Hawks dominate, find themselves 1 win from hoisting the Cup

You might want to let these next few words sink in for a second.

The Blackhawks are 1 win away from the Stanley Cup.

What seemed impossible just a few years ago can become a reality Wednesday night at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia when the Hawks have the chance to win their first championship in 49 years with a fourth victory over the Flyers.

"We're not going to think about that right now," Hawks winger Kris Versteeg said after Sunday's 7-4 blowout in Game 5 at the United Center gave them a 3-2 series lead. "Obviously that's huge, but we've just got to keep level headed and go into that building with the same mindset, the same way we want to play and have fun."

A spectacular first period blitz by the Hawks springboarded them to Sunday's win. The Hawks came out with everything they had and charged to a 3-0 lead, dominating the Flyers in their own end and knocking starting goalie Michael Leighton out of the game.

"I was just hoping we would come out like we did," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "Everybody was going, using their speed, backchecking, giving second effort. It was nice to see."

Not to Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, it wasn't.

"We got outworked pretty good," Laviolette said. "We got outbattled and they were quicker to loose pucks. They were moving the puck better than we were and they had a little more jump than we did.

"One thing I learned about playoffs is one game is one game. There's usually not a carryover from game to game."

That will be determined Wednesday.

"We've got to approach the next game like it's Game 7," said Hawks center John Madden, who is looking to win his third Cup. "We have a huge opportunity here and that's what we have to focus on the next two days."

The Hawks got a huge game from Dustin Byfuglien, who had 2 goals, 2 assists and 9 hits playing on a new line with Dave Bolland and Versteeg as coach Joel Quenneville shuffled his lines in large part to get Byfuglien away from Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger.

"I was focused and ready and knew what I had to do," Byfuglien said. "I just stuck to my game plan and never got away from it."

Byfuglien had his moments with Pronger, flattening the Flyers' star on one hit, playing with a determination that hadn't been there since the San Jose series.

"He was a force," Patrick Kane said.

"You saw him, he did everything," Bolland said. "He was making big hits, doing everything right, and when he does that he's a dominant player in this league."

Pronger was minus-5 and on the ice for 6 Hawks goals.

Quenneville masterfully juggled his lines and they all clicked.

Bolland and Versteeg each scored in the first period with new linemate Byfugluen assisting on both scores.

Byfuglien scored his first goal on a power play in the second period with Pronger in the penalty box for hooking Kane.

Brent Seabrook opened the scoring at 12:17 of the first period with a power-play goal that went in off the leg of Pronger.

Bolland made it 2-0 at 15:26 of the first when his shot from a bad angle to the left of the net went on off the skate of Leighton, who failed to cover his post.

Versteeg's goal at 18:15 came on a wrist shot from the deep slot that caught Leighton moving.

"There's another level to the Stanley Cup Finals and I think we found that level tonight," defenseman Brian Campbell said.

Scott Hartnell's rebound goal 32 seconds into the second period gave the Flyers life, but Kane answered at 3:13 on a nice feed from Andrew Ladd to restore the 3-goal lead.

Again the Flyers got to within 2 goals when Kimmo Timonen scored at 4:38, and they nearly got another goal just past the mid-point of the period on a power play, but Antti Niemi made a great pad stop on Mike Richards alone in front.