders didn’t look like callups from the minor leagues. The nervousness, if that’s what it was, if that’s why there were so many goals, so many breakdowns, was almost certainly gone.
“For a lot of us, it’s our first time here,” said Patrick Kane of the Hawks, trying to make sense of the strange Chicago victory in Game 1 and the fallout from it. After Game 1, the Blackhawks seemed truly disappointed in victory, the Flyers seemed genuinely enthused in defeat. Everything about the opener seemed backwards.
“I think it was over-excitement,” Kane said. “I think you anticipate too much. So sometimes you go out there and try to do too much and it all backfires on you.
“I know I even said before the game that you can’t do that but it’s one of those things you have to calm down and try to play our regular game.”
In a good Hawks’ game, Chicago is led by Kane, Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien. None of their top liners had a point in the opener.
In a regular Flyers’ game, Philadelphia is led by Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter. None of their top liners had a point in Game 1 either.
“As the series goes on, it will probably get a little more intense and the physicality will pick up a bit,” Kane said. “It seems like they’re a pretty nasty team, so I expect it from them.”
Game 2 should also be a night of redemption, starting in goal where Michael Leighton and Antti Niemi needed to show better than they managed two nights ago. But it’s not just them.
Gagne is coming off a particularly weak game for him and he was dropped a line, partly by necessity, party because coach Peter Laviolette wanted to insert pest Daniel Carcillo into the Philadelphia lineup.
And while just about everybody concedes the Blackhawks are the more skilled team, the Flyers don’t get enough credit for how much depth they have at forward.
The Hawks have Kane and Toews on their first line, matched by Richards and Carter for the Flyers.
The Hawks second line had the impressive Marian Hossa in Game 1 along with Patrick Sharp while Philadelphia has Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell or Claude Girouz and Gagne, depending on which line is called second.
Then it’s Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg on an apparent third line for the Hawks.
The matchups are indeed intriguing.
“You could definitely see that there was definitely some jitters early on,” Toews said of opening night. “I think Game 2 will be a better indication of where things are.”
Chicago wants to play fast-paced, quick-transition hockey, utilizing its speed and skill. The Flyers don’t want to trade chances, if not punches, with the Hawks. The more they keep the Hawks to the outside, the better their chances are to succeed.
But after Game 1, the Flyers appeared convinced they could play with the Hawks — and convinced they had let an opportunity get away. Question is, how often do you get a second chance at a plush opportunity?
“Coming in, everybody was talking how good the Blackhawks were,” said Briere, who had four points in Game 1. “And not too many people — I haven’t heard anybody giving us a chance to win this series. What I liked is, on Saturday we proved we belong with them. You know, maybe not to all the hockey experts, but in our room, I think we realize we can play and we can stretch the series and definitely come back in it.”
Now, it’s just a matter of turning their belief into action. Before it’s too late.
