The Chicago Bears (4-3) start a very important and difficult four-game stretch as the Arizona Cardinals (4-3) come to Soldier Field this Sunday. The Bears are coming off of a sloppy 30-6 win over the lowly Cleveland Browns, while the Cardinals suffered a disappointing loss 34-21 at home to the Carolina Panthers. Kurt Warner turned the ball over 6 times, including 5 interceptions in one of the worst games of his career. How he bounces back this week will be a determining factor in the outcome of Sunday’s game. With 2 conference losses already and the Packers, also 4-3, playing Tampa Bay this week, this intra-conference match up becomes even more important. Arizona has played well on the road this year with a 3-0 record, but often struggle with the early start time in the central and eastern time zones.

The big question for the Bears is, which defense will show up? The one who gave up 45 points to the Bengals or the one who forced 5 turnovers and scored a touchdown last week against the Browns? My guess is that we’ll see the defense somewhere in between. The key for the Bears defense is getting pressure on Kurt Warner. As he proved last week, he’s prone to turn the ball over when he’s under pressure. The Bears must get pressure from their front four to disrupt the great timing Warner has with his receivers. Larry Fitzgerald hasn’t really gotten going yet this year but if Warner has time to throw, he may have a big game against the Bears weak secondary, making the front four that much more important.

For the Bears to win: The best defense against the Cardinals this week will be a good offense. Matt Forte and the offensive line must get going this week and force the Cardinals offense to stay on the sidelines. The Bears have been unable to get the running game going and that may be due to a lack of commitment. Ron Turner has them running the ball only 41% of the time this season and often times in straight run formations. The best way for the Bears to jump start the running game is for Turner to get creative and start running the ball in passing formations. The Bears love to run the ball out of the “I,” which often times is predictable. They need to mix it up by running in 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, as well as mixing in some draw plays and pitches to the outside. The Cardinals have been stingy against the run, so establishing it early in the game will be the key to the Bears success. The Bears also need to stretch the field in the passing game. Arizona has given up 8 pass plays of 30+ yards. The Bears should look to get Devin Hester and Johnny Knox on the outside, and look for something over the top of the defense. Jay Cutler, who needs more time to throw, must continue to make better decisions as he becomes more comfortable in the offense.

For the Cardinals to win: Kurt Warner must have a short memory and get back on track and in a better rhythm with his receivers. Negating the Bears pass rush with some quick routes and three step-drops will help get Warner back on track. The Bears always have a tough time covering premiere wide receivers, so Warner should be looking for Fitzgerald all day. The Cardinals run defense has been pretty solid all year. Turning the Bears into a one-dimensional passing team will shift momentum in the Cardinals favor. The Bears proved last week that they couldn’t protect Jay Cutler against the last-ranked Browns defense. Forcing the Bears to pass and putting pressure on Cutler will lead to a Cardinals victory.

Injuries: Each team has an injury to a key wide receiver. Devin Hester (ankle) practiced today and should be ready. His availability and mobility are crucial for the Bears if they want to stretch the field. Anquan Boldin (ankle) is a game-time decision for the Cardinals. While Boldin’s presence is important, third wide receiver Steve Breaston isn’t much of a drop-off. Boldin will probably try to gut it out. If he does, he’ll often be used as a decoy and has proven in the past to be much less of a factor.

Prediction: The Bears have yet to play a game to their full potential this year. Their defense isn’t what it once was and their offense has struggled, especially in the red zone, over the past few weeks. Besides the Steelers, the three Bears wins have come against teams with a combined record of 4-18. Arizona will prove to be a much tougher challenge. Arizona’s best this year has far exceeded what the Bears have shown. I think the Bears will start to get the running game going this week, but their inability to rush the passer and cover star wide receivers will prove to be the difference. I expect Larry Fitzgerald to have a huge game and for Tim Hightower to get going this week as well.

Arizona Cardinals 28 Chicago Bears 17

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Northwestern comes in at #8.

Last year I predicted big things for Northwestern (like a winning record) and the Wildcats came through to back me up with nine wins.  Since I don’t want to press my luck, I’ll curtail enthusiasm this season.  Last year, the Wildcats boasted a bevy of seniors at important skill positions.  This year the Wildcats return players in the trenches, with four offensive linemen and eight defensive starters coming back. 

