Chicago Blackhawks Proving They're the Best in the West

What a game!

I haven't seen such a fast-paced, exciting NHL contest in a long time. In game one of the Western Conference Finals, San Jose and Chicago stood deadlocked for almost the entire night, until a late third period goal sealed it for the Blackhawks.

The real story, however, was Antti Niemi.

The Chicago goalie has proved throughout the playoffs that he's more than just the other guy on the Hawks, besides scorers Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Tonight, Niemi proved to all his critics that he deserves to be included among the top goaltenders in the NHL. After his performance over the last few hours, Niemi should consider insuring his glove hand.

The Sharks had plenty of opportunities around the net, and with shots from the wings. But Niemi stood tall and somehow kept the puck out. Stopping 44 of the 45 shots he faced, Niemi silenced the crazy crowd with wild glove saves and ridiculous pad stops.

He kept his team in it until the end.

San Jose may have had more shots and harder checks, but the Hawks outplayed them from start to finish. If anyone doubted Chicago coming into this series, they should check some replays from tonight. It was a close game, but the Hawks won on their own terms.

Tough board play and a game speed that favored the Hawks sparked the Chicago victory. Niemi also contributed to the win, of course.

If they continue to play this well, especially on the road, the Hawks will take the series from the top-seeded Sharks. It'll be close, and you bet it's going to be tense, but Chicago will win this series.

As long as Antti Niemi's hand stays out of harm's way.