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PHILADELPHIA -- One word was used to describe the Philadelphia Flyers all postseason: resilient. It turns out the Chicago Blackhawks were pretty resilient themselves.

Every obstacle was overcome, every possible distraction was pushed aside, and any momentary letdown was met with a response. That was the Blackhawks' way this season.

When the Nashville Predators had them on the ropes, they delivered the most unlikely of short-handed goals. When the Vancouver Canucks won Game 1 decisively, the Hawks hit them hard, winning four of the next five, including three on the road. Though outplayed in Game 1 against the San Jose Sharks, Antti Niemi took matters into his own hands, and took the bite out of the Sharks at the same time. They rolled through the Western Conference regular season champs like they were a low seed just happy to be in the postseason.

The biggest and toughest test was yet to come. A truly talented and resourceful team, the Philadelphia Flyers knew they could match Chris Pronger against the Hawks' top line -- and it worked. Before long though, coach Joel Quenneville responded with a few tricks of his own. In the end, like most of the competition this season, the Flyers didn’t have an answer for the Hawks' depth -- or resiliency.

Jonathan Toews won the Conn Smythe, but there were so many heroes. Dustin Byfuglien had 17 goals in the 82-game regular season, and then netted 11 more in just 22 playoff games. With five game-winners, he established himself as a money player.

Dave Bolland’s defensive prowess will go down in Hawks history as one of the all-time great performances in a playoff run. The Sedin twins, Joe Thornton, and Mike Richards were all brought down to size, in part, by the scrappy Bolland. His linemate, Kris Versteeg, proved he’s more than a shifty puck handler, playing his best hockey as a Hawk this postseason. On both ends of the ice, Versteeg showed what he is capable of and played a smart game as a checking line winger.

Niemi had his doubters both in Chicago and around the NHL. Game by game, save by save, he changed people’s minds. And just when the Hawks needed a big performance, he gave them one. On other nights, they rewarded him, with big scoring outputs and great shot blocking.

And then there is Patrick Kane. Two-way players, penalty killers, and gritty men are all needed to win a Cup, but the playmaker and scorer is still king. All wrapped up into one of the smaller bodies in the NHL, Kane was yet another player who showed that Hawks resiliency.

A few quiet games here or there did not thwart him. Two of the biggest goals in Hawks history came off Kane’s stick. Both were laced with a flair for the dramatic. No one knows for sure, if the Predators would have gone on to win their quarterfinal match with the Hawks, but Kane’s short-handed goal with 13.6 seconds left in Game 5 removed any chance at an upset. And his strange yet no less dramatic goal in overtime in Game 6 of the finals was a thing of beauty. Like a flash he was around Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and just as quickly he got off a shot so fast no one saw it go in -- except him.

Quenneville has been called a mad scientist, but he experimented so much because he could. With a plethora of talented wingers and versatile players, Quenneville could mix and match however he saw fit. Sometimes Kane and Toews fit like a glove, other times Marian Hossa was better suited with the captain, and then there was the most important and overlooked move Quenneville made in the postseason. Moving Patrick Sharp from wing to center set everything up that followed. Sharp was steady. He scored when he needed to and set up his linemates, first Hossa and then Kane. Sharp to second line center and Bolland to the checking line was the key move of the entire postseason.

The Conn Smythe winner finished off a year few could ever dream of. There is no part of Toews' game that hasn’t improved and, at 22, he’s poised to become one of the great captains in the game. Already being compared to Steve Yzerman, Toews just won’t let his team be denied. And that is the very definition of resilient.

And the reason the Blackhawks are Stanley Cup champions.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi has yielded more goals in the Stanley Cup finals against the Philadelphia Flyers than during any other round of the playoffs, and he wasn’t at his best in a 7-4 win Sunday in Game 5.

But Niemi was good enough to have the Hawks one win from a Stanley Cup title.

Game 6 is Wednesday in Philadelphia, and it’s likely Niemi will need to raise his level in order to secure that clinching win.

After facing only seven shots and keeping the Flyers off the board in the first period Sunday, he allowed four goals on 20 shots in the latter two periods.

Niemi often has played his best after subpar games, so if that holds true to form, the Hawks should be in good shape.

Midseason form is how to describe the Blackhawks for most of Game 5, especially in the first period. Niemi barely broke a sweat in the opening 20 minutes, indicative of the Hawks puck possession game showing up.

There is little doubt that changing the lines threw the Flyers for a loop, but after the game, most of the Hawks simply credited their work ethic as the difference. And you know what? They were right. The power-play edge, though just 4-3, was proof of that hard work. Moving their legs, making the Flyers chase them, and battling hard created chances and penalties. It was the key to the win.