Despite losing three-year starter CJ Bacher as the signal caller, replacement Mike Kafka does have some experience after filling in last year in spots.  Kafka is very athletic and head coach Pat Fitzgerald will need to work to get him in space to make plays.  You may remember Kafka running for 217 yards last year in a win against Minnesota.  Then again, it was Northwestern vs. Minnesota, so probably not. 

Stephen Simmons will fill in for departed running back Tyrell Sutton.  Sutton leaves NU at second place on the school’s all-time rushing list.  As for those catching the passes now that three of the Wildcats’ top receivers from last year are gone, look for speedsters Jeremy Ebert and Andrew Brewer, as well as tight end Drake Dunsmore as a breakout sophomore. 

If the offense has trouble getting up to speed with its inexperience, the defense could help keep them in games.  The squad features Northwestern’s best player in first team all-Big Ten defensive end Corey Wootton.  The seven other returning starters, including defensive backs Sherrick McManis and Brad Phillips, should continue to improve under second year d-coordinator Mike Hankwitz. 

I don’t like the inexperience on offense for Northwestern but 8th place could prove to be far too low with the improving defense and some talent–albeit unproven talent–on offense, especially when you look at the schedule.  The Wildcats don’t play a “good” team until they travel to Michigan State in the seventh game of the season.  The last four games of the year will be tough as well, but the schedule sets up perfectly to get the young offense up and running.  They miss Michigan and Ohio State this year due to the rotating conference schedule. 

Three out of the last  four times Ohio State has been absent from the NU schedule, the Wildcats have won at least a share of the Big Ten title.  Don’t see that happening this year.

This is where the ranking of the Big Ten teams gets a little tough as there were probably three or four candidates for the 9th spot.  The Gophers might not be the third worst team in the league, but based on the schedule, this is where I see them finishing. 

Minnesota has seen a nice climb under Tim Brewster in both recruiting and on-field results.  It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Gophers improve this year with quarterback Adam Weber and star receiver Eric Decker returning.  In fact, 17 starters are coming back and the starting defense will include almost all upperclassmen.  Weber represents a good but not great–but hey not awful either!–QB that can keep the Gophers in games by getting Decker the ball.

The problem for Minnesota is the running game, which sounds ridiculous given their reputation.  The Gophers were last in the Big Ten in rushing last year and without a successful ground attack, Weber and Decker will see some increased focus on the passing game from defenses. 

Defensively, the Gophers have been awful against the pass.  I don’t have one stat to back this up, it just seems like most of the time when the ball goes up in the air against Minnesota it usually falls in the hands of an opposing player.  A pair of BCS school transfers could help with the weaknesses, with Matt Carufel (G-ND) and Kim Royston (S-Wisc.) seeing the field this year. 

The Gophers seem like they’ll be pretty decent, so what’s up with the low prediction with teams like Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan still out there?  Their schedule is awful.  Minnesota plays three of the Big Ten’s toughest teams on the road in OSU, PSU, and Iowa, not to mention they’ll also likely be underdogs at their new stadium against Illinois and Michigan State. 

But I do love that goofy mascot.

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Coming in at 10th: Purdue.

First year coach Danny Hope will have big shoes to fill with Joe Tiller retiring after a 12-year run with the Boilermakers that saw them go to 10 bowl games, including one Rose Bowl.  Hope was on the staff last year, coming from Eastern Kentucky with the understanding that he would inherit the job when Tiller left to do diabeetus commercials full time.

Hope coached at Purdue during the school’s most successful period in football, the Drew Brees era.  The quarterback position is nowhere near what it was during the times of mole face and neck beard though.  With Curtis Painter’s graduation, long time backup Joey Elliot will get the starting nod after a pair of incidents cast contenders aside.  First, Justin Siller was kicked off the team for the year for academic failure, then Robert Marve–a transfer from Miami (that Miami)–tore his ACL. 

