Emma: Blackhawks, Capitals Could Meet Again As Cup Final Foes
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Should it be a Stanley Cup Final battle between the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals, the hockey world can consider itself fortunate.
Sunday's showdown brought a playoff-like atmosphere to the United Center, in a game played between the two leading Cup contenders. The Blackhawks' 3-2 victory brought them back atop the Western Conference, handing a loss to the Capitals' best record in hockey.
Skill, speed, smarts and pure hockey talent were on display from start to finish in a contest played with exhilarating pace.
"It felt like a playoff game right from the start," Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford said.
Back in November 2014, the Blackhawks and Lightning met in a regular-season thriller that seemed poised to for a rematch in June. Sure enough, Chicago and Tampa Bay played an exciting six-game Stanley Cup Final in which the Blackhawks earned their third hoist of the Stanley Cup in six seasons.
If the Blackhawks are bound for a Cup refill, they may have to get past the Capitals, whose 94 points are 11 better than the second-best record, owned by Chicago.
"They have a lot of skill," said Blackhawks center Teuvo Teravainen, named the No. 1 star of Sunday's game. "I think they're the best team in the league this season."
Stan Bowman, architect of Chicago's championship roster revamps, had his team at its best form on Sunday with Andrew Ladd playing the left wing on Jonathan Toews' top line.
"We played pretty well, generating some chances," Toews said of his new linemate. "It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it. We're all happy to have him back."
On the third line, Teravainen played with greater confidence at the more comfortable center position, immediately clicking with newly acquired winger Tomas Fleischmann. The fourth line made its mark, too, with Richard Panik kicking a puck out to Dennis Rasmussen for the difference-making tally.
The Blackhawks' second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane has arguably been hockey's best line this season. Now, it's complemented with a better-rounded lineup elsewhere. When Dale Weise and Christian Ehrhoff arrive, the team will be even stronger.
On Sunday, the Blackhawks showed what's been on display for most of this 2015-'16 season -- they're still the team to beat in the NHL.
However, it could be the Capitals there in June to meet for the Cup. Washington boasts a lineup similar in skill to Chicago's, with a talented top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Goaltender Braden Holtby could join Crawford as a Vezina Trophy finalist. Ovechkin and Kane are each favorites to be named the league MVP. Even the coaches, Joel Quenneville and Barry Trotz, should be touted as hockey's best this season.
Following Sunday's tilt, the Blackhawks came away thinking the Capitals are the real deal.
"That depth is showing through," Quenneville said of the Capitals. "Their quickness and skill is dangerous."
Ovechkin, now 30, is in his 11th season with Washington. The Capitals have never reached the Stanley Cup Final, even with one of the game's greatest players. They haven't even reached the Eastern Conference Final. It's a bit of an indictment on a franchise that should have lifted the Cup at least once with Ovechkin.
This could -- and should -- be the season in which Washington takes the Eastern Conference crown and earns a shot at Stanley Cup glory. The Panthers and Rangers stand as the greatest threats for the Capitals, but the Capitals are still the better team.
The Blackhawks and Capitals provided quite the showing before the United Center's largest crowd of the season. The action was constant, the pace was a rush and the result came down to the final seconds. It's clear that these are the two best teams in hockey.
Perhaps a rematch could be in store come June, with Lord Stanley's prize on hand to watch.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