Chris Pronger had a forgettable night. His minus-5 was the worst single game plus/minus of his career -- regular or postseason. The last player to be at least minus-5 in a Stanley Cup final game was Bob Errey in 1995 for the Detroit Red Wings.

Pronger was asked to comment on Dustin Byfuglien after being reminded this was his first impactful game of the series.

“I guess he's well rested,” Pronger said sarcastically.

Michael Leighton also had one to forget. He was pulled for the second time in the series after giving up three first-period goals. The last team to pull their goalie twice in the Stanley Cup Final was the 1991 Minnesota North Stars, who pulled Jon Casey twice in their series loss to the Penguins.

When asked if Leighton was his Game 6 starter, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said, “I don't have an answer for that.”

Dustin Byfuglien, on the other hand, had a night to remember. He became just the fourth Blackhawk in their last 20 postseasons to record two goals and two assists in a single playoff contest.

The Hawks and Flyers have scored the fourth-most goals (40) through five games of the Stanley Cup finals and the most -- through five -- since 1980.

Wednesday will mark the first appearance of the Stanley Cup. It’s brought to the arena the first time a team has a chance at winning the series. The Hawks will have two cracks at it.

The Hawks will take the day off on Monday before flying to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Here’s the Hawks scoring breakdown in the finals, courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information:

Off rebounds: 3.

Initial shot: 18.

In front: 9.

From circles: 7.

All other: 5.

After two consecutive losses for the first time in the postseason, no one could know for sure the Blackhawks would play their best game of the series.

But that's exactly what happened in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Behind a relentless, swarming early attack the Hawks put themselves on the verge of their first Stanley Cup in 49 years with a 7 to 4 win to take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

It was a slump-busting night for several Hawk stars. Patrick Kane was in mid-season form with the puck and Dustin Byfuglien littered the boxscore with 4 points, including his first two goals of the series -- the first of those goals came with his nemesis, Chris Pronger, in the box for hooking the shifty Kane on a spin-o-rama move. Without Pronger, Byfuglien had free reign in the slot for a power-play tap-in.

Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp, and Brent Seabrook, among others, had solid games as the Hawks came with their lunch pail. It wasn’t fluke calls that propelled them to 4 power plays to just 3 for the Flyers. They earned every one of them and cashed in on two of those chances. It’s the first time in the series the Hawks had more power-play attempts than Philadelphia.



As promised, Joel Quenneville didn’t wait for a slow start or to get behind to change the lines. He wanted to keep his top-line stars away from Pronger, and he did just that. He started the game with a whole new look, including reuniting Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Kane skated with Sharp at center while Byfuglien was with centerman Dave Bolland.

Pronger had to pick his poison, and he mostly checked the Toews line early. It opened things up for Kane’s best game of the series.

The Hawks reversed the Game 4 first-period result with a three goal opening 20 minutes of their own, which established their flying attack. The Flyers formidable forecheck never had a chance; the Hawks' puck possession game tilted the ice towards, first, Michael Leighton, and then his replacement, Brian Boucher. The forwards were on their game.

An early second period goal by Philadelphia gave the Flyers life, but this time it was the Hawks who answered quickly with a Kane tally less than three minutes later. Again, another reversal from previous games when the Flyers scored quickly after Hawk tallies.

Home ice has held serve in the series and there is no reason to think it can’t again in Philadelphia. Still, if the Hawks play like they did in Game 5, that title might be just days away.

CHICAGO -- If you can’t beat ‘em, run from ‘em.

It sounds like coach Joel Quenneville is contemplating major line changes as the Chicago Blackhawks return home in a 2-2 deadlock with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals. A critical Game 5 is Sunday night, and Quenneville intimated his goal is to keep Chris Pronger away from Dustin Byfuglien.

“Whether it’s Buff [Byfuglien] against Pronger or whoever’s against Pronger, I think that that’s something we will see if that will be a matchup going forward,” Quenneville said Saturday. “I still think we have some versatility as far as who is going to be against him.”

Translation: it won’t be Buff. After three game-winning goals last series and a personal-best five-game goal streak, Byfuglien has been limited to one assist against the Flyers. Who will occupy Pronger is anyone’s guess because the Hawks are searching for answers.

“We’ll look at some line combinations as we go into [Sunday’s] game,” Quenneville said. “We might make some adjustments as far as who is with who.”

There is irony here that sticks out like a sore thumb. In the conference finals, the Hawks forced Todd McLellan of the San Jose Sharks to split up his top line. Now the Flyers are doing it to Chicago.

