The NHL playoffs have been very exciting and after getting one Game 7 on Tuesday night between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, there is another one on Wednesday night between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings to see who will advance to the Western Conference finals.
The Blackhawks have come back from a 3-1 series deficit and as the number one seed they will get the game at home against the Red Wings, who are the seventh seed in the conference. Patrick Sharp is leading the Blackhawks in scoring during the playoffs with six goals, while Duncan Keith has eight assists and Henrik Zetterberg is tops for the Red Wings with 11 points and eight assists.
Both teams will need strong play in goal to win with Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford and on Wednesday night it will be the Blackhawks that win. The game is in Chicago and Game 7 matchups usually favor the home team, giving the Blackhawks and inside edge. If Detroit wins, the Kings will get home ice advantage in the next round, but if Chicago wins, LA will have to travel for the series. The Kings took care of business on Tuesday night with a 2-1 win against the Sharks, denying San Jose the chance to go to their third conference finals in four years, although they probably wouldn't have made to further, as they haven't gotten to the Stanley Cup during that time anyway. The Kings won it all as the eighth seed last year so going on the road will not be an issue for the team.
The Kings took care of business after two goals from Justin Williams in the second period and 25 saves from Jonathan Quick, who was the MCVP last year in the finals and has been just that again for the team in the playoffs. The Sharks only got 16 saves from Antti Niemi and the team was let down with just one goal from Dan Boyle in the third period. Joe Thornton was solid through the series, but Patrick Marleau was a letdown and the team will have to figure out what is next for them.
The Kings were able to keep back the Sharks after that third period goal after some great play from Quick and now Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are preparing for the next round. LA will be a tough matchup for both teams, as they are the champs, but the Blackhawks started off the season on a record streak and could be coming together at the right time.
