Stanley Cup 2013: Bruins Must Use Physicality to Take Game 1 in Chicago

A big part of the Boston Bruins' game is wearing their opponents down. Their physicality was on full display when they swept the favored Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.

In that series, the Bruins took both games in Pittsburgh. In order to take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, they will have to adopt the same approach.

Left wing Milan Lucic ranks second in the playoffs with 68 hits. The 6'3", 228-pounder has made a number of brutal hits in the postseason, including his jarring hit on Brooks Orpik in double overtime in Game 3 against the Penguins.

In the game of hockey (or most sports, for that matter), a team usually won't win a clash away from home without flat-out taking it. It's important to be the aggressor, making it known that this is your ice, not your opponent's.

Boston made an absolute statement in Pittsburgh. The Bruins outscored the Penguins in the first two games of the series 9-1, stunning a team that posted the best home winning percentage in the Eastern Conference during the regular season (18-6-0).

The Bruins now head to Chicago, where the Blackhawks posted the third-best home winning percentage in the Western Conference during the regular season (18-3-3). The Blackhawks have lost just one game at home during the playoffs (dropping Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings in the semifinals). They won a 4-3 overtime thriller in Chicago to clinch the series against the defending champion Los Angeles Kings and punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

Boston hasn't reached this point by playing nice. The Bruins must continue to get into their competition's face, refusing to back down even when the crowd is making its presence known.

One of the greatest thrills in hockey is a big hit that shifts momentum. And, make no mistake about it, the Bruins know how to shift momentum. They've been doing it throughout the playoffs.

Get ready for a physical battle in Chicago on Wednesday.