“Sometimes change is healthy,” Patrick Kane said. “You can mix things up a bit and hopefully energize guys and get things going with different players. It worked pretty good last game, so we’ll see what happens.”

Kane is referring to the third period in Game 4 when the Hawks' attack had some bite. Kane and Jonathan Toews were split up for the first time in the playoffs, and it paid off.

“It seemed like they have a little bit more to match up to,” Kane said.

When asked if he and Toews should start Game 5 apart, Kane said, “Yeah, maybe.”

Kane has one goal in the series and gives credit to the Flyers for shutting down the Hawks' attack.

“I think one of the reasons they are playing so good defensively is they have the puck a lot against us and they are making plays,” Kane said. “Sometimes it gets you frustrated and you want the puck even more.”

Line combinations aren’t the only thing the Hawks are addressing. Bad penalties, bad shifts after goals, and bad play in the defensive zone are all legitimate complaints.

“It’s a wake-up call for everyone in here that we have to be a lot better,” Andrew Ladd said. “We’re confident we can get back to the way we were playing, probably a little more like last series where we were skating and battling a lot harder.”

At this time of year battling harder shouldn’t be an issue. Quenneville agreed with Ladd’s assessment.

“I think there is another level to get to, and I think it starts more in the battle areas and having the puck more,” Quenneville said.

“Penalties for sure,” Kane said. “And just making sure we want it. You don’t want to let this opportunity to slip away. We have at most three games left, and we can put something together here that a lot of us can cherish for the rest of our lives.”

It can’t hurt to be reminded of that. When Patrick Sharp was asked if Sunday was the biggest game of his life, he said, “That goes without saying, yeah.”

Yes, it does.

Could Adam Burish be one lineup change Quenneville is contemplating? After playing in the first three games of the series, he sat out Game 4 in favor of Ladd, who was returning from a shoulder injury. The Hawks are 13-2 in the playoffs with Burish in the lineup and just 1-4 without. “It’s tough to measure something like that,” Quenneville said of those numbers with and without Burish. “[Burish] is a big part of the team and a big part of the group. Obviously, you have to make tough decisions.”

PHILADELPHIA -- The minds games continue.

First, Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette tried to put the onus on Antti Niemi by declaring the Flyers would crash the net on the young goaltender, who’s trying to help get a 49-year-old monkey off his team’s back.

Then Joel Quenneville intimated he’d be having conversations with the league about Chris Pronger and the lack of infractions being called against him.

On Friday, Laviolette returned to the press podium with a little more psychology.

“There’s pressure,” he said. “We’re in a position where the pressure for us, it’s almost like we’re on borrowed time.

“The pressure, I think, is more for teams that are expected to win, as the Blackhawks are, and everybody picked them before the series. I don’t know if we feel the pressure as much. We’re trying to keep it light.”

The Hawks are doing the same. Up 2-1, they remain a confident and loose group.

“This is awesome,” Kris Versteeg said Friday morning. “This is what you strive for your whole life. To be here now and be here today and battling like we are for every inch, makes it exciting and makes it so much fun.”

There is no indication who would come out of the lineup if Andrew Ladd is ready to play. Ladd is a game-time decision. Tomas Kopecky has played well in his absence but isn’t a true fourth-line energy guy, which he’d become if Ladd returns and Kopecky stays in the lineup for someone like Adam Burish. There is a thought that Joel Quenneville could dress 13 forwards and five defensemen, though Quenneville hasn’t shown an inclination to do so in the past. Jordan Hendry is averaging about seven minutes of ice time per game.

NOTES:

Jonathan Toews collected his 20th assist in Game 3. He is just three assists shy of most helpers in a postseason under the current playoff format, which was instituted in 1994.

In Game 3, Chris Pronger played over 30 minutes (32:07) in a playoff game for the eighth time this postseason. Duncan Keith ranks second with four 30-minute games.

Only two other Stanley Cup finals (1951,1968) have had more than three consecutive one-goal games to open the series.

PHILADELPHIA -- Bryon Russell is still waiting for the push-off call against Michael Jordan at the end of Game 6 in the 1998 NBA Finals.

Shaquille O'Neal backs into defenders with so much force, guys like Joakim Noah have been known to go airborne.

Read the full story.

PHILADELPHIA -- Patrick Kane looked like he had fallen asleep facedown on a set of railroad tracks. Like he had contracted a rare rash or maybe lost a fight with an angry alley cat.

Read the full story

PHILADELPHIA -- There are two things holding the Chicago Blackhawks back from a true 60-minute (or more) performance: a lackluster power play and Chris Pronger.

Game 3 doesn’t need more analysis than that.