Elliot suffered a major injury last year and needs to stay healthy this season in a major way.  At running back, the Boilers lose Kory Sheets, but get Jaycen Taylor back from injury.  Taylor should be the starter and will run behind an offensive line that returns four starters.  Good news!

The bad news is that the quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker positions are major questions with unproven players or players that have proven to be no good.  Hope brought in his defensive coordinator Donn Landholm from Eastern Kentucky after the former DC left to coach at Illinois State.  We’ll see how he handles Big Ten offenses. 

Hope is an apt name for the Boilermaker coach, because after a 13-19 Big Ten record in Tiller’s last four years, Danny will bring a fresh face, a renewed energy, and the same old mustasche to the table.  Purdue will be tested early when they travel to Oregon for a night game in the second week of the season.  They could get off to a fast start in the Big Ten, but a brutal stretch will keep the Boilers in the bottom of the league again this year.

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Up first, Indiana.

Oh, what to say about Indiana?  The Hoosiers are an easy pick for last in the league because, well…they always are.  Indiana lost its best player when Kellen Lewis was kicked off the team before the spring.  Lewis would have been moved to wide receiver this year to make way for junior Ben Chappell, who showed flashes of decency last season. 

The defense could actually be okay this year, with a solid pass rush from ends Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew.  Middleton will draw a lot of double-teams and Kirlew should be good enough to take advantage of the one-on-one match-ups that result.  For whatever it’s worth, the Hoosiers have experience at the linebacker spot, forming a very un-Indiana-like front seven. 

The offensive line also has some experience, with Rodger Saffold anchoring the unit at tackle.  Losing Kellen Lewis and graduating Marcus Thigpen hurts IU’s offense a ton though.  Without those two, the Hoosiers lack playmakers.  Though the wide receivers could be decent, the Hoosiers running game won’t be enough to get the job done and they’ll finish last in the league again. 

Look for Indiana to lose to another MAC team this year (Western Michigan) and possibly get shut out in the Big Ten until their annual suck-fest against Purdue in the last game of the year.

The White Sox come in to the tilt with far greater momentum than the Tigers, having won both series since the all-star break and picking up the 18th perfect game in MLB history about two packs of Leyland’s cigs ago.  The Tigers meanwhile have only taken one game since the break, while losing five by a total of six runs.  Four of those games were by a score of 2-1. 

The depressing part for Detroit has been the outstanding pitching from unheralded starters that has gone completely to waste.  They are struggling at the plate in the worst way and it’s seemingly the worst possible timing for a series of importance. 

One thing going against the Sox has to be the pitching match-ups.  Leyland scheduled his post-break rotation to set up for this series and will trot out Verlander, Jackson, and Porcello this series, along with Eddie Bonine for tonight’s second leg of the double dip.  The Sox will have Contreras, Colon, Floyd, and Richard for their part. 

I have no stats whatsoever to back this up (what’s new) but it seems like Contreras kills the Tigers.  Gavin Floyd has gone six innings or more in every start but one since late May, and Clayton Richard is coming off one of his best performances as a major leaguer.  Even with the pitching match-ups favoring Detroit, you have to like the White Sox to take at least two games. 

Alright, well the games get started here in about an hour, so I’ll direct you to the lineups here.  Looks like Carlos Guillen will be making his return for the Tigs today after a long stint on the DL and DeWayne Wise will be rewarded for his heroic catch with a spot for him and his .196 average at the top of the order for the Sox.

The Blackhawks have plenty going for them that no one talks about.  First, no one thinks they can win.  Seems like a great way to motivate a young team while taking the pressure off at the same time.  Second, Detroit is still banged up.  I know it didn’t matter in Game 4, but that wasn’t the same Hawks team I watched all season long.  With the Kronwall fiasco hopefully behind them, it should be a much more competitive game tonight.  Finally, they had the three day break again to refocus and put the ugliness of Game 4 behind them. 

That’s not to say the deck isn’t stacked against them.  Detroit proved itself the better team even without two of its stars on Sunday.  The Wings have the experience and rarely have trouble closing teams out in the playoffs.  Let’s get on with the bullets. 

