Hawks much more than just confident

The road to Stanley Cup Shangri-La is paved with the strewed carcasses of those who believe they deserved better.

That is, by one definition, postseason hockey for you.

But as fate would have it, 2010 is the Year of the Blackhawk, and when you add up all the good intentions of a team like the Flyers, the ultimate total will be nothing more than runners-up.

They will be remembered - unfortunately for them - as mere roadkill, the dust under the weight of a runaway train.

The Hawks did again Monday night what they've done for the past month, and that's win in whatever style necessary, this time in a tight-checking 2-1 victory over Philadelphia at the United Center.

If the Flyers are feeling right now like they have just as much right to be up 2-0 in the Finals as down by the same margin, well, they've got every right to think it, and they're hardly alone.

The San Jose Sharks recently experienced the same emotion, not to mention the misfortune of running into a relentless buzz saw known as the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Sharks lost four games by 6 total goals, and now Philly has dropped two games by 2 total goals - all while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have yet to record a single point between them.

Sure, the Flyers have played the Hawks even, and were probably better overall in Game 2, but what the Hawks possess at the moment is worth more than anything Philadelphia can quantify or perhaps understand.

It's more than confidence. Sure, the Hawks have plenty of that, too, but above and beyond that they have the absolute knowledge - absolute - that they will win, whether it's the game, the series or - in this case - the Stanley Cup itself.

"We're a confident bunch," said veteran John Madden. "But we're not overconfident or cocky. We believe in what we're doing and that helps a lot.''

The Hawks stayed with the program Monday night even though the Flyers did all they could to stop the Hawks in transition.

For 37 minutes, Philly did just that, slowing the pace to a crawl and keeping the game scoreless, refusing to get into another wild track meet.

Both teams were smart in their own end and careful with the puck, until one Philly giveaway near the blueline and another in the neutral zone led to a pair of Hawks goals late in the second in a span of 28 seconds.

And that was that.

"We played a better game tonight," said defenseman Brent Seabrook. "But we can be better and we'll have to be."

The Hawks were outshooting Philly 15-5 when the Flyers finally got some pressure on Antti Niemi midway through the second, but Niemi made a couple big saves and the Hawks were patient, knowing they'd get to Mike Leighton eventually.

The Flyers got a power-play goal with 14:40 left in the game and despite strong Philly pressure the rest of the way - they outshot the Hawks 15-4 in the third - it never felt like the Hawks weren't in control.

"I'm not sure we should be frustrated,'' said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. "I think we outplayed them and outchanced them, but their goalie was extremely good in the third period."

Yes, Niemi was very good in the third, good enough to send the Hawks up 2-0 in the series and out on the road, where they've won seven straight.

"This is the Stanley Cup Finals and we know what the Flyers did to Boston down 3-0," Madden said. "This series is a long way from over."

Nice of him to say, but the truth is it's actually pretty darn close to being over.

brozner@dailyherald.com