2010 Stanley Cup: Chicago Blackhawks Struggling With High Expectations

Sometimes it's good to be king. But as we're starting to see in this Stanley Cup Final series, sometimes it's too much hype to live up to.

When I wrote about the five reasons the Flyers could win this series, the one that stood out for me was the fact that the Flyers had nothing to lose, while the Hawks were expected to win.

Anything short of a Stanley Cup this season will be a severe disappointment and a miserable failure for the Hawks.

But if the Flyers lose, they will be lauded for overcoming the odds just to get there.

When Joel Quenneville and the Hawks were caught with their pants down on the winning goal in overtime Wednesday, it was like giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dying man.

Almost immediately, you could see the pressure mounting on the favored Hawks, while the Flyers were like sharks smelling blood in the water.

Allowing the Flyers back into the series only served to remind the Flyers of what they had done almost all season long.

Which is to overcome the odds.

Sure, the Hawks may have the better team on paper, although it sure isn't evident in this series thus far.

But that means nothing to the Flyers, who have survived an in-season coaching change and barely making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season to get here.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have always known they would get here.

You think the Hawks had uncertainty in the goal this season? Well, Michael Leighton wasn't even the starting goalie when the playoffs started and now he's outplaying Antti Niemi.

Look, a short series usually comes down to the team that's playing the best hockey and has the hot goalie. Well, right now, you'd have to say that Leighton is the hot goalie.

Speaking of goalies, the Fin seems to be wilting right before our eyes in this series. He had a great game two, but he's been pedestrian at best in the other games.

Perhaps he's been reading his press clippings too much? Perhaps the Hawks thought the series was over when they went up 2-0?

All the Hawks did is to hold serve on their home ice, and barely I might add, and suddenly there was all this talk of a sweep.

Now that the Flyers have done the same thing, even more impressively, maybe the Hawks wake up and realize these Flyers are a damn good team.

It seems that everyone keeps waiting for the Hawks to play that game we all know they are capable of playing. But how long do you wait?

Let's be honest, here. If you believe in the concept of momentum, things are not looking good for the Blackhawks, who have been outplayed the majority of this series.

But it's not over.

The Hawks can certainly turn things around by improving the first line scoring, the power play, and cutting down on sloppy play and stupid penalties.

The Flyers seem to be outworking the Hawks, too.

Above all, the Hawks need Niemi to be the Niemi he was in Game Two. If it wasn't for Niemi standing on his head in that game, this series would be in the Flyers' favor now.

Maybe Niemi would have rebounded by being pulled just as Leighton has done since being replaced in game one of the series.

Don't blame the refs, however. They haven't been impressive in this series so far, but only losers blame the refs.

And please keep all talk of the "curse of Hossa" to yourself, OK?

Meanwhile, you have to wonder how long people will keep saying that the Hawks are so much better than the Flyers?

It sure isn't evident on the ice.