• Pavel Datsyuk and Nick Lidstrom are out again for Game 5.  Wings coach Mike Babcock noted that sometimes it’s easy to step up and replace guys in the short term, but the longer players are out, the harder it becomes.  Don’t celebrate too soon though.  Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin are out for Chicago.  Havlat played well in his abbreviated return Sunday, and the Hawks struggled hard without their goaltender.  Hard to say which set of injuries is worse, but based on depth the Hawks are feeling this one more. 
• Injured or not, the Blackhawks will be fighting to continue their season.  A good start is always important, but even more so tonight.  Fall behind by multiple goals and thoughts of the golf course or finding whatever beach Joakim Noah is at start to creep in.  The Hawks have done well when facing adversity throughout the playoffs, but this will be the first game they face elimination.  Chris Osgood has the most elimination game shutouts in NHL history and it will be important to ensure early that he doesn’t add to that record number. 
• Cristobal Huet doesn’t get much of a grace period.  He played well in the third period of Game 3, but was awful in Game 4.  The NBC guys were saying that the Wings needed to shoot high on Huet, but really anywhere they shot it seemed to work out. 
• Oh and it might be a good idea to stay out of the penalty box.  The Wings could lose three more players and still have two good power play units.  Also, if the Hawks continue their passive play on the kill, they’re just asking for trouble.  When you have guys that might not play the blue line on the advantage due to Lidstrom being out, they need to be pressured.  Last game the Hawks just sat back while the defensemen peppered the goal. 
• Leave Kronwall alone.  Sure, if someone has an opportunity to finish a hard, clean check on him then go for it, but the first guy that goes out of his way to hit Kronwall or takes a penalty trying to get some kind of revenge should be reduced to Chelios-minutes.  I’m looking at you Versteeg. 
• Quenneville needs to keep his cool this game.  His tirade in Game 4 was the start of the meltdown and tonight quiet confidence needs to be the theme.  Back to basics for the Hawks who need to mind their responsibilities defensively, stay out of the box, and capitalize on the power play to win. 

Game is at Joe Louis Arena and on Versus at 6:30 CT.  The Hawks need to win three straight to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, so we’ll see if they can start tonight.

The reality is that we’re looking at something in the middle, but much closer to a clean hit.  While Havlat didn’t have the puck on his stick, he was absolutely ready to carry it up the ice and couldn’t have been any closer to the puck. Kronwall’s forearm came up and he came off his feet, but it was after the blow was delivered.  Awful, awful call to throw him out of the game on what wasn’t a penalty, but hey, too bad…it’s 2-1. 

Fact is, the Hawks are saying what they should be saying.  Havlat is a leader on this team and they’re going to rally around him by calling Kronwall a goon.  Every bit of motivation counts.  Anyway, Game 4 starts in about a half hour, so let’s get to the bullets.

• The Hawks know they can’t carry out some kind of revenge plan on Kronwall today.  They need to play the same kind of disciplined hockey that has kept them in the series.  When they’re focused and limit the turnovers, they’ve been the better team for a good part of the series. 
• Injuries will play a gigantic role in this game.  For Chicago, it’s looking like Huet in place of Khabibulin, who left Game 3 with an injury before Huet shut the Wings down for the third period and OT.  Havlat is doubtful until he can remember what year it is. For the Wings, Kris Draper is out again and Pavel Datsyuk will be a game-time decision with a foot injury. 
• Lots of scoring from defensemen in Game 3 as Seabrook and Keith got on the score sheet with assists.  For Seabrook especially, it was nice to see some contribution in what has been a rough series. 
• The Hawks are 3 for 3 in scoring first so far.  Today they have a great chance to really put some pressure on Detroit with another early goal.  Put one past Ozzie in the first and thoughts of going back to Detroit at 2-2 will creep in. 
• It will be interesting to see how Huet does after preparing to start.  In Game 3 he was thrown into a tough spot and didn’t allow a goal.  If I remember correctly, Huet started the Winter Classic and was pulled, so Game 3 was a good confidence boost.
• I thought Andrew Ladd played a great game Friday and he might need another without Havlat.  Can’t wait to see how the young guys respond after having two days to let the theatrics of Game 3 settle. 

