Ice Hockey preview, beards required.

Game one of the Stanley cup finals starts tonight at 8 on NBC and i can't think of a better way to spend an evening then watching large men crash into one another on ice while trying to knock a puck into a net with what amounts to a spear. But hockey is more then just violence, believe it or not goals are often scored in hockey game and these finals feature two of the best offensive teams in the league.


The blackhawks offense is loaded with young superstar talent like Jonathan Toews, buffalo native Patrick Kane, and Dustin Byfuglien. Toews and Kane are small, fast, exceptionally skilled players while Byfuglien is a 6 foot 4, 257 pound juggernaut who is impossible to move in front of the net. Lucky for Philadelphia they possess the one Defenseman in the league who can move Byfuglien, Chris Pronger. Pronger is one of the best Defenseman to ever play the game and his skill, size and penchant for punishing hits might be just the thing to shut down the Blackhawks potent offense.

Philly's foreword group is more experienced but still features great young talent in Captain Mike Richards, sniper Jeff Carter, and playmaker Claude Giroux. Coupled with French Canadian phenoms Daniel Briere and Simon Gagne, Philadelphia should not have a problem keeping up with Chicago offensively.

Defensively Philly's top two defensemen, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timmonen boast a wealth of experience and skill but the Flyers defense drops off from there whereas the Blackhawks come loaded to bare with Duncan "sans teeth" Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brent Sopel, and noted ginger, Brian Campbell. Philly can match up well at the top but the Blackhawks depth trumps Philly's experiences.

In goal neither team can claim an all world talent. The Flyers lean on mid-season pick up Micheal Leighton to man the crease and the Blackhawks current starter is rookie Antti Niemi. both have played well but neither have much experience or started the season as the primary goaltender for their respective teams. Look for both to play well but the offensive firepower in the series will surely put more then a few pucks past them. Slight edge to Chicago based on the rookies potential and the presence of a veteran backup in Cristobal Huet.

I think these team match up well and it looks to be an awesome series but I will be pulling for the Blackhawks because I am a Rangers fan and if the Flyers win the cup the year after the Penguins do I might have a stroke.