The first game of the Western Conference semifinals will feature a rivalry reborn as the Detroit Red Wings travel to the windy city to take on the Chicago Blackhawks at 8 pm ET.
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Via ESPN:
The last time Original Six rivals the Red Wings and Blackhawks met in the playoffs was in the 2009 Western Conference finals, with the Blackhawks the young bucks still figuring things out and the Red Wings the veteran contenders en route to another Stanley Cup finals.
How things have changed.
The Blackhawks were Cup champions in 2010, but the Wings have since fallen off their elite pedestal a bit, falling to San Jose in the second round in 2011 and in the first round to Nashville last season.
However, the No. 7-seeded Wings showed in their first-round upset of No. 2-seeded Anaheim that they still have the heart of a champion, with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk stepping up big time to further cement their reputations as clutch playoff performers.
The top-seeded Hawks swept the regular-season series with Detroit, although three of the games needed extra time. It's compelling when these two rivals meet, and this series should be no different.