One thing is for sure: the crowd is going to be insane.  Nothing like a big hit to create a villian to fire people up.  I’m sure fans will be even more strong in voice when sharing their feelings on Detroit throughout the game.  Get ready, because the game starts in less than 30 minutes.  2 PM CT on NBC.

Not only is it a throwback to a premier sports rivalry, but these are two of the teams to watch for years to come.  You have the Red Wings, who do the best scouting in the league and have shown the ability to reload over and over, and the Hawks with some of the league’s best young talent.  Some have dubbed it the gray beards vs. the no beards.

Another plus is that these are undoubtedly the teams in the West playing the best hockey right now.  They are 1 and 2 in power play percentage in the playoffs, with the Hawks leading the way.  The Blackhawks have the advantage of being the young guys who have no expectations, while the Wings bring the experience and, well, they’re really really good.

All of the ESPN “experts” picked Detroit.  Most of the media is following suit, thinking the Hawks have to wait their turn.  It feels a little like Bulls-Pistons of the early 90’s to me.  So what are the keys to the series?

Nikolai Khabibulin made some big saves in the Vancouver series, including one of the best I’ve seen in a long time in Game 6, but he wasn’t the reason the Hawks won that series.  If Khabibulin gets in the zone, the Hawks have a real shot at this thing.

The Wings won the season series 4-2, but the Hawks won the last two and may have some momentum here.  Neither team has serious injury issues.  Tomas Kopecky is out for Detroit, but the Hawks have nothing new to report as Duncan Keith is fine after taking a stick to the face and getting seven stitches.

Lots of pressure on Niklas Hjalmarsson, Matt Walker, Cam Barker, and Brian Campbell this round.  Unlike the Flames and Canucks who featured one amazing line, the Red Wings scoring is much more balanced and they bring all-star talent on at least three lines.  The Blackhawks also have more depth than anyone Detroit has seen thus far.  While Lidstrom will make life difficult for Kane and Toews, Stuart and Kronwall are prone to the occasional mistake and it will be important for Chicago to capitalize on those miscues.

It will be interesting to see what kind of style is played this series.  The Hawks have preferred a wide open style in the playoffs, and the Wings are more comfortable than Vancouver or Calgary with that style.  The Wings would probably do well to slow things down a bit in terms of crimping the Hawks’ style, but they could very well open it up, because that’s how the Wings flourish too.  It could be a very exciting and high scoring series.

Another interesting tidbit is former Red Wings coach, hall of famer Scotty Bowman.  He has been a part of the Hawks front office for a while now and it’s hard to find someone more loved and respected in Detroit than the ice chomping coach that led the Wings to Stanley Cups.

This is it, the series starts Sunday afternoon in Detroit and will be on NBC at 2:00 CT.  Of course I won’t be able to see it, so I’m contemplating easy ways to commit suicide, but don’t miss it.  Prediction?  Wings in 6.

After falling behind early, just like every other game this series, the Blackhawks couldn’t complete the comeback and now find themselves in a 2-1 hole going into Game 4.  The habit of falling behind early really can’t keep up if the Hawks want to hang around for another week or so.  It’s hard to say if they just aren’t prepared, they’re flustered under the pressure, or if it’s just Vancouver playing so well that has led to 3-0, 2-0, and 3-0 deficits in the first three games of the series.

These games seem to go much better with bullet previews, so….Bullets.

• If the Hawks were flat at the beginning of Game 3, it certainly was no fault of the United Center crowd.  It had to be deafening in there for the anthem.  Something tells me tonight will be no different, seeing as how this could be the last home game of the season if the guys don’t get their acts together.
• It sure would be nice for Khabibulin to really bring his A-game tonight.  He has given up a lot of goals this series and while they haven’t all been his fault, the Hawks might need the Wall to be in full effect tonight.
• Sami Salo might be back for Vancouver tonight.  He flew into Chicago yesterday apparently and participated in the team skate.
• Speaking of defenseman coming back, it’d be nice to have the real Duncan Keith back tonight.  He is seeming to have some trouble staying upright this series and the Hawks could really use the old Duncan back.
• And where has Andrew Ladd gone?  I know he isn’t one of the stars on this team and he provided a nice scoring boost this season, but he has done nothing in the playoffs.  He has one point in nine games and that was a goal in a 5-1 win in the Calgary series.  He had one shot on goal in the first three games of this series after he had 13 last series.  Come on Ladd!
• I’m sensing a big game for Havlat tonight.  In the Calgary series, Havlat was a guy you could tell had been involved in the playoffs before and stepped his game up accordingly.  Tonight the Blackhawks need that experience again and Havlat could be the guy to help them tie this series up.

