Most of the observers I have read and watched (Ed Olczyk, Denis Savard, or David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News for example), whether they are from a Chicago or San Jose perspective, seem to think this series is about as close a match as one could imagine.

The words of former Hawks owner Jimmy Norris might be appropriate: “Hockey–it’s a team sport where psychology and desire are half the game.”

Of course, Norris would know, as the Black Hawks won their last Stanley Cup under his stewardship…and owe the life of the franchise to his largesse.

The Hawks have made improvements on a similar scale…in terms of adding assets/impact players , the signing of Hossa mirrors the Sharks’ acquisition of Heatley even if the process was different.

SJ’s signing of Malhotra mirrors CHI’s signing of Madden…forwards best known for defensive skill.

Like the Hawks, the Sharks also suffer from occasional lapses in focus and execution.

To me, the key is going to be Nabokov Vs Niemi.

The Wings’ loss in the previous series can be attributed to Howard’s lapses…the now oft-replayed Couture goal late in Game Three being THE turning point.

Nabokov’s strengths and weaknesses are well-known to the Blackhawks.

On the flip side…can Niemi continue to deliver solid play?

It’s almost spooky how statistically close these teams are. Even the two 19s have the same initials in JT.

I’ve been saying for awhile now how much better the team is playing on the road. They’re 5 and 1—playing in tough rinks too—so, I am actually glad they’re starting out on the road. Steal a win, mission accomplished, steal two and look out.

Dave, I think you nailed it in intangibles. The ‘hawks have another step to climb this year.

Should be a real exciting series without much of the cheap stuff we saw against the Canucks and I think the ‘hawks have a huge edge in the speed department. Looking like a Sunday start now!

Troy Brouwer: “Starting on the road might be a good thing. We have confidence on the road. We play a good tight road game and try not to give up too many opportunities.”

We saw the Hawks improve their play from the NSH to the VAN series. So it’s reasonable to expect them to be even better in the next round.

I attribute the losses by the Hawks partly to (a) the tactics successfully employed by Vigneault and (in the NSH series) Trotz; and (b) the challenge to mostly young players when faced with the highs of winning, combined with responding to adversity.

That process has a lot to do with gaining experience and confidence based on that experience.

The Sharks, with Cup winners in Blake and Boyle, and their explosive scorers, are going to be a tough opponent, but in a very different way to the Canucks.