2010 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Here's your preview for the 2010 Stanley Cup finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers, two teams who haven't won the Cup in a while.

Offense: Both of these teams can put the puck in the net, but Chicago clearly has the edge in depth. Captain Jonathan Toews leads all players with 26 playoff points (his 19 assists also is tops in the NHL) and teammate Patrick Kane is third with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists). Philly captain Mike Richards sits in between with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists). The Flyers' Danny Briere is second in goals scored with nine and teammate Claude Giroux is tied for fifth with Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien (eight). Overall, the Hawks are third with 3.31 goals per game and Philly is fifth (3.18). Advantage: Chicago.

Defense: These are the two best teams in terms of goals allowed per game in the postseason, with Philly (2.12) holding the edge over Chicago (2.50). The Flyers' Chris Pronger, in his third Stanley Cup finals in the past five years (Edmonton in 2006, Anaheim in 2007, Philadelphia this year), remains at the center of the effort to slow down Chicago's powerful offense. Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle also will be vital cogs in that regard. The Hawks are no pushovers, though, and boast a strong defensive trio of Norris favorite Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell and Brent Seabrook. Advantage: Push.

Special Teams: The Hawks have converted an impressive 22.6 percent of their power plays, while the Flyers are at a not-so-shabby 20.7 percent.Their penalty kills are equally impressive, with second-ranked Philly (87 percent) holding a slight edge third-rated Chicago (86.6). Advantage: Chicago.

Goaltending: Chicago's Antti Niemi and Philadelphia's Michael Leighton have quietly turned a weakness into a strength during a long-and-winding postseason. They've been solid, and even spectacular at times, while leading their team to 12 wins. The key has been a strong defense ahead of them and the unflappable support of their teammates -- big keys as their teams try to capture one of sports' toughest titles. Advantage: Push.

Intangibles: This is the third match-up of second vs. seventh seeded teams during this year's postseason, which normally is restricted to the first round. Both teams will be boosted with strong home crowds. Onetime Cap (and Baltimore Skipjack) Joel Quenneville has done a great job with the Blackhawks over the last two seasons, but has never captured the Stanley Cup in his coaching or playing career. Flyers' coach Peter Laviolette, meanwhile, brought Philly back from 14th place in the conference to the brink of a title. He guided the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season but missed the playoffs during his other seasons in Raleigh before being fired on Dec. 4, 2008. He still holds the record for most NHL wins by an American-born coach. Advantage: Push.

Overall: As you can tell, this series is much more even than the seeds would indicate. Chicago (52-22-8, 112 points) might have boasted the third-best record in the league during the regular season, but the Flyers (41-35-6, 88 points) have needed only one more game (17) than Chicago to reach the finals. Even so, the deciding factor will be Chicago's depth in what should be a very tightly-contested series. Prediction: Chicago in five (as I've seen saying since last June).