Alright, that’s all I have for tonight’s game.  Let’s try not to fall behind by a few goals, eh?  Game is at 7:00 tonight on VS.  Oh, and what’s up with the “who cares” option on the Hawks poll Stormin’ Norman?  I know you created it right after the Bulls were eliminated, but really?  Could you ever imagine including the option on a Bulls poll?  Gah!

The Hawks certainly have the momentum after rattling off five straight goals after falling behind 2-0.  The Canucks added a late goal, but it was on a 5-on-3 when the refs got whistle-happy at the end of the game.  The Hawks have taken over the home ice advantage, meaning they can win the series as long as they win at home. 

That sounds great, but winning at home is anything but a given.  The Hawks have fallen behind in a lot of games so far in the playoffs, a habit that gets you in trouble no matter where you play.  A strong start tonight will be important to set the tone for the home swing. 

The other advantage the Hawks have is that they seem to be in Luongo’s head.  Byfuglien has been a beast so far in this series and has made a home for himself in front of the Vancouver net.  Big buff has also been seen jawing with Luongo several times during the series and the Vancouver net-minder seems a little rattled, despite his comments to the contrary.  Just the fact that he gave up as many goals in Game 2 as he did in the first round seems to indicate that something is wrong. 

The guy is still a top flight goalie in this league though, so it will be up to the Blackhawks to keep the traffic in front of him and to continue their balances scoring.  The Hawks keep getting goals from the role players, while a different star seems to step up when needed.  The first series featured a lot of scoring from Havlat and Toews, while Kane and Sharp have been great so far this round.  Dave Bolland has played great hockey in both rounds, while Keith and Seabrook continue to do their thing on the blue line. 

Khabibulin has been good, but not spectacular.  It’s been nice not to rely on Khabi to win games by himself, but the Hawks might need one of those performances later this round to push them to the conference finals. 

Adam Burish provided some intrigue with a quote regarding injured Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo: “We have to target some of the other D now,’ added Hawk winger Adam Burish. “Those other guys are going to have the bulls-eyes on their backs.”

Okay then.  Any worries that the nastiness would go away with the three days off can probably be put to rest.  One more note on that subject though: while there has been plenty of pushing and shoving after the whistle, Vancouver hasn’t been nearly as bad as I expected in terms of gooning it up.  If the Hawks get a lead tonight though, watch out.  I heard Bolland comment on how important it was for Chicago to stay away from all that and let Vancouver sit in the penalty box; we’ll see how well the Hawks follow his advice. 

So this is it, the Bulls season is over and the Hawks get the playoff spotlight for a while.  Game 3 is tonight on CSN at 7:00 CT.

Calgary and Vancouver took their battle for a division title down to the end of the regular season, and Chicago was barely ahead of them in final points, so this promises to be another highly competitive series.  Everything I have heard marks Vancouver as the favorite, but I’m really struggling to figure out how.  For me, it’s nearly impossible to call this series because I think Chicago has the better team, but Vancouver has home ice.

The teams split four games in the regular season and there is no love lost between the them.  You’ll see a lot of shoving after whistles and a lot of WD-40 in use for the hinges on the penalty box.  The team that keeps its cool the best will have a distinct advantage.  Speaking of advantage, the Blackhawks were great on the power play in the first round, while the Canucks excelled on the kill.  Something will have to give there.

Part of the reason for the success of Vancouver’s D was the netminder Roberto Luongo.  He was great in the sweep of St. Louis and has to worry Blackhawks fans with that “hot goaltender” phenomenon that can carry a team deep into the playoffs.  However, Chicago has a goaltender of its own on a pretty good streak.  Khabibulin was great in the first round and will be looking to carry the Hawks one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals.

