A Nearly Fifty-Year Drought Is About To End

The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers are playing game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. Here is how I see the series:

FORWARDS: Chicago has built their team to win now, even though Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews are very young, as they have cap issues coming in the near future. Philly has guys like Jeff Carter and Daniel Briere, who are excellent players, but I believe the Hawks have the edge.

DEFENSE: Chris Pronger, who won the Cup in 2007 with Anaheim, is capable of being a game-changer with big hits, while the rest of the defensemen are solid, but not spectacular. Edge to the Flyers.

GOALTENDING: Antti Niemi has been a revelation. I frankly did not expect him to best Nabokov in the Conference Finals, but he obviously did, as the Hawks swept the Flyers. Michael Leighton has made the most of his chance. That being said, I believe Niemi is better, and will be the difference as the Hawks end a nearly fifty-year drought, and win the franchise's first cup since 1961.