The Chicago Blackhawks are the best team left in the NHL playoffs

I'm actually a Canucks fan too, but I still said before the playoffs it'd be the Hawks winning. Still, I thought they'd beat the Flames. Anyways, it will be current rosters, but anything else can be cited (of course there are rebuttals if something that happened is no longer relevant). Definitions: Corsi for (CF): A stat which accounts for all shot attempts at the other team’s net. Corsi against (CA): A stat which accounts for all shot attempts at your team’s net. Corsi for percentage: 100*CF/(CF+CA)C1-Hawks’ Possession The Blackhawks are a superior puck possession team to the Rangers and that is essential to win. Although puck possession itself cannot be measured directly, statistics such as corsi give one a good idea of how well a team controls the puck, because if you’re out-shooting your opponent you probably have the puck more. During the regular season the Hawks had the 2nd best 5 on 5 corsi for percentage in the league, compared to the Rangers having the 20th best. (1) The Hawks have also consistently finished highly in this statistic. Overall, that rating was composed of the Hawks’ 2nd best in the league corsi for (compared to NYR’s 9th) and 12 best league corsi against (compared to NYR’s 23rd). (2, 3) Even though their strategy is offensively oriented, their amazing possession allowed them to be tied for the least scored on team in the league. (4) One can also observe the Hawks’ puck possession through their strategies. The Hawks’ defenseman control the puck well, while they allow their forwards to get into position to carry the puck in or dump it to a location where their teammates should get their first. (5) The reason the Hawks are able to often pull off successful dump and chase plays, is not only because of their speed, but also their ability to take advantage of potentially flat footed defenseman who will either be beat to the puck or with turn it over with 2 forecheckers. (5) Finally, once they gain the zone they are hard to to take off the puck. The Hawks stretch out around the offensive zone allowing their forwards numerous passing options, while they find a chance on net. Overall, puck possession is critical because it allows you to generate more scoring chances than your opponent and recently, most Cup winners have had high corsi ratings. (1) Also, the Rangers, who were out shot heavily throughout most of the finals against the Kings last year, faced several shots and the Rangers had trouble gaining the zone. Therefore, due to their strong puck possession play the Blackhawks are a superior team to the Rangers. C2-Hawks’ Experience & Playoff Performance The Blackhawks are a proven playoff team with many proven players, more so than the Rangers. The Hawks’ team playoff experience speaks for itself, as since 2009, they have won two Stanley Cups and made four conference final appearances (and since this debate was started on May 4th) are poised to make another one. The Rangers have a decent playoff resume since 2011, making one Stanley Cup appearance and two conference final appearances, however, it does not compare to the Hawks’. The Hawks also have plenty of playoff performers. This playoff run has already seen players such as Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa score more points per game than they did in the regular season. Historically too their players have been playoff performers. Kane is point per game in his career in the playoffs and Toews has become known for clutch playoff goals. Also, there is the potential to see a player like power forward Bryan Bickell make a bigger impact in the 3rd and 4th round of the playoffs, much like he did for them in 2013 and 2014. However, looking at the Rangers playoff stats so far, their top players have not exceeded expectations. Rick Nash (who led the Rangers in points this season) is getting points at a much slower rate, and has only scored 1 goal (compared to his 42 in the season) this playoff run so far. (6, 7) Some of their other top forwards, such as Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, and especially Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello are also not proving to be like many of the forwards on the Hawks who exceed expectations come playoff time, (6) Having experience and performing better in the playoffs than in the regular season is essential to winning the Cup, as you’re more adapted to succeed in the more tight environment and obviously will be able to score more if your players are playoff performers. For this reason, the Hawks are a better playoff team than the Rangers. C3-Hawks’ Forward Depth The Blackhawks have much better depth up front than the Rangers, which is essential to success in the playoffs. Historically, many teams that rely too much on one line for offense lose in the playoffs as every team that has won recently has had depth, yet teams that had one really talented line or a couple really talented players and questionable depth, such as Anaheim (Getzlaf & Perry, although this might not apply anymore), West Coast Express Era in Vancouver (Naslund & Bertuzzi), modern day Pittsburgh (Crosby & Malkin), don’t win the Cup. Yet teams like LA, Chicago, and Boston were complimented for their depth. This years Hawks are no different, especially compared to the Rangers. The Kings highlighted the importance of a strong center core last year with Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Jarret Stoll, and Mike Richards. This is due to centers leading the offense in the offensive zone and having the most defensive duties from the forwards. Chicago’s center core fits the bill with Jonathan Toews (a Selke Trophy winners [the trophy for best defensive forward] and proven playoff performer), Brad Richards (a two way veteran center, with offensive abilities), Antoine Vermette (a two way center, who was the 1st line center in Arizona before being traded), and Marcus Kruger (another two way center). (8) The Rangers are severely out-matched down the middle, with Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Kevin Hayes, and Dominic Moore, none of whom have shown impressive playoff stats so far nor any close to being considered Selke Trophy Winners. (9) The Hawks are also stronger on the wings as they have consistent offense (plus strong two way game) from players such as Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, and Brandon Saad. However, the Rangers relied a lot on wingers such as Rick Nash, who I’ve already shown haven’t been scoring as much in the playoffs. One of the reason their players aren’t scoring as much, is because of the importance of depth so other coaches cannot focus entirely on one line or one player from the other team. This is why (along with having more scoring options) depth up front is important, and why the Blackhawks are superior to the Rangers. Sources: 1-http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com... 2-http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com... 3-http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com... 4-http://www.nhl.com... 5-http://thehockeywriters.com... 6-http://rangers.nhl.com... 7-http://www.nhl.com... 8-http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com... 9-http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com...