What’s the key to the series?  Slowing down the top line of Vancouver.  Alex Burrows and the Sedins form one of the best lines in the NHL and it will be up to Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith to hold them down.  The Hawks blueline duo did well against the Flames top line in the first round, but this is a different animal.  The Sedins are capable of holding the puck deep in the zone all by themselves, leaving Burrows free to get open.  They’re going to score, it’s just a matter of limiting the damage and making other people beat you.

Keith and Seabrook were fantastic in the first round though.  I especially thought Seabrook was one of the best players on the ice for either team a lot of the time.  Speaking of young guys needed to step up again…the offense.  While the Canucks get a ton of production from their top line, the Hawks get it from all over.  12 different players scored in the first round for Chicago and they’ll need more of the same this time around.  Dave Bolland deserves special mention for his play in the first round.  He just seemed a step faster than everyone else and made plays in all aspects of the game.

I also have to say that I really, really don’t like Vancouver.  Expect a lot of goonery in this series to the point that it will actually make you mad.  Cheap shots after the whistle, overreactions every time the Hawks get near Luongo, coupled with constant collisions with Khabibulin.  I really think the Blackhawks are better, but Vancouver plays a brand of hockey that can be very effective in the playoffs, with toughness and great goaltending.  It’s a tall task for these young Blackhawks, but they need to be able to keep their cool and let the Canucks sit in the penalty box.  More controlled physical play like we saw in the first round and I think the Hawks come out on top.  Hawks in six.

Calls don’t go your way on the road, momentum is nearly impossible to create and even harder to sustain, and meltdowns like the Flames have had in the first two games don’t tend to happen.  If the Hawks go down one or two goals early again in Game 3, we’ll be looking at a 2-1 series going into Game 4.

However, the Hawks do have the one thing that can really make the difference on the road in the playoffs and that’s goaltending.  Khabibulin has been excellent in the first two games and if he can stay hot, I like Chicago’s chances tonight.

The other advantage for the Hawks is that they made sure they didn’t have a reason to be overly-nervous.  Winning the first two games means that the worst it could be coming back home Saturday will be 2-2.  Steal one of these games though, and the Flames will be setting up tee times in short order.

Even though the Hawks are the young and inexperienced team in the series, it has been Calgary melting down when the pressure is on.  And if they thought they were under pressure in the first two games, a quasi-elimination game tonight won’t be any better.  Look for the Hawks to capitalize on a couple mistakes from Calgary.  Whether it’s a sloppy pass, a dumb penalty, or someone going out of position to make a big hit, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Calgary a little out of sorts tonight.

The first period will be key tonight, so make sure and tune in for the start at 8:30 ct on CSN or Versus, depending where you’re at.

• The two teams couldn’t be entering the series on much different streaks.  The Blackhawks had looked like they were heading for a late season collapse a few weeks ago, but they are now 7-2-1 in their last ten games, including a sweep of the home-and-home series with Detroit to end the season.  The Flames were the team that went for that whole collapse thing.  They had a huge lead on Vancouver for the division and blew it down the stretch.  A team that looked like it made all the right moves at the deadline suddenly just looks dead. 
• The Hawks also dominated the season series with the Flames, winning all four of their match-ups.  Only one of those contests went into overtime, making it a pretty dominant season for Chicago over Calgary.  You know what they say though, it’s hard to beat a team eight times in one season. 
• Aside from those two points, this will not be an easy series for the young Blackhawks.  Calgary has plenty of playoff experience and they still have the big names like Iginla, Langkow, Phaneuf, and Kiprusoff that have led them to so many playoff appearances in the last few seasons.  They have also added stars like Mike Cammalleri who leads the team in goals with 39, and deadline aquisition Olli Jokinen. 
• After going to the Stanley Cup Finals in ‘04, the Flames have been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs every season though, so while those guys have experience of being in the playoffs, those experiences haven’t been too memorable lately.  The Hawks meanwhile have very little experience, which tends to happen when there are only a few players on your team in that are in their late-20s or older. 
• The crowd is going to be crazy.  It’s going to be so loud in the United Center tomorrow night and that should give the young Hawks a bounce in their step.  That’s a good thing, because with the young team, it is even more important to get off to a good start.  A bonus for Chicago is that they have a player with experience in the most important spot on the ice: between the pipes.  Nikolai Khabibulin is back to his mid-season form after recovering from his injury and is one of three Hawks with a Stanley Cup ring. 

