It all comes down to one game

DALLAS, TX - It couldn't have gone any other way.

In an informal poll among 16 EHE general managers prior to the playoffs, eight had Chicago winning, while eight had the Stars prevailing. Despite a 4-0 regular season sweep, the Stars found themselves down 2-0 and 3-1 in the series before winning two straight to send things to a Game 7 in the Lone Star state. The total score among both teams? You guessed it - tied at 17 apiece.

In essence, it's been a roller coaster, yet evenly matched up series.

Cam Atkinson has continued his stellar play from a Maurice Richard-winning regular season with five goals and eight points in six games. His linemates Jonathan Toews (4-1-5) and Zach Parise (0-4-4), along with Brent Seabrook (1-3-4), Matt Niskanen (0-3-3), and Chris Kreider (1-1-2), have helped Chicago to a 29% power play percentage. Mike Fisher has come alive with four assists, and even fourth liner and top penalty killer Cal Clutterbuck has chipped in with a goal and an assist.

Defensively, the Blackhawks have been both really good and pretty bad in this series. After allowing only two goals in the first two games, Chicago has given up 15 in their last four - despite holding Dallas to 15, 25, and 32 shots in three of those four games.

Sean Monahan has been the breakout star for the Stars, with four goals and three assists. Contributions from the defensive end in the form of Jared Spurgeon (1-5-6), Dmitri Orlov (0-4-4), and Justin Faulk (2-1-3) have augmented the Dallas attack. Carey Price (2.85 GAA, .915 SP) has been the better netminder over the Hawks' Brian Elliott (2.85, .901).

Special teams has been poor for the Stars, though, as Dallas is sporting a 13% power play percentage and a 71% penalty kill mark. This despite a marked advantage in opportunities with the man advantage (23 to Chicago's 17).

And then there's the animus, the outpouring of emotion and drive between these two clubs. It all spilled out in the second period of the first game of the series. Three line brawls took place, and though some simmering has taken place since, those emotions are not forgotten.

Perhaps the X-factor will be the Hawks' Jordan Staal, who went down with what appeared to be a knee injury in Game 4. Though he retured to the Chicago lineup for Game 5 and played over 18 minutes in Game 6, he has been held without a point and is a -4 through six games.

There was limited media availability for either club heading into today. Perhaps that was best, as Chicago GM Thomas Gidlow, when asked what he was thinking heading into tonight, offered only a short reply.

"No more time for words. Only actions."

It is true; there's little more that can be said. All of the talking will be done on the ice tonight, as the Blackhawks and Stars determine who will move on to the second round of the EHE Stanley Cup playoffs and the waiting Colorado Avalanche.

Chip Whitley
Blackhawks Beat Reporter