Troy Murray on Blackhawks layoff and series matchup
Troy Murray answers three key questions as the Chicago Blackhawks get set to take on the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference finals.
Q: Can you give us a perspective of what the players are going through with this long layoff?
A: You get into a rhythm in the playoffs - it's a non-game day, it's a game day, it's a non-game day - and you just kind of get into that routine. Now (with nine days off) you get yourself out of the structure of the playoffs.
I think (coach Joel) Quenneville did an excellent job this week of having days off, switching the drills in some of the practices, making them do battle drills (Thursday), controlled scrimmage situations (Friday). He's trying to keep everything fresh and moving along at a good pace here so players don't feel that rust and don't feel like they've lost that mental edge.
Both teams have had a lengthy layoff. They'll try to find that rhythm as quick as possible Sunday at noon (Pacific), which isn't an easy start time.
Q: What are the keys to this series as far as who is going to come out on top?
A: First of all, it's going to be a great series between two teams that have star power in their lineup. If you look at (Ryan) Getzlaf and (Corey) Perry, that's as good a 1-2 combination as there is in the National Hockey League. (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews - also as good as there is in the NHL.
The key is which stars are going to be able to control some of the game, whether it's the matchups, whether it's the defensive matchups against the other team's top lines.
It's important you realize that the Ducks aren't a one-trick pony. They've got (Ryan) Kesler and his line playing extremely well. That was the big move by (GM) Bob Murray in the off-season to recognize that he needed some size and some depth and some strength down the middle if they wanted to compete with some elite teams in the Western Conference and the NHL. … Blackhawks fans and players certainly know (Kesler) from his days with the Vancouver Canucks. He's not an easy player to play against. He's going to be a factor.
Maybe one of the biggest keys is which star players can kind of impose their will in this series because everybody is playing extremely well.
Q: Is too much being made of the size of Anaheim's players?
A: Anaheim is a bigger team. The Blackhawks have dealt with bigger teams and they've survived it in the past. The Kings are a really big team and the Blackhawks were able to be very successful in those series against them. I just think that everybody looks at these two teams and says, 'Well, it's the speed of the Blackhawks against the size and strength of the Anaheim Ducks.'
But there's a lot more to it. You've got some pretty high-end talent on Anaheim; you've got some players on the Blackhawks who aren't intimidated by size whatsoever. …
But it (size) is a factor. You're going to have to deal in your defensive zone with some of the bigger, stronger, most talented power forwards in the National Hockey League, and that's going to be a challenge.
• Murray is in his 15th year as a member of the Blackhawks broadcast team and his eighth as the color analyst for the team's radio broadcasts. The Selke Award winner was a five-time 20-goal scorer who played 15 years in the NHL. Follow him on Twitter@muzz19.