So it’s the youth and talent of the Hawks against the experience and physical play of the Flames.  Should be an excellent series because I think the dominance by Chicago during the season will be evened out by their inexperience.  Chicago actually comes in a little bit healthier than Calgary as the Hawks will get Patrick Sharp back and the Flames are battling some late season bumps and bruises in the form of wonderfully vague hockey injuries.  The Blackhawks are making their first playoff appearance since 2002, so while this is absolutely a team capable of a run deep into the playoffs, just getting here and gaining some experience for the youngsters is great progress.   

Game 1 is Thursday night at 7:30 CT.

(3) Kansas vs. (2) Michigan State, 9:37 ET-

This is one of those times that it isn’t hard to break down how the teams match up, because they have played once already this year.  Michigan State won that game by 13 points, which sounds closer than the game actually was.  In fairness to Kansas, the Jayhawks were a different team back then and won 13 of 14 right after that contest.

For Kansas, it all starts with their sparkplug point guard Sherron Collins, averaging about 19 points per game while adding five assists per.  The kid has been on the stage before and can really fill it up from anywhere when he’s on.  Kansas can also hurt you from the inside with Cole Aldrich.  The former super-sub is now putting up about 15 and 10 per game while altering shots inside on a regular basis.

Michigan State has a great point guard of their own in Kalin Lucas.  The Big Ten POY sets the tone for the offense and it hasn’t taken him long to earn Izzo’s trust to run things.  Lucas can really do it all, and he has a good cast around him.  Raymar Morgan may end up being the difference in this game, one way or another.  Morgan is the second leading scorer behind Lucas, and is a phenomonal player…sometimes.  If Morgan is at his best, Kansas doesn’t stand much of a chance; if he isn’t, it will take a lot from guys like Chris Allen and Durrell Summers on the wings and Delvon Roe and Draymond Green on the block.  Senior Goran Suton gives some experience, and with Roe and Green he is part of a barrage of bodies Izzo will throw at Aldrich.

The Jayhawks have been playing great and Michigan State has show that it is prone to letdown games, but I think the Spartans match up very well with Kansas.  To beat MSU, you really have to come with a balanced attack, and I don’t see anyone other than Collins and Aldrich getting it done.  MSU wins by six.

(4) Gonzaga vs. (1) North Carolina, 9:57 ET-

Gonzaga gave us one of the best games of the tournament last round and we can only hope this match-up proves to be as good.  For all the Lawson toe coverage before last weekend’s games, I have heard nothing this week.  I assume that’s good news for UNC, but I guess we’ll see.

Gonzaga has only lost one game in 2009 and it was to Memphis.  If the Zags plan on keeping that whole thing going, they’ll need some help from one Austin Daye.  The 6-11 sophomore has disappeared in the tournament as much as a giant like that possibly can.  No big deal, it’s not like he has a good frontcourt to go against or anything.  Of course, Josh Heytvelt will be there too, but the advantage even where the Bulldogs are excellent still goes to UNC with Hansbrough and Thompson.  On the perimeter, one of my favorite players in the tournament, Jeremy Pargo, is lurking always ready to thunder down a dunk.  Matt Bouldin has also emerged as a star and will need to keep it up to run with the Heels.

For North Carolina, their chances are very good if Ty Lawson is a go.  When he decided to turn it on against LSU, the game was over and everyone knew it.  Even without Lawson, North Carolina sports a roster of stars like Hansbrough, Ellington, and Danny Green.  Look for Ed Davis off the bench too, the kid can play.  The Tar Heels stumbled a bit in their last game against LSU though, and if they do it again, Gonzaga can really put a scare into them.

Whatever.  North Carolina will methodically beat down Gonzaga and set up a sweet game in the Elite 8 against either Syracuse or Oklahoma.