The Philadelphia Flyers' power play did what the Hawks could not: Score. Twice, for good measure. And this time the chances were even. Three aside. As for Pronger, he’s getting the best of Dustin Byfuglien and anyone else he goes up against.

On Wednesday, he was on the ice for three of the four Philadelphia goals and none of the Blackhawks' tallies. He was plus-2 with an assist and a game-high 32:07 on ice. Yeah, I’d say it was a pretty good night for No. 20.

“Pronger was excellent,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said.

Meanwhile, some might believe he’s getting away with murder on Byfuglien in the slot. One sequence had Pronger knocking him down, and when Byfgulien got back up and turned to Pronger, he cracked his stick in half. To the penalty box he went, and on the ensuing power play, Scott Hartnell scored the second Flyers goal, though it would take a review by the referees a few minutes later to make the right call.

Just think if the refs called the initial knockdown instead of the accidental slash. We might have a different outcome.

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville is trying to put a positive spin on the slot battle that has lived up to its hype.

“I think Buff is pretty composed,” Quenneville said. “I think Buff has been a factor and something they have to be concerned about. I just think we have to play hard against Pronger, and Buff knows where he gets rewarded, by going to the net. But he'll continue to battle and persevere and do what he has to do.”

Pronger was called for a high sticking infraction but that didn’t stop him from dominating as he has most of the series so far.

Power plays are the great equalizer in hockey. The Hawks might be deeper -- it’s the main reason they are up 2-1 in the series -- but the Flyers have four power-play goals to the Hawks’ zero in the first three games. That’s how you stay close and eventually win one.

“We could do a lot things differently,” Duncan Keith said about the power play. “We just need to shoot [and] keep it simple.”

There is no magic answer when it comes to man-advantage struggles. Keeping a five-on-five mentality on the power play is usually heard at times like these and the Hawks could use that kind of advice. It’s a small sample size but 0-6 with the man-advantage, for a team with as much skill as Chicago, is not going to cut it.

So far we’ve seen two games where Patrick Sharp’s line has contributed, and now Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane finally got on the board. In between Dave Bolland and his linemates have done some damage as well.

But we haven’t seen the waves of offense from all four lines the Hawks are capable of showcasing. Again, Pronger and Flyers might have a thing to say about that. But until we do -- or the Hawks start scoring on the power play -- then tight games will be the norm in this series which means a distinct possibility of returning home all knotted 2-2.

He’s been a focal point of the Blackhawks' offense in the playoffs, yet still, Dustin Byfuglien is not getting all that much respect from opponents.

Roberto Luongo called him “just another guy in front of the net,” and the San Jose Sharks didn’t even try to move him out of the slot. Both teams paid the price for it.

Now comes his biggest challenge to date. It’s a matchup with one of the best in the game, Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger. And Pronger isn’t showing much respect either. On Thursday he was asked whether the media was making too much of the matchup. Before the question was even finished, Pronger jumped in.

“I think you guys are,” he said.

It was pointed out that Byfuglien scored three game-winning goals in the conference final. All from the slot.

“Congratulations,” Pronger said.

“It’s pretty easy to talk about it. We got a lot of days before that first game.”

So will the mammoth Pronger try to move him out?

“I guess we’ll see,” he said.

And that was the extent of the conversation about Byfuglien. Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton was at least a little more complimentary.

“I know he’s going to go to the net,” Leighton said. “That’s his job. He goes to the net and gets in front of you. I’m a little bit bigger than [Evgeni] Nabokov so hopefully I can look over the top of him or look around him. That’s going to be my job: to be aware of where he is on the ice.

“He’s had a good playoff, and we just have to respect him.”

As for Byfuglien, he still thinks Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews draw most of the attention, so he doesn’t mind going unnoticed. He doesn’t know much about Leighton’s game but talked about his philosophy around any netminder.

“I really haven’t gotten touched at all in front,” Byfuglien said. “It’s more or less about [goaltenders] trying to find ways to see the puck more than whacking me or anything.”

“I know where I have to be. [The referees] tell me, ‘Watch it’, and I say, ‘Watch him coming out.’ If he comes out they have to make the right decision.”

Byfuglien has seen Sami Salo get hit near the groin and Duncan Keith get hit in the face with pucks. The Hawks bulky forward has learned how to avoid damage.

“I try to get out of the way,” he said. “Sometimes they pop up and hit you, but that’s something that’s alright. You’re able to heal up and go again.”

As for he and Leighton battling in front of the net, Leighton says he won’t be taking any whacks.

“That’s not my job,” he said. “There might be a couple other players that might do that.”

I wonder who that could be.