2 St. Louis vs 3 Chicago Playoff Breakdown

The St. Louis Blues will  face the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. These two Central Division rivals have heated things up this year: Both teams are incredibly strong, both teams are true contenders to win the Stanley Cup, and both are in rabid hockey markets. The main differences we see in these two teams are their styles of play. That being said, here is the short breakdown of each team headed into this matchup, followed by what to look forward to, and finally, my winner prediction:

ST. LOUIS BLUES (52-23-7, 111 Points):

Strengths: 

Stifling defensive play

Very strong goaltending

Very deep

Norris Trophy Candidate in Alex Pietrangelo

Diversified scoring (5 players with 50+ points)

Well-coached

Style of Play: Physical/Defensive

SRS (Simple Rating System): 0.71

Leading Scorer: Alexander Steen (33G-29A-62P)

Worries:

Oshie, Backes, Sobotka, Berglund,  Morrow all questionable for Game 1, Tarasenko out

6-Game losing streak entering playoffs

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (46-21-15, 107 Points):

Strengths:

Arguable top offense in the league

Norris Trophy Candidate in Duncan Keith

Four 28+ goal scorers (Sharp, Hossa, Kane, Toews)

Have 5 60+ point scorers

Very deep

Well-coached

Playoff tested

Style of Play: Flowing/Offensive

SRS (Simple Rating System): 0.60

Leading Scorer: Patrick Sharp (34G,44A,78P)

Worries:

Goaltending can be an issue

Players just now returning from injury might be tentative/fragile

Losing streak headed into playoffs

Things to Watch:

Both the Blackhawks and the Blues are major Cup contenders, and this series was the hardest for me to pick a winner for. That being said, there are some things to watch in this series:

1. Tentativeness: With both Kane and Toews returning from injuries, there is a possibility of tentativeness or hesitation in their games. Look for a physical first game in which the Blues attempt to rough up both Toews and Kane

2. Response to Recent Losing Streaks: Each team has a losing streak heading into the playoffs. The Blues need to respond well to their 6 game losing streak if they want to contend in this series, and the Blackhawks, with their 2 game streak, need to shake it off and move forward.

3. Faceoffs: Sobotka and Toews are two of the best faceoff men in the game. Look for faceoffs to play an integral part in this series.

Players to Watch:

Chicago: Jeremy Morin

How hot is Morin? How about 4 goals since he was called up on April 4th? Proved himself in Rockford, should be a Blackhawk for years to come.

Blues: Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller has proven himself in the Olympics while not really having an opportunity to play for a contender in the playoffs. Look for him to play some of his best hockey.

OUTCOME:

BLUES IN 7

St. Louis may be up against the defending Cup champions, but they are no strangers to adversity and no strangers to challenges: they have proven themselves all year, and it's time to show up in the playoffs. Physical/Defensive play will stifle the Blackhawk offense.