CHICAGO
It’s been 20 months since Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks took on Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins.
Two of the NHL’s marquee franchises sure picked a perfect time to renew acquaintances.
The Stanley Cup series kicks off Wednesday night when the Blackhawks host the Bruins in the first finals matchup of Original Six franchises since Montreal beat the New York Rangers in five games way back in 1979.
The mighty Blackhawks, winners of seven of the last eight games, feature a deep roster that really found its identity when pushed to the limit by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Then there are the playoff-tested Bruins, who rolled over favored Pittsburgh during an impressive sweep that gave them a chance for a second NHL title in three seasons.
It’s a gift wrapped in a bow for a league still trying to recover from a bitter lockout that wiped out 510 games and pushed the start of the season back to Jan. 19.
Chicago advanced with a 4-3 double-overtime victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night, using a hat trick from Patrick Kane to eliminate the defending champion Kings in five games in the Western Conference finals. Back in the title series for the first time since 2010, the Blackhawks are in search of another Stanley Cup to pair with their six-game victory over the Philadelphia Flyers three years ago.
Boston is rolling again after losing its spot atop the Northeast Division in the final days of the regular season. The Bruins have won five in a row and nine of 10, boosted by a familiar group of stars who led the way when they won it all in 2011. David Krejci scored four times in the Pittsburgh sweep and leads Boston with nine goals and 12 assists in the playoffs.
While Boston and Chicago have kept an eye on each other for a while now, there’s no way for either team to grab a real hold on what to expect at the very beginning of the series. That’s because the abbreviated 48-game schedule due to the lockout included no games against teams from the other conference.
That’s right, the Bruins and Blackhawks haven’t played since Oct. 15, 2011, when Boston won 3-2 in a shootout in Chicago. There are no mutual opponents this year, not even an All- Star game to compare the players from each conference.
The Bruins were on the brink of elimination when they trailed Toronto 4-1 with less than 11 minutes left in the third period of Game 7 in the first round. But they managed to beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime.
The Blackhawks had their own great escape in the second round, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the rival Red Wings in seven games. The comeback included a three-goal flurry in Game 6 that erased a 2-1 deficit heading into the final period.
NHL Stanley Cup
By The Associated Press
STANLEY CUP FINALS
(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)
Boston vs. Chicago
Wednesday, June 12: Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 15: Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Monday, June 17: Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 19: Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m.
x-Saturday, June 22: Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m.
x-Monday, June 24: Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m.
x-Wednesday, June 26: Boston at Chicago, 8
